Category Archives: Lent

May 10, 2012 · 1:24 pm

Pizza Pot Pie

First of all, I love a good pot pie…the flaky crust and all of the rich and creamy goodness inside. I also love pizza. So pizza pot pie must be the best thing ever. You could also call these Dump Pizzas or Upside Down Pizzas because you end up flipping the pizza over so the cheese is on the top and the crust is on the bottom. Be forewarned: flipping these are not for the inexperienced. It might just be easier to eat them like a pot pie with the crust on the top. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
1 jar pizza sauce
18 mozzarella cheese slices (3 per pizza)
pizza toppings
ramekins or oven-safe bowls
cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut 6 circles of dough about one inch larger than ramekin or bowl.

Coat the bottom of ramekins or oven-safe bowl with cooking spray.

Arrange three mozzarella slices in the bottom and around the sides of the ramekin making sure they overlap.

Add pizza toppings as desired.

Ladle the sauce over the fillings just until the ramekin is almost full.

Spray the outside of the ramekin with cooking spray, then stretch a round of dough across the top and let hang over the edge.

Bake for 12 minutes until dough is golden. Invert each pizza onto a plate and lift off the ramekin. (or just eat it like a pot pie with the crust on the top)

What did the family think? Yummers!

Where did this recipe come from? Plain Chicken


Before Flipping


After Flipping

Note: These are not the super cute ramekins I had mentioned previously on Facebook. Those are in the dishwasher. These lovely pics are from Plain Chicken.

2 Comments

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

May 1, 2012 · 8:52 am

Pesto Polenta Lasagna

We love Italian food in our house and I loved this recipe because it’s so versatile. I took the basic recipe and added kale, garlic and Italian sausage. You could add mushrooms, onions, spinach…whatever you think your family would like. This dish lends itself very easily to being a great vegetarian meal as well.

Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) package polenta, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 cups kale or spinach, chopped
1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 tsp garlic
1/2 (24 ounce) jar bottled marinara sauce
1/4 cup pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place polenta on a cookie sheet prepared with cooking spray.

Cook polenta for about 5 minutes, turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, saute kale, Italian sausage and garlic until Italian sausage is cooked through.

Spray a 11×7-inch casserole dish lightly with cooking spray and line it with 1/2 of the polenta.

Spread a thin layer of pesto on the polenta. Spoon half of the sauce on top of that.

Top with Italian sausage mixture.

Place the remaining polenta on top and cover with the rest of the sauce.

Bake for 25 minutes and then top with cheese and turn on the broiler until cheese is lightly browned.

What did the family think? They love anything that has cheese and pasta sauce. The kale wasn’t well received by the youngest member of our family, but there was so much else to like that it wasn’t a big deal.

Where did this recipe come from? Allrecipes

Photo from Mangia Bene Pasta

1 Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Vegetarian

April 11, 2012 · 11:42 am

Easy Slow Cooker Refried Beans

These are super easy, healthy and were a wonderful addition to our taco dinner last night, but (full disclosure here) my house smelled like an onion factory exploded in it and we could smell it before we even got in the garage. I don’t know if I had a super stinky onion or if that’s just what you get when you throw a whole onion in the CrockPot. Ignore the smell, enjoy your beans and then light a candle to get the stink out.

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and halved
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
½ fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
One big pinch of cumin
6 cups water

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight while you are sleeping.

When done cooking, remove the bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid.

Mash remaining beans with a potato masher or the backside of a wooden spoon.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked them and there were enough for leftovers for the next day for lunch, too. Our kids aren’t huge refried bean fans, so they weren’t a hit with them. I would like to note though that when our youngest was little we had to practically restrain him from literally licking his plate clean when we would have refried beans. Somewhere around the age of three he decided refried beans weren’t for him

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from 100 Days of Real Food and she got it from Allrecipes

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Mexican, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

April 10, 2012 · 8:07 am

Egg Souffle

About the only way we eat eggs around here is scrambled, so for Easter I decided we needed to do something a little “fancier”. These came out great and were an excellent addition to our Easter brunch.

Ingredients:
2 T butter
2 T whole-wheat flour
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper
5 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round baking dish.

Separate the eggs by placing the whites in a separate bowl from the yolks. Whisk the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the foam has subsided, whisk in the whole-wheat flour. Keep whisking until the mixture begins to brown then turn the heat down to low and slowly add the milk while still whisking constantly so lumps do not form. Turn it back up to medium and continue whisking until the milk mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.

Quickly whisk the egg yolks into the milk mixture without allowing them to cook.

Pour the milk/yolk mixture into the fluffy egg whites and using a rubber spatula carefully fold the two together without crushing the air out of the egg whites. Also add and mix in cheese. Do not overmix.

Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake until lightly brown on top, about 20 – 25 minutes. Serve immediately (otherwise the soufflé will “fall”). Enjoy!

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? 100 Days of Real Food

Photo from More Intelligent Life

1 Comment

Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Not so Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

April 5, 2012 · 8:48 am

Mini Frittatas

We are back from vacation which means I am back in the kitchen. I love going on vacation and eating out a lot just as much as the next person, but it’s good to be home again eating home cooked meals, too. We all love breakfast for dinner and this meal was an easy way to get back in the swing of cooking again.

Ingredients:
8 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
Assorted mix-ins (such as shredded cheese, diced vegetables, and cooked and chopped bacon, ham, or sausage)

Instructions:
Heat your oven to 350º F and coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups. (The recipe makes about 8 frittatas so make sure your muffin tin is big enough.)

Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup.

Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edge of each one to loosen them before removing them from the pan.)

What did the family think? They loved them!

Where did this recipe come from? Family Fun

photo from Family Fun

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

March 25, 2012 · 8:24 pm

Honey Yogurt Waffles

I use my waffle maker all the time. My husband gave it to me for Christmas about three years ago. I didn’t use it a lot right away, but I use it at least 2-3 times a month now. We love having breakfast for dinner and that usually includes homemade waffles. These honey yogurt waffles were on the menu this week and they were a hit.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup or honey-for serving

Instructions:
Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, honey, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Gently fold in the melted butter.

Preheat and lightly grease the waffle iron.

When the waffle iron is hot, pour batter into the wells of the waffle iron. (Fill according to the manufacturer’s instructions).

Close the lid and bake until the waffle is golden and set.

Carefully remove waffle from iron and serve warm with maple syrup or a drizzle of honey.

What did the family think? These were super tasty. We all loved them.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Two Peas and Their Pod and they got it from Williams-Sonoma.

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

March 19, 2012 · 12:06 pm

CrockPot Macaroni and Cheese

Full disclosure…this is NOT health food. As I was making this I was thinking to myself that this might be something that Paula Dean might make…butter, cheese, milk…and oh so good. Also, just a heads up, this makes a lot of mac and cheese.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions:
Cook macaroni following package directions. Drain well.

Grease bottom and sides of 3 1/2 to 5-quart crockpot.

Toss hot macaroni in slow cooker with the vegetable oil then add all remaining ingredients. Stir gently to combine then cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from About.com

photo from About.com

2 Comments

Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

February 26, 2012 · 9:21 pm

Baked Parmesan and Herb Salmon

We eat salmon every Sunday for dinner per my husband’s request. You can imagine that it might get a little boring if I don’t figure out different ways to make it. I usually just sprinkle a little lemon pepper on it and call it good, but this evening I got a little adventurous.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 T Parmesan
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dast of garlic powder
1 lb salmon filet

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray glass cooking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients except the salmon.

Place salmon skin-side down in glass baking dish and sprinkle breading mixture on top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

We had this with Lemony Green Beans and a baguette.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe from Allrecipes

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Italian, Lent

February 2, 2012 · 8:46 am

Oatmeal Pancakes

This recipe is from The Biggest Loser. I have never personally watched the show, but it seems like they make some pretty good pancakes. 🙂

Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1 cup rolled oats, dry
1 cup cottage cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle. Flip when they start to bubble. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batches, spraying the griddle as needed.

We had these with eggs, sausage and fruit salad.

What did the family think? I thought these turned out great. I put a little extra cinnamon in them, so they were great with butter and syrup on them. Everyone else at the table gobbled them down, too.

Did I change anything? Just a teensy bit more cinnamon was added.

Where did this recipe come from? The Biggest Loser

photo from Goop

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

January 26, 2012 · 10:51 am

Ricotta Pancakes

I don’t know why, but it took me forever to learn how to make a pancake without either burning it or having it be soggy in the middle. I think it was a matter of realizing that I didn’t have to turn the heat up to max…pancakes cook slow and steady and take a little bit of patience and watching. I must have figured it out because these pancakes were scrumptious and I didn’t burn any of them.

Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Combine ricotta**, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff. Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Whisk in a small amount of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat, and brush the surface with butter. Use a ladle or measuring scoop (we used a 1/3 cup measure) to pour batter onto the griddle. Cook pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip, cooking until both sides are golden brown.

**Sometimes foods like yogurt and ricotta form a little puddle on top when they are in their packaging. When spooning out the ricotta to make these pancakes, pour off that liquid first.

We had these with scrambled eggs and a fruit salad.

What did the family think? Everyone who was here for dinner last night LOVED them. (Hubs was out of town.)

Did I change anything? I was out of vanilla (STILL! I thought I had purchased some) so I used a teensy weensy bit of almond extract instead and it turn out great.

Where did this recipe come from? The Kitchn

Photo from Goop

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian