Jalapeño Poppers

Poppers are one of my favorite appetizers. I'm not a huge fan of super spicy food, so these little gems can be made mild or spicy, depending on your preference. They also reheat well so they can be made ahead or you can make a bunch at once for leftovers.

Jalapeño Poppers

15 or so fresh Jalapeño Peppers, sliced in half and all seeds removed. Rinse them out if you want to remove more of the spice.

1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup Mozarella Cheese, shredded

2 Eggs
3 Tbsp Milk


1-2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Paprika
1 1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Dash Cayenne if you like

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix cream cheese with shredded cheeses in a bowl. Mix eggs and milk in another bowl. Mix bread crumbs with seasoning in a third bowl.

Assembly Line:

Spread cheese mixture onto jalapeño halves - the amount depends on the size of the pepper. You can mound it up a little bit but you don't want too much or it will just melt and spill all over when it bakes.

Dip each stuffed pepper in the egg mixture, roll in bread crumbs, and then set it cheese side up on the prepared baking pan. Continue until all peppers are ready. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Easy Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Oh yes, I bet you know what these are. They are just as good as the restaurant chain and you can make them yourself for cheap!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

2 cups Baking Mix (I use Pamela's which is gluten-free)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 cup Milk or Buttermilk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp Parsley


Preheat oven to 375*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the baking mix, cheese and milk well and scoop onto baking sheet. I used the large Pampered Chef and it made the perfect size biscuits. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Mix butter, garlic, salt, onion powder and parsley. When biscuits are done, brush butter mixture on each biscuit. Enjoy!

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Sometimes we take shortcuts for meals. That sometimes includes boxed mac and cheese. We get the Annie's brand from BJs and it's nice to have a quick meal to throw together for the kids.

And sometimes for the grown-ups. We spice ours up, though. :)

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

1-2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese, prepared as directed on box

1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tomato or 1/2 cup of Salsa - or both!
Black Pepper, Pepper Blend and maybe even a pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Mix the veggies and pepper into to the mac and cheese, and serve.

Crispy Tostada

 This is based off of one of my favorite low-carb recipes, taco pizza. I swapped the flax meal for chia seeds and added a little water to the dough. Then I flattened it more and baked it a little bit longer, so it's crispy. Delicious!

Crispy Low Carb Tostada

1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Water
1 Egg
1 cup Colby/Jack, Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
Taco toppings

Preheat oven to 350*. If you use a pizza stone, preheat it in the oven as well.

Mix all ingredients well and press onto parchment paper into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.

Bake for 20 minutes. If you didn't use the pizza stone method, bake about 10 minutes, then flip crust and bake another 10 minutes on the other side, or until crispy and done on both sides.

Top with desired taco toppings and serve! I used seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Manicotti

You can use any pasta for this - manicotti, jumbo shells, or lasagna noodles. If you use lasagna, cook them and lay them out, spread the cheese mixture down the noodle and roll them up.
 

Manicotti

1 pkg Manicotti, cooked according to package directions (maybe one minute less)
1 15 oz container Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated (plus 1 more cup for serving)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 quart Marinara Sauce (I make it up ahead and freeze it; a jar of sauce also works but it probably costs more!)

Preheat oven to 350*. Cook pasta according to package directions, only take them off about a minute early and drain.  Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses with the egg and herbs. Spoon into cooked pasta, and set into prepared pan. Pour sauce over all and bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

If serving immediately, top with additional mozzarella cheese. Put it back in the oven for a few minutes to melt if desired.

If freezing, portion the manicotti (and make sure you get sauce for each one, too) into freezer-safe containers and freeze. To serve, thaw and bake until warm, and top with mozzarella cheese.

For a super easy and quick marinara sauce, take some pizza sauce and add diced tomatoes and sauteed veggies, and cooked ground beef if you like.

Barbecue BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza is a really common dish in our house because it's so easy to make and everyone likes it. I had the idea to try something a little different and it turned out SO good.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Pizza Crust - see recipe and full instructions here

Cooked Chicken, chopped or shredded
Barbecue Sauce (you can make your own but I used a bottled sauce)
Shredded Cheese
Veggies for topping (I used onion and bell pepper)

Plan ahead by an hour and make the crust (you can make freeze the dough if you want to make it way ahead!)

Preheat oven to the highest setting it will go (mine is 550*)

Roll dough into a circle on parchment paper.

Mix chicken and sauce in a bowl, and spread over pizza crust.

Top with shredded cheese and any veggies you like.

Bake for about 9 minutes until cheese is bubbly and bottom of crust is brown.

Enchiladas (Chicken or Beef)

Enchiladas (Chicken or Beef, Dry or Wet)
Meat:      * Chopped Cooked Chicken or Turkey - about 2-3 breasts worth, or      * Shredded Beef - try a chuck roast cooked in the crock pot, then shredded
10-12 10" flour tortillas
2 1/2 C grated cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever you like)
Sauce:
1 C chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 T butter/margarine
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (reg size, not small)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
Saute onions and garlic in butter. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, salt, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 min. Remove from heat.
For Dry/Crunchier Enchiladas (pictured):
Mix meat with sauce. Divide among tortillas, add cheese, roll and place seam-side down in greased 9x13 pan. Brush top with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. For Wet/Softer Enchiladas: Dip tortilla in sauce to coat and soften. Place some chicken and cheese on tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9x13 pan, seam side down. Repeat with all tortillas until the pan is full. You can turn them sideways if they fit better. Pour remaining sauce over all, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 20-30 min. Remove foil, top with cheese, and bake additional 5 minutes until melted. Bulk Cooking: If you like to "feed your freezer" you can make the sauce in a large batch with the "lunch lady" cans of tomatoes and sauce.  If you use those, multiply the rest of the ingredients by 8 and you'll have eight times as much sauce to freeze.

