A new post! Tortellini Salad

Can you believe it? I have a new post! Well, kind of new. This is a modified version of this pasta salad, but it's so good I thought it was worth posting again!

I made this tortellini salad for our most recent girls get together with Lauren, Sarah and Colleen. (Jenn and Katie, you were missed!). We went with a brunch theme this time, so I thought this tortellini salad would fit right in. And it went great with Colleen's awesome chicken salad, Sarah's amazing salad and Lauren's decadent stuffed French toast. (See Lauren's blog post for all the yummy details of our goodies!) This salad is super easy to throw together (it really requires no real cooking - shhhhhh) and is perfect for the soon-to-be-arriving warmer weather!

Tortellini Salad

2 bags frozen tri-color tortellini
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 cups bottled sun-dried tomato dressing

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Place in bowl and toss with 1 cup dressing. Allow to cool. Toss in all other ingredients and additional 1/2 cup of dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, toss with the final 1/2 cup dressing.

Birthday Mac and Cheese

My mother-in-law Anne's birthday is today so on Monday evening we had the family over to celebrate. I made thyme-coated pork loin and a salad, my brother-in-law John's girlfriend Rebecca made corn muffins and John and Rebecca made Classic Macaroni and Cheese from Cook's Illustrated. They had made this recipe before and raved about it, so I asked them to recreate it for dinner.

John and Rebecca adding the cheese....mmmm.

This macaroni and cheese was fantastic! It was gooey and creamy with just the right amount of flavor. A definite hit!

Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Bread Crumb Topping:
6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese:
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt

For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Parmesan Potato Balls

I've mentioned before that my side dishes are often lacking in the creativity department. Rice, roasted potatoes, cheesy pasta - that's pretty much my repertoire. So when I spotted this recipe for Parmesan potato balls in the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet magazine (a really great purchase, by the way!) I knew I had to give them a try. I'm going to link to the original recipe here, but I made a lot of changes so I'm posting my modified version below. First off, I'm lazy when it comes to mashed potatoes. DH and I are both perfectly content with instant mashed potatoes so I just can't be bothered going through the process of boiling and mashing potatoes. Plus, while I had cornflakes in my pantry for the crust, I didn't feel like crushing them up (hey, it was Friday night, what can I say?) so I used breadcrumbs instead.

These potato balls were really good! They had a nice crunchy exterior with a warm, creamy interior - very comforting. Plus, they had great flavor from the onion soup mix and hot sauce. Joe and I both liked these and I'll definitely be adding them to my side dish rotation!

Parmesan Potato Balls

3 cups prepared mashed potatoes
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 teaspoons onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 dash pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese into the potatoes until smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese, soup mix, salt, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place the egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip potato balls in egg, then roll in crumbs. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Southwestern Potatoes

It's all too easy to get into a rut with side dishes. I find I make the same main dish accompaniments over and over again. This is not your same old side dish though! I found these little goodies on Melissa's blog and am officially in love with them. They're awesome! The flavor is fantastic thanks to the barbecue sauce and they're the perfect mix of slightly soft and crispy. Yum! The only change I made was to use less cheese then called for to make them less fattening. I just sprinkled a little bit of cheese on top and they were good to go. If you're in need of something different to spice up your dinner plate, these babies are it!

Southwestern Potatoes

2 unpeeled large potatoes, scrubbed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used more like 1/4 cup)
bacon bits
1/2 sour cream, optional (for dipping)

Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the potatoes, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper in a big ziploc bag to coat the potatoes. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Brush with barbecue sauce, then top with the shredded cheese and bacon bits. Bake until the cheese melts, about 3-5 minutes. Top with sour cream, if desired.

Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Only a few months ago I was celebrating the fact that I finally found an awesome, creamy mac and cheese recipe. Yet for some reason, on Sunday I felt inclined to try out yet another macaroni and cheese recipe that I had in my recipe binder. This one comes from Cooking Light and I've had it for so long that I felt it was time to give it a shot. This was okay, but I wish I had stuck with the other recipe. The mac and cheese was creamy, but tasted bland to me. Which was surprising, since it had Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in it - plus I also added some red pepper flakes. The mustard and cream cheese flavors seemed to be the most prominent. While this wasn't bad, I wasn't in love with it either - it was just missing something. It's good to try new things, but I think I'll be sticking with the other mac and cheese from now on!

Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.

