EASY MAC & CHEESE

When I think about an easy lunch for my toddler I often go straight for the "blue box". It's a staple in most pantry's or food storage and a go-to favorite of mom's everywhere. But...

Recently I've changed my tune and I'm hoping to change yours too. This recipe, start to finish, takes no more time, is a lot healthier, and way yummier for mom's and kiddo's alike. You will have to dirty one additional pot, and grate your own cheese. But these simple steps, I promise not more time consuming, will be sooooo worth it!


EASY MAC & CHEESE
(Mindi Original)

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
1/2 C. chicken stock
1/2 C. whole or 2% Milk
1-2 C. sharp cheddar (or cheese or combination of cheese's you like*)

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 lb. pasta of choice

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the flour to form a rough (paste).

3. Allow the rough to cook for a couple minutes, then add the chicken stock and milk while whisking. Bring to a boil whisking until the sauce reaches a gravy consistency.

4. Add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick. (Add the cheese about 1/2 cup at a time, until the sauce has the flavor you like.)

5. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

6. Toss the cheese sauce with the pasta and serve immediately.

7. Serves 4.

*You can use any melty cheese you like or even combine cheese for additional flavors. Reese loves the plain cheddar, but when I make this for our family I often use cheddar and Parmesan, or Italian cheese blend.

**As an additional side note, this dish can easily become a meal by adding 1 lb. ground beef, chicken, or even ham.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU BREAD BOWLS

I made these yummy little bread bowls a while ago, with the arrival of my Cuisine at Home Magazine. We thought they were amazing with a double thumbs up from my husband. I thought at the time what a perfect fall dish this would be. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think.


CHICKEN CORDON BLEU BREAD BOWL
(Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home)

For the Chicken:

4 T. butter

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed (about 3 chicken breasts)

1/2 C. minced shallots (or onion)

2 T. flour

1 C. apple juice

1 1/4 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. heavy cream

1/4 C. grated Parmesan

2 T. mustard

1 t. thyme

2 C. broccoli florets, blanched

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

For the Casserole:

4 round sourdough loaves (or medium bread bowls)

4-8 thin slices smoked ham

4 large slices Swiss cheese

4 t. grated Parmesan, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Add the chicken and saute until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the shallots and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle mixture with flour, stir to incorporate.

4. Combine the apple juice and broth; slowly add, stirring constantly to avoid clumping.

5. Stir in cream, Parmesan, mustard and thyme; simmer after each addition until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli; season with salt and cayenne. Reduce heat to low.

6. Hollow out the loaves by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. (Remove as much bread as possible.) Compress any remaining bread inside the loaves to make room for the filling. Toast loaves directly on oven rack, about 5 minutes; remove to prepared baking sheet.

7. Arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving sauce in the pan.

8. Top the chicken in each loaf with a slice of Swiss and sprinkle with 1 t. Parmesan.

9. Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

10. Makes 4 bowls.

ROASTED VEGGIE CHICKEN LASAGNA

Can you tell I'm working on a theme here? Not really intentionally, more out of a need to utilize the plethora of veggies being harvested from my garden right now. This recipe was a 'middle of night, can't sleep, thinking about what to do with all my veggies' idea! I had several different ideas, but they morphed into lasagna...chicken lasagna...with roasted veggies!

So, you're probably going to look at this recipe and think it's too long, too involved and/or too hard. I'm not going to lie and tell you its one of those throw together super easy meals, but I assure you it isn't as time consuming or difficult as it may read. Minus the cooking time, all the prep took me less than an hour. I would call this a 'Sunday dinner' or 'special occasion' recipe. And I promise you, it's worth a little work. It was delicious!!

ROASTED VEGGIE CHICKEN LASAGNA
(Mindi Original)

For the Veggies:
1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini
1 small sweet potato
5 button mushrooms
½ red onion
3-4 small tomatoes (home grown or roma)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Dice all the veggies into ¼ inch cubes.
2. Spread onto a large baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.
4. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 30 minute. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the sauce for the Lasagna.

For the chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 qt. water
2 t. salt
2 bay leaves
½ C. lemon juice

1. Put everything in a large stock pot. Chicken can be frozen.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove from heat, drain and allow chicken to cool. When cool, shred with a fork.

