Spinach dip stuffed Mushroom Recipe

These look so tasty and like something I would totally make. I love stuffed mushrooms, but people always make them with ground sausage and I just don't do sausage, there are too many unpredictable textures. Anyway,  these are vegetarian but still so hearty. This recipe uses reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream, so they are trying. That's what counts, right?

What you'll need:
16 large fresh mushrooms. I recommend baby bellas
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and set caps aside; discard stems or save for another use. In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach and sauté until wilted. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.
2. Combine spinach mixture with remaining ingredients. Spoon into mushroom caps. Place in a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, until mushrooms are tender, 12-15 minutes.


Only 44 calories per shroom!

Twice Baked Potatoes- Healthy version

I get most of my cooking inspiration from Taste of Home, but it is rare that I follow their recipes 100% because they really aren't known for their "healthy" options. So when I stumbled upon this one I was really excited, and even more excited when I read the ingredients and actually felt like I didn't need to make many adjustments without the final taste suffering. So here it is (I would prob add less butter though for real).

The author of this recipe notes that red potatoes are naturally creamier than russet potatoes (classic choice) and therefore need less dairy to get the same effect. I most definitely agree with this and I only use red potatoes in general. I thought it was just because I preferred them, but now I realize that that is a big reason why, they are more creamy and smooth without needing much added. She also uses the fat free yogurt and just a sprinkle of cheese on the top in this recipe, which saves a ton of calories, fat and sodium.

What you'll need:
6 large red potatoes
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp garlic-herd seasoning blend
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese






1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub potatoes; pierce several times with a fork. Microwave uncovered on high just until tender, 10-12 minutes, turning once.
2. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each lengthwise in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Mash pulp with all ingredients except cheese. Spoon into potato shells. Top with cheese.
3. Bake until heated through, 25-30 minutes until cheese is light golden brown.

Slider night recipes

Last night felt like a sneak peak of the rapidly approaching fall season. College football, beer and burgers, or in this case, sliders! I found some inspiration in one of Rachel Ray's magazines where she featured 12 different sliders. We chose to make the buffalo chicken as one of them and then just a plain meatball slider as the other. Unfortunately, we wolfed them down before I could take pictures...so today you will just have to use your imagination.

For the plain meatball sliders you'll need:
1/2 lb Ground beef
Slider buns
Sliced cheese (I used a really good chipotle cheddar)
Seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg
I also added a blend of all my favorite burger seasonings

For the buffalo sliders you'll need:
1/2 lb Ground turkey
Slider buns
2 Tbsp Franks Red Hot
1/4 cup butter
Celery
Blue cheese dressing
Blend of my favorite chicken seasonings
1 egg
Italian breadcrumbs

1. In separate bowls mix together your meats and their respective seasonings. Each bowl should get one egg and about 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Mix the ingredients well and form into small pattys about 2 x 2 inches.
2. Using a grill pan or a skillet cook your slider pattys (cook the different types of meat separately, not in the same pan at the same time. I recommedn cleaning the pan between meats).
3. Melt your butter in the microwave or in a saucepan then add your Frank's Red Hot. This is your buffalo sauce. This can be drizzeled onto slider. Also thinly slice a few celery stalks, I used the mandolin. Top your buffalo slider with these for some crunch.
4. Assemble your sliders with all your favorite toppings. For the plain slider I did ketchup, mustard, crispy jalepenos, cheese, and lettuce. For the buffalo slider I did the blue cheese dressing, a drizzle of buffalo sauce, and the celery.


There was also a brisket slider on that list....maybe that will be next gameday! Go Green!

Powered up pasta recipe

So ther other morning I woke up feeling great, ready to go for a run. You know sometimes I am just like "yea, I'm going to run 10 miles" even though I have NEVER ran more than 3 miles in my life.....but I was feeling motivated...there is nothing wrong with that. So I get about...1/2 mile down the road and I am DYING. It felt like I had a ten pound brick on my chest while I'm trying to get my run on. So eventually I gave up and attributed it to the fact that I had slept in so late I missed breakfast and lunch and my body needed some substance in it! So naturally I launched right into making food.

I was craving pasta. I knew I needed some protein. I had no meat. What now. COTTAGE CHEESE TO THE RESCUE!

