Super Simple Breakfast Burritos

I've had a craving for breakfast burritos for the past eight weeks (since I was 14 weeks pregnant). It was one of my first real cravings. My mom sent me an article about breakfast burritos and I had to have one right that very second—this was around 7 or 8 pm and unfortunately, Italy doesn't exactly have the Mexican fast food like they do in New Mexico. Working on autopilot, I quickly made, ate, and savored that burrito, and then repeated my actions  the next morning for breakfast. And then the next morning...and so on and so on. I can't get enough of these, and the fact that they're so easy to assemble is probably why I have them at least four times a week.

The directions below are a loose "recipe," but the method is the same despite what ingredients you use.

First things first: get everything together before you start. It'll make everything go a lot faster and smoother.

Ingredients:

Veggies 

(I typically use onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and then add other veggies depending on my mood. Sun-dried tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers, etc.) 

 Meat 

(2 pieces of bacon per burrito, cooked and crispy; 2 slices of Canadian bacon, chopped; or a small handful of cooked, reduced-fat crumbled sausage)

Cheese 

(1/2 an ounce to 1 ounce per burrito) 

Sauce 

(salsa, red or green chile sauce)

Tortilla 

(you need a good, burrito-sized tortilla. You can use these tortillas if you want breakfast tacos instead—equally as delicious!) 

Side note: do you grate your own cheese? It melts so much nicer than the prepackaged shredded kind. I shred a brick of cheese and then keep it in a Ziploc to use the rest of the week. Also, have whatever meat you want to use cooked and ready to go before you start cooking—it'll speed things up! 

Once you have everything ready to go, spray a light coating of cooking spray in a small pan and saute the onions on medium heat until they're soft and translucent. Next, add the rest of the veggies (except for spinach) and saute; season with salt and pepper as desired. 

After the veggies are cooked I add in my meat (not the bacon...bacon comes later). The meat I use is already cooked, so I add it in just to warm it up. Once it's warm, turn the heat down to low and spray a bit more cooking spray in pan. Add the eggs over veggies. (For one burrito I use two eggs; for two burritos I use three eggs.)

It's okay if the eggs break, because you're going to scramble them up anyway. At this point I season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Use what you have and like.

I like my scrambled eggs dry or hard, so I cook them until all the moisture is gone. This also helps with not having a liquidy burrito! After the eggs are cooked, add a handful of spinach and mix it all up. The spinach will quickly shrivel up once its heated, which is my cue to add the sauce. I like things spicy, so I add a lot—add your sauce to taste, turn the heat up to medium, and stir, stir, stir. By doing this, you'll keep the flavor, but not the liquid. A burrito isn't fun when it's dripping everywhere! 

If everything is heated up and mixed together to your liking, turn the heat off and get ready to put it all together! At this point I put a little row of cheese on the tortilla and heat it up for about 15 seconds in the microwave. (If I'm having bacon as my meat I put one slice of cooked, crispy bacon on top of the cheese and the other one will go on top of the egg mixture.)

Now it's time to roll! I pick a side to be the "butt" and go from there, folding the bottom up and then the sides to ensure none of the mixture will fall out. Some people close both ends, but I leave one open since I plan on eating it right away.

There you have it! A super simple breakfast burrito!

*A special thanks to Casey from We Took the Road Less Traveled for taking the photos above!

Chicken Parm Bake

Shame on me for not posting this earlier. I don't have any excuses, except that I simply forgot. A few weeks ago I wrote a guest post for Oven Love and shared this recipe, but I never told you about it. Whoops! Please make this and then forgive me.

I thought about it today because I was going to make it for dinner, but I ran out of croutons. The croutons, you see, takes this simple meal to a whole new level. I usually have an extra bag of croutons on hand, because it's my go-to meal when I really don't feel like cooking at night, so you can imagine my disappointment when I had to scrounge up something else for dinner. We're having steak, by the way.

The moral of this story is: the next time you're at the store, pick up two bags of croutons. You'll need a second bag for that one night when you have no idea what's for dinner and really don't feel like cooking.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go buy a couple bags of croutons!

Head over to Oven Love for the recipe and more gabbing from me about how much I love this meal!

Sausage Tomato Stew

We've been on a huge soup kick over here lately. I'm trying to eat less carbs and more veggies and protein, so soup is turning out to be one of my favorite meals. Not to mention, it's warm, hearty, and freezes wonderfully. 

