Baked Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese (Keto)

 

You won't miss the "mac" in this delicious cauliflower mac and cheese!  I love this version because of the Greek yogurt.  It gives this a wonderfully creamy texture, not to mention the health benefits.  Between the cauliflower and Greek yogurt, this is an excellent source of vitamins A and B12, calcium, potassium, iodine, protein, fiber, and probiotics.  

Baked Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

The Christmas tree is up, our coal stove is roaring, and my Pandora Christmas jazz station is softly serenading us.  This is the time of year when I most relate to the hibernating bear... not the sleeping part; the part where he doesn't leave his den.  No, I'm not depressed... it's just that after we deck our halls, our den is at its coziest, and I hate to have to venture into the cold, dark-too-early places on the other side of my walls.  A simple reality check reveals that our schedule has us out every night of the week.  A girl can dream, can't she? 

This time of year, I also find myself using my oven a lot more than usual.  We had this Baked Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Macaroni and Cheese last night, and it really is amazing.  I mean, can you really go wrong with these ingredients?!  I couldn't wait until lunch today to have it leftover, and it was just as good!  Give it a try; you won't be disappointed!

A crisp salad, garlic bread, and steamed vegetables are perfect complements to this dish!

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Three recipe posts in one month -- I'm on a roll!  I'm really trying to get back into the groove of things.  Honestly, I feel like I've lost touch a little bit with my food photography skills because I haven't been doing it often, so I'm on a mission to get back on track!  

Shepherd's pie was on the menu for dinner tonight.  This version sure is delicious and comforting, especially on a cold night after a long day of work!  If you want a healthier spin, check out my Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mashed Topping (recipe here).  

Just for fun, scroll down and check out my original photo (yikes) and post about shepherd's pie from 2011... there's a cute picture of my Granddaddy giving me his two-thumbs-up rating!  Love him!

Ham & Cheddar Breakfast Casserole w/ Green Pepper and Onion

Who doesn't love ham and cheese?!  With the weather cooling down some, I've been getting a little more guilt-free use out of my oven.  Organic eggs, fat-free milk, leftover ham, green pepper from the garden, and reduced fat cheddar cheese are used to make this tasty breakfast casserole.  It has a delicious crescent roll base that just puts it over the top!  It's perfect for company or a lazy weekend and ready in less than an hour.  Oh, and it's even better cold!  Happy Friday!

Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole

Along with spring cleaning our diets, we've been working hard at spring cleaning our budget.  We'll be moving to a new house next year, God willing, so cutting corners with spending has definitely been a priority.  We've worked hard to maintain a debt-free life, so one of the most logical ways for us to cut corners in our budget is (please hold for a second while I cover CookingCreation.com's ears) in the food department.  *gulp*  I really, really, really love to splurge at the grocery store, so this takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice on my part.  Challenge on!

On average, we enjoy a rotisserie chicken about once every week or so for dinner.  It's so delicious on its own for a meal, but I love that I always end up having leftover chicken to use in a meal another night that week.  It definitely saves me both time and money.  I wanted to try to stretch out the leftover chicken even more and make two additional meals out of it.  First, I made a yummy Chicken & Vegetable Soup from scratch using the chicken carcass and skin to make a homemade broth (step-by-step recipe to come!).  That was delicious!  I also took 1 cup of the remaining chicken to make a second meal, this Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole.  It's so easy to make and so flavorful!      

Baked Ranch Macaroni & Cheese

We've been hammered with snowstorm after snowstorm this winter and, once again, we found ourselves snowed in.  I decided to make some comforting, warming macaroni and cheese for my family with a fun little twist.  The ranch flavor deliciously shines in this dish, but it isn't overpowering.  Definitely give this one a try!  

Chicken Florentine Casserole

On chilly days like these, this hearty Chicken Florentine Casserole bathed in a delicious white wine cream sauce is a perfect comforting meal to come home to after a long day.  My family absolutely loves this dish and I hope you will, too.  It's one of my go-to meals whenever I have leftover cooked chicken.  Oh, and it's even better the next day!  

Brunch Casserole

One Year Ago:  Parsley Caprese  

I was recently asked for summer brunch ideas for when someone has guests at their house and I immediately thought about my brunch casserole.  This recipe is fluffy and full of flavor.  It is very forgiving and can easily be altered to your taste.  My favorite thing about it is that it can be made a day in advance, so you can avoid the hassle of messing up your kitchen and still serve a delicious home-cooked brunch to your guests.  About an hour before you are ready to serve your guests, throw the casserole in the oven, sit back and enjoy your company.