Here is what I came up with.

What you'll need:
Whole grain pasta (I used penne)
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup or so shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup or so shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup thawed frozen spinach
1/4 cup corn

1. Cook pasta according to package. This recipe makes enough sauce to cover about 2 servings of pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking in a small saucepan melt your butter over med heat with your minced garlic clove for about 1 minute. Add your flour and use a whisk to incorporate butter and flour to a paste. Keep stirring letting flour mixture cook for about 3 minutes. Turn burner down to low and slowly add milk to flour and whisk well until all clumps of flour are gone. This will begin to thicke
n and be the base for your cheese sauce. Now you can add your cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. I kind of did a pinch of the shredded cheeses, its up to you how cheesy you want your mac. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
3. Add your basil to the cheese sauce. Thaw spinach and corn if they are fozen and add them to the cheese sauce also.
4. Once everything is incorporated into your sauce and your pasta is cooked stir the sauce into the pasta and top with some panko if you like a little crunch on top.

Thank goodness for cottage cheese...only 80 cals in that 1/2 cup serving and BOOM 14 grams protein. Who needs chicken in their pasta...

Broccoli and corn scallop recipe

Here is another recipe from Food & Family

magazine that is the perfect example of my pantry. This is such a great find for me because I literally have every one of these ingredients in my kitchen already, so that is a huge plus.

What you'll need:

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1 pkg shredded monterey jack cheese

1 can corn, drained

12 Ritz crackers, crushed

2 pkgs frozen broccoli, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook and stir onions in 1 tbsp butter in saucepan on medium heat for 1 min. Blend in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Gradually add milk. whisking until well blended, cook until thickened stirring constantly. Add cheese, cook until melted. Add corn and 1/4 cup crumbs, mix well.

3. Arrange broccoli in baking dish, top with sauce. Melt remaining butter, mix with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over ingredients in baking dish. 

4. Bake 30 mins until heated through. 

Piece of cake! Can't wait to try it!

Orzo and veggie salad recipe

This was my attempt at making the fresh corn salsa recipe I found...but I got carried away at the grocery store and just ended up making this delicious creation instead! I ended up making a huge batch of this and let me tell you, I ate it for EVERY meal until it was gone. I couldn't get enough of it. I had it as a side dish with a steak dinner, I had it by itself for lunch and for dinner, and someday I will make it as a dish to pass I'm sure.

What you'll need:
2 Hungarian Wax peppers (1 hot, 1 sweet), or your favorite bell peppers
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup green beans, chopped and steamed
1 can cannellini beans
3 stalks celery, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked orzo
3/4 cups Italian dressing
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juice

1. Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Chop all veggies so they are about the same size. Combine all veggies with orzo in a large bowl. Add cilantro, dressing and lime juice. Mix together and enjoy!


This was seriously phenomenal. I brought this for my first day as an intern lunch, I think everyone was impressed...I know I was while I was eating it!

Creamy potato salad recipe

I thought about saving the post until it was nice outside and I would actually be more likely to make it...but I just looked at the picture and my mouth it watering. So I am just going to post it now and it probably won't stay on the "on deck" list until next season.

What you'll need:
2 lb potatoes, 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup italian dressing
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped dill
1/2 cup mayo

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes until tender.
2. Place warm potatoes in large bowl, add italian dressing and toss to coat.
3. Add eggs, celery, onions, and dill; mix lightly. Stir in mayo and refrigerate until chilled.

SO EASY! I would probably add more celery because I am obsessed with crunchy celery in potato salads, but that is just me.

Buffalo chicken bites recipe

I am just going to keep on dreaming about all the delicious things I want to make tomorrow since I have a snow day from work, but sadly I know I can't just sit here all day and eat myself silly. Not to mention, I probably won't be able to get my car to the grocery store (yes, we got THAT much snow today). So I guess I will just keep fantasizing about these tasty treats for now. Since I loveeeeee buffalo chicken dip and I have been obsessed with my new found friend wanton wrappers, I thought this recipe was totally appropriate.

