Broccoli Cheddar Casserole w/ crumb topping
I was excited to make this meal, and was thrilled that the cheese sauce that I made was the best I have ever made. I love using egg noddles, because of how light they are, and we just love eating broccoli. The cheese sauce was made with a roux, some half/half, cheddar cheese, and a special ingredient that I'm not sure I'm going to share. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce and added that to the noodle/broccoli mixture. Topped the cheddar cheese and a buttery cracker crumb. This was super amazing and the cheese sauce honestly kept its smooth creamy texture which made this the perfect casserole.
Stuffed Zucchini
My husband and I enjoy eating meatless meals. I bought some great organic zucchini, cut them down the middle and scooped out the seeds. I placed those slices over the top of some stewed tomatoes and seasoned the zucchini with some salt/pepper. I sauted some onions, garlic in some olive oil. Then I added the stewed tomatoes, diced up carrots, some long grain rice. Then I filled the zucchini with the rice mixture and baked it in the oven. This was the most amazing meal we have had in a while. The zucchini really gave the meal a meaty feel without the actual meat.
Purple potato salad
As you can see I had some leftover boiled purple potatoes, so why not make some potato salad. I added some celery, red pepper, hard boiled eggs, red onions, and dried cranberries. We always love to try things we have never eaten before so we tried the soy free vegenaise, which was great. This was such a great salad and I would certainly make this again. It was perfect!
Purple Potato Hash w/ sauted cider rainbow chard
Nothing like being inspired while your grocery shopping. I found some really great purple potatoes and some great looking red chard. I paired that with some Al-fresco chicken sausage and supper was born.
My Boiled Dinner
I just loved this picture. It really shows how beautiful food can really be. It was also wonderful! What is better than ham, potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage?
Turkey Meatballs
We do not eat much red meat or meat in general, so when we want meatballs I went with a leaner option with turkey burger. I added some egg, onion, chives, bread crumbs and a few spices. I rolled them up, fried them in my frying pan and added them to a nice sauce. I really think these would have been great in the mini version. I could have cooked them fully, added them to some tortellini and a nice garlic butter sauce. Oh yummy. I'm going to have to make these again very soon.
Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Bites
We love broccoli cheddar bites in our house. These bits were just perfect. We had the opportunity to pick the broccoli fields around the house this fall, so we have plenty of amazing broccoli in the freezer.
What I did was boil the broccoli until very tender, and drained. I then added shredded cheddar cheese to the room temperature broccoli and made them into patties. I then covered the bites in an egg wash and dipped in bread crumbs. Baked in the oven until golden brown on 350. We ate ours with a ranch dipping sauce.
What I did was boil the broccoli until very tender, and drained. I then added shredded cheddar cheese to the room temperature broccoli and made them into patties. I then covered the bites in an egg wash and dipped in bread crumbs. Baked in the oven until golden brown on 350. We ate ours with a ranch dipping sauce.
Vegetable Fried Rice, and Egg Rolls
As you can see we had a hankering for some Chinese food, but I prefer to make it homemade. The fried rice is so wonderful. I was given a great recipe for the sauce for the fried rice, and I will never part with it... The filling for the egg rolls was sauteed cabbage, onions, garlic, and carrots. This was such a hearty filling and much healthier than the one you get in the store. I hand rolled all the egg rolls, and baked them in the oven. This was a very enjoyable meal.
Ham, Mozzarella, and Pear w/honey mustard on toasted Sourdough...
This was one sophisticated sandwich. Freshly sliced ham, fresh mozzarella, and ripe juicy pears, all meld well together in my rendition of a grilled ham and cheese. The honey mustard added that tang the sandwich needed, and the toasted sour dough added the best crunch. Just add your favorite side and drink. So delicious!!!
Santa Fe Rice and Sausage
This is my Santa Fe Rice with Sausage. I used the Santa Fe cooking creme which is a product of Philadelphia cream cheese. I used fresh peppers of all colors, onions, garlic, and turkey sausage in this oh so tasty rice dish.
Squash Casserole with a Philly Twist
This is a Squash Casserole I made yesterday for the Paula Deen competition. It's a butternut squash with Philadelphia cream cheese in it, as well as onions, cheddar cheese and Frenches Fried onions crunched over the top.. This dish is so wonderful. It's very creamy, and full of texture which make the dish to the next level.
Cream Cheese Filled Cucumber cups w/ balsamic drizzle
So these are the appetizers that I submitted to the Real Women of Philadelphia Contest. These cucumber cups are filled with a mixture of Philly cream cheese, onion, garlic, and bacon bits. The drizzle is a balsamic dressing that I made and added some fresh chives for a garnish. These fresh cucumbers combined with the creamy Philly was so great. The added flavor of the onions, garlic and bacon bits, gave these little bits a great texture and added punch of flavor. I had a fun time making these and they were absolutely delicious. I will be using this recipe time and time again.
Veggie & Chicken Sausage Filling
This is the filling that I made for my Chicken & Vegetable Lasagna. It has Chicken sausage in it, onion, celery, and carrots. The picture on the bottom is my meat mixture with the added petite diced tomato's. I made the cheese filling with ricotta, cottage cheese, spinach, egg, mozzarella, & parmesan. I didn't cook the noodles before I put the lasagna together, which was a first for me. They cooked wonderfully and the lasagna had a very fresh taste to it... yum