Homeade tomato basil tortellini soup with grilled cheese

This was a perfect weekday comfort food meal. Who doesn't love any reason to have grilled cheese, ok maybe that's me.

1 diced yellow onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) cans whole Roma tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 (32 oz) carton chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped basil
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 oz refrigerated three cheese tortellini
3/4 cup heavy cream
Parmesan, shaved for serving

In a large stockpot add the oil and saute garlic and onion on medium until soft. About 5 min.

Add in the seasonings, basil, tomatoes, paste, and chicken broth. Simmer covered on med/low for 20 min.

Remove the bay leaves and we either place in blender (careful hot steam) or use an immersion blender which I used. Blend until smooth.

Add in cream and bring to low boil, add tortellini and cover. Cook about 10 min stirring occasionally until tortellini cooked through.

Serve topped with parmesan and on the side of a yummy grilled cheese.

Breakfast Casserole

I have remade this dish several times its so fantastic and everyone in the house seems to enjoy.

1 2 lb bag tater tots
2.5 cups shredded cheddar
Dried parsley 2 tbsp
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
5 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
1 lb regular sausage
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350

In a skillet cook the sausage through, breaking it in to crumbles as its cooked.

While sausage is cooking in a bowl wish together the eggs, onion powder, milk, salt, and pepper.

Add sausage to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with 2 cups of cheese, then poor in the egg mixture.

Top with tater tots and bake 35 min.

Add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bacon, bake for another 5-10 min until tots look golden colored. Garnish with parsley.

I serve this with sour cream as a meal of its own or to go with mini pancake muffins as a breakfast for dinner party.

Follow me on pinterest to see several recipes I've tried and ones I plan to try. @deesnider

French onion pasta casserole

This recipe is for one of those nights where you don't have time to babysit the stovetop. So, who doesn't love French onion dip, we'll try it as a pasta so yummy. Here's the recipe!

1 rotisserie chicken shredded (I used just the breast meat as my preference but you could add the dark too)

1 lb egg noodles cooked

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 16 oz French onion dip

French fried onion crumbled for the topping

2 cans cream of chicken soup  (I used 98% fat free version)

Preheat oven 350

Mix in a large bowl the dip, soup, and cheese. Add in cooked noodles and mix to combine. Spoon in to a 13 X 9 casserole dish that has been sprayed with non stick.

Too with crumbled fried onions, bake 25-30 minutes until the bubbly.

I served with a French bread cut length wise and coated with olive oil and minced garlic; baked at 400 degrees for 10 min.

Plate and serve.

This is a super rich dish I would recommend some salad or green veggie as a side to cut it down but so tasty.

Chicken skillet lasagna

So this was an idea I got from watching # food network and I love getting ideas I can make quickly for a weeknight dinner.

Picture coming soon as issue with my blogger app.

16 oz bow tie pasta
3 chicken breasts cut in to bite size pieces
1 jar marinara (I used one that was tomato basil)
1/2 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup ricotta
Shredded parmesan 1/2 cup
Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Start with seasoning your chicken with Italian seasoning. I just eyeballed it about 1.5 tbsp and added salt and pepper. Saute in a little oil until done about 4-5 min each side on medium. Remove and set aside.

Boil noodles as per the box instructions.

In the same pan from the chicken add a little more oil and saute the onions and garlic about 4 min. Until translucent.

Add tomato sauce and simmer for 8 minutes

Drain pasta and mix in to sauce, add the chicken, stir in parmesan and ricotta.

Plate and top with more parmesan if desired.

Rosemary Butter Steak and Potatoes

So on Saturday I decided to do a nice steak and potato dinner. Something hearty and satisfying, so why not steak and potatoes.

Russet potatoes large for baking
Steak of your choice but keep it to 1-1.5 inch thick.
Fresh Rosemary about 3 tbsp minced
Fresh Garlic 2 tbsp minced
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp red wine - make sure its one you would also drink as well. No reason to waste the bottle serve the rest with the meal. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean and pierce the skin of the potatoes. You can rub down with oil and salt but as I was using butter with the steak I left it out to keep the fat down a little. They still cook fine. Place potatoes in the oven on a baking sheet for 40-60 min. depending on size. Check to see if done by piercing with fork or skewer and if you don't get a lot of resistance it should be soft through.

Let the steaks come to room temperature.

While potatoes are baking add butter and olive oil to a skillet on medium high heat.

In a mortar and pestle or just on your cutting board, give a second grind or mince to the garlic and rosemary so they are well blended together. Mix with the salt and rub on both sides of the steak. Add pepper to both sides as well.

Place in skillet for 3-4 min. you will see a nice crust building on the steak - that is flavor. Flip the steak and cook another 3-4 min.

Flip the steak again and add the wine, it will steam but that is ok. Give it another 3-4 min or until your preferred temp. I went with 145-150 which is about medium, and as always leave your steak to rest about 5 min.