Potato and Kale Frittata

One Year Ago: Honey Mustard Sauce

This is a delicious, comforting breakfast that is healthy and filling.  I love frittatas because they are quick, easy and very versatile.  I always try to have a variation of it in my fridge for lunch or breakfast throughout the week.  The addition of bacon would be a wonderful element, albeit less healthy.

Boeuf Bourguignon

I had several hours of free time today, so I finally did it... I tackled Boeuf Bourguignon, which I adapted from Julia Child's recipe. There are a lot of steps and the process is a bit lengthy but trust me when I say that this is so worth the time and effort! My house smells insanely delicious and my taste buds are in heaven. My husband and daughter love, love, loved it. Unfortunately, I do not have a dutch oven, so I had to alternate cooking between a casserole dish and large pot. Guess it's time to go out and buy one, huh? Husband, are you reading this?

Four Cheese, Spinach and Beef Stuffed Shells

I was planning on using some leftovers for shepherd's pie tonight for dinner but I was really in the mood for stuffed shells. The problem is, I decided on a whim to make it and I had no ricotta and no cottage cheese. So, I thought cream cheese would be a nice change of pace. These turned out so creamy! I will definitely be making these again. I baked half of the stuffed shells for dinner and froze the other half for another time. YUM!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg jumbo shells
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 c onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 (24 oz) jar pasta sauce, divided
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c Romano cheese
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the jumbo shells in salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Lightly grease a 12 x 9-inch baking dish.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until beef is cooked through, drain.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the pasta sauce, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, egg and spinach.  Stir in the beef mixture..

Pour and spread about 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish into a very thin layer. Stuff each shell and place them in the baking dish.

Cover the stuffed shells evenly with the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over all.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

One of my family's favorite movies is Ratatouille. I often wondered about the dish that Remy served the food critic. I have had ratatouille before but I have only had it as a stew and as a side dish. I decided to do some research on it and came across something very interesting. The true name of the dish is Confit Byaldi, created by Thomas Keller. The New York Times posted the recipe in June of 2007 here. It seems a little too time consuming for my busy little life, so I did further research and came across Smitten Kitchen's version of it. I made a few changes, i.e., addition of balsamic vinegar, addition of grated parmesan and addition of red pepper flakes. Leave out the red pepper flakes if you do not care for spicy food. My daughter was thrilled with the fact that it is just like the movie, so she ate every last bite and loved it -- and so did I! This is so tasty and healthy, too!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 c tomato puree
  
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 small Italian eggplant
  
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small yellow squash
  
• 1 long red bell pepper
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
  
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  
• 4 tbsp parmesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Pour tomato puree in the bottom of a 1 1/2-qt oval baking dish. Drop sliced garlic cloves and onion into the sauce. Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and generously season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp parmesan cheese evenly over all.
• Trim the ends off of the eggplant, zucchini and squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off of the red bell pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact (like a tube).
  
• On a mandoline, slice the zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and eggplant (slice the eggplant last as it will begin to brown) into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
• Atop the tomato sauce, arrange the slices concentrically from the outer edges to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of flat surface is visible.

• Drizzle the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and generously season with salt, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle 2 tbsp parmesan over all evenly.

• Cover the dish with tin foil.
• Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked with some structure left so they are not totally limp. The tomato sauce should be bubbling over the sides of the vegetables. The vegetables should not brown at the edges.
• Serve over couscous, pasta or rice.
  
• Enjoy!

Chicken Florentine and Mostaccioli

I have been meaning to make this for quite some time now. It has either been too hot outside to fire up the oven or I run out of a key ingredient like spinach. This is one of my favorite meals. It is so rich and creamy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  
• 1/4 butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bag of fresh spinach
• 1/4 tsp onion salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 can 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning - Click here for my homemade recipe
• 1/4 c milk
• 1/4 c heavy cream
  
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• Sherry wine, splash
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
  
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz Mostaccioli
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach and season with onion salt. Set aside.
• In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine butter, garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom, Italian seasoning, milk, heavy cream, parmesan, sherry and sugar.
• In a baking dish, place the spinach on the bottom.
• Place chicken cubes over the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour sauce over all. Top with bacon.
• Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook Mostaccioli according to package instructions
  
• Remove from the oven and top with mozzarella cheese.
  
• Bake an additional 10 minutes.
• Serve over Mostaccioli.
• Enjoy!
  

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella

It's the hottest day of the year at 96 degrees. I am completely caught up with my transcription work, my air conditioner is cranked way up and I am in between loads of laundry. I have had a hankering for some homemade macaroni and cheese the past few days, so my daughter and I decided to make some. Today marks the first day of allowing her to help cook over a hot stove (she is 5 1/2 years old). I was so nervous but, other than nearly pouring some of the milk all over the counter, she did a fabulous job. What a big step this is!


