Comfort Food Side Dishes

I'm not going to lie...when it comes to weeknight meals, side dishes are usually an afterthought for me. Some nights, it's enough work to get the main dish on the table...let alone worrying about throwing together some elaborate side dishes. My weeknight side dishes are usually very, very simple (consisting of staples like the following: salad, some kind of quick bread, and simple veggies--frozen, fresh, or canned).

But the side dish should not be overlooked. Sometimes the side dish ends up outshining the main dish! I'm going to share some very old family favorite side dishes (that fall into the comfort food category).

The first few recipes are pretty basic to LDS culture. In fact, I'm going to share two versions of the "Funeral Potatoes" since it's so common (a rich version and a lightened up version). Why are they called "Funeral Potatoes," you ask? I think it has to do with the fact that they are so easy to make, plus you can make them ahead of time and bake them just before they are needed. Because of those two factors, they tend to make an appearance at a lot of luncheons following LDS funerals. Or maybe it's just because when it comes to comfort food, they're to die for! (Please excuse the pun).

I'm sharing quite a few potato side dishes because, for me at least, potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. I LOVE them! I hope you like these recipes too.


Baked Beans

Ingredients:

2 (29 oz) cans pork and beans
2 chopped onions
1 diced green pepper
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well. Can be mixed ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Bake covered for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Top with additional bacon, if desired.

8-10 servings.

Source: My Mom has been making this for years. I'm not sure where she got it from.

Notes: These baked beans are the perfect balance of sweet and savory.


Cottage Cheese Jello Salad

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 oz) pkg. Jello, any flavor
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip

Directions:

Mix pineapple and Jello. Add cottage cheese and Cool Whip. Chill until set. Serve chilled.

Source: This is one of those LDS culture recipes that so many people make. I'm not sure where the original recipe came from.

Notes: For those of you who haven't had this, I know it might sound weird to combine cottage cheese, pineapple, Jello, and Cool Whip...but trust me, this stuff is addicting. I've also mentioned that I really don't like Jello in its jiggly form, but I love the flavor that it imparts to things when it doesn't become gelatin! The salad above is orange flavored with mandarin orange segments placed on top just for the heck of it.


Au Gratin Potatoes (aka Funeral Potatoes)

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes (you can also use the equivalent amount of frozen, thawed, hash browns to speed up and simplify things)
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (you can also use white or yellow onions, if you prefer)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes or potato chips
2 tbsp melted butter

Directions:

Bake or boil potatoes, then peel and shred or grate them.

Heat 1/4 cup butter with soup. Add sour cream, onion, and cheese. Mix well. Pour into 9x13 pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle with cornflake/potato chip and butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Source: Probably just about every ward cookbook that has ever been printed.

  
Lightened Cheesy Potatoes (Funeral Potatoes)

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced-fat, reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup light dairy sour cream
1/3 cup finely chopped onion (green, white, or yellow), or 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (30 or 32 oz) package frozen shredded or diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes or potato chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. In an extra-large bowl, combine soup, cheese, milk, and sour cream, onion, and pepper. Stir in potatoes. Spread mixture evenly in prepared baking dish.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes; stir potatoes. Sprinkle with cornflakes/potato chips. Bake uncovered, for 20-25 minutes more or until heated through and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

12 servings.

Nutrition Information: 129 calories, 3 g fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber.

Source: This lightened version came as a loose mini booklet with one of my Taste of Home magazines.

Notes: I like that it adds the bit about allowing it to stand 10 minutes before serving because these potatoes get hotter than the blazes of the sun! Watch out or you could seriously burn your tongue.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Cheese

Ingredients:

6 large potatoes, cleaned and quartered (not peeled)
2 large cloves garlic, quartered
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup half and half
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Put potatoes and garlic in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. When potatoes are done, melt butter in a separate saucepan, then add half & half. Warm for 2-3 minutes on low. Drain potatoes and garlic. Mash together, then add butter, salt, and half & half. Mash to desired consistency (smoothly mashed or lumpily smashed...it's up to you). Top with shredded Cheddar cheese.

Serves 6.

Source: Again, with some of these recipes that my Mom has been making for years, I have no idea where she got this from.

Notes: We now usually double or triple this since our family has grown.

Above: Add a little bacon too, if you like!