A meat thermometer is really the best way for a home cook to judge whether you will have a red center or a fully cooked center. Don't just cut it open as this will release all the moisture because it hasn't had time to rest and redistribute.

Serve with the potato and toppings of your choice.

Portable Lunch Option

Ok so I have posted a few recipes of what I do for breakfast with the refrigerator oatmeal and also the greek yogurt with chia seeds. Those work great to start off the day, and my dinner recipes alternate between lower and higher calories. I usually have a heavier dinner because I am not just making meals for myself but my hubby and dad as well. A light salad won't work for them in the evening so I tend to go lighter for lunch; but not to the point that I am starving so here is a lunch idea.


Orowheat sandwich rounds are only 100 calories and perfect to take for any sandwich, but I don't always have time in the morning to make one so I have been grabbing 1 round in a bag and an avocado and throwing them in my lunchbox.


When lunch comes I slice up the avocado and make a quick avocado toast, tons of flavor though I do add a little salt, and full of good fats and calories to keep me from getting super hungry throughout the day.


1 avocado on average plus the round comes out to about 400 calories, but its super healthy calories not just empty calories.


For snacks I tend to take my 8 oz plastic mason jar cups and fill them with fruit to have on hand, that way I know its 1 cup of any fruit and they are easily carried. You can also do simple saltine crackers with some laughing cow cheese wedges if you are wanting something more salty and crunchy.


With doing the light breakfast, the avocado lunches, and making sure I only have 1-2 servings at dinner dependent on my calories for the day it puts you about 12-1500 calories each day which is a good point if trying to loose weight like I am.


Hope this gives you some easy meal planning ideas.

Sheppard's Pie

Thursday dinner was a comfort food classic with sheppard's pie. It was the perfect winter dish to warm you up and as it bakes in the oven for a bit, you get a little free time to chill and relax.


4 large russet potatoes
salt and pepper
frozen corn cooked
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom
1 jar of savory beef gravy
Heavy cream or milk
Butter


Preheat oven to 400 degrees


Start by browning the ground beef in about 1/4 cup of chicken or beef stock - whatever you have around. This is a great way to use up some stock you might have in your fridge from making Risotto or other recipes.


Once browned add in the soup and gravy, stir to combine. Lower to simmer until the potatoes are ready and you are ready to assemble.


Boil the potatoes with salt until fork tender. Drain and place in a large dish. Add in about 3-4 tbsp. butter and about 1/2 cup of cream/milk. You want to mash the potatoes with the cream and butter until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Take a casserole dish and layer the meet mixture on the bottom, top with corn, and then finally the potatoes.


Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until you start to see little parts of the potatoes turn brown at the peaks. Let it rest out of the oven for 5 minutes and serve.

On the stove Chicken Tenderloins, Risotto, and Caprese Salad!

So a way that we try to make sure we get our salads in for dinner is to have a salad that we eat prior, almost like a restaurant. The timing of this is not always easy because I am not only making a salad but dinner as well....(I usually end up eating my salad with my dinner). So Wednesday's dinner was my Risotto again at the hubby's request and chicken tenderloins with a caprese salad.


Chicken tenderloins with the tendon removed (I watched a youtube how to do this :)
Paprika
Italian Dressing


**Risotto recipe listed in another post**


Fresh mozzarella - I bought the pre-sliced loaf from Walmart
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper


So let's start with the salad. I sliced the tomatoes and layered them with the pre-sliced mozzarella, just alternating to make it more visually pleasing.


Then take about 3 large basil leaves, roll them together and slice thinly. This will give you little ribbons of basil. (you could just tear it in to pieces if you wanted)


Sprinkle the basil on the tomatoes and mozzarella. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.


When ready to serve drizzle with about 1-2 tbsp. of oil and the same of the balsamic vinegar. Top with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

For the chicken after removing the tendon I placed all the chicken in a bowl and tossed with about 1/3 cup of Italian dressing - I made a large amount of chicken so you will want to adjust so that you don't have a ton of dressing, just enough to coat.


Heat a skillet on medium/high heat and once hot add the chicken. Spread the chicken out in the pan and sprinkle with paprika. After 4 minutes flip each piece and add more paprika. Cook another 4-5 minutes until when you break one of the pieces the juice is clear or use a meat thermometer to 165. Your chicken should have a nice browning on both sides. Remove from the pan and let rest for a couple minutes.


Serve with Risotto and enjoy :)

Taco Soup Tuesday

So Tuesday can be taco Tuesday or change it up and try a taco soup when the weather is chilly. Now normally I would put this in the crockpot on low as I think the meat is a better texture that way but sometimes you just forget and need to throw it together at 5:30 after work.


This recipe is in honor of my bestie who turned me on to this dish.