For the Sauce:
¼ C. butter
4-6 cloves garlic
¼ C. flour
1 C. heavy cream
2 C. chicken stock
1 C. Parmesan cheese
Prepared shredded chicken from above
Salt & Pepper

1. In a larges sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and allow to cook over low heat until the garlic starts to brown slightly.
2. Add the flour to form a rough.
3. Add the cream and stock. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
4. As the sauce begins to thicken, add the cheese and chicken.
5. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

For the Lasagna:
1 recipe roasted veggies
1 recipe sauce
12 lasagna noodles; cooked aldente, drained and dried
2-3 C. mozzarella cheese

1. Layer the lasagna into a 9x13 dish, sprayed with cooking spray, as follows:

Tiny bit of sauce on the bottom
4 noodles
1/3 veggies
1/3 sauce
cheese
4 noodles
1/3 veggies
1/3 sauce
cheese
4 noodles
1/3 veggies
1/3 sauce
cheese

2. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

*For you non-meat eaters out there...Lisa...wink, wink...just leave the chicken out of the sauce and this will still be super yummy! You can also use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Ever heard of Cauli-Rice??

Last week a good friend of mine commented on one of my posts and mentioned that she has been serving Cauli-rice as a substitution for regular rice with her meals. I had never heard of Cauli-rice so I did a little research on-line, and asked my friend for more info.

It turns out this "Cauli-rice" stuff is amazing! It's basically Cauliflower shredded to the consistency of rice and cooked dry, giving it a similar texture to rice (see recipe below). It can be used in a variety of applications while cooking. I knew I had to try it, so I came up with a simple casserole recipe to test it out.

It was a huge success! We absolutely loved it. I can't say that it tasted "exactly" like rice, but it was pretty darn close and worked as an amazing substitute. Especially considering that a cup of cauli-rice has no carbs, is high in fiber and only about 20 calories, as apposed to regular rice that is loaded with carbs, and is high in calories.

I will definitely be doing some more experimentation and using cauli-rice on a regular basis! Thanks Natasha!!

*This recipe can easily become a vegetarian dish. Simply double the beans and leave out the beef. Season the beans exactly as you would have seasoned the beef.

CAULI-RICE BLACK BEAN CASSEROLE
(Mindi Original)

1 large head of cauliflower; for cauli-rice
1 lb. lean ground beef
salt & pepper
½ t. cumin
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. chili powder
1 can black beans; drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (Mexican style)
1 can chopped green chilies
1 C. fat free or low fat sour cream
3 C. Monterey jack cheese; grated

1. Grate the cauliflower in a food processor or with a hand grater. You can also chop the cauliflower with a knife until it resembles small rice granules.
2. Put the grated cauliflower in a large microwave safe bowl. Do not add water and do not cover. Microwave for 5 minutes. Drain off any water. It will be very little.
3. Fluff and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, seasoning with salt & pepper.
5. Add the cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Stir to incorporate into the meat.
6. Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes and green chilies. Then add the sour cream.
7. In a 9x13 pan or a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer as follows:

½ cauli-rice
½ ground beef mixture
½ cheese
½ cauli-rice
½ ground beef mixture
½ cheese

8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or hot and bubbly!
9. Serves 4-6

It isn't Gordon Ramsey's recipe but...

My husband and I sometimes watch the show "Kitchen Nightmares". It can really be brutal. I'm not a huge fan of Chef Gordon Ramsey. He's mean and swears way too much. But after you watch him a few time, there's just something a little endearing about him. I can't quite figure it out.

One thing I've noticed...it seems like every restaurant he visits serves some form of Shepherds Pie that he inevitably makes over with is mother's "secret" recipe. By my account he's given this "secret" recipe to at least 4 different restaurants, so it I'm thinking its not much of a secret any more.

I, like Gordon Ramsey, grew up on shepherds pie. But I'm sure my mother's version was no where near the traditional English version of shepherds pie, and Gordon Ramsey would probably spit it out and declare "that is ghastly"! He's pretty narcissistic that way! I however loved my mom's shepherds pie and still do. There's just something so comforting about it. I could literally eat it every week and it would never get old.

Below is my very own version of shepherds pie. It's a lot like my mom's. I just make my own sauce. My mom always used a can of tomato soup, and I too will used a can of soup sometimes if I'm in a hurry and need a quick dinner. I've also added pea's to the potatoes, because...it's just yummy! This recipe is also one of those times that I'll usually rely on my handy frozen mashed potatoes.

...and if you want to check out "Kitchen Nightmares", it's tonight on FOX!