What you'll need:

2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce

1 tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles or your favorite blue cheese dressing

24 wanton wrappers

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Stir together chicken, hot sauce and butter then spoon about 1 tbsp of the mixture onto the wanton wrapper. Sprinkle a little bit of blue cheese crumbles or dressing in the wanton. Dip your finger in water and run along edges of the wrapper and fold over. Pinch together to seal and then place on to a greased baking sheet.

3. Spray lightly with cooking spray and bake for about 12- 15 minutes until they bites are golden brown and crispy

Sounds like a winner to me! Bring these morsels to a party and you will be a hit I think!

Potato pierogi recipe

Just as I was deciding what recipe I wanted to add to my "on deck" list I stumbled upon this potato pierogi recipe and it looked so great. I said "Eric, what do you think about me making some pierogis?" He looked at me very skeptical....he said "I don't know, it is kind of my family tradition. Do you think you could make some that would stand up to theirs?" So of course, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

What you'll need:
2- 2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup water, lukewarm
3 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 onion, diced sauteed in butter

1. Make your dough by placing flour in a bowl and making a well in the center. Put the egg in the center and a little bit of the water. Start bringing the ingredients together, adding more water or flour as needed. Kneed the dough well for about 8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
2. While your dough is resting make your filling by chunking the potatoes and boiling them until tender then mash with the skin on adding the cottage cheese, onion and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
3. Roll your dough out on a floured work surface and cut into 2 inch rounds. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough round, wet the edges with your finger and some water, fold over and pinch edges shut with a fork.
4. Start a large pot of boiling salted water. Once your pierogis are made drop them into the water. When they start to float let them cook for about 6 minutes longer (do not over crowd the pot, do them in batches). Remove them with a slotted spoon. If you would like them served steamed then they are ready after this step. If you would like them crispy and fried move on to step 5
5. Melt 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet and fry your pierogis until brown and crispy on the outside.

These sound awesome and I love making homemade doughs. I think that my recipe would involve a lot less butter (no butter) and I think I would just go for a regular shredded cheese because that would be what I have on hand. But who knows, I do love cottage cheese so I wouldn't mind having some around the house!

Hopefully these stack up to the polish family traditions!

I made the down-home mac and cheese!

Well, my mom let me make Christmas dinner this year! It was so fun! We did some steak sandwiches, bruschetta, broccoli, and mac n cheese and it was all so great. The down-home mac was a hit! I did make some changes from original recipe but not many, it was straight forward and delish!

What you'll need:
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni noodles
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cup milk
1 sleeve Ritz crackers

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions with a tbsp of oil in the boiling water and a tsp of salt.
2. In a large pot melt butter over medium heat then add flour and wisk together. You will have a clumpy flour mixture. Continue whisking for about 3 minutes to cook the flour then add the milk and whisk in the flour mixture until you have a smooth, thick sauce.
3. Now add in your Velveeta cheese and shredded cheddar and stir until the cheese are melted in. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and stir in pasta until it is all coated in the cheese sauce.
4. Put mac in a greased baking dish and crush up Ritz crackers in a thin layer over the top of the mac. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the mac is bubbly and the top begins to brown.

So I think the only changes I made were that I added cheddar cheese into the cheese sauce and omitted it from the topping. Super simple, really good. Perfect for a dish to pass and great for family dinners.

Broccoli and cheese soup recipe

I'm just going to keep on rolling with our comfort food theme for the day. I just looked out the window and thought "gosh, I wish I had some broccoli and cheese soup right now" and everyone knows once you get that on the brain there is no stopping until you get some (and I recommend it be this one). This recipe makes a nice big portion so you can make it and refrigerate it for lunch a few times that week or freeze a big tupperware of it and bring it out another night.

What you'll need:

1 head of broccoli

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded carrots

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup half and half

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp each garlic powder, basil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper

1. Prepare the veggies by chopping about 2/3 of the broccoli in small florets and leaving the other 1/3 as larger chucks. Shred the carrots and dice the onion.

2. Add your chicken stock to a medium sized pot on med-high heat. Add the small chopped broccoli, onion, carrots, and garlic to the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes covered. 

3. Make the roux in your large pot, I used a dutch oven here. Start by melting your butter on med-low heat then add the flour and whisk constantly until you have a crumbly mixture. Keep stirring for about 3 minutes to cook the flour. 

