Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

If you know me, you know I have a slight obsession with pumpkin.  Just looking at my blog, my recipes in the fall are unfairly represented by pumpkin inspired creations.  I've been looking for a good pumpkin mac & cheese recipe for a while, and this recipe definitely fits the bill!  The only complaint I had was that it was not quite cheesy enough, so I would definitely add more cheese on top, and perhaps even a handful or two more to the sauce!

Ingredients
8oz elbow macaroni
2 T butter
2T flour
3/4c milk
3/4 c canned pumpkin
 1 c aged white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray an 8x8 casserole dish w/ cooking spray.  Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan until in begins to brown.  Add flour and whisk until browned.  Add remaining ingredients (remember to reserve half of your cheese), whisking constantly.  Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce.  Pour into the casserole dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbly and brown.

Source
Minimally adapted from BrokeAss Gourmet

Real World Wednesday - Bacon & Spinach Beans

This is a delicious side dish that my grandma used to make. I wasn't sure if it would be too spicy for Michaela, but at a friends house earlier that week she had become addicted to salsa so I thought it was worth a try. Apparently she takes after her mama because she loved it!

Ingredients

4 c Pinto Beans, cooked

1/2 c Onions, diced

1/2 package Bacon

2 c Spinach, steamed

1 T Red Chile Powder

Directions

Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain it, crumble it and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Saute the onion in the drippings, then add spinach, chile, and beans, mixing together. Sprinkle the top with bacon and serve.

Source

Family Recipe

Zucchini "Cookies"

These were really good. I really enjoyed the way these tasted even though Philip said they weren't his favorite. Michaela absolutely loooooved these little things. Shhh, come close and I'll tell you why.

I may have told her they were cookies.

Yeah, I know that tricking your kids into eating vegetable by telling them they are something else isn't the best idea. But she ate them. 'Nuf said.

I may have also coerced her into eating the rest of dinner by telling her she could have more cookies if she finished. Don't judge, she actually ate meat because of this!

Ingredients

1 zucchini, shredded finely

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup cheese, shredded

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, then form into patties. Fry the patties in a skillet in a scant amount of canola oil until browned.

Source

Itty Bitty Bistro

Real World Wednesday - Calabazitas

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make whenever we have enchiladas. I love squash and that taste mixed with corn and green chile is oh so delicious. Not to mention this is super easy to put together!

Ingredients*
1/4 c onion
1 clove garlic
1 zuchinni
1 yellow crookneck squash
1/2 c corn (frozen or stripped from the cob)
1/4 c green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1/8 c milk
1/2 c cheese (cheddar or pepperjack)

Directions
Saute the onion, garlic, squashes and green chile in a little bit of olive oil. When tender, add corn & stir. Put in a casserole dish or pyrex bowl, add milk, cover with cheese, and place in 350 oven just until cheese is melted.

*Measurements in this recipe are approximate. I just do it to taste, and adjust the measurements based on how many I'm serving, their tolerance for green chile, etc. Trust me, there's not much you can do too mess up this dish. Any combination of the ingredients would be tasty!

Strawberry Banana Bites

I woke up yesterday morning and realized that every single skillet in my house was dirty. Iusually make scrambled eggs for Michaela's breakfast, but ever since we got our new dishwasher, I try as hard as possible not to wash dishes by hand. I immediately thought of this recipe, and whipped up a quick batch. I made some "normal" ones, then added some pureed strawberries to the batter to make these Strawberry Banana versions. I imagine this would be delicious with any type of pancake batter. These are so yummy and easy to make. The banana caramelizes a bit and they are the perfect size for little hands. Michaela couldn't put them down!

Ingredients

pancake mix, boxed or homemade

strawberries, pureed

bananas, sliced

syrup (optional)

Directions

Prepare pancake batter as normal, exept replace 1/2 liquid with pureed strawberries. Pour pancake batter onto hot greased griddle about the size of a banana slice. Put a banana slice on top, then cover with more batter, flipping when bubbles start to appear. Alternately, you could coat the banana slices in batter, then cook on griddle. You could serve with syrup, but they were pretty sweet as is, so I didn't bother.