1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch seasoning
1/2 onion diced (you can use onion powder if you prefer)
1 jar 15 oz. tomato sauce or crushed tomato
1 jar black beans rinsed
1 jar kidney beans rinsed
1 bag frozen corn (you can use canned I just had frozen already in the house)
optional (1 can of rotel) I don't like it so I leave it out but if you are doing a crockpot you will want to double the sauce or you can add some beef broth in place.


Brown up the meet with the onions or onion powder - this step is required whether you choose stovetop or crockpot.


Add in seasoning, sauce, beans, and corn all in to the pot or crockpot. Simmer on low for 20 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 2 hours.


I served this with sour cream and fat free shredded cheddar.

Greek Yogurt with Chia

So today started out rough so I had an easy go to meal replacement shake for breakfast. Luckily lunch was a quick throw together, so here is an easy high protein lunch idea.

1 container (100 calorie) 0 fat Fage greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 tsp. Chia seeds
Fresh raspberries  (or any fruit you have on hand)
Raw honey

So before heading out the door I mixed together the fage, chia seeds, and milk. I brought with me 2 tbsp. Honey and a handful of berries.

When lunch came I added the honey and berries, stirred, and enjoyed.

A little Pick Me Up!

So my sister Holly was here over the weekend, we live so far apart and we hadn't seen each other in over a year; we had some much needed catching up to do. She is an amazing mom to 5 beautiful children so I wanted to treat her to something sweet for dessert while she was here.


So here is my recipe so you can treat yourself to a little Tiramisu Trifle


So you start with either lady fingers (if you can find them), pound cake sliced about 1/2 inch thick, or what I used this time around was a vanilla loaf. They have them pre-sliced at Walmart and super easy to work with.


Trifle bowl - if you are concerned about seeing the layers
1 large tub of coolwhip thawed
1 container of whipped cream cheese
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 package white chocolate pudding mix
cocoa powder
coffee flavor and coffee or Kahlua
chocolate shavings or a cold chocolate bar to shave yourself


Start with a large bowl and mix together the pudding, milk, and cream cheese. Mix until combined then fold in the coolwhip in batches so not to loose all the air from the coolwhip.


Take your trifle bowl and lay down just enough vanilla loaf to cover the bottom - mine took 3 slices. In a cup combine coffee and about 1tsp. of coffee extract - or just use the Kahlua. Drizzle each slice of loaf with the mixture - about a spoonful each.


Layer a third of the whipped cream mixture, dust with cocoa powder, then another layer of vanilla loaf and repeat until you finish with the final whipped cream topping. Add shaved chocolate for garnish and chill for at least 2 hours.


Enjoy!!

Baked ziti and garlic bread

So it took over a week because I messed up and forgot the ziti at the grocery store but with some adjustments to the recipe so that I could bake the ziti instead of using the crockpot; we had a great meatless dinner.

I sort of winged this one so the measurements aren't exact, what home cook follows a recipe to the tee like its a science experiment ha ha!

1 lb ziti noodles
salt
15 oz. Ricotta (I used the skim version)
2 eggs
Fresh Basil (I used about 2 tbsp. of the kind you find in the squeeze tube)
1 package Philadelphia italian blend shredded cheese
Shaved parmesan
 1 jar Mezzetta roasted garlic & carmelized onion pasta sauce
1 loaf italian bread
1 stick salted butter at room temp
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2-3 tbsp. minced garlic (you can mince yourself or use the jar which I had on hand)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Boil a large pot full of water salted with a large pinch of salt. Add Ziti and cook as long as directed on the package.

Meanwhile I prepared the ricotta filling in a medium size bowl. Mix together ricotta, 2 eggs, and basil until combined.

Once pasta is done and drained, it is time to assemble. Spray a large 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. On the bottom layer 2 large spoonfuls of sauce, top with 1/2 of the ziti noodles. Add the ricotta mixture as evenly as you can. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of parmesan. Add another 2-3 spoonfuls of the sauce, remaining ziti noodles, then top with remaining sauce and cover with about 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.

For the italian garlic bread, cut the loaf in half lengthwise so you have 2 large loafs. Mix together the softened butter, olive oil, italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Stir until combined.

Butter both loaves and place on sheet pan butter side up. Bake at 400 for 12-18 minutes depending on how crispy you like yours. I did 18 as we like the crispy bread.

Serve ziti with a few extra shavings of parmesan and I had about 1.5 cups pasta with 2 slices of the bread for dinner.

Weeknight Risotto

Ok so I have tried a lot of different things in the kitchen but something I haven't done was risotto. Most weeknight dinners are about pre-planning and multitasking to get everything hot and ready at the same time. Risotto isn't hard BUT it does take up all your attention, but I was up to the challenge and it paid off.