4. Slowly add the liquid from the stock pot, it is fine if a few veggies jump in. Whisk the broth mixture until all of the flour clumps have dissolved and then throw in your veggies. Keep the heat on a low setting now and add your half and half, stir to combine. You do NOT want to let this mixture boil or it will curdle. 

5. Now is a good time to give your big chunks of broccoli a quick steam. You can do this by putting them in the microwave with some water or in a pot of boiling water. 

6. While your broccoli is steaming let the soup get warmed back up (heat still on low). Once it is warm turn your heat off and add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese, stirring to combine. 

7. Now add your steamed broccoli into the soup and add your seasonings. Give or take on the spices to your taste. Cayenne will add spice so go more or less to your taste. Serve this hot with a pinch of cheddar on top and a sandwich or bread stick.  

This recipe is really to die for. It is the perfect consistency and adding the big broccoli chucks at the end really give you those big piece of broc you want!

Garlic tomato basil pasta salad recipe

This pasta salad is not your ordinary pasta salad...this is the pasta salad to end all pasta salads. The way the garlic is cooked along with the tomatoes give you HUGE flavor. I have a confession about this dish from when I made it, it is shameful but I am going to tell anyway. We were going to go to a fish fry over the summer and I said I would bring some dishes to pass. Well I made this pasta salad...and then I sat and ate it all! I just ended up bringing dip. Ooops! So words of wisdom: make this pasta salad and do not taste test, just pack it up and get moving. One taste and you won't stop.






What you'll need:
Seashell pasta or whatever you prefer. Whole grain if you would like to make it a little healthier.
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
olive oil

1. Place halved tomatoes, about 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper into a pan on med-low heat until garlic becomes aromatic and tomatoes start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and put into a bowl and let the tomatoes continue to marinate in the oil for about 20 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are resting cook pasta according to package.
3. Drain pasta and toss with  tomato mixture until coated. Top with basil and parmesan cheese.

Now that is what I'm talking about! You can serve this hot or cold, it is good both ways.

Greek dip recipe

This is such a tastey little treat and so easy to put together and I almost forgot, HEALTHY! This is a great dip that you can make really simple and get all of the ingredients from your local grocery store, or something you can make really special by making a trip to your favorite Middle Eastern market. You can make this in any quantity you would like, this recipe is for a small appetizer size.

What you'll need:
1 cucumber
8 oz mixed olives, kalamata and green greek olives
1 medium tomato
8oz hummus, I like mine with a little spice but plain works great too
3 oz feta cheese
1 tsp olive oil
fresh dill (optional)

1. Spread a layer of hummus about 1/4 inch thick on the bottom of a serving dish. Chop the cucumber, olives, and tomatoes so they are close to uniform sizes and sprinkle them evenly over the hummus. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with some chopped fresh dill if desired. I never have dill on hand but just to give it that extra salty zip I put a small drizzle of some liquid from a jar of pepperoncinis and it was perfect!
2. Serve with some pita bread slices.

Takes me right back to my arabic roots! My dad would be so proud...

Down-home macaroni & cheese recipe

Alright everyone, I am on the hunt for a GREAT homemade mac and cheese recipe. This is one that I found that I thought sounded really good. There are, of course, some changes I already know I would make but for the most part this sounds really good.

I tend to feel a little skeptical about recipes from this Kraft foods magazine because I think maybe there are tastier ways to make things but they use specific recipes because they can sneak in AS MANY Kraft products as possible. I found this one to be a good exception to that, even though the did sneak in 3 products, I really think this would be a great pan of mac n cheese.

What you'll need:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
8 oz Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (Kraft)
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Kraft)
6 Ritz crackers, crushed (Kraft)




1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk and bring to a boil, cook and stir about 3-5 minutes until thickened. Add velveeta, cook 3 more minutes until melted. Stir in macaroni
3. Spoon into greased casserole dish and sprinkle top with cheddar cheese. melt remaining butter toss with cracker crumbs and sprinkle over macaroni.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until heated through and browning on top.

So my only changes are that I think I would add some salt, pepper, and maybe a little bit of cayenne for some zip. Besides that I am excited to try this!