Source

Adapted from Weelicious

Bacon & Spinach Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

8 oz pasta (I used Rotini)

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

1/2 c onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

2 tbsp white wine

salt

pepper

2-3 c spinach

1/4 c cilantro

parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Brown bacon in a skillet, then add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Mix the eggs with the wine, salt, and pepper. Add the drained pasta, egg mixture, spinach and cilantro and cook for just a little bit more, stirring constantly, until spinach is slightly wilted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Source

Adapted from Tiny Morsels

Real World Wednesday - Fried Pineapple Rice

This was one of those "clean your fridge and pantry out" type of meals. I just started throwing things together and hoping they would come out allright. I'm quite proud of how this dish turned out, considering I am usually lost without a recipe. I think the sausage may have been a little out of place, but other than that, this was the perfect middle-of-the-week meal. This would also be a good side dish without the meat.

Ingredients

2 turkey sausage links, sliced

1 chicken breast, diced

1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ginger

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 c onion

1 1/2 c rice, cooked

2 eggs

1/2 c toasted almonds

1/2 c peas

1 c pineapple, chopped

Directions

Slice and brown the sausage and chicken breast in a skillet. Add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry until cooked through and all flavors are nicely mingled.

Real World Wednesday - Meatloaf

I know that everyone has their own special family recipe for meatloaf, but this is mine. It's simple, straightforward, fast, and relatively likeable due to it's use of barbecue sauce instead of ketchup and it's lack of vegetables. I personally don't like veggies in my meatloaf, it's like having veggies in a hamburger. Yuck. If you are looking for ways to sneak veggies in, I think substituting some sort of pureed veggie for the ketchup would do the trick.

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)

1 egg

3/4 c breadcrumbs

1/4 c ketchup

1/2 c barbecue sauce

Directions

Mix all ingredients together except barbecue sauce, put in a loaf pan, and cover with barbecue sauce. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. To make it more kid friendly, set apart a small amount and cut shapes using cookie cutters. Bake these on a baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes.

So Good They Taste Like They're Deep Fried Oven Fries

Whew! Yes that's a long title, but it is completely accurate. Every time I've made oven fries before they have been just ok. They're always a little mushy and they taste nothing like the deep fried sticks of artery clogging yumminess that you get at fast food joints. Not these. I followed this recipe and they came out perfectly golden and slightly crispy. These were a hit with the entire family!

Ingredients
russet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries or wedges
olive oil
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Directions
Soak potatoes in hot water for 10-30 minutes. Meanwhile spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 475 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp. When finished, place on a paper towel to drain any additional grease and serve.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I decided to try my hand at homemade chicken nuggets for Michaela's birthday dinner. I've seen this on several different blogs, but my recipe is most like this one from Itty Bitty Bistro. It's rare that I make a meal that everyone in the family likes, so I was super happy when Michaela munched these down and Philip said they were as good as McDonalds. :)

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1 egg

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated

Directions

Cut off all visible fat from chicken and cut into strips. Place chicken in food processor and grind until the texture is that of ground meat. Meanwhile, mix the bread crumbs, flaxseed, and parmesan in a bowl. Put the egg in a seperate bowl and whisk. Roll the ground chicken into balls, dip them in the egg, and then in the breadcrumb mix. Place on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cups

My little one turned two yesterday, so in honor of her birthday, I made her these oatmeal cups for breakfast. They were a big hit! Don't expect these to be a muffin like consistency. It's basically baked oatmeal, but it is a really really yummy breakfast, and the chocolate chips just makes you feel like you are eating dessert for breakfast. This would be a great snack too!

Ingredients
3 over ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chocolate soy milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups old fashioned or rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and put in lightly sprayed or lined muffin cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Cool on wire racks. Makes 12-15 cups.

Real World Wednesday - Breakfast Casserole

Every once in a while I like to make breakfast for dinner. It's usually less work than dinner, and is something I always know my family will like. I adapted this recipe from one given to me by a friend's mom. She had made this for a brunch baby shower and I instantly fell in love!