Pizzadillas

I had one of those quick moments of genius that occasionally strikes.  Tortilla, pizza sauce, cheese, stick it in the toaster oven, then fold it in half and cut it into wedges.  That's it! :)

Chili Cheese Hotdogs Chilidogs

This is the latest protein success in our house.   I got some delicious grassfed-beef hot dogs from Tallgrass Beef, and their grassfed ground beef makes great chili (and great anything, really).  I feel like the only mom thrilled her kid finally asks for hotdogs to eat!

Homemade Chili (no beans)

1/2 lb Ground Beef

2 Tbsp Tomato Sauce or Ketchup

Squirt of Mustard

1 tsp Chili Powder

Brown ground beef, then drain excess fat.  Add tomato sauce or ketchup, squirt of mustard, and sprinkling of chili powder.  Mix well and taste, adjusting amounts to your liking. 

Here's my big 7 year old cooking his own hotdog for the first time.  He kept telling me he felt so big, now that he's 7, cooking his own food. :)  (When I'm just making a single hotdog, I just heat it in a pan with some butter, but for a big batch we usually grill them.)

 

Cheesy Bean Dip

Protein is always a challenge for me to get into my son, but he loves refried beans.  He won't eat my homemade beans but likes Old El Paso's beans.  I get the vegetarian kind so there's no lard.  I'm now able to mix in cream cheese and chickpeas and he has no idea!  I'm a happy mama, even if he is eating chips too.  Balance, right?

Sneaky Bean Dip

1 can Refried Beans (or homemade, of course)

1/2 cup Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 oz Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (any kind, I use colby jack)

Puree all ingredients except the shredded cheese in food processor or blender.  (Love my vitamix for this!)  Transfer mixture to a saucepan and heat on medium-low.  Add cheese and stir until melted and heated through.  Serve with chips or just a spoon.

Pizza "Noodle" Soup

Similar to the Black Bean & Vegetable Soup (version 1), this one is low carb and cutting the zucchini into "noodles" is so good!

Pizza Soup with Zucchini Noodles

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 small or 1 large Onion, diced

2 cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Stock
2 cups Water
2 14oz cans Tomato Sauce
3 Zucchini, noodled (see note below)
1 Tbsp fresh Oregano or 1 tsp dried
2 Tbsp fresh Basil or 2 tsp dried
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese, grated, for garnish



I use this really cool kitchen gadget to make noodles out of zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, etc.  It's really nice if you like veggies chopped up on a salad.

Heat olive oil and saute garlic 2-3 min. Add onion and saute 4-5 min. 

Add broth, water, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add zucchini, oregano and basil, s&p.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes - the longer the better. Top each serving with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Pizza Crust - Gluten Free and Low Carb

I discovered this pizza crust recipe when I was on the HCG Protocol to lose weight.  It's so good I've kept making it!  I make this version for my kids, and I sub half the coconut flour for a Tbsp of flax meal when I make it for myself.

Tonight I split the recipe and made my kids each their own  Heart Pizza for Valentine's Day.

Coconut Flour Cheesy Pizza Crust (personal pizza size)

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1 Egg

2 Tbsp Coconut Flour

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Basil

Preheat oven to 350*. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well and you can cut your baking time in half.

Mix cheese, egg, coconut flour and baking powder and spices until well combined. You'll have to use your hands so just go ahead and get them messy.

Press out on a piece of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick. Pick up parchment and stick it in the oven on the hot stone. If you don't use the stone method, put the parchment on a baking sheet and into the oven.

On the stone, 15 minutes should be enough to cook both sides of the crust. On a baking sheet, bake about 15 minutes, then flip the crust over to bake the other side for another 15 minutes or until it's golden brown.

Remove from oven, top with sauce, cheese and toppings (meats should be precooked) and return the pizza to the oven to melt the cheese and warm up the toppings.

This is the one I made for myself - Coconut Flax Cheesy Pizza Crust (with heart-shaped pepperoni, of course)

Potatoes au Gratin

My family also calls this dish "Old Rotten Taters" :) Carbs and cheese... yum.  Some of our family recipes are also eligible for my diet blog, but this is not one of them.

Potatoes au Gratin

3-4 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled

2 cups Shredded Cheese (I like colby/jack)

1/2 cup Milk

3 Tbsp Butter (softened or melted)

1/2 tsp Onion Salt

dash White Pepper (or Black Pepper if your kids don't mind seeing it in their food, unlike mine)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Spray baking dish with nonstick spray.  Slice potatoes very thin and layer half in the prepared dish.  Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese.  Layer the rest of the potatoes over the cheese.

Mix milk, butter, onion salt and pepper, and pour over potatoes.  Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and serve.

If you prefer, microwave for 15 minutes instead of baking.

Fingerling "Tater Skins"

Oh my, I kicked it up one notch with these little fingerling potatoes and if you really wanted to go crazy you could go even further.

Tonight I cut the fingerlings in half length-wise, and roasted them at 400* for about 40 minutes until they were done.  Then I smashed each one with the bottom of a glass jar and sprinkled shredded cheese over them.

If I'd been planning ahead I'd have added some crumbled bacon and sour cream.  If you try that, let me know!