If you have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go, this stew comes together fairly quickly, so it's perfect for a night when you don't have dinner planned. Of course, like most soups, this tastes better the next day (or even weeks later if you freeze it), but it also has a rich flavor fresh out of the pot! 

 Sausage Tomato Stew

adapted by Lia Huber from Cooking Light

Ingredients 

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 pound ground sausage (turkey, pork, chicken, whatever)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped kale

1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Directions: 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes. When is brown, add red pepper flakes and ground pepper; stir around until meat is completely cooked.  Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add chickpeas, kale, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Taco Pie

When we make dinner around here it's almost always something simple, and without a doubt, tacos debut at the top of our menu each week. They're just too easy to make: brown and season meat, chop up fresh veg, make some quick Spanish rice and you're pretty much good to go. The problem with having Taco Tuesday (or Wednesday, Thursday or Friday) weekly is that it can start getting mundane. We switch it up every once in awhile by having nacho cups (recipe coming soon) or even burritos, but my tastebuds have been craving a little something more.

The second I saw this Taco Pie I knew I hit dinner jackpot. I mean, come on, it's taco in pie form—what's not to love? The fact that it's also ridiculously simple to assemble and is bursting with zesty southwestern flavors are just added bonuses. This kind of reminded me of a Mexican version of shepherds (or cottage) pie, or even a taco enchilada, but I'm happy to keep calling it Taco Pie, because seriously, pie rocks.

Taco Pie

adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

• 6 or 7 taco shelves, halved (12-14 pieces total, or make your own)
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or one can diced tomatoes + 2 Tbs tomato paste)
• 1/4 cup salsa (optional depending on how much spice you like)
• 8 ounces chopped green chiles
• 1 can corn, drained
• 7 ounces of cheese, divided (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Colby & Monterey Jack, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 Celsius). Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions to the skillet and cook, stirring until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cayenne; stir and mix for about 30 seconds. Add ground beef, salt, garlic powder and cumin; cook, breaking up the meat, until browned. Stir in tomatoes, salsa, chile and corn; mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Arrange half of the tortillas in the bottom of a 9-to-10-inch pie plate (overlapping is fine; about 5 halves). Top with half of the meat mixture, then half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, meat and cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy! 

p.s. I could use some advice on how to take pictures of food when it's pitch black outside, your stomach is growling, and the last thing you want to do is let the food get cold to get a decent shot. 

I'm back, with Salmon :)

Where in the world have I been?! That's a good question! You're probably thinking that I'm not the most reliable person in the world, that's alright, I look like a flake. Really it's just been a season of non-cooking. Dieting and hot weather definitely doesn't make me want to cook. So I got in a slump. But I'm here! Don't let me fail!! Hold me to it, I wanna be here!!! So on to the food. Considering it's blazing hot here in Albuquerque I absolutely don't want to turn on the stove or oven. This is the time of year I'll grill everything.... or get take out. Instead of take out I turned on the grill and made the EASIEST salmon I've ever made. You could do this with any fish really, but salmon is just so wonderful! And very very diet friendly. So if you managed to sit through that entirely too long blog post and are still interested here's the recipe!!

Salmon a La Easy

Ingredients:
1 large salmon fillet- cut into 4 steaks
1 lemon- sliced and seeded
Garlic- 2 Tbsp minced
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste
Olive Oil- 2-3 Tbsp
Fresh Basil- handful chiffonade (long strips)

Directions:
Season the salmon steaks with salt and pepper. Cover each steak with a generous amount of olive oil and rub them with garlic. Sprinkle the basil over each one and place a lemon slice on each steak. You can let this sit in the fridge all day or 1/2 an hour, your choice. If they look dry put more oil on, you can't hurt em! Make four foil packets. Fold three edges of a square piece of foil, leaving one end open. Pour a little oil in the packet so the fish won't stick. Place a piece of salmon in each packet and close it up! When your grill is hot and ready take each salmon packet and place them on the grill. I grilled mine on low for about 8-10 minutes. Close it up and leave it alone! Take them off the grill when the meat is still pink but firm. If you overcook them the meat will be dry and lacking in flavor. Take them out of the foil, pour the juices out of the foil onto the fish and ENJOY! I served mine with brown rice and green beans. I cooked the green beans in foil packets on the grill as well!!! Easy peasy!!!!

Marinate

Place salmon in packet

Close it up.

Put on the grill until cooked!

Easy easy easy!!

Caprese on Crostini

My husband and I can't get enough of this meal, probably because it's so gosh darn hot outside that eating something light and refreshing is comforting on a hot, muggy night. I love it, because it's ridiculously simple, doesn't require any cooking, and is relatively mess free. We had it one night as a snack in the middle of the day as a way to use up some of the basil growing in our garden, and before we knew it, our snack turned into one of our favorite dinners.

I'm sure there's some fancy schmancy Italian word or phrase for what this really is, but for now we're calling it Caprese on Crostini and you only need a handful of things to make it: fresh basil, ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (optional), and some good, crusty bread.

There's no right or wrong way to eat this. My husband and I usually put out all the ingredients out on the table and build our own in different combinations. Sometimes I drizzle vinegar over just the bread or other times I top the whole thing with vinegar, and sometimes I sprinkle pepper on the tomatoes for an added kick of heat. It's really up to you and how you want to eat this.

Choosing quality ingredients is key here, so skip the beefsteak tomatoes and pick up some plump, juicy, red tomatoes just off the vine. Don't forget to pour yourself a glass of crisp and refreshing white wine! 

Caprese on Crostini

Ingredients: 
3-4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
handful fresh basil
16-ounces fresh Mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
loaf good crusty bread, sliced thin
olive oil (for drizzling)
balsamic vinegar (for drizzling, optional)
pepper (to taste)
garlic (optional)

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil on bread; bake or broil in oven until golden brown on both sides. Optional, once toast is out of the oven, rub a piece of garlic over it. Another option: Grate some mozzarella on top of bread and broil it until bubbly and golden brown. Top with ingredients in any combination.

Ice Cream Bread

Ice cream bread? Say what?

If you're scratching your head right now, you're not the only one. I saw this a few days ago on Pinterest (anyone else completely addicted to that site?) and knew I had to try making it immediately.

Not only did I try it, but I've kind of gone crazy trying different flavors. I'm still baffled that this bread is made with ice cream! Make this with your leftover ice cream or pick up a pint for a  fun, ridiculously easy, and tasty bread. When I say "ridiculously easy to make" I truly mean that. There are only two ingredients:

Self-rising flour* + Ice cream

The flavors above are strawberry on the left and "turtle tracks" (caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter) on the right. I've also tried pineapple coconut ice cream (SO delicious) and peach ice cream. I just bought some coffee ice cream and plan on making some bread with that very soon. I happen to like chunks in this particular bread, so to the strawberry ice cream I added additional frozen strawberries, and to the peach I added pecans. The sky is really the limit!

If you try this, let us know what you think and what flavor you used; I'm curious how it'll taste with different ice creams.

Ice Cream Bread

from The Hungry Housewife originally from 1001 Ways to Cook Southern

Ingredients:
2 cups (1 pint) ice cream
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
(For every cup of flour add 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt {sift together}. There you go, now you have self-rising flour.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8 x 4 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix semi-melted ice cream and flour together until just combined. Scoop into the loaf and and smooth out. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the loaf comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. Remove from the pan and allow to coo. Enjoy! 

Sopaipilla Cheesecake Bars

I sometimes claim that I'm "not a fan of sweets," but that's a lie. I'm just not a fan of certain sweet treats; there are plenty of desserts I love. Like this one. I'm a sucker for anything covered in cinnamon and sugar, I have a weakness for cheesecake, and I puffy heart love sopaipillas.

Wait. Have you heard of sopaipillas before? (So-pa-pee-ya)

They look like little pillows and are basically puffed dough traditionally served after a Mexican meal. Some people stuff them with leftovers on their plate or fill them with honey for dessert. They're little pieces of heaven and I will one day learn how to make them.

But back to this recipe. It's another one of those desserts that's inexpensive and takes zero time to prepare, but tastes like you worked all morning to make them. I love, love, love the crunchy top and how it's combined with the creamy cheese filling.

I used healthier ingredients to make these (reduced fat crescent rolls, neufchatel cheese, and Brummel and Brown), and I honestly can't imagine how rich it would taste if you used the full-fat versions. Don't get me wrong, this is in no way healthy. But I figure every little bit helps!