Ingredients:

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained well
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion salt
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 2 c whole milk
• 3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided 
• 1/2 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• (Optional) 2 tbsp c panko breadcrumbs or dried breadcrumbs 
• 3 tbsp butter, melted 

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of butter over low heat.  Whisk in the flour, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion salt and paprika, until well combined.  Continue to whisk and cook for 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the milk.  Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes, whisking frequently.



Stir 1/2 c of the cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese and mozzarella cheese into the saucepan.

Add the cooked elbow macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir well to combine.

Pour the mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c of cheddar cheese on top.  Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs or dried breadcrumbs evenly over the top.  Drizzle the melted butter over all.



Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Au Gratin Potatoes

I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com and knew I had to try it after reading all of the rave reviews. This came out super creamy and very rich. I personally thought this was amazing but my husband found it to be too rich to enjoy more than one serving and if you know my husband, he loves to load up on his potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c heavy cream
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Butter
• 2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese PLUS more for broiling
• 1/3 c cheddar cheese
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a saucepan, heat cream, garlic and nutmeg.
• In the meantime, butter a casserole dish.
• Place a layer of potatoes in overlapping pattern in the casserole. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove cream from heat and pour a little over the potatoes. Top with Parmesan and cheddar cheese.
  
• Repeat with two more layers.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
  
• Sprinkle Parmesan over all and broil until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes.
  
• Enjoy!
  

Pesto Chicken with Mushrooms and Pasta

I love pesto, especially when combined with pasta and chicken! This recipe is simple and oh, so good! I served this with pesto pasta and cooked spinach. Yummy!! Next time I make this, I am going to layer some sliced tomatoes on top of the pesto and under the cheese. You can use this same recipe with boneless pork chops, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 c pesto sauce - Click here for my homemade recipe
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Italian breadcrumbs for coating
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Cheese (I used shredded mozzarella and Parmesan)
  
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh mushrooms

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Dampen chicken with water and coat with breadcrumbs. (I placed my chicken and breadcrumbs in a freezer bag and pounded them down to about 1/2-inch thickness while coating)
  
• Place the chicken in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Season with garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.

• Cover chicken with pesto sauce and top with cheese. Place mushrooms over all.

• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Be sure to cook covered loosely with tinfoil for the first half and then uncovered for the second half of the baking baking time.
• Enjoy!

Taco Night Casserole

My daughter wanted tacos tonight for dinner but I had no taco shells on hand. I did, however, have some tortilla chips, so I thought I would try something new. Also, the weather has turned very chilly, so using the oven is no big deal today. I found a taco bake recipe on allrecipes.com and decided to make a few adjustments to it to suit our taste and my pantry stock. It was a huge hit with my daughter, who asked for seconds. My husband thought it was "good and different". I agree with him. It was good and it was different. A nice little change of pace for taco night. Next time I make this, I am going to line the bottom with tortilla chips and spread some refried beans on them, pour the rest of the taco mixture on top of that and then bake. I also think I may leave out the pasta one time for a party-type dip.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta (I used macaroni)
  
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 10 oz tomato sauce
• 14 oz salsa
• Cheese blend (I used cheddar, romano and mozzarella), a couple handfuls
  
• Can of corn, drained
  
• Taco seasoning
  
• Tortilla chips
• Sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
  
• Boil pasta according to package directions to al dente.
  
• Over medium heat, brown beef in a skillet with the garlic until no longer pink; drain.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, beef, tomato sauce, salsa, a handful of cheese, corn and taco seasoning; pour into 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Crush tortilla chips over all and top with cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  
• Serve over tortilla chips and top with sour cream.

Green Bean and Bacon Casserole

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away!  For the last ten years, we have spent Thanksgiving dinner at my mother-in-law's house.  The weekend before that is always my daughter's birthday party.  Since this happens to be a crazy time of year for us, I have been cooking our Thanksgiving meal two weeks ahead of time.  So, while most of you are in the middle of planning your menu and organizing what your guests will bring, my 2011 Thanksgiving feast is already complete!

My favorite side this year was the green bean and bacon casserole -- it was so delicious!  My husband (who is not a fan of green bean casserole) even loved it.  I get great satisfaction knowing this recipe doesn't require cooking from a can.  No cream of anything soup in this!  This recipe is my own version of Pioneer Woman's recipe.  If you're not a fan of the French's fried onions, you can sprinkle evenly 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs over all and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.