Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

courtesy

Amy made this for our Thanksgiving dinner this year and while I'm not a huge fan of corn, I was smitten with this. It was probably one of my favorite dishes on the table, so much so that I made it again for Christmas dinner.  It could be eaten any time of the year though... it is seriously delicious.

Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 8 slices bacon, chopped
 2 12-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
 1/2 cup chopped onion, white, yellow or red
 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, light or regular, cubed
 1-2 tablespoons milk
 1 teaspoon sugar
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon pepper
 4 green onions, green parts finely chopped (white parts discarded)

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chopped bacon until golden and crisp. Scoop the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard all the bacon grease except for a thin coating on the pan, maybe a teaspoon or so.

Add the corn, onion, and red pepper, and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are tender and the corn is heated through, 6-8 minutes. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is evenly combined.

Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper. Add more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the green onions.

Serve warm topped with the reserved bacon.

Keto Mashed Cauliflower

courtesy

I know some of you are rolling your eyes at this blasphemy, but do not knock it until you have tried it.  Kate said she liked it better than mashed potatoes.  All I know is that there is something amazing that happens when you eat this healthy and it still tastes a lot like the real thing.  We ate it with the Air Fryer Turkey Breast for the perfect pairing.

Keto Mashed Cauliflower

Tastes Lovely

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• (2) 12-ounce bags frozen cauliflower rice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1/2 cup bone broth (can sub chicken stock or chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup cashew milk (unflavored, unsweetened)

• INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ghee, frozen cauliflower rice, salt + pepper. Stir until the rice is thawed, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add in the grated garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the bone broth and cashew cream. Stir and continue cooking over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
  4. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth.
  5. Serve warm. Leftovers will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 days.

Best Stuffing Ever

You guys. This stuffing is the BEST stuffing ever!!! My SIL made it last year and this year it was my turn. And seriously, everyone was raving (both last year and this year). It's take stuffing to a whole new level. 

Best Stuffing Ever

from Linda (my SIL's friend???)

Fresh bread crumbs from one big loaf of French bread (you want this to be high-quality artisan French bread), chopped in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), divided

6 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 box of mushrooms (fresh, not canned) cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3/4 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

3/4 garlic powder

12-16 oz package of mild or hot Italian sausage (ground)

2 cups Romano cheese, shredded

1/2 can chicken broth (about 7-8 oz)

3 eggs

Sautee 1 stick butter, celery, onion, and garlic. Pour over bread crumbs in a bowl. Sautee 1/2 stick of butter in mushrooms. Add seasonings, parsley, and basil. Then add cheese and mix. Mix eggs and chicken broth in separate bowl and add to mushroom mixture. Pour over bread crumbs and mix. Sautee sausage to release oil, strain, and mix in with bread crumbs. Lightly spray a large casserole dish and pour stuffing in. Cover tightly with foil and store in fridge over night. Bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Remove foil for last 15 minutes if you'd like a little crunch.

Health-ier Higher Protein Guacamole

This stuff is addicting- so good and so much better for you than regular guacamole.  The other bonus!? It lasts waaaay longer than the regular stuff, as in it doesn't get brown for several days!  

High Protein Guacamole

Salty Lashes

3 ripe avocados

1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt (I use TJ's)

2 large limes, juiced

1/2 Purple onion, diced fine

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

Garlic salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Salsa Verde

This stuff is seriously so amazing. And SO easy to make.  Just throw all of the ingredients in a blender.  Done.  It makes a TON.  Plus, it makes great gifts- I made some and put them in jars to give away with a bag of chips!

Salsa Verde

1 bunch cilantro

8 tomatillos, cut into quarters

2 green heirloom tomatoes (just to keep the color)

6-8 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno

3 limes, juiced

1 medium white onion

Salt

Cut up everything and throw into blender raw. Blend until you get your desired consistency and then add salt- about 1 1/2 Tbs, or to taste.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

(pic courtesy Mel's Kitchen Cafe)



I think Christian consumed 3,000 calories of these. He literally ate half the pan. They were soooo yummy! Oh, and I didn't have all of the cheeses she called for, so I just used medium cheddar and parmesan cheese (shredded) and it was delish!