A note: these taste good while they're warm and just out of the oven, but they taste even more amazing at room temperature or cold. Patience, my friends! 

Sopaipilla Cheesecake Bars

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls
2 8oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted
honey (optional)

Directions:

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll and press 1 can crescent rolls into the bottom of baking dish; press seams together. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Spread cream cheese over top of dough. Unroll second can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mixture pressing seams together again. Melt butter in small bowl and brush over top layer of dough. Mix the reaming 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and bottom crust is slightly brown. For an added touch of sweetness, drizzle with honey before eating! Tastes good warm, but tastes even better at room temperature or cold.

Spanish Rice

My mom has been making this rice for years and I love it so much that I've been known to eat it as a meal in and of itself. Actually, I eat most of it straight from the pot when I think nobody is looking. I'm sneaky like that.

Making this is simple, and I'd be willing to bet that you have everything on hand to make it at the drop of a hat. My mom and I love the onions, but if you're not a fan, leave them out. Same goes for the heat—we clearly like things spicy in our house, so we add a lot more salsa than the average person. If you want things a bit more mild, start with less and add more later.

This is definitely more of a tomatoey rice, but it's what we like and what I grew up eating. The flavors from the salsa really enhance the entire dish, so pick out a good salsa. Serve this with as a side dish to tacos, tostadas, or enchiladas, or incorporate it into a meal of its own by combining some ground beef and stuffing it into a bell pepper!

Spanish Rice

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
splash of oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 8oz tomato sauce
8 oz instant brown or white rice (use the tomato sauce can to measure)
1/2 cup salsa
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a small pot. Once hot, saute onions until soft and fragrant. Set onions aside in serving bowl.

Add tomato sauce to pot and rinse can out with about half a can's worth of water; add water to pot. Boil sauce; keep an eye on it, because it won't boil like water.

Once sauce boils, add one can of rice, onions, and salsa (you can add more salsa later if you're afraid of adding too much). Cover and simmer for five minutes.

After five minutes, turn off heat, stir, and recover for an additional five minutes. Recheck rice and add additional seasonings (if needed) and continue to leave covered until rice is fully cooked, at a consistency you like, or ready to serve.

(Optional: sprinkle in some shredded cheese after cooking.)

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Le Creuset.

Breakfast Sandwich

I’ve been making this sandwich—or a version of it—for years. Eating something sweet for breakfast, unless I’m in the mood for it, makes me feel a little sick in the mornings, so this is my typical go-to breakfast.

I’ve always been a sucker for fast-food chain breakfasts, but their high-fat, high-calorie, high-everything-else doesn’t really jive with me. This is my healthy alternative and it’s ridiculously easy to make. Actually, I never even thought about posting it until my husband requested it—he’s on a month-long business trip and wants to be able to make it for himself. This picture was taken pre-heat up and about five seconds before my husband grabbed it to take with him to eat on the road. It may not look awesome, but it tastes great.

Just like my Buffalo Chicken Salad post, consider this more of a how-to guideline for making a breakfast sandwich. I change this up quite often in order to keep it interesting or depending on what I have on hand. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Breakfast Sandwich

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:

• English muffin, sandwich round, bagel (thin) or one piece of bread cut in half
• 1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute
• cooking oil spray
• meat (2 slices of bacon cut in half, 2 sausage link cut in half, 2 pieces Canadian bacon, etc.)
• Cheese (1/2 ounce shredded or a slice of cheese)
• Green chile or jalapeno (optional)
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Toast bread. While bread toasts, cook or heat up meat. Spray a very small, microwave-safe dish (about the size of the bread you’re using) with oil. Put egg in dish, break yolk, and sprinkle with garlic powder, red pepper flakes (optional), salt, and pepper. Microwave for around 30-45 seconds or until cooked through (timing depends on your microwave voltage).

To assemble: Lay bread toast side up on a paper towel (if taking to-go) or a plate.  Place cheese, meat, and egg on one side of bread. Place chile or other veggies (optional) on other side; top the sandwich. Heat sandwich for about 10-15 seconds, to warm everything evenly. Enjoy.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Last week we put our house up on the market, which means that we're trying to keep it as clean as possible. If you've ever been in our shoes, then you know how frazzled I feel about keeping our kitchen clean. I love cooking, but I'm not always the cleanest cook. Actually, I'm a really messy cook, which now presents a problem.