Mr. Wendel's Potato Salad

Ingredients:

7 lbs. potatoes
1 jar Best Foods Mayonnaise (regular size--larger jar)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard
1/ tsp (heaping) pepper
2 tsp salt
3-4 medium dill pickles, diced
1 medium onion, chopped very fine
Large handful of fresh parsley, minced
12 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, and quartered

Directions:

Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water with the skins on. The skins will peel off easily after they have cooked (so you can save yourself the step of having to peel the potatoes prior to cooking them).

Slice the potatoes lengthwise only (they break up further when you stir all of the ingredients together). Then stir in mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, prepared mustard, dry mustard, pepper, salt, diced dill pickles, chopped onion, and minced parsley. Mix well.

Once everything else is mixed, stir in the eggs (adding them too early will break them apart too much). Chill until ready to serve.

Source: I had the most awesome choir teacher (Mr. Norman Wendel, as evidenced by the title of this recipe) when I was in high school. I was always very self-conscious about my singing voice, but he gave me the confidence to get out there and perform. Honestly, if it weren't for him, I don't think I would have had the guts to audition for the music program at BYU. Largely because of him, I graduated as a Vocal Pedagogy major. I wish all music teachers could be like him. He buoyed me up and taught me so much about music (technical music theory as well as how to just plain love and enjoy music). I tried out for his Madrigal group while I was in high school and got put on the party planning committee. For one of our parties, we had a potluck and Mr. Wendel brought this fantastic potato salad (I made sukiyaki...a recipe to share another day!). I craved this potato salad for years afterward and begged for the recipe. The problem was that he was one of those cooks who creates a recipe in their mind, but never writes it down. Luckily for me, his daughter (who I was in Madrigals with) finally pinned him down and watched him make it while she wrote down the methods, measurements, and equivalents for this recipe. She then shared this recipe with me. Yum! I'm sooooo grateful!

Notes: This is definitely a savory potato salad with some bite to it. I love the addition of dill pickles and hard boiled eggs. If you like a wussy, bland, or sweet tasting potato salad, this one isn't for you. Coincidentally, this potato salad is very similar to the potato salad that my in-laws have been making for years too (a recipe that THEY made up too. Though I'm not sure if they wrote theirs down or not). Destiny or coincidence? You decide!

Also, the picture I took doesn't do it justice.  This is a fantastic potato salad.  Here's what I did this time around: I made the whole batch, but I divided it into two bowls.  One bowl had pickles and eggs, the other bowl didn't.  All of the other ingredients stayed the same.

Freezer Friendly Foods

As you know, both my sister and I are pregnant. I'm a little over 37 weeks along and she's about 38 weeks along. We are now both a couple of ticking time bombs. The babies could come at any time now!

After my first baby was born, I did NOT have the energy to cook for a number of weeks. After that experience, I've done my best to prepare for the second time around. One of the things I have done is to make double recipes of freezer friendly foods. We've enjoyed the first batches for dinner and frozen the second batches to thaw and reheat during the first six weeks after my baby is born.

I know that my sister has been doing the same thing. Hopefully she will add some of her freezer friendly food discoveries to this post as well.

I've also labeled some of our recipes as being freezer friendly on this blog. Here's a list of some other freezer friendly foods (with hyper links so that you can access them easily) that we've already posted:

Mexican Pork
Assorted Slow Cooker Sandwiches (shredded meat freezes well)
Grecian Meatballs
Chicken Chalupas
Penne with Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches and Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Baked Ravioli and Tomato-Sausage Lasagna
Slow Cooker Southern Pulled Pork
One-Pot Pasta
Meaty Calzones and Shepherd's Pie
Chicken Tamale Casserole
Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Soft Tacos and Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes
Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Main dishes such as baked pastas and casseroles (Mexican and Italian, especially) are particularly freezer friendly. Shredded meat and pasta are also freezable. However, with shredded meat and pasta (not of the baked pasta variety), you will need to thaw it completely in the refrigerator and just microwave it to reheat it.

Many recipes that are freezer friendly don't say that they are freeze-able and they don't come with baking instructions post-freezing or thawing. But if you just keep an eye on it in the oven, it will reheat beautifully and be just as hot, bubbly, cheesy, and yummy as if you had just made it that day.

The best way to reheat these meals (the ones I am sharing now) is either to allow them to thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed (usually, it will be necessary to add anywhere from 10-30 minutes to the baking time since the dish is being put into the oven cold rather than warm, which would be the case if you were baking it immediately after assembling it) or to double the original baking time if you are putting a frozen dish directly into the oven. Make sure to keep the casserole covered with foil until the end (this will keep the cheese from browning--or burning--before the casserole is evenly cooked/heated). Then, remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the top/cheese is nicely melted and browned.