Sensational Side: Parmesan Orzo

I have never made orzo before. Don't ask my why. It just never occurred to me to try it. But recently I feel like I've been stuck in a side dish rut - potatoes, potatoes, potatoes - so I figured I would give orzo a try. I scoured some web sites for a simple recipe that would compliment my pulled chicken sandwiches and found this one for Orzo with Parmesan and Basil on All Recipes. My main reason for choosing it was that it didn't use a lot of butter - I HATE fatty, high calorie side dishes. Even though it only needs 2 tablespoons of butter I still subbed lowfat margarine, and I left out the basil since Joe isn't a fan and stirred in some corn instead. This was fantastic! So creamy and delicious - I could eat this as a meal by itself. I had seconds. And then some spoonfuls from the pot as I was cleaning up the leftovers. And then I ate the little orzos left stuck in the pot after I put away the leftovers. I have no shame when it comes to yummy food.

Parmesan Orzo

2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Melt margarine in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
Stir in chicken stock and corn and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl.

Crash into me

Touch your lips just so I know, In your eyes love it glows so....

Sorry, sorry. Focus. Potatoes. Okay. These potatoes, known as Crash Hot Potatoes, come from The Pioneer Woman and have been circulating the blogosphere recently. In fact, so many people have made them that I felt I had no choice but to give them a try myself. They are super easy to make and taste good. (And despite what Joe may tell you, they look and taste nothing like a Chick-Fil-A waffle fries, but humor him and smile and nod, okay?) Maybe all the hype surrounding these ruined them for me though, because while they were good, they were really just baked potatoes. But who doesn't like potatoes?

Crash Hot Potatoes

New Potatoes

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

Fresh chopped Rosemary (I used Italian seasoning)

Begin by bringing a salted pot of water to boil. Add washed potatoes and cook until they are fork tender. Meanwhile, generously drizzle olive oil over a cookie sheet or baking dish (suited to the number of potatoes you’re cooking). When potatoes are finished cooking, place them on the cooking sheet or in the baking dish a few inches apart. Take a potato masher and gently press down on the potato until is slightly mashes. Turn the masher 90 degrees and mash again, ever so slightly. Don’t completely flatten the potato, though. When all of the potatoes are mashed, drizzle or brush olive oil over each one. Then salt and pepper them, adding the chopped rosemary at the end. Broil them at 450 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until browned and crispy!

Baked Pierogie Casserole

Even though I'm the Polish one, Joe is the pierogie lover in our house. I usually just saute them with some olive oil and onions, but when I saw this recipe for baked pierogie casserole on Mary Ellen's blog I thought it would be the perfect way to change things up a bit. Joe bought cheddar and jalapeno flavored pierogies at the store, so I used cheddar cheese in my sauce to compliment them, and I used 3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup light cream in an attempt to keep the fat reasonable. I also reduced the amount of onion in the original recipe because it seemed like a lot to me. This was very good. Creamy and cheesy but also very spicy. I couldn't tell if the heat came from the pierogies themselves or the sauce, but with 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, my money's on the sauce. I may reduce that amount next time as it was too spicy for my tastes, but Joe really enjoyed it which was what mattered! I ate my pierogies with a grilled turkey sausage and grilled asparagus while Joe had a rare treat -a steak. For both of our dinners, these were a great side!

Baked Pierogie Casserole

1 package frozen pierogies (12 per package)
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp flour
1 c light cream or milk (I used 3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup light cream)
Approximately 1 c shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a pot of water to a boil; drop in pierogies and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer 6 to a baking dish (so they cover the bottom), and keep the other 6 aside until you are ready to assemble the casserole. (I cooked six at a time and timed it so my second set of pierogies were done at the same time as my cheese sauce)
Make the cheese sauce: Heat olive oil in a pot. Add all onions and red pepper flakes; saute 2 minutes. Add flour and stir. Add cream/milk and bring to a simmer. Add cheeses, and stir until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour some of the cheese sauce over the first layer of pierogies. Add the rest of the pierogies and top with more cheese sauce. Top with breadcrumbs.
Bake on 375 for about 15 minutes or until bubbly. Turn on the broiler for 3 minutes at the end.

Pasta in a Pinch

Pasta salad has become my new favorite summer side dish. It's perfect to bring to get togethers, everyone likes it and it couldn't be easier to make. However, I never actually tried to make it until I went to a recipe exchange party with my mom. Not being much of a cook, my mom asked a friend for a recipe she could bring and the friend supplied a tortellini salad recipe. The salad had chopped onion, chopped red pepper, olives, artichokes, cheese and Italian dressing mixed with cheese tortellini. It was a hit at the party and I began making it myself with some modifications. I leave out the raw veggies (I'm not a fan) and instead toss in roasted red peppers with the artichokes and olives. Sometimes I also add some meat, like salami chunks.

