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

Teriyaki Beef Lettuce Wraps

I have never given Michaela lettuce before, so I was pretty impressed that she ate this.  I think that since she is used to eating burritos, this was a little bit more appealing to her than it would have been otherwise.  Rafael loved it too, but he just ate a bowl of rice and meat.

Ingredients
1 c long grain rice, prepared according to package directions
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c teriyaki sauce
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 carrots, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
2 green onions, sliced
juice from 1/2 lemon
8 leaves Romaine lettuce

Directions
Brown the ground beef in a skillet.  Drain grease.  Add milk, teriyaki sauce, cornstarch, carrots, garlic, and ginger.  Simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Add onions and lemon juice.  To serve, put some rice on each leave and top with the meat mixture.

Notes
The smaller leaves near the center of the head of Romaine are perfect for kids!  They are more rigid and curved so they hold the food in more easily.

Source
Adapted slightly from Dairy Goodness

Pumpkin Chili

This was a delicious recipe that we really enjoyed on our Pumpkin Family Night.  I didn't think it tasted very pumpkin-y, but it's nice to know that it's there, imparting all of it's nutritious yumminess on our bodies.

Ingredients
1 c onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground meat (I used chicken)
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5oz) can black beans
1 1/2 c corn
2 c pumpkin puree
1-2 c chicken broth (to desired consistency)
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add meat and cook through.  Add the rest and simmer about 20 minutes or until tastes are melded.  Top with cheese and serve.

Source
All Recipes via 2 Teaching Mommies

*Edited 10/28 to add: I've linked this up to Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap.  Check it out to see more healthy family recipes!

I've also linked up to Susieqtpies Scraps of Life's Halloween Linky Party.  Check her out for more fun Halloween recipes and ideas!

*Edited 9/30/11 to add: I've linked up to CreateLive's pumpkin recipe linky party!

Real World Wednesday - Frito Pie

I know what you're thinking, but this isn't your idea of frito pie. New Mexican frito pie uses real red chile, not Texas chili. This is so delicious, in my family it is a staple party food. It goes a long way and is a definite crowd pleaser, so give it a try! Halve or quarter the recipe if you are making this for a small family. There are variations at the bottom of the recipe that make the recipe a bit easier.

Ingredients

1 lb beans, prepared according to package directions

12 dried red chile pods, rinsed & stems and seeds removed

36 oz water

1/2 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp oregano

2 T flour

1 lb ground beef

1 clove garlic

1/4 c onion, chopped

vegetable oil

1-2 bags frito chips

16 oz cheese, shredded (cheddar, mexican blend, etc)

1 head lettuce, shredded

1-2 tomatoes, diced

Directions

1. Soak chile pods in warm water until soft (~3 minutes). Rinse of remaining seeds, remove veins, and bring to boil in a saucepan of water. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Place the pods in a blender with half of the cooking liquid. Reserve the rest of the liquid. Add salt, garlic, oregano, and flour. Blend until smooth and set aside.

2. Cook onion and garlic in a skillet with vegetable oil until clear. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly. Drain. Place chile back in saucepan with cooked meat and simmer about 10 minutes or until it becomes a tomato sauce consistency. Add water (or reserved chile liquid if using pods) if needed to reach desired consistency. To assemble frito pies, place chips in a bowl and top with beans, chile, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Easier Variation: Instead of preparing chile as in step one, prepare chile using chile powder according to package instruction.

Easiest Variation: Instead of using chile pods or powder, use frozen prepared red chile sauce. If you are not in an area that sells this, stick to the pods or powder. Whatever you do, DO NOT use enchilada sauce. That is not the same at all!

Chicken Piccata

I've been wanting to experiment with the "classic" Italian methods of cooking chicken, and I figured this would be a good one to start with. It's simple, quick, and the light breading makes it look like chicken nuggets, which never hurts when you are trying to get kids to eat.

Ingredients

2-4 Chicken breast cutlets
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c flour
salt & pepper
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup white wine (can substitute chicken broth)
3 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brined capers
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
If cutlets are too thick, place them between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound with meat hammer (or rolling pin in my case) until they reach 1/4 inch thickness. Dredge chicken in a bowl filled with the combined flour, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Prepare a skillet by heating olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. When thoroughly heated add the chicken and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and add wine, lemon juice and capers to the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the chicken. Reduce the sauce by half, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Serve the sauce over the chicken and top with chopped parsley.

Source
Simply Recipes

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs

Loosen your belts folks and forget about the word "cholesterol" until after you've prepared this meal. Sure, this may be a heart attack waiting to happen, but isn't cheese wrapped in meat, wrapped in meat worth it? This is a very rough recipe, because it is so adaptable to your particular tastes. For mine I used cheddar cheese w/ bbq sauce & pepperjack cheese w/ leftovers from a roast.