I'm going to share two Mexican-style casseroles and two baked pasta recipes.

I found one of the baked pasta recipes in a Martha Stewart photo/recipe gallery devoted entirely to dinners that were freezer friendly. If you would like to check out that gallery, click here.

Everyone has times when they either don't feel like cooking or there's a small emergency and it comes in handy to have a meal on hand that can just be popped into the oven. In that case, simply double these recipes so that you can freeze one for just such an occasion.


Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

Makes 12 servings (about 3/4 cup each)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1o 1/2 ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6 inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Nutrition information: Calories 335, Fat 10.8 g, Iron 1.5 mg, Cholesterol 66 mg, Calcium 270 mg, Carbohydrate 34.3 g, Sodium 693 mg, Protein 23.9 g, Fiber 3.2 g.

Source: Cooking Light, November 2003


Weight Watchers Layered Mexican Chicken

Makes 12 servings (6 WW Points per serving)

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray
2 pounds uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups fat free sour cream
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican-style cheese, divided
8 oz chopped green chilies (two 4 oz cans)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a lasagna pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken in a medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes; drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, and pepper; mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve with salsa on the side.

Source: Weight Watcher's website.

Notes: I didn't cut the tortillas into strips, I kept them whole. Also, I added a few more tortillas so that it created more layers to the casserole (rather than just two). If you can, I would even suggest assembling this the day before and baking it the next day (because the flavors get stronger with this casserole when it has been allowed to sit for a bit).


Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Each baking dish serves four; bake one tonight, and freeze the other for a ready-made dinner later on. When ready to cook, bake it straight from the freezer.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3-5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If freezing: Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.When ready to bake, thaw in fridge overnight and follow instructions below.

Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: I doubled the recipe so that each baking dish would serve 8 and I baked each in a 9x13 inch pan. Make sure to taste for seasoning preference before baking. After baking, I realized mine needed a little more salt and pepper. Otherwise, it will be too bland.


Baked Ziti with Italian Baking Sauce (Ziti al forno con mozzarella e carne di manzo)

Ingredients:

1 box Barilla Ziti (1 lb)
1 jar Barilla Italian baking sauce (or favorite jarred marinara sauce)
Cooking spray, to coat
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup water
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Grease or spray a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion; saute until golden. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Add Italian baking sauce/marinara and water. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until excess water evaporates.

Cook pasta ccording to package directions. Drain and add pasta to skillet. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese and mix well.

Transfer to baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 10-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubble.

Source: I found this recipe on Barilla's website. I really like Barilla brand pasta, myself. (No, I'm not a spokesperson). :) My point in telling you that is that if you like a certain food product, they usually have a website with a ton of recipes that you'll probably like too. Do a web search and see. You might just find some fun recipes.

Notes: I like this recipe because it is just one of those basic baked pasta recipes. It's easy to assemble and it hits the spot. I couldn't find the Italian baking sauce referred to in the recipe, so I used marinara sauce. Also, I would suggest adding 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of Italian seasoning when browning the beef. You could also add 2-4 cloves of minced garlic to the beef, if you like. If baking from frozen, I would suggest baking the ziti, covered, for 40-60 minutes and then uncovered for another 10-20 minutes. Just check it from time to time to make sure that it gets fully heated...but not overcooked. Oh, and there is no reason to use 1/4 cup of olive oil to saute the onion in. The beef will render enough fat when you brown it. I only used 1 tbsp of olive oil for the onion.

Soup's On!

We sure like our soup on this blog! I've been making about one soup a week since the fall. Soup warms and fills you up, makes a ton, and gives you some great leftovers.

I've noticed (for me, at least) that I tend to make a lot of Mexican-style soups. So, I thought I would share some soups with a different influence today.

The first soup has an Italian flair to it. The second has an Indian influence. The final soup has a mix of Polish/German traits. Besides being soup, what ties them all together? They are all really fast and easy to make.

I hope you like them!

Oh, and make sure to check below the three recipes I posted, because my sister shared some of her favorite soup recipes too (four more soup recipes, to be exact)!



Garlic-Basil Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon butter
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
1 can (19 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, water, basil, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini. reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 3 minutes or until tortellini begins to float. Stir in beans and vinegar; heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Information: One serving (1 1/4 cups soup with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese) equals 284 calories, 8 g fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 953 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 15 g protein.

Source: This is from a Taste of Home Light and Tasty cookbook, submitted by Linda Kees.