1.5 cups aborio rice (walmart has it and though pricier than regular rice, it lasts for years).
5 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup white wine dry
6 tbsp butter
12 oz steamable bag frozen peas (optional)
Shredded parmesan 3/4 cup
1 medium onion

OK so sometimes planning doesn't work out like planned so I realized last minute that I didn't have a regular onion. I improvised with a chopped shallot and 1/4 of a red onion diced that I had for salad later in the week. Mistakes happen don't shoot me.

Place a pot with chicken stock on medium, let simmer the entire time so it stays hot.

In another pot place 3 tbsp butter on medium heat, when melted add in onion/shallot and stir occasionally until softened about 8 min.

Add to the onion mix the rice and stir for 2 min. Until all the rice is covered in the butter/onion mix. Turn heat to medium-high.

Add the wine and stir until all the wine has been absorbed, then add in the stock 3/4 cup or 1 ladle at a time and do the same (stir until absorbed)

It took about 20 min to add each ladle, and stir until absorbed and repeat. Once all the stock was absorbed add the remaining butter stir until melted and absorbed.

Stir in parmesan and peas cooked in microwave per bag instructions and drained. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve as I did with baked breaded fish fillets or steak, something you can put in the oven and forget about is best seeing as the risotto needs all your attention.

Filling and easy refridgerator oatmeal a perfect breakfast to take to work or on the go.

Ok so I kept hearing my bestie who is always health conscious talk about eating refrigerator oatmeal. I finally in the new year to save money and lower my processed food intake I decided to give it a try. I made 2 servings Sunday night and 2 servings again last night. Took maybe 5 minutes to prepare, and only a second to grab it for my lunchbox. So here is how I did it. (Thanks Brandy for the tip on only making 2 days worth ahead of time)


Sundays prep for peanut butter and jelly refrigerator oatmeal.

• 2- 8 oz. plastic mason jars (they have them cheap at walmart)
• 2/3 cup milk of your choice - I used unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup Chobani simply 100 blueberry greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cup Traditional oats
• 2 handfuls blueberries
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 2 tsp. chia seeds
• You can add sweetener if you need it, I was good with just the sweetness from the peanut butter and blueberries.

In your jars start with 1/4 cup each of traditional oats. Add in 1/3 cup milk to each. Add 1 tbsp. peanut butter to each, then top with 1/4 cup yogurt and 1 tsp. each of the chia seeds (optional)


Shake, shake, shake........a must!!!


Once mixed completely, stir in gently your blueberries. Pop in the fridge overnight.


Now for Tuesday I decided to try a different flavor. Chia Mandarin oatmeal.


**I only really changed because we were out of blueberries and I happen to have the mandarin no sugar added fruit cups from dole already in the fridge :)

• 2- 8 oz. plastic mason jars (they have them cheap at walmart)
• 2/3 cup milk of your choice - I used unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup Chobani simply 100 blueberry greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cup Traditional oats
• 2 mandarin cups drained (no sugar added in 100% juice either dole or generic)
• 2 tsp. chia seeds

I left the peanut butter out this time as I didn't think it would work with the oranges, but without the peanut butter as a thickener; the chia seeds are a must (they expand to thicken the oatmeal)


In your jars start with 1/4 cup each of traditional oats. Add in 1/3 cup milk to each. Top with 1/4 cup yogurt and 1 tsp. each of the chia seeds.


Again....shake, shake, shake!!


Gently stir in the drained mandarin slices. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!

Healthy Monday Night Dinner with bacon !!

Chicken with 2 veggies

Frozen corn

Fresh brussel sprouts

Chicken breast - boneless skinless

Butter flavored cooking spray or any cooking spray you have

Onion powder

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Tumeric

4 slices bacon (I used regular bacon but you can use turkey just keep an eye that it doesn't burn)

 

Preheat oven to 450

Prep brussel sprouts by washing, trimming stems, and removing any bruised leaves. Cut in half length wise if large.

 

Slice bacon in to 1 inch pieces, set aside.

 

Place Brussels in bowl with 2 tbsp. olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bacon. Lay out flat on sheet pan and place in oven. Set timer 35 min. (Tends to stick so I cover sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup)

 

Prep chicken by trimming off any fat. Lay between 2 layers of saran wrap, pound until all one thickness with meat tenderizer-flat side. Place on sheet pan. Spray with cooking spray, season with salt, pepper, tumeric, and onion powder. Flip over and repeat.

 

When timer for brussels hits 20 min place chicken in oven. Check temp of chicken with meat thermometer at 15 min. Should be 165 degrees, check each breast. Leave in longer if not done. When done remove from oven, place on serving plate and cover loosely with foil to rest 5 min.

 

While baking place frozen corn and a 1/2 tbsp. of sugar in a saucepan. DON'T ADD ANY WATER. turn stove to medium and cover corn, leave on until heated thoroughly - about 10 min stirring occasionally.