Easy! Crock Pot "Ravioli" Casserole

I'm not sure why this blogger calls it "ravioli casserole," but who cares?  It's easy, and I was able to hide veggies for the picky eaters, and it's yummy.  This serves about 8 people, so prepare for leftovers if you're not feeding a large crowd.  Win win!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I have used both ground turkey and ground chicken, but feel free to switch up your choice of meat...you can even do a combination!)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
(I also food processed a heaping handful of baby carrots.)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes (Supposedly these break up while cooking, but they were huge and scary to me.  I food processed them before adding to crock, however this step is not necessary.)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (I used one HUGE heaping handful of fresh spinach and chopped.)
16 oz. bowtie pasta, COOKED (Don't forget to salt your water!)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (Grate your own!)
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded (Grate your own!)

Directions:

Brown meat with onion and garlic (and I seasoned with salt and pepper while cooking). While meat and onions are cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.  Once meat is cooked and onions are translucent, transfer to crock pot and add (carrots if you're using them), tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.  For the last 30 minutes, add the spinach,  pasta, and Parmesan to crock pot and stir.  Finally, sprinkle the mozzarella on top and turn crock pot on high.    

*www.becomingbetty.blogspot.com

So Easy! Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth* (I used vegetable stock and it was totally fine!)
• 1 cup rice*
• 2 zucchini, shredded
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in vegetable broth and rice. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in zucchini and cheese; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and let stand until cheese has melted, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

*Water can be substituted.

*Brown rice or quinoa can be substituted, but cooking time may have to be adjusted as needed.

*www.damndelicious.net

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

I wouldn't really call this shepherd's pie...it reminds me more of a modern take on chicken pot pie without the crust.  Whatever you want to call it, it's super easy and super good and super allowed for leftovers.  I also halved this recipe, cause it serves a bunch, but if you want leftovers for the next day, make the provided full version.

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I used Yukon Gold and I didn't bother peeling.)
• 2 3/4 cups milk, separated
• 2 tbsp. butter, separated
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 onions, chopped (One is plenty.  I only used half of an onion when I halved the recipe.)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup chicken, cooked and roughly chopped (I used a rotisserie.)
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder (If you're nervous, start with 1/4 tsp.  I didn't find it too overpowering, but some people are weird about curry.)
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/4 Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of salted water on the stovetop. Add in potatoes and cover, cooking for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Add in 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp. butter. Mash until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in flour.
3. Whisk in 2 1/4 cups milk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, rosemary, and curry powder. Continue to whisk constantly until it reaches a thick consistency. Add in chicken and frozen vegetables and stir for another 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Spread chicken mixture in a 1.5 quart casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve hot.

*I made this recipe early in the morning so by dinnertime, it had been refrigerated all day.  I reheated at 350 for about 30-35 minutes (didn't bother broiling). The next day, I added a small pat of butter on top of the potatoes and reheated for same amount of time at the same temperature.  

*www.simplystacie.net

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 jumbo pasta shells
• 3 cups pasta sauce, divided
• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• 2 oz. finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 oz. shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1 1/4 cup finely chopped rotisserie chicken
• 1.5 oz croutons, partially crushed 
• 1 large handful spinach, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain and rinse shells and allow them to cool before handling.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Spread ½ cup of the pasta sauce across the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with 1 ounce of the Parmesan, 1 ounce of the Mozzarella, the Italian seasoning, spinach (optional), and a sprinkling of salt. Stir together until well combined. Add the chopped chicken and 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce to the cheese mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
3. When the pasta shells are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to stuff them full of the chicken/cheese filling. Lay the stuffed shells in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish, open side facing up. Pour the remainder of the pasta sauce over the top of the stuffed shells and spread it around to coat evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ounce of shredded Parmesan and the remaining 2 ounces of shredded Mozzarella over the top of the dish and follow with the crushed croutons. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

*www.emilybites.com

Blueberry Croissant Puff

Ingredients:

• 3 large croissants, cut up (about 5 to 5½ cups)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place croissant pieces in a 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with blueberries.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add milk, beating well after each addition. Pour evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes or soak overnight.
4. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until set in center and golden brown. You may want to cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes if the tops are getting too browned.
5. Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar.
6. Variation: Instead of baking in a square pan, you can bake individually. Place croissant pieces evenly in 10 (1/2-cup) ramekins; sprinkle with blueberries and pour cream cheese mixture evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until set in center and golden brown.

Notes: This can easily be doubled in a 9X13 pan.

*www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Easy! Lemon Chicken and Potatoes in Foil

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, mustards, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken breasts to bowl and coat.  Use your fingers or a brush to work the mustard mixture onto both sides of the chicken. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, add halved potatoes with one tablespoon olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine.  (I also tossed one clove of minced garlic to the bowl.  If you have garlic-infused olive oil, I would use this in place of regular olive oil...yum.)
4. Cut four sheets of foil, about 12-inches (I cut them about 16") long. Divide potatoes into 4 equal portions and add to the center of each foil in a single layer.
5. Top each packet with the coated chicken and then top with lemon slices.
6. Grabbing the top and bottom parts of the foil, raise them to the center to make a "tent" and fold it shut.  Seal the sides, making sure they are completely closed.  Place foil packets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes.  Check to make sure the potatoes are fork tender.
7. OPTIONAL: Preheat oven to broil. Open the packets and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
8. Served immediately with your favorite veggie and garnished with parsley, if desired.
   
   *www.damndelicious.net

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 large yellow potato
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves (I didn't bother...)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Rinse and cut potatoes in 1/4-inch slices. Proceed same way with onion. Line up potatoes and onion alternately in a greased baking pan.