Notes: I doubled the recipe and added more beans (I always like more beans than what most recipes call for!).

Mulligatawny Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups canned chicken broth
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup cooked rice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until the onion is tender (about 5 minutes).

Stir in the flour, curry powder, salt, and cloves until well combined. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes until the flavors have blended. Add the chicken and rice and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: This came from Biography Magazine. Biography Magazine is no longer being published (which is a pity because it was such a cool magazine!). Each month, they would do a spotlight on a famous historical figure and then create a whole meal based around that person. The article that this soup came from was entitled "A Passage to India: Rudyard Kipling."



North Woods Bean Soup

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8 ounce) cans of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (or any white beans)
1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:

Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Yield: 5 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

Nutrition information: 227 calories, 3.9 g fat, 18.1 g protein, 30.8 g carbohydrate, 6.7 g fiber, 26 mg cholesterol, 3.5 mg iron, 750 mg sodium, 112 mg calcium.

Source: Cooking Light, January 2002

Notes: Do NOT add salt. The kielbasa makes this soup plenty salty. You won't need to add any, I promise. Also, it is very important to puree the 2 cups of soup called for in the recipe. It is necessary to helping make the soup creamier...and prettier! Seriously, the soup isn't very pretty before that portion is pureed!

A few more soups from the foodie in the Midwest:
I also agree with my sister, soup is a fantastic meal! Love how cheap, easy and versatile it is. And it makes yummy lunch the next day. I wanted to add a few of my tried and true recipes. No pics yet, sorry!

Hunters Minestrone

This recipe is very hearty and flavorful. It makes a big batch too. I highly recommend it. I got the recipe from a Tyler Florence cook book, but it can also be found on the Food Network website.

Ingredients:

2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 lb small rigatoni
extra virgin olive oil
8 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
3/4 lb loose pork Italian sausage
2 med carrots, coarsely chopped
2 med celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 (28 oz) cans cannellini beans

Directions:

Combine the stock and halved garlic head in large stock pot. Bring to a simmer 15 minutes until broth has a nice garlic flavor, discard garlic.

Bring another pot full of water to a boil, cook pasta for six minutes, it should be underdone.

Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in large pot. Add sage, rosemary and thyme; cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add sausage, cook until browned. Chop carrots, celery and onion in food processor, add veggies and cook 4 minutes until veggies are softened, but not browned. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, beans, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, parsley, and salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf and herb sprigs.

RED BEAN & MUSHROOM STEW WITH DITALINI (COOKING LIGHT)
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups pre-sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced carrot
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
1 cup uncooked ditalini (about 4 ounces short tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons commercial pesto
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in water and the next 4 ingredients (through broth). Cover; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cook, uncovered, for 11 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in pesto; sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Roasted Tomato Tortilla Soup (Cooking Light)
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

5 medium tomatoes, cut in half (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 (6-inch) Anaheim chiles
7 (1/4-inch-thick) slices onion
2 large garlic cloves, halved
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) white corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup diced ripe avocado
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded queso fresco
8 cilantro sprigs
(You could also add some shredded chicken to add a little meat, which I did. My hungry husband needs it!)

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Arrange tomatoes, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cut chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place chiles, skin sides up, on baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes. Peel tomatoes and chiles; place in a small bowl. Place onion and garlic on baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until browned, turning after 10 minutes. Add onion and garlic to tomatoes in bowl. Discard foil.

Arrange tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Broil 9 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Place tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Process 1 minute or until blended. Spoon tomato mixture into a large saucepan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and the next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 6 tortilla strips, 1 tablespoon avocado, 1 tablespoon queso fresco, and 1 cilantro sprig.

Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stop Light Peppers & Avocado Relish ( Cooking Light)
(This is my husbands favorite! Its delish)
Ingredients:

Spice blend:

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 cups chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 (32-ounce) carton fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Relish:

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
1 diced peeled avocado
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions:

To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Chop chicken; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.

To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through avocado).

Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into bowls; top with 1/4 cup relish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories:285, Fat:9.6g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.8g), Protein:27.2g, Carbohydrate:23.1g, Fiber:5.5g, Cholesterol:648mg, Iron:3.1mg, Sodium:773mg, Calcium:99mg

Fast and Easy Eating...College Style

When I was in college (Go BYU!), I shared an apartment with five other roommates. We had a small kitchen. I had one shelf to store my food in the pantry. I had half a shelf in the fridge. Finally, I had about 1/4 shelf in the freezer.