One night, when I didn't know what to make for dinner because I wanted to keep things mess free, my husband reminded me about a meal we love that is ridiculously easy to make. This salad is filling, spicy, tangy, and is a meal even guys will sink their teeth into.

I love it, because it's a healthy alternative to devouring hot wings submerged in ranch dressing. My husband likes to skimp on the ingredients (just chicken, lettuce, cheese, and dressing for him), but I like including whatever veggies we have on hand. Consider the following more of a "how-to" instead of an actual recipe. In other words: tweak as you see fit!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
Breaded chicken breast tenderloins
Buffalo wing sauce (Frank's RedHot Buffalo tastes great, but we actually use the store brand)
Lettuce
Blue cheese crumbles (reduced fat tastes just as good!)
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
tomatoes (optional)
green onions (optional)
celery (optional)
avocado (optional)

Directions:
Cook chicken in oven according to directions, flipping once to get both sides crisp. While chicken is cooking, prep salad bowls with lettuce and other ingredients. When chicken is finished cooking, set aside to cool. In a medium sized bowl, pour about 1/4–1/2 cup (to taste) hot wing sauce (you can always add more!). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl with hot sauce. Toss to coat; place buffalo chicken on top of lettuce. Add desired amount of salad dressing; enjoy.

Johnny Cakes

I took an unexpected hiatus from blogging. And really there isn't much of a reason. My creative juices dried up and I couldn't stand putting boring no heart recipes on here. So I stayed away till it came back. I also knew that Jessica would keep this place filled with wonderful mouth watering dishes. Now her posts have me itching to cook and blog, thanks Jess! Nothing extremely exciting today but I wanna be back in the groove of things. I made these with my niece this weekend and thought I'd share! The molasses gives these "cakes" a fabulous unique sweetness. And with added flax seed and sugar substitute they're not as bad for you as regular pancakes!

Johnny Cakes (Cornmeal Pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp sugar (I used Truvia sugar substitute- fabulous!)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (iodized)
1-2 tsp flax seed meal (optional)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 cup + low fat milk (I used skim)
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp butter melted (or butter sub. like Brummel and Brown)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix together wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine mixtures together. Add more milk as needed to make the batter more smooth and to this consistency you like. I like my batter a bit thinner than most recipes call for. Cook on griddle until edges are lightly brown. Serve with any toppings you'd like!

Baked Shrimp

Want something seriously easy and fast? Honestly this is one of the easiest meals I've ever made. And quite possibly one of my favorites. I always buy shrimp when I find it on sale and stick it in the freezer until an idea strikes! I can't take ALL the credit for this dish because the base of this recipe is my Grandmothers. Every few months we have a big birthday dinner celebrating a few birthdays at a time. In January we have "BBQ" shrimp, which isn't actually barbecued. She takes a huge roasting pan and stuffs it with shrimp, oranges, butter, and lots of black pepper. It bakes until the shrimp are nice and pink and the smell calls everyone to the table. In desire of a really warm and filling dinner I took her idea and added my twist here and there to create this. This is a peel and eat shrimp so make sure you have a bowl ready for your shells and a towel for your hands! And don't forget some of Jessica's French Bread to soak up all the buttery juices on your plate.

Baked Shrimp

Shrimp- 2 lbs, shell on
Orange- 1 large
Butter- 1 and 1/2 sticks
White wine- 1/2 cup
Minced Garlic- 1 Tbsp
Parsley- 2 Tbsp
Johnny's Garlic Spread (optional)
Thyme- 2 tsp
Pepper- 2 tsp
Salt- As desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash shrimp and place in a greased casserole dish. Season with garlic, parsley, Johnny's garlic spread, thyme, pepper, and salt. Pour white wine over shrimp. Cut the butter into chunks and place all over the top of the shrimp. Place orange slices on top and cover with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until shrimp are pink and the juices are bubbly. Serve with warm french bread.

