Taco Loaded Sweet Potatoes

This is one of the best sweet potato recipes I have ever made. I am always in love with Mexican food flavors and this recipe doesn't disappoint! This is a vegetarian dish and so filling even my husband couldn't finish it. I added over-easy eggs on top but if you don't eat eggs, leaving them off won't change the awesomeness at all. The soft potato, spicy beans, crunchy fried tortilla and sour cream give this dish all of the textures and flavors that make a dish amazing. they only took about 15 minutes to make since they are cooked in the microwave and just finished in the oven, and they are the perfect comfort food for the cold rainy/snow season!

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2 6 inch white corn tortillas, halved and cut into thin strips
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and fine diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, rough chopped
1 Tbs. Taco seasoning
1 c. shredded white cheddar
Sour cream
* Optional: 2 Fried Eggs


Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times on the outside of the sweet potatoes. Microwave them for 10 minutes (or more) until the outside of the potato is easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Layer a small plate with a piece of paper towel. In a medium size frying pan, heat a pan over medium-high heat add 3 Tbs. of olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the corn tortillas and continually stir until the color turns a golden brown and they are crunchy. Scoop out of the oil and place to cool on the paper towel. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt.

In the same pan (no need to wipe down), add the shallot and jalapeno. Cook until the onions are softened, which is about 3-5 minutes. Add in the beans, half of the taco seasoning and 1/2 c. water. Cook until the water has evaporated (another 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat.

Cut each sweet potato in half 3/4 of the way down, and place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and cooking spray. Sprinkle the insides with the remaining taco seasoning and half of the white cheddar. Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Place each potato on your serving plates. Divide the bean mixture in half and spoon into the middle of the potatoes. Top with the fried egg (optional), cilantro, tomato, sour cream, the remaining shredded cheese and last but not least, the fried corn tortilla strips.

Egg Stuffed Avocados

I love, absolutely love avocado. A few years ago, the only thing I would have eaten avocado in is guacamole, or inside of a burrito or taco if a restaurant served it that way. Now I sometimes just eat it with sea salt and cilantro for a snack. An even better way to eat it? With an egg baked in the middle! It then combines two favorites; avocados AND breakfast!

Ingredients:

2 avocado
4 eggs
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Cilantro (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and place a wire rack inside of a pan (I used a cookie sheet). Cut each avocado in half and remove the pits. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon from the inside of each hole where the pit was, and either save for guacamole or another recipe, or enjoy a quick snack while making these... Crack open one egg into a small bowl and carefully pour the egg into an avocado hole. If some of the white spills out, that's okay, that is why the sheet is underneath! Repeat for the remaining eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Top each egg with about 1-2 teaspoons of shredded cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the egg yolk is the consistency you want, and especially until the whites are no longer runny. Let cool slightly before serving, and topping with cilantro!

Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti

The slow cooking for hours means getting to play for hours, or relax, without having to worry about dinner. When my family was up from Texas this past week, this recipe was a life saver. Everyone in the house ended up getting sick, so my mom came over to help with the first part of the recipe, and it was the slow cooker's job after that. It turned out amazing, the house smelled like an Italian restaurant, and that cheese.......so good!

Ingredients:

2 cans (Traditional) Hunt's Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 1/2 lb. spaghetti noodles (cooked according to package after sauce has cooked)

4 oz. cream cheese, 1'3 less fat

1 c. low fat ricotta

1 tsp. salt

2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the meat and the onions together until the meat is all brown. Drain the excess grease if there is a large amount in the pan. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add in the salt, oregano and basil and stir together. Pour the meat mixture into the slow cooker, add in the Hunt's pasta sauce and stir together. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours. 

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain the water. In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese, ricotta and salt together. Mix until you are left with a mostly smooth creamy consistency. 

Stir in the noodles with the sauce. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top and sprinkle the cheese in an even layer. Cover with the lid again and cook for another 20 minutes on Low until the cheese is fully melted. Serve and top with some fresh chopped parsley if you want to add some color and freshness. 

Grilled Zucchini with Feta

This recipe uses two main ingredients, not including non stick cooking spray, salt and pepper. It is one of the easiest yet flavorful and simple side dishes that I have ever made that everyone will be sure to love.

Ingredients:
Olive oil Pam (or any non stick cooking spray)
2 small zucchini, cut into strips
1/4 c. reduced fat Feta cheese

Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Right before placing the zucchini on, spray the pan with non stick cooking spray and then season the zucchini with salt and pepper. Cook the zucchini in a single layer for about 3 to 4 minutes on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in two batches like I did. Place on your serving tray and sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Ham and Cheddar Lasagna

So I went to make lasagna the other day and realized while straining my cottage cheese that I had used the same colander to clean out new fish tank rocks. Needless to say, I did not get all of the rocks out when I scrubbed it.... so after already having opened the can of pasta sauce, I scrambled through the fridge to create something that didn't need that kind of cheese. The result turned out pretty darn good, and rock free!

Ingredients:

Hunt's Pasta Sauce, garlic and herb
1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles (Barilla)
2 c. diced ham
1 c. sweet bell pepper, chopped (I used mini, multi-color)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat
1 c. shredded white cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the diced ham, sweet pepper, and reduced fat cheddar together in a medium size bowl. Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Top with three oven-ready noodles.