Cheesy garlic bread loaf recipe

I know that this recipe is all over the place, but that is for a few very good reasons:
1. It is SO good.
2. It may be one of the easiest things you ever make.
3. If you have the right kind of bread handy, this may be something that does not require a trip to the store.
4. It is SO SO good!

This is great for a starter for family/friends dinner. Depending on the bread you use it makes quite a large portion. So I suggest bringing it as a dish to pass or searving it as a snack to impress a group of guests. When I was an undergrad this was always my conbribution when we would have roomate dinners because I was poor and it was easy and everyone would just go nuts over it.

What you'll need:
1 loaf sourdough bread- you can find one like the photo in the Meijer bakery
1 bag mozzerella cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tbps garlic salt (I am really heavy handed with garlic salt, so use to your taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp italian seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep your loaf of bread by slicing lengthwise the widthwise creating 1 inch cubes. DO NOT cut all the way through the bottom of the loaf so the pieces remain attached.
2. Drizzle the loaf with olive oil making sure to get a little bit in each of the cracks. Then sprinkle with all of your herbs, also making sure to get into the cracks. Lastly, the cheese. You want most of the cheese to remain on the top of the loaf just getting a little bit into the cracks. This is because the cheese between the cracks will not melt well b

ut it is still good to have some in there. I like to top it off with another little sprinkle of garlic salt of course.
3. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is turning slightly brown and bubbly.
4. Serve with a side of ranch, marinara sauce, or dipping oil (olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese) or all three!!

Fresh corn salsa recipe

Here we have another recipe on deck...but I think I will keep this one in my back pocket until summer time. I found this in a Food & Family magazine from this past summer and it sounds so fresh and crisp. Perfect summer dish to pass or side for a night of grilling.

What you'll need:
4 chopped tomatoes
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped jalapeno
1/4 cup Italian dressing

1. Mix it all together. How easy is that?!

Changes I would probably make here: More corn, less tomatoes. I might add a can of black beans too.
Just my personal taste preference. I know that this says salsa, and I am sure it would be great with some chips. But I think I would eat it as a small side salad type thing. I think it would be a great dish for a potluck. Can't wait to try it!

BBQ pulled chicken recipe

This is by far my most visited recipe. It is a crockpot recipe but I have some sort of freak of nature crockpot that must get super hot or something so it is not a drop it and leave for the day kind of situation. This recipe needs to be watched...because I have burned it before.Yes, it is possible to burn something in the crockpot, who knew. Not to get on a rant here but there is an unfortunate story to follow that statement. A few months back Eric's mom had surgery. So me being the nice girlfriend that I am I decided that I would make the whole family a big meal and it was going to be so great (blah blah blah). So I threw the chicken together and then left for work. 8 hours later I get home and I have these crispy burned little chicken bricks. Eric convinced me that it still tasted alright so we dumped some extra BBQ sauce on it and called it good. Eric has been bragging to the family about how good of a cook I am so I was all ready to show of my skills...and I had to present them with this dry nasty chicken. Mortifying...

Anyway, if you are looking for a quick easy recipe that is a serious crowd pleaser, this is going to be your friend. This recipe usually will feed the two of us for about 3 meals...so it makes a lot. Good for family dinner but also a good option as a dish to pass.

What you'll need:
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~3 pieces of chicken)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ is the obvious choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
*many of the ingredients in this list are optional. If you were to just throw in the BBQ sauce and call it good you would be ok...but the little additions make it oh so much tastier.

1. Into the crockpot put about 3/4 the bottle of BBQ sauce, sliced onions, garlic, pepper flakes, vinegar, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give the mixture a good stir and then put in your chicken breasts and toss it all around so the chicken is coated. Put the lid on and leave it on low for about 6 hours.
2. After your 6 hours is up you will notice that there is a lot of liquid in the pot. To thicken it back to BBQ sauce consistency take out about 1/4 cup of the liquid and place it in a small bowl. Add your tbsp of cornstarch and combine into a slurry. Add this back into the chicken mixture and crank the crockpot to high for about 20-30 mins.
3. Now you should have a nice thick sauce. Go ahead and shred the chicken in the crockpot and let it suck up some of those juices. Add some more BBQ sauce if you would like. Serve on a toasted onion bun or ciabatta bread. YUMMM.