SHEPHERDS PIE
(Mindi's version)

3 medium to large russet potatoes (6 small potatoes); peeled & cubed
salt
2 T. melted butter
¼ - ½ C. milk
½ C. sour cream
1 C. frozen pea’s; defrosted
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion; diced
salt & pepper
2 T. flour
1 (14-16 oz.) can tomato sauce
½ C. half & half (or whole milk)
1 T. sugar
1 ½ C. cut green beans (canned, frozen or fresh)
2 -3 C. cheddar cheese; grated

1. Place the prepared potatoes in a large stock pot. Fill the pot with water to cover 1 inch above the potatoes. Add salt to the water about 1-2 tablespoons, so the water tastes salty.
2. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender then drain.
3. To the potatoes add the butter, milk, and sour cream. Mash to desired consistency. (You may need to add more milk until the potatoes are as smooth as you like them.)
4. Stir in the peas and set aside.
5. In a large skilled brown the beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. When the beef is about half way cooked, add the onion and continue to cook until the beef is done and the onions are translucent.
6. Stir in the flour until well incorporated.
7. Add the tomato sauce and half and half. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the sauce starts to slightly thicken.
8. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
9. Stir in the green beans.
10. Pour the tomato and beef mixture into a 2 qt. casserole dish.
11. Top with the pea potatoes. Be sure to cover the entire top leaving no visible beef sauce.
12. Top with cheddar cheese.
13. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted.

Mama's Lasagna...

I have half a dozen different lasagna recipes. They range from veggie lasagna, sausage and cheese, spinach...you name it I've tried quite the variety. Some I like more than others, but there's just something comforting about the way my mom made lasagna. It's probably the nostalgia for me, but I love it! There are no fancy cheeses, herbs, or veggies; just simple ingredients, simple techniques, and delicious flavor.

MOM'S LASAGNA

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar marinara pasta sauce (your favorite brand and flavor)
1 large container cottage cheese
1 C. Parmesan cheese
6 C. mozzarella cheese
9-12 lasagna noodles; cooked al’dente and set aside

1. In a large skilled, brown the ground beef. Combine with the marinara sauce.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the cottage cheese with the Parmesan cheese.
3. Layer all the ingredients into a greased 9 x13 pan as follows:

(Spoon a little marinara sauce on the bottom to prevent sticking)

3-4 lasagna noodles
Marinara sauce
Cottage cheese mix
Mozzarella cheese
(repeat)
(repeat)

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until hot and bubbly.

Studio 5 appearance and another dip inspiration!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Today's the day...I'm headed off to Salt Lake for my Studio 5 appearance. I'm excited to demo my latest creation; Spinach Artichoke Pasta. I had planned to make Spinach and Artichoke dip over the holidays and bought all the ingredients. Well, I never got around to it and once everyone left I decided to use the ingredients to turn my famous dip into a yummy dinner. It was so good, I even surprised myself.

I hope you enjoy! And if you live in the Utah area, tune in to KSL Channel 5 this morning at 11 a.m. to see me demonstrate this yummy recipe.


SPINACH ARTICHOKE PASTA
(Mindi Original)

6 to 8 oz. pasta, cooked according to package instruction
1 large or 2 small chicken breast, cubed
2 t. veg. or olive oil
½ C. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
1 can artichokes, chopped
1 C. chopped spinach, packed (If using frozen, defrost, drain and squeeze out the water.)
1 can diced Mexican style tomatoes
1/2 C. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. sour cream
½ C. chicken stock
½ C. half and half
7 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (reserve 1 oz.)
2 T. hot sauce
salt & pepper

1. Cook pasta, drain and set aside.
2. In a large skilled heat oil or medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for a couple minutes or until onion starts to become translucent.
3. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is done and juices run clear.
4. Stir in cream cheese, and sour cream. Cook until they are melted and incorporated into the mixture.
5. Add the artichokes, spinach and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate.
6. Add the chicken stock, half and half, Parmesan cheese, and hot sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add the pasta and pour the mixture into a large casserole dish, top with additional Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 15 -20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Dip Inspiration!

Over the holiday break I was watching an episode of Rachael Ray where she came up with a casserole inspired by the famous 7 Layer Dip. Well this dip happens to be an absolute favorite of my husbands, so I had to give it a try. I ended up altering the recipe a bit for ease and to better suite my cooking style, but I think Rachael would still be proud. And although my husband said that it's no substitution for the "real thing", it was still pretty good. For my version see below and for Rachael's full recipe click HERE.