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Note: the key to this dish is the evenly sliced potatoes. It will be nearly impossible to accomplish this feat by hand, since the potatoes need to be sliced 1/8-inch thick. I don’t have a mandoline, which would work perfectly, however, a slicing disk on a food processor/shredder works great and in a pinch, I’ve used the slicing side of my box grater.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, toss the cheeses and cornstarch together until evenly coated.
2. In a large gratin dish (about a 2- to 3-quart dish), shingle half of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with the remaining potatoes, shingling them neatly and evenly. Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over the top.
3. Combine the cream and the broth in a large measuring cup and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden brown and a fork inserted into the center slides in easily with little resistance, 75 to 85 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Saucy Lentils and Veggies

Ok, I know this isn't the most exciting recipe title.  I combined two different recipes to make a meal...because two side dishes count as a full meal in my house! The first is a recipe for lentils in a sort of tomato sauce, and the second is roasted veggies.  The recipes are meant to be separate, but I stirred them together (after cooking separately) and it made my mouth sing! I loved it so much, that I made it twice in one week!  (My kids didn't love the roasted veggies, if I'm being honest- but what kid does?!  They were forced to eat a serving anyway.  And, they really liked the lentils!).  This is a great, fantastic, healthy meal that you can store in the fridge for several days and have it for lunch for the whole week- or thats what I did (saves you from that lunchtime rut)!  Also, I got these recipes from an IG account, "gotorecipes" that is super good- you HAVE to follow her!!

**Slight Edit: I just re-made this and served it over rice (as pictured above) and then went out on a limb and added avocados sprinkled with salt and pepper....soooo good!

Saucy Lentils
Adapted slightly from "gotorecipes"

1 yellow onion, diced 

1 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes with liquid

1 bunch thyme leaves (or tied with a string)

1 lb. bag lentils

3 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken broth too)

(Optional)

Rice, cooked

Diced avocados, sprinkled with s&p

In large pot, sauté onion in olive oil until soft with salt and pepper until golden brown. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with liquid, thyme and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover until liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes (stir occasionally). Remove thyme sprigs before serving, if used. 

Roasted Veggies

Adapted slightly from "gotorecipes"

Carrots, diced

Sweet potatoes, diced

Thyme (fresh or dried)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Brown sugar 

Maple Syrup

After dicing veggies to same sizes, sprinkle brown sugar and a couple of teaspoons of syrup along with the rest of the ingredients together (just season to liking). Spread evenly on foiled-lined pan and cook at 425F for about 30 minutes.  Once done, you can combine with the above lentils for a delicious combo.

Broccoli- Cauliflower Casserole

I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and thought it was super delicious.  Its a vegetable indulgence, if you will....and I mean that in that its not necessarily low-fat.  But, its a great vegetable dish for a nice dinner because you can make it ahead of time and it can sit on the counter for a good amount of time while you pull the dinner together and still taste fresh and not soggy.  I didn't use the breadcrumb and butter topping (save the calories and time!) and it was still fantastic, so its not a necessary step.

Source

Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 1 head (large) Broccoli
• 1 head Cauliflower
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese, More To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Butter (optional)
• 1/3 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (optional)a

Preparation Instructions

Break the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, cutting off the thick stalks as you go. Steam them for 3 to 4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green, then remove them from the heat. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter and saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the top, whisk to combine, and cook for another 45 seconds. Pour in broth, whisking constantly, then cook until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and add the softened cream cheese, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and paprika. Stir to combine until the sauce is nice and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, making sure it's nice and flavorful! Keep warm.

(Optional topping) In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Mix and layer the broccoli and cauliflower in a large casserole dish. Pour on the cream sauce, then sprinkle on the cheese. End with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve warm.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Brown Rice (Meat Optional)

Need something easy and  healthy in a hurry?  This little meal is delicious, and can easily adapted to be a vegetarian meal or even a side-dish.  We ate it without meat as our main entree and loved it.