Ingredients

Hot dogs

cheese, cut in long thin strips

bacon

filling or sauce of your choice

Directions

Slice a hot dog open and add your cheese & filling. Wrap with uncooked bacon tightly, but not so tight as to break when it cooks and shrinks. If necessary, hold the bacon in place with toothpicks. Cook on the grill or bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Source

Inspired by Simply Recipes

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.

Steak Bites

I'm not very good at making steaks. I always seem to either over or under cook them to a ridiculous degree. These little steak bites are perfect because the size makes it easy to control the level of done-ness. They're also a nice kid-friendly size (though my red meat phobic child didn't touch them)!

Ingredients

sirloin steak

salt

pepper

garlic powder

2 tbsp butter

Directions

Trim all visible fat and gristle off the steak and cut into bite size pieces. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt, pepper, and garlic powder on your meat and let sit for 20-30 minutes. The salt needs this amount of time to season the meat. If you leave it on any shorter, it may simply dry it out. Heat up butter in a skillet over high heat (the pan needs to be HOT!) until it starts to turn brown. Dump enough of the meat so that there is only a single layer in the pan. Cook for 30-45 seconds, flip and cook another 30-45 seconds. Remove to a plate, add more butter to the pan and repeat process until the rest of the meat is cooked. Use the leftover butter as a gravy for mashed potatoes or pour over the served steak.

Notes

• I know it sounds like an incredibly short time to cook the meat, but remember that it will continue cooking after you remove it to the pan. Cook it as directed and it will be perfect medium rare deliciousness. (Trust me, I cooked it longer and some of the pieces were overcooked!)

Source

The Pioneer Woman via The Entertaining Kitchen

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.

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!

Sweet Potato Mac N Cheese

Here's another entry in my quest for the perfect mac n cheese recipe. This packs a nice nutritional punch with pureed sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and beans hidden in the cheese sauce. Apologies for the picture, this dish just does not photograph well. As Philip so eloquently put it: "That photo looks like cat vomit! Fortunately it tastes significantly better than that!" So there you have it. Enjoy! ;)

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb mixed vegetables, frozen
1 lb pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 lb sausage, cooked
8oz sharp cheddar cheese

Directions
Boil the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and garlic in just enough water to cover them. When they are soft, transfer in batches to a blender and puree with a little bit of the water they have been boiled in. Return puree to a pan and add beans, veggies, pasta, sausage, and cheese. Stir until combined and cheese has melted.

Notes

• This recipe makes a lot, maybe 15-20 servings. I didn't realize this and ended up freezing half the batch.
• I used frozen peas and carrots instead of mixed veggies. You can probably use whatever you have available and it would taste fine.
• My family tends to dislike visible vegetables so I pureed everything again after I added the beans and frozen veggies. I think there's nothing wrong with a little trickery if it gets your family to eat something healthy.
• You might want to use more meat. I only used enough for half the batch so that we could eat the other half on Lenten Fridays if we needed to.

Partially Clothed Chicken Parmesan

A while back I ran across this recipe for Naked Chicken Parmesan; essentially chicken parm without any breading. I was intrigued by the idea, but quite frankly, I really really love the traditional breading. I don't, however, like the extra calories it brings to the dish. So for my version I basically only cover half of the chicken which is enough to give me my breading fix and still remain a healthier version of the classic approach.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Salt and pepper

breadcrumbs

1 can tomato sauce

oregano

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

onion powder

mozzarella cheese

Directions
Place your chicken between two pieces of Saran wrap and pound to 1/2 " thin with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and then cook in a skillet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray for about 3 minutes on each side. Place the chicken in a casserole dish or baking sheet that has been either covered in foil or sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Top with enough breadcrumbs to cover most of the surface and spray very lightly with cooking spray. Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a small saucepan and season to taste with dried seasonings. Add sauce to top of chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through with no more pink in the middle.

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.

Aussie Turkey

There is a honey mustard chicken dish that I love making but Philip isn't too fond of it. This recipe for Aussie Chicken, which is a copycat of Outback Steakhouse's version, looks just like my dish but is much more man friendly because it adds bacon, mayonaise and cheese. For Michaela, my little meat hater, I shredded the turkey after it was cooked and added it to her mashed potatoes along with some corn.

Ingredients
4 turkey tenders
8 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoon mayonaisse
1/2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions
Mix honey, mustard, mayonaise, and onion flakes in a bowl. Place the turkey in a 8x8 casserole dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover with the honey mustard mix and top with bacon and cheese. Bake in a 350 degree for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Notes
*The original recipe adds mushrooms. I didn't have any, but next time I would definitely try this.

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!