In the vein of dip inspired recipes. I will be appearing on Studio 5 tomorrow! The producer Kellie and I are still finalizing the recipe I'll be demoing, but I'm hoping to demo my latest creation; Spinach Artichoke Pasta. It's my own dip inspired meal, taking my yummy Spinach and Artichoke dip and turning into a to-die-for pasta dinner. If for some reason it's not the recipe I end up demoing...no worries, I'll still post the recipe tomorrow. Stay tuned...


7 LAYER "INSPIRED" CASSEROLE
(Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 lb. ground beef
1 Can diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime
1 Can pinto beans
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
salt & pepper
6 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 C. chicken stock
1 C. whole milk
4 C. cheddar cheese, grated
4 C. crushed tortilla chips
2 C. shredded lettuce
1 C. diced tomatoes
3 large avocados, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 C. Cilantro, chopped
1 C. olives sliced

1/2 C. scallions, diced
Sour cream

1. In a large skilled brown hamburger, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add pinto beans and diced tomatoes. Cook until heated through. Pour mixture into the bottom of a large casserole dish or 9x13 baking pan.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour to form a rough. Slowly add the chicken stock and milk, stir until it starts to thicken. Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Once the cheese has melted and formed a thick cheese sauce, add the cooked elbow macaroni and stir to combine. Pour the macaroni and cheese over the beef mixture.
3. Bake in at 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.
4. While cooking, combine the diced avocado with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Once the casserole has been removed from the oven, layer on the crushed tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado mixture, cilantro, olives and scallions. Top each serving with a small dollop of sour cream.

I'm a coinsure...

of Mac & Cheese! I think I've mentioned that I have a little "Southern" in me. I lived in Alabama as a kid and I served a mission for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) in South Carolina. I've eaten some of the best Mac & Cheese the South has to offer and through my travels I collected over 14 different recipes for Mac & Cheese from what I would consider the best southern home cooks on the map. Through the years I've also collected Mac & Cheese recipes from all my favorite chef's like Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray, etc...

Armed with the assortment and variety of recipes. I've come up with my very own favorite Mac & Cheese recipe. Then I added a little veggies for my baby and meat for my man. It turned out pretty darn good. So before you start that New Years diet. Squeeze in a little comfort food for one last meal.

Enjoy!


HAM & BROCCOLI MACARONI AND CHEESE
(Mindi Original)

3 cups elbow macaroni
3 C. fresh broccoli, chopped
1 C. diced ham
2 T. butter
1T. veg. oil
½ onion, graded or finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. flour
2 C. cream
2 C. chicken stock
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. hot sauce
2 C. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 C. cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 C. panko bread crumbs


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, decreasing the cooking time of the pasta by 2 minutes. Add the fresh broccoli to the pasta water and let it cook right along with the pasta. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving ½ C. of the pasta water. Set aside.
3. Using the same stock pot, melt butter. Add the veg. oil, onion, garlic, and ham. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the flour and stir until well incorporated. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock and cream. Cook until it starts to thicken.
6. Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
7. Add all the cheeses and stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce comes together.
8. Add the pasta and broccoli turn off the heat and allow to set for about 5 minutes.
9. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Top with the bread crumbs.
10. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the pasta has absorbed the sauce well and the edges are crispy and bubbly.

Thanksgiving breakfast...

This will be the first Thanksgiving in about 5 years that I won't be cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Not that I've had to cook one alone for the last 5 years, but usually even with family gatherings, I'm responsible for a good chuck of the meal. This year we're headed up to Salt Lake to my extended "Nordfelt" family gathering. I will have an assignment, but just one. One that I haven't heard about yet...I should probably make some calls and figure out what that will be.

Anyway, I'm feeling a little bad. After my mashed potato post I've gotten several emails and calls from friends asking for more Thanksgiving recipes and tips. I should have been more prepared, but I just wasn't. I really hadn't planned on doing very many Thanksgiving recipes, because I won't be cooking any. I hope you'll all forgive me. I will however be guest hosting on Tangled & True later this week with several awesome cranberry sauce recipes. I'll keep you posted on the day of that post. Also, if you need some advice, direction or ideas, I welcome your emails and phone calls. I'm happy to help you in any way I can! I do promise to be better prepared for Christmas. I will have several holiday idea's and recipes ready to go.

In the mean time I will keep giving you great everyday family and kid friendly recipes. Like this amazing quiche.