• Stir-Fried Broccoli with Brown Rice (Meat Optional)
• adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola or coconut oil
• 3-4 cups bite-size broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
Sauce:
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce (see note)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For serving:
• Hot, cooked brown rice
• 
  

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat until hot and rippling. If using meat, add it now and stir-fry until cooked through. Remove the meat to a plate.

Add the broccoli to the hot skillet (you may need to add another teaspoon or so of oil if the skillet is completely dry) and cook, stirring often, until the broccoli has turned bright green and is lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. It won't cook much more after this so it should be crisp-tender. I like a bit of bite to the broccoli but if you want it more tender, add on a few minutes cooking time.

Stir in the garlic and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring, for a minute or so.

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and pour over the broccoli. Add the meat if you cooked it.  Stir the ingredients together until well coated with the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve immediately over hot, cooked rice.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

This is an easy last minute meal if you are feeling like comfort food or an easy "gourmet" side

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

• 3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
• Ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.
2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I didn’t need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Ham and Pea Variation: Follow the recipe, adding 4 ounces deli-style baked ham, diced medium, and 1/2 cup frozen peas to the skillet with the cornstarch mixture in step 2.

My favorite Veggies

So, I know this may be lame, but I thought I'd post my favorite way of preparing veggies.  We eat a TON of veggies and I've found this to be the easiest and yummiest way to get them to the table...and have your kids enjoy them.

My Favorite Veggies
From Rachel

Vegetables (I like a carrot, cauliflower and broccoli combo)
Olive Oil
Salt (try the Pink Himalayan salt at Costco- its much more nutritious than table salt)
Cajun Seasoning

You'll need a steamer of some sort on hand (I have a metal basket that fits on top of my regular stovetop skillet- got it at Williams-Sonoma for about $8).  Put water in the bottom of the skillet, but careful not to do too little or the veggies burn, or too much, or the veggies boil- you don't want the water to overflow onto your steamer basket.  Chop veggies to similar sizes to allow for even cooking. Place them in the basket and steam with lid covering until desired tenderness (I like mine with a little crunch).  Empty the water from your skillet and return skillet to hot stovetop.  Pour olive oil to coat bottom and heat slightly. Return veggies to skillet and season with salt and cajun seasoning.  Stir to coat and remove from heat- you don't want to cook your veggies any longer.  Enjoy.  I love serving these veggies tossed with these Simple Sesame Noodles.

Oven-Bakes Parmesan Rosemary Fries

I don't know who else saw these on OBB but I decided to make them tonight for sunday dinner and they were mm mm good! The only ingredient I had to go get was some fresh rosemary but other then that they are relatively and easy make. And I would definitely recommend getting the fresh stuff. Also, put the pan on a rack closer to the top if you like them crispier.

Ingredients:

4 medium Russet potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 1/2-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish if desired
Canned Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (lightly crumple it if you want to; that will help ensure even browning) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut each potato into 8 wedges and set aside ( you can also cut them like you do for this recipe). In a large, wide bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, corn starch, and rosemary. Add the potato wedges and toss to coat them evenly with the olive oil mixture. Spread evenly over the prepared foil and bake in the preheated oven for  about 40 minutes or until the fries are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. If desired, sprinkle with additional rosemary and salt. Serve immediately.

Queso Blanco Dip

photo from cooking-mexican-recipes.com

Finally a cheese dip that doesn't clump up!  I did do a lot of altering.  First, I would half this because it makes a ton and the cheese isn't cheap.  Second, I would switch the amounts of monterrey jack vs. american because I personally prefer the taste of monterrey jack.  And third, I didn't add any of the veggies except for the tomato which is technically a fruit anyhow.  I like a plain cheese myself.





Queso Blanco Dip

From Annie’s Eats

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz. white American cheese, shredded*

4 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

¼-2/3 cup milk

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp. cilantro, minced

*White American cheese can be found at the deli counter in most grocery stores.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add both of the shredded cheeses and ¼ cup of the milk.  Whisk or stir until completely melted.  Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

• This is an amazing recipe for scalloped potatoes that is free of all the creamed soups and cheese!  It is so delicious, you would never know it.  And I even accidentally left out the onions.  That's how good it is...
• 
• Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

• adapted from allrecipes.com

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Paprika

1. In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
3. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.