Ingredients

15 oz frozen country style hash browns (or fresh grated)

1 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled

8 eggs

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

10 oz cheese, grated & divided (I use cheddar and either Monterrey or Pepper jack)

1/2 cup green chile, roasted, peeled & chopped (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, except 5 oz of cheese. Pour into an 8 x 8 casserole dish that has lightly been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese and cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Notes

• I always have leftovers, and that's OK! Spend an extra couple minutes after dinner putting together burritos with the leftovers and you'll have breakfast for the rest of the week!
• I love making this meal for new moms. Take this, along with some fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls for dessert and this is the perfect meal!

Thinking Outside of the...Orange?

This isn't really a recipe post. I just wanted to show how sometimes when you are trying to get food into a toddler, you have to think a little bit outside of the box.

Michaela regularly eats yogurt for a snack, so I decided to punch it up a little and make this Banana Avocado Mousse for her snack yesterday. I was too lazy to actually blend it, so it didn't look quite as appetizing as I was expecting. After taking one look at it, I knew I would have to be creative in getting her to eat it. Luckily, I had just juiced an orange for her to drink, so I scooped a little bit into a used orange cup and served it to her with a spoon.

It worked! After staring at it for a few minutes in interest, she finally took a bite.

"Num num owange mama!"

"No baby, it's in an orange cup, but it's banana and avocado."

*Looking at me in confusion*

"Num num banana mama! Num num owange!"

This post is participating in the Big Words, Little Foodies meme. Head on over to Food with Kid Appeal to hear more funny stories of what kids say when trying new foods.

Thin Mint Cupcakes

I have an unhealthy obsession with Girl Scout cookies. Given the chance, I would eat en entire box of Thin Mints in one sitting. I can eat half a container of Samoa ice cream before I finally force myself to stop and save some for later. So you can see how when I saw this recipe for Thin Mint cupcakes, I had no chance. I had to make them. These were quite good. I made the mistake of forgetting to add the crumbled cookies to the batter until it was already in the cupcake liners. I did my best adding them in, but I think this would have a much more consistent taste if I had done it from the beginning.

Ingredients

3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 sleeve Thin Mint cookies or 1/2 package Keebler Grasshopper cookies, crushed

Directions

Sift together dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix together until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed cookies and scrape down the sides of the bowl until all batter is well mixed. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full and bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Makes 20-26.

Notes

• In the original post, there is a recipe for mint frosting. I just used half a container of store-bought cream cheese frosting and added 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract.
• I think you could achieve a similar taste by adding crushed Thin Mints to a boxed chocolate cake mix.

*Sorry for the previous messed up entries in your feed reader. Blogger was freaking out on me!

Real World Wednesday - Quesaninis

A few weeks ago we ate delicious gourmet quesadillas made with a George Foreman grill at a friends house. They looked like paninis, so I named them Quesaninis and vowed to recreate them at home. These are so quick and easy to put together, and you can use whatever ingredients you already have on hand.

Ingredients
tortillas or wraps (I used spinach herb wraps)
Sliced turkey breast, or any other meat
Sliced cheddar, or any other cheese
Sliced tomato
Sliced avocado
Sliced mushrooms
cilantro
Any toppings of your choice (Salsa, green chile, and bacon are a few other toppings I want to try.)

Directions
Lay out your tortilla or wrap and place ingredients on one half. Fold the other half over the ingredients and cook in a lightly greased George Foreman for 5 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted. If you don't have a George Foreman, cook for 5 minutes on each side in a non-stick skillet.

Salmon Sticks

Looking for a quick Friday Lenten meal that is a bit more complex than grilled cheese sandwiches, but still something my family would enjoy, I came across this recipe for salmon fish sticks. Philip ate seconds and Michaela ate almost two, which is way more than she usually eats for dinner, so it was definitely a success.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons honey

2 medium skinless salmon fillets

Directions

Mix bread crumbs, spices, flaxseed and Parmesan together in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk egg and honey together. Cut salmon into sticks of your desired size. Dip the salmon into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Lay out on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Notes

*Although we enjoyed these, both Philip and I thought they could be better. Perhaps next time I would pulse the bread crumbs in a food processor so that they coated the fish more evenly, or maybe I would use molasses instead of honey. If you experiment with this recipe with success, let me know so that I can try out your version!