Place about 1/4 cup of the ham mixture on each noodle. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon sauce per each. Top with three more noodles and repeat the process until all of your filling is gone and you are down to one or no noodle sheets left.

Spread the remaining of the sauce from the can over the noodles on top. Sprinkle with the shredded white cheddar cheese. Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and cook for another 5 minutes.

Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before trying to slice and serve. If you don't, the noodles will be sliding around everywhere. I topped each serving with some grated Parmesan cheese and chives.

Muffaletta Pasta Salad

 If you love the flavors of the classic Muffaletta sandwich, you have to try this deconstructed pasta dish. It combines the tangy olives with creamy provolone cheese and crunchy fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

16 oz. pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 c. provolone cheese, cubed
4 oz. dry salami (Busseto Foods Classico Nuggets Dry Salami), sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 c. kalamata olives, pitted, sliced
1/2 c. small green olives, pitted, sliced
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

Combine the cooled pasta, green pepper, salami, celery, olives and provolone cheese together in a large bowl.

Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together.

To assemble the pasta, pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and stir everything together until everything is well mixed. Sprinkle the pasta with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Gouda Chicken and Egg Sandwich

This sandwich is such an odd combination, but it works so well! The shredded Gouda melted on the chicken combined with the hot mustard and cooked egg makes for one of the best combinations in a sandwich that I have tried so far. My husband also absolutely loved it!

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, butterflied and cut in half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. shredded Gouda cheese
Romaine lettuce
2 eggs, cooked over-hard
2 Pita bread halves
1 Tbs. Miracle Whip, light
1 Tbs. sweet hot mustard

Heat a saucepan at medium heat. Season both sides of each half chicken breast. Place in the pan for 3 minutes, flip over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked (it won't take long since the chicken is butterflied). Sprinkle each piece of chicken with 1/4 c. shredded Gouda and place the lid on top. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted. To assemble the sandwich, cut each pita half again in half. Spread 1/2 Tbs. of Miracle Whip on two pita halves, and the mustard on the other two pita halves. To assemble, place an egg on top of the mustard on the pita. Top with the chicken breast half, romaine lettuce, and then the pita top with the Miracle Whip.

Broccoli Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This is one of my new favorite dishes. The spaghetti squash is so filling that this one "pot" dish is perfect for dinner. The only challenge you will have is trying to finish it all.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cut in half
2 chicken breast halves, chopped into 1 inch pieces
Large head of broccoli, boiled, drained and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. freeze dried chives (or 1 tsp. fresh)
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbs. shredded Gouda cheese

Microwave the spaghetti squash halves each half at a time in a microwave safe dish with a lid. Add 2 Tbs. water underneath the squash and cook cut side up for 15 minutes. Let cool and scrape both halves into a large dish and set aside to cool. Save the spaghetti squash "shells"! In a large saute pan, add the chopped chicken and broccoli. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the dried chives and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the chicken and broccoli mixture to the bowl with the cooked spaghetti squash. Mix everything together well.

Line a baking pan with tinfoil and place each spaghetti squash "bowl" inside. Divide the filling mixture evenly between the two skins. Top with the shredded Gouda cheese and broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Broccoli Feta Quiche

Who needs pie crust for quiche when you have potatoes? This quiche recipe is great for a side dish or for breakfast. Feta and broccoli is one of my favorite combinations and in this dish, that is no exception!

Ingredients:

20 oz. Simply Potatoes, Garlic & Herb Hash Browns
1/4 c. feta cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. All Whites, liquid egg white
10.8 oz. broccoli cuts (Steamfresh), cooked and drained

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a quiche pan with non stick cooking spray and press the hash browns into the bottom of the pan. Top with the feta and broccoli, salt and pepper. Pour the egg whites over everything and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Strata

This is one of the best breakfast dishes I have made in the slow cooker, hands down. My husband and I absolutely loved it. It is cheesy, stuffed with broccoli, and tastes like a cross between an omelet and breakfast casserole!

Ingredients:

2 c. broccoli florets, cooked and drained
4 slices bread (I used Brownberry Extra Grainy 17 grains and seeds)
1 Tbs. salted butter
1 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 c. milk, 1%
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. water

Spray a 1 quart casserole dish that fits inside of your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Arrange 2 slices butter side up in your casserole dish.

Layer cheese, broccoli and remaining 2 slices of bread, buttered sides down.

Whisk the milk, eggs, egg whites, seasonings and hot sauce in a medium bowl and pour over the bread.

Place small wire rack on the bottom of the slow cooker (or if your dish fits like mine and is elevated, you don't need to add the rack). Pour the water in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the casserole inside your slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours. Let cool slightly, slice, and serve!

Hummus Stuffed Mini Peppers

Not all of your goodies for the game have to be loaded with carbs and grease. These bite size beauties have a kick with the black bean hummus, and cooled down nicely by the feta cheese.

Ingredients:

5-10 mini sweet bell peppers, cut in half and seeded
1/4 c. Feta cheese, fat free
1 Tbs. fresh dill
1/2 - 1 c. black bean hummus (or roasted red pepper)

Fill the inside of each pepper half with black bean hummus. Sprinkle with a small amount of the feta cheese and top with a sprig of fresh dill. This recipe is super easy and takes about 5 to 10 minutes to put together. A perfect non-messy, packed with flavor bite.