Potato Casserole

I'm always looking for a new way to whip up a potato. While I do love the traditional baked potato, it gets a little boring sometimes. My husband has an adoration for anything in casserole form. When he see's me pull out his favorite red casserole dish he practically dances with excitement. Not to down talk my husband, it is all because of him I come up with some fabulous meals! I was making steak the other night and didn't want a normal baked potato or even mashed potatoes. I had an abundance of bell peppers and little red potatoes. Anytime I have ingredients but am not sure what I'm going to do with them out comes the red casserole dish. Cue dancing. Now I realize the picture isn't "pretty" in the normal sense of the word but in casserole world, it's crispy, it's cheesy, it's gooey... it's beautiful.

Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb red potatoes (small)
1 of each red, green, yellow and orange bell pepper- julienned
1 small yellow onion- diced
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil- to coat pan
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp rosemary
Salt and Pepper- to taste
Johnny's Garlic Spread-(optional) if you don't own this, order it NOW! Thanks to my fabulous Mother in Law for introducing me to this. It now goes on everything I make, YUM.

Directions:
Wash and boil the potatoes till cooked. In the meantime saute onion and bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat. Once the peppers are soft add the garlic, continue to cook until caramelized but not burnt and lifeless. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain potatoes and slightly mash them, leaving them smashed but still chunky. Place the potatoes in a greased dish and top with the peppers, onion, and the pan juices. Drop spoonfuls of sour cream on potatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar. Season with Johnny's Garlic Spread, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees until bubbly and gooey, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 5 minutes more to give it a crispy top.

Pesto Couscous

I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks and my procrastinating side got the best of me. I almost forgot about it until I saw Jessica's pesto recipe the other day I figured this would be perfect timing. You can certainly use whatever pesto you'd like but I would highly suggest using Jessica's recipe. This is a super quick brainless dish. It can be made a main dish with some veggies and meat thrown in or a side dish to practically anything else. I've found it's really good with pork chops.

Pesto Couscous

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups couscous dry
4-5 Tbsp pesto
Olive Oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup Parmesan- optional

Directions:
Prepare couscous according to package directions. Add garlic powder and thyme while cooking. Take off heat when cooked and toss with pesto. If it's too dry feel free to add more pesto. Drizzle with olive oil and top with grated Parmesan. Perfectly simple and good to your waistline!

Taco Soup

If you're looking for a quick, delicious, and healthy meal then look no further. This is one of my favorite go-to meals and it's perfect for cold nights or days when you really don't want to bother with dinner. Not to mention, it's extremely flavorful and filling. Its consistency is more like a chili, but it really doesn't matter—just enjoy it!

A few things: the recipe below is basically a starting point. I've interchanged the ingredients with whatever I have on hand, like black beans, pinto beans, ground turkey, etc. Also, it freezes really well.

Taco Soup

makes around 8 servings (around 7 WW points+)

adapted from All Recipes 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (we use extra lean beef)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water (I fill up the empty cans of beans with water to get anything left in there)
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes (if you like things spicy, get tomatoes labeled "zesty," "chili," or with jalapenos mixed in)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup nacho jalapenos, finely chopped
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix (we use the "hot" variety) OR make your own!
• Shredded cheese (optional)
• Green onion (optional)
• Tortilla (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions

In a medium skillet, cook onions, ground beef, and taco seasoning until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.

Place ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos in a slow cooker. Mix to blend; cook on low for 8 hours. Top individual servings with cheese, green onions and/or sour cream; serve with tortilla or bread. Enjoy.

My Momma's Sausage Dip

Sadly I don't have a picture of this, as soon as I get one I'll put it up. My mom has made this for as long as I can remember. And it's a family favorite. Sounds strange at first sausge-dip. And yesterday when I served it at our housewarming party most people assumed it was chili. While it's not chili it's equally delicious. Once you try it you'll be hooked! This stuff is killer! Extremely simple and not many ingredients. It's a go to for any get together and can be made in giant batches to feed an army of guests. Serve with tortilla chips or dish out a heaping serving like my brother does and eat it with a spoon!

Ingredients:
1 package of good sausage (I like Jimmy Dean)
2 packages of cream cheese
1-2 cans of Rotel (most grocery stores carry this, it's diced tomatoes and green chile)

Directions:
Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Once sausage is cooked through add cream cheese on lower heat and melt. Once the cream cheese melts add a can of Rotel, if it's too thick add another can of rotel. Incorporate and keep on low heat or transfer to a crock pot to keep warm. YUM!