Moroccan Chicken and Date Pastilla

Every month my Mom's Club hosts a potluck cooking club with various themes. I knew as soon as I heard that this month's theme was International Foods that I wanted to make something Moroccan. Have I ever had Moroccan food? No. In fact I had no idea if Moroccan food was even good, the name just popped into my head and I couldn't think of anything else. I googled Moroccan food (how would we survive without Google?!?) and found this dish that sounded oh so yummy and relatively kid friendly. I don't know why, but I have a thing for dishes that mix the savory and the sweet, and boy does this fit the bill. I realllly enjoyed this, and the other mommies seemed to also. Michaela didn't eat any because there was chocolate mousse and whipped cream in the room, which completely clouded her desire to eat anything else. I have a feeling that she would enjoy this, so I'll have to try feeding her the leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon + 1 pinch turmeric
2 lbs chicken breast
2 cups chicken stock
3 eggs
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped coarsley
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste
6 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil
powdered sugar and cinnamon

Directions
Saute onions in a bit of olive oil for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chicken and chicken stock. Cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred. Return to the pan along with the eggs, dates, raisins, cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper. Incorporate all the ingredients together.

Prepare your phyllo dough on a flat work surface. Lay out one sheet and brush with olive oil until the whole sheet is moistened. Lay another sheet tilted 45 degrees on top of the first and brush with olive oil. Repeat with 4 more sheets (6 total) tilting each 45 degrees from the previous one. Lay the phyllo dough in a 9 inch springform pan and fill with the chicken mixture. Fold the overhanging dough over the top to seal the pie. Brush olive oil on the top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until brown. When cooled, top with powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve.

Notes
*To toast the almonds, spread them in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. You can use untoasted almonds, but toasting them releases their flavor.
*If you don't have a springform pan, a regular pie pan would be fine, you would just have to scoop out the servings.
*If you are using a larger pan (I used a 10 inch), your phyllo dough won't close over the top. Simply prepare another 6 pieces of dough as above and cover the top, tucking in the extra around the sides of the bottom crust.
*The original recipe calls for saffron, but this is not an ingredient readily available in my area. If you are using saffron, use a pinch in place of the extra pinch of tumeric.
*Tumeric stains! I didn't wipe up the juice from the chicken that fell on my counter until several hours later, and by then it had already left quite a stain. I managed to remove most of it with the magic eraser, but please be careful with this.

Mardi Gras Meal - Turkey Jambalaya & Cranberries Jubilee

In college, Philip and I went to a church on campus that used to feed the students dinner after every Sunday evening Mass. Every year on the Sunday before Lent began, a certain parishioner used to make a delicious Mardi Gras dinner complete with Jambalaya and flaming Cherries Jubilee. This was one of Philip's favorite meals of the year, so since I happened to have turkey tenders and sausage in the freezer this year, I decided I would attempt to recreate that meal. The recipes these are based on can be found here and here. I didn't have cherries but I did have cranberries. I figured it was similar enough so I used those instead. I also tried to whip up some ice cream with Michaela using these instructions, but it didn't really turn out. There were some small chunk of ice cream, so I think it would have if we had shaken longer. Oh well, we enjoyed our ice cream soup! Also, since Michaela is not a huge fan of soups, I shredded some of the chicken and turkey and put it in a tortilla, along with some of the rice and some shredded cheese. She loved her jambalaya quesadilla!


Turkey Jambalaya
Ingredients
1/2 onion, diced finely
1 lb Turkey tenders, diced
1lb turkey sausage, diced and casings removed
1/2 red, yellow, and green bell pepper each, finely diced
1 jar salsa
1 can tomatoes, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 c rice


Directions


Saute onions in a bit of olive oil until translucent. Add chicken to the pan and brown. Add sausage and cook thoroughly. Add bell peppers, salsa, tomatoes, chicken broth & spices and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. When cooked, add rice to the turkey mixture and serve.


Cranberries Jubilee
Ingredients
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup juice from jar of maraschino cherries
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 cup brandy
vanilla ice cream

Directions
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add water and juice a little at a time and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add cranberries and cook 3-5 more minutes or until soft, stirring constantly. Pour into a flame-proof dish. Add brandy to the top and set on fire. Before serving, blow out the flames and pour over vanilla ice cream.

Real World Wednesday - Chicken Soup with Rice

This is my staple dish whenever I have a leftover turkey or chicken carcass. What I really call it is Carcass Soup, but that doesn't sound very appetizing. If I start this in the morning after breakfast, it is the perfect amount of time to have it finished for dinner. What a perfect meal for a cold day!

Ingredients

Chicken carcass

1 cup rice (I use a wild rice blend)

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup spinach, torn into small pieces

Directions

Place carcass in a crockpot and cover with water. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until meat is falling off the bones. Pour through sieve into a bowl and remove all skin, bones and cartilage from the broth, leaving only the meat. Return the broth and meat to the crockpot. Add rice, carrots, spinach and any other desired vegetables. Cook on high for another 3-4 hours.

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.