When Lauren invited us over for dinner on the grill tonight, I offered to whip one of these up. This time, instead of tortellini I used a bag of tri-color veggie pasta (Wacky Mac!) and left out the meat since Lauren was making chicken. I also used to fat free Italian dressing to balance out the yummy chunks of cheese. So simple -and it not only tastes great, it looks pretty too!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

For dinner tonight I was making a simple pan grilled flounder and wanted a side dish with a little bit of a kick to go along with it. I was leaning towards rice, so I browsed All Recipes and came across this baked rice dish. I used brown rice instead of white and chipotle cheddar instead of Monterey Jack, since I had half a block on hand. I also omitted the cilantro since neither Joe or I care for it. This rice was delicious! Nice and creamy with a little bit of spice - Joe and I both thought it was great. Next time I may add some chicken and make it a meal . The flounder turned out well too - I just seasoned it with black pepper and Old Bay seasoning and grilled it on the stove. It turned out to be a very yummy meal!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.
In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Not Quite Kraft

My side dish for my Neely-inspired dinner was their recipe for macaroni and cheese. I was immediately intrigued by the addition of crumbled bacon and potato chips, yes, potato chips, on the top. Some of the reviews I read on the recipe said that it was bland, so instead of using all sharp cheddar cheese I used half sharp and half chipotle cheddar cheese. I'm glad I added the chipotle cheddar, as I feel it gave the dish most of its flavor. I also used a bit more salt and hot sauce and some red pepper flakes. This mac and cheese was nice and creamy and had just a little spice from the chipotle cheese. It was good, but as with every mac and cheese recipe I've made, I feel like something is missing. Maybe I just love the blue box too much to find an adequate substitute! I did, however, enjoy the nice parmesan, bacon and chip crust on top - a nice salty crunch to compliment the creamy cheese. When there's no Kraft around, I'll definitely use this recipe again!

Macaroni and Cheese

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, warm
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
3 cups shredded Cheddar
1 pound cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente
1 cup crushed potato chips
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil, continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases. Continue to stir while adding the dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Stir in the 3 cups of Cheddar until it melts.
Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and add to a 3 quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle the chips, bacon and Parmesan on top and bake for 35 minutes.

Mexican My Way

I'll admit that I'm not a huge lover of Mexican food - too much spice and grease...just not my style. I do, however, like things like salsa, tortilla chips and cheese, so that part of Mexican food is fine with me. This easy meal was inspired by the above! I made a simple salsa-coated baked chicken and some yummy quesadillas that you toast under the broiler. Both the chicken and quesadilla recipes came from All Recipes, but I modified both slightly. I left the cheese off of the chicken, since I felt like we had plenty in the quesadillas, and I left the salsa out of the quesadillas but added some chopped jalapenos. We topped our meal with some extra salsa and sour cream and it was delicious! And so easy! This will definitely go on the menu rotation!

Salsa Chicken


4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I omitted)
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

Cheese Quesadillas

4 (6 inch) flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup salsa (I omitted)
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp diced jalapenos

Place two tortillas on a greased baking sheet. Top each with salsa, cheese and remaining tortillas. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Cut into wedges.

Halloween Hash Browns

Okay, this dish really has nothing to do with Halloween, other than the fact that I made it for dinner on Halloween, but the title stands. Honestly, I did not expect to like this casserole. I essentially made it for Joe - his mom makes a hash brown casserole that he loves and I wanted to try a new version for him. But I ended up really enjoying it! It's nice and creamy and has a great flavor. The recipe is from Cooking Light but it came to my attention on an article from All Recipes, 10 Casseroles Under 300 Calories. I prepared it the night before as suggested in the recipe and refrigerated it all day. Then I just popped it in the oven when I got home and I was free to answer the door for trick-or-treaters while it baked. I served it as a side dish to chicken breasts but it would be perfect for a brunch too.

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese

Ingredients
6 bacon slices (I used turkey bacon)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided (I used shredded sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cooking spray

Preparation

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 293(31% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 12.2g; CHOLESTEROL 31mg; CALCIUM 214mg; SODIUM 720mg; FIBER 4.7g; IRON 0.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.4g

Happy Halloween!