Last week several of my friends and neighbors got together for a brunch/playdate. (Thanks for hosting Lindsey! Your new house is beautiful and so fun. Little "R" and her mama are jealous of that amazing play room.) I made this yummy quiche; a Paula Dean recipe. I've tweaked it a little, sorry Paula. But it was so delish! I think I'll be making this again on Thanksgiving morning. You gotta each breakfast, even on Turkey day!


HASH BROWN CRUSTED QUICHE
(Adapted from a Paula Dean Recipe)

2-3 C. shredded hash browns
¼ C. butter; melted
salt & pepper
5 eggs; beaten
1 ½ C. half & half
1 C. cubed ham (I use Canadian bacon)
3/4 C. diced green onions
2 C. cheddar cheese; grated

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the hash browns with the melted butter. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Press the hash browns into a 9” deep pie pan.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the hash browns are golden brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, half & half, ham, onions, and cheese.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the pie pan. Return to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the quiche is set.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Last night the wind was howling, and it was super cold. I almost turned on the heat but instead we dressed little "R" in her fleece footy pj's and tucked her in with her baby down comforter. Then my husband and I snuggled underneath our big down comforter, all cozy for the night. It was kind of fun. For some reason I kept thinking of the scene in 'The Sound of Music' when all the kids get scared from the thunderstorm and come to snuggle with Maria in her big bed. She had this huge down comforter, and when I was a kid I thought it looked so warm and cozy. I really wanted one, but that was before down comforters were very popular in the United States and I didn't even really know what one was.

Then when I was 12 we moved to Germany, and I discovered that everyone in Germany had these huge fluffy down comforters. That's when I became converted. Now on cold nights when I snuggle underneath my very own fluffy down comforter, I think of 'The Sound of Music' and These are a few of my favorite things...always runs through my head.

...and just like Maria, I love "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes", so even though I'm not quite sure I'm ready...bring on the snow today.

A few of my other favorite "Comfort" things on a cold day...mushrooms, pasta, chicken, cheese and see recipe below.

(I used to always make this with spaghetti noodles, and I loved it. But recently I've started using these super cute mini-shell noodles. I switch because they seem to be easier for little "R" to eat by herself. I actually really like them, even better than the spaghetti noodles.)


CHICKEN TETRACINI

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cup chicken, cut into ½ inch pieces (1 large or 2 small breast)
2 cup cooked spaghetti, or pasta of choice
2 C. mushrooms, sliced
1 C. grated cheddar cheese
1 C. Panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skilled heat 2 t. oil. Add the chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook until juices run clear.
3. Just before the chicken is done cooking, add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their juices.
4. Add ¼ C. butter and melt with chicken and mushrooms over low heat. Add the Flour and stir for 1 minute to form a roux.
5. Gradually add the milk and broth. Whisk until smooth.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened.
7. Add the cheese, stir until melted.
8. Add the cooked pasta and stir until incorporated.
9. Pour everything into the 9x13 pan and top with bread crumbs.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
11. Serves 6 people.

I have the best neighbors...

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this...but I live in the best neighborhood with the best neighbors ever! We're kind of like one big happy family here at Tanglewood. I feel very lucky.

This yummy recipe is from one of these great neighbors. She made it for me right after Reese was born. It's one of those comfort classic casseroles and a great addition to any recipe collection.


CURRY CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
(Recipe courtesy my awesome neighbor, Emily Nuttall)

4 C. cooked broccoli
4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 ½ C. mayo
½ C. milk
2 t. lemon juice
2 t. curry powder
2 C. sharp cheddar cheese
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
2 T. butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bow mix together the soup, mayo, milk, lemon juice, curry, & cheese.
3. In a small mixing bow, mix the bread crumbs and melted butter.
4. In a 9 x 13 pan layer the broccoli, chicken, and soup mixture.
5. Top with bread crumb mixture.
6. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
7. Serves 6-8 people.

A recipe for all ages...

My husband loved this dish so much that when I started to grind some up for our 10 month old he said, "Maybe you should just feed her baby food." After a questioning look from me he explained that this was just too good for a little person who doesn't always finish her dinner, and really doesn't appreciate how good it is.

I assured him that there would be plenty for his lunch the next day...and although his daughter is only 10 months old, she does appreciate good food. She gobbled up her dinner like a champ, eating more than usual.

It must be a winner!