Zuppa Toscana

I've been trying to find a good copycat recipe of my favorite Olive Garden soup for awhile now. This recipe is adapted from Annie's Eats and Copykat Recipes. Although it's been awhile since I've had this at the restaurant, I thought it tasted exactly the same as I remembered. So creamy and delicious! Philip thought it was a little bland but said he would enjoy eating it over and over again. Michaela ate the potato bits and tried to eat the liquid, but it's still a little hard for her. Considering how easy this was, this is definitely being added to my rotation of dinner regulars.

Ingredients

3 links sausage, cooked & crumbled

1/4 cup onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

2 potatoes, diced

1 cup kale, chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled (optional)

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until onion is translucent. Add the white wine and swirl it around a bit to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, water, and potatoes. Simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the kale and cook until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Notes

• I don't think it matters too much what type of wine you use. I used a fruity Pinot Grigio, but I'm guessing a dry wine would work well too.
• I'm guessing this could be adapted fairly easily to the crockpot. If I were to try it, I would saute the onions and garlic, then brown the sausage in the same pan. Then I would put all the ingredients in the crockpot except the cream and cook on low for 3-4 hours, adding the cream right before serving. If anyone tries it this way, please let me know in the comments!

Real World Wednesday - Baked Potato Bar

Back in my working days, when I wouldn't get home until 7 at night, I used to make a potato bar for dinner quite often. I hadn't made this in awhile but remembered about it last week when I was short on dinner prep time. It's so easy to pull together, and you mostly use ingredients that you already have on hand.

Ingredients
Potatoes
Butter
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream (I use plain yogurt)
Bacon bits
Salsa
Flax Seed
Shredded Chicken
anything else you have on hand

Directions
Clean the potatoes, poke holes in them with a fork and rub them lightly with olive oil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1-1.5 hours. When finished, let cool and top with desired toppings.

Notes

• This is a great way to get kids involved in meal prep. They'll love choosing their own toppings and making the potatoes to their liking.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

If you've never heard of or tasted Bakerella's cake balls, boy oh boy are you missing out! I first made these a couple of years ago for my birthday party and have been addicted ever since. Here's the thing, these are very addicting and this recipe makes A LOT! So make sure that you make these only when you plan on having lots of company, otherwise you will end up eating them all by yourself.

Ingredients
1 box red velvet cake mix
1 can crean cheese frosting
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
wax paper

Directions
Prepare the red velvet cake according to package instructions. After it has cooled, crumble it into little pieces and mix the cream cheese frosting well into it. Roll the mix into small balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Cool in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until balls are hard. Melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Dip the balls into the chocolate and return to wax paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze for another couple of hours or until the chocolate has hardened.

Notes

• Red velvet is messy! Be prepared for red all over the place!


• Melt the chocolate chips a little bit at a time, otherwise they will harden and cool. Also, don't use a plastic bowl to melt them in, because the bowl will melt. Not that any of us would ever do that or anything. ;P

Real World Wednesday - Toddler Milkshakes

If you have a kid who refuses to eat fruits or vegetables, this is a must-have recipe. After I got this idea from my sister-in-law, I started making this every morning for Michaela. It makes me feel good that even if she refuses all other food that day, she is still getting a few servings of fruit, veggies, calcium and fiber.

Ingredients

1 Banana

1/2 cup fresh Spinach

3-4 Strawberries

2 tablespoons ground flax seed and/or wheat germ

1/2-1 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla

2-3 cups Milk

any other fruits or veggies

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes

• You can really put anything you want in this shake. I have a friend who uses carrots, something I've been wanting to try. I always use bananas and strawberries, then look for seasonal fruits that are on sale to add in.
• It usually takes Michaela the entire day to finish this. I pull this out first along with any meal or snack, then return it immediately to the refrigerator when she's done.
• You can't taste the spinach because of the overwhelming flavor of the banana, however, it does sometimes turn the shake green. Since this can be off-putting to some kids, I would recommend using a cup that you can't see through. I use The First Years Insulated sippy cups, with the rubber valve on top cut out.
• Adjust the amounts to your own taste. Sometimes I make enough for me to have a glass also.