2. In a bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper, Parmesan, and minced garlic. Brush the mixture generously over the potato and onion rows. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, until fork tender and a bit crispy on the edges. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and additional parmesan on top.

*www.eatwell101.com

"Deconstructed" Chicken Cordon Bleu with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 4 (5 - 6 oz.) chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness (about 1/2-inch)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 thin slices smoked deli ham (I used Applegate Uncured Ham, original blogger used Boars Head Black Forest.)
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 3/4 cup garlic butter croutons, finely crushed 
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (I didn't bother...whoops.)

Directions:

• Add about 1 Tbsp. chicken broth to a 1 or 2-cup liquid measuring cup then whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Add remaining chicken broth (just measure to 3/4 cup). Then add cream until it reaches the 1 cup mark (...basically, you are adding in 1/4 cup cream; I just did it this way instead of dirtying a mixing bowl). Add in dijon mustard. Whisk to combine, set aside.
• Pour flour into a shallow dish, whisk in 1/4 tsp. salt (you can add more than this but the salt in the ham and cheese can vary so I just recommend adding in more at the end) and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of chicken in flour then add to skillet. Cook about 4 - 5 minutes until golden brown on bottom then rotate to opposite side and cook until center registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, while layering ham and then cheese over chicken during last 1 - 2 minutes of cooking (if the ham is too large for the chicken fold it in half or just use half a slice). Transfer chicken to a plate, cover plate with a skillet lid or piece of tented foil to keep chicken warm.
• Whisk chicken broth mixture once more then pour into skillet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Allow to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches a light boil then allow to simmer about 1 minute, while stirring. Return chicken to skillet, sprinkle crouton crumbs and parsley (optional) over chicken. Serve warm, topping each serving with some of the dijon sauce and season with more salt and pepper if needed. 

*www.cookingclassy.com

Broccoli Cheddar Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of broccoli florets (I bought two medium-sized.) *Update: I bought a pre-chopped, 12 oz. bag of broccoli florets and used a little less than the entire bag...maybe 10 oz. 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup, packed, torn fresh bread (no crust) *Update: you can use any bread.  I made these one night on a whim, and the only loaf of bread I had in the house was frozen.  I used a couple of whole-grain english muffins and they were perfect!
• 1/4 cup grated onion* (...or just dice them.  See notes before directions.)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild cheddar.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (I didn't have a lemon on hand so I used 1-2 drops of Lemon essential oil.)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*Updated NotES:  AFTER STEAMING THE BROCCOLI FLORETS, INSTEAD OF DICING (AS THE RECIPE TELLS ME TO), I THREW THEM INTO MY MINI FOOD PROCESSOR, ALONG WITH MY DICED ONION.  SAVED ME from dicing up the broccoli and grating the onion!

Directions:

1. Steam and chop the broccoli: Place 1 inch of water in a pot with a steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Steam the broccoli florets for 5 minutes, until just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Finely chop the steamed broccoli florets (or see my notes above). You should have 2 to 2.5 cups.

2. Make filling: Place the beaten eggs and the torn bread in a large bowl. Mix until the bread is completely moistened.

Add the grated onion (or see my notes above), mayonnaise, cheese, lemon zest (or essential oil), salt, and pepper. Stir in the minced broccoli.

3. Distribute broccoli mixture in mini muffin pan wells:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of 2 mini muffin pans (1 dozen wells each) or 1 mini muffin pan (2 dozen wells) with olive oil (I used olive oil cooking spray).  Distribute the broccoli mixture in the muffin wells. (***If you don't have a mini muffin tin, you can use a regular-sized muffin tin.  This, in turn, will only make 12 muffins.)

4. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned on top.

(Watch the video for step by step help!)

*www.simplyrecipes.com

Roasted Greek Potatoes with Feta and Lemon

Ingredients:

4 cups potatoes, 3/4" cubes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used garlic infused.)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper

1/2 cup feta cheese, chopped/crumbled

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I didn't have a lemon so I used 1 drop of lemon essential oil.)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with oil. (I lined my baking sheet with foil and used cooking spray to grease the foil.)
2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread out on baking sheet and bake until potatoes are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, marinate the feta in the lemon juice and parsley. (Before cleaning the large bowl I used to toss the potatoes, I put the half cup of feta (and lemon and parsley) into the bowl, so it was coated in the leftover oil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper. 
4. Remove from oven and toss the potatoes with the lemony feta right on the pan; cook 5 more minutes. (Instead, I turned my oven on broil for a few minutes.)  Serve immediately.

*www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com

The BEST Grilled Chicken Marinade

• The original recipe included an optional honey lemon sauce, but this was amazing without even adding that extra step.  If interested, visit the site for full recipe.  
• Ingredients:
• 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 
  

Directions:

Combine the vegetable oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, about 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, black pepper, chopped parsley, prepared yellow mustard, 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic, depending on flavor intensity, and 1 tablespoon honey in a large bowl.

Remove 1/3 cup of the marinade and reserve for later. (I reserved the 1/3 cup of marinade and totally forgot to brush chicken with it during grilling.  It wasn't missed, so if you skip this step, it honestly doesn't matter.)

Pound the chicken to even width, about 1 inch wide everywhere. This ensures even grilling.

Transfer marinade to a Ziploc bag and add the chicken.  Marinade for at least 30 minutes to 6 hours. (The chicken is best at 5-6 hours. Too much longer and it tends to get salty/cooked by the vinegar.)

Make sure your grill grates are clean and greased.  Preheat the grill to medium heat, 400 degrees F. 

Grill the chicken until completely cooked through (about 6 minutes per side depending on heat of the grill) and it registers at 165 degrees F internally.

Generously brush chicken with the reserved marinade mix as it grills.

*www.chelseasmessyapron.com