CHICKEN CORDON BLUE VEGETABLE CASSEROLE
(Mindi Original)

1 10 oz. package frozen broccoli & cauliflower mix, thawed, drained and chopped (or 2-3 C. fresh broccoli & cauliflower cooked)*
4 small, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
2 t. olive oil
½ C. sliced green onions
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
1 C. milk
½ C. chicken stock
¼ lb. cooked ham, diced
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ C. Panko bread crumbs

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper.
2. In a large skilled heat the olive oil on high heat. Sear the chicken breast for 2-3 minutes on each side. The chicken will not be cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt 2 T. butter or margarine. Cook the green onions in the butter until tender.
4. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Mix until flour has been absorbed.
5. Add milk and chicken stock, stirring until it starts to thicken.
6. Add ham, vegetables and ½ C. of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
7. Arrange seared chicken breasts in the bottom of a medium baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Poor the cream sauce over the chicken.
9. In a small bowl combine the remaining Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, mix well.
10. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over entire dish.
11. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Serves 4 adults

*If you don’t like cauliflower, you can use all broccoli, or the other way around.

I'm a little bipolar in the kitchen...

Some nights I'll spend hours putting together a complicated recipe with unusual ingredients, making everything from scratch. But other nights I love those quick and easy recipes that use can food and/or mixes, take no effort, and still taste great.

I'm the kind of cook that loves to watch The Barefoot Contessa one day and Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade the next.

What can I say...I'm a bit bipolar with my cooking!

This recipe is one of the easy one's. Developed some time ago when I was too lazy or tired to roll my simple beef enchilada's. It tastes the same, and is a whole lot easier.


ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
(Mindi Original)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 can enchilada sauce (your favorite brand and heat level)
9-12 corn tortilla's (amount depends on the size of your casserole dish)
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Brown the beef, onion, and pepper in a medium sauce pan, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add enchilada sauce to the beef mixture.
2. In a small bowl mix the two cheese together.
3. Spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Layer the ingredients in the casserole dish as follows:

3-4 corn tortillas
1/3 beef mixture
1/3 cheese
3-4 corn tortillas
1/3 beef mixture
1/3 cheese
3-4 corn tortillas
1/3 beef mixture
1/3 cheese

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Macaroni Grill...I'd rather stay home!

I think I'm going to retire from eating out! I feel like every time my husband and I eat out these days, it's just disappointing. I'm wondering if this recession has caused restaurants to make too many cut backs or take too many short cuts, that it's effecting the quality of their service and more importantly their food.

Tuesday was our anniversary! Yea for us! We will be celebrating officially in July, when my parents come into town to watch our little munchkin so we can go away for a weekend. But we didn't want to completely ignore the actual day. We decided to go out to dinner. We chose Macaroni Grill because I used to love it, and that's where we had our wedding day luncheon.

It was highly disappointing. The service was terrible. We waited 15 minutes for the bread, and then it was covered in so much salt even I wanted to gag (if you know me, you know I'm a bit of a salt-aholic, so for me to say something is salty...that's bad). My salad was so small I thought they must be having a vegetable shortage, or maybe their cutting back?? My pasta...again was beyond salty! Maybe Sergeant Salty himself was the resident chef that night. Our special came with free dessert...the driest most disgusting chocolate cake I have ever tasted. A ding dong or ho ho would have tasted better. We again waited 20 minutes for the check...and they weren't busy at all.

Maybe it was just a bad night at Macaroni Grill, but we seem to be having similar experiences everywhere we go these days. Have you been to Mimi's Cafe lately? What happened to the plethora of bread you used to get on the house?? And don't get me started on the size of their salads. If I pay for a side salad, I would like more than a piece of lettuce and a few carrot shavings.

I think we're done eating out for a while! I mean the recession has made us more money conscious, so if we're going to splurge we want it to be good. If it's not good...we'll just stay home thanks!

On a happy note, below is super easy and tasty recipe for pasta!


CREAMY TOMATO BAKED PENNE PASTA
(Mindi Original)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (we like Prego traditional or meats flavored sauce)
1 12 oz. bag penne pasta
4 oz. cream cheese softened
2 C. mozzarella cheese
½ C. Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, brown the beef until fully cooked
3. Add the cream cheese to the beef, stirring until melted and incorporated into the beef.
4. Add the marinara sauce to the beef mixture; heat through.
5. Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese to the sauce, mix well.
6. Transfer pasta and sauce to a 9x13 pan.
7. Top with mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.