I mostly ate a lot of toast, cereal, and oatmeal--because it was fast, easy, and took up very little space! However, as time went on, I got a little more creative because you can only eat cereal for so long!

Here are some of the quick "recipes" and cooking tips I came up with. Do you know what I found? These tips work just as well when you need quick and easy food ideas for a hungry, busy (full-time working and night school attending) husband and an impatient toddler!

Now, in no way should this become the norm...because it's so much fun to cook (and eat the finished products)! But sometimes, these shortcuts are absolutely necessary! I hope some of these come in handy for you like they have for me!

Above: I made two versions of the egg sandwich (similar to a "McMuffin").

For the bagel/egg sandwich, here's what I did: I cracked two eggs into a paper bowl (any microwave-safe bowl will do) and beat them with a fork. I added salt and pepper to taste and about 2 tbsp shredded cheese (I had a shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend in my fridge). I microwaved the eggs/cheese for 30 seconds. I then stirred them up again and microwaved them for an additional 30 seconds. That's all the eggs needed to cook. Sometimes, two eggs will need an additional 15-30 seconds--especially when they have cheese in them. While I was microwaving the eggs, I toasted the bagel (A whole wheat bagel with 5 grams of fiber). I then placed the eggs and a slice of Canadian bacon on top of the bottom half of the bagel and finished it off with the top half of the bagel. If you use a spoon or a fork to loosen the eggs from the bottom of the bowl, they will retain their "patty" shape. You can then easily remove the eggs from the bowl and transfer them to the bagel.

For the English muffin/egg sandwich, here's what I did: I basically did the exact same thing as described above, except I only used 1 egg and 1 tbsp of cheese (microwaved for 30 seconds, stirred, and microwaved for another 15 seconds). I used a double fiber English muffin that had 8 grams of fiber!

Breakfast or Breakfast for Dinner:

• Omelette: Eggs, (or use egg substitute), shredded cheese, bacon, ham, sausage, veggies, salsa, hot sauce, and/or anything else you want to add. (Microwave about 4 slices of bacon for 2 minutes in the microwave between two paper towels). Or, you can bake the bacon in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (or until you've reached your desired degree of crispiness!).
  
• Scrambled eggs: You can make them plain with salt and pepper or you can make them omelette style and add cheese, herbs, and veggies.
• Microwave scrambled eggs: Beat 1 egg and season it with salt and pepper. In a microwave safe bowl, cook for 30 seconds. Stir egg again. Depending on how done your egg is, microwave it again for another 15-30 seconds. That should be all you need! You can also do 2 eggs (microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds and that should be enough). You can do more eggs, just microwave them 30 seconds at a time and check them to make sure they reach your desired degree of doneness. I'm not kidding, you really CAN make microwave scrambled eggs--and they're great! I learned this awesome tip from the Martha Stewart website.
  
• Egg Sandwiches ("McMuffin-style"): Mix some eggs together and cook like an omelette (or use egg substitute). Fold over or slice in half, if necessary, so that it fits onto an English muffin, bagel, pieces of toast, or biscuit. You can even microwave the egg, if you like (as described above)! Toast English muffin or bagel or make refrigerated biscuits. Add cheese and sausage, Canadian bacon, or bacon.
• Hole-in-one-toast: Heat a skillet on the stove. Melt a small amount of butter in the skillet (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Take a piece of bread and using a round cookie cutter or a knife, cut out a round hole in the middle. Place the bread in the skillet (also add the round cut out to the side). Crack an egg and pour the egg into the hole in the toast. Cook until the egg is set, then flip over to toast the other side.
• Frozen Pancakes or Waffles. Or, if you use a mix, you can quickly whip up a fresh batch too.
  
• Pancake or Waffle Sandwich: Prepare 2 Eggo waffles or frozen pancakes according to package directions. Sandwich fillings can include: bacon, Canadian bacon, ham, eggs, sausage, etc.
• Toast with butter and jam or cinnamon sugar.
• Oatmeal.
• Cereal! Don’t underestimate a bowl of cereal. Sometimes that’s all it takes to hit the spot—even for dinner!
• Malt-o-meal or Cream of Wheat: This stuff is filling, a box makes a ton of servings, and it lasts forever. Top with a little milk, butter and sugar.
• French toast: French toast is really easy to whip up quickly. Beat an egg, add a little milk, add some cinnamon, if you like, stir and then dip your bread into the mixture. Brown in a pan sprayed with cooking spray on the stovetop. Top with powdered sugar or maple syrup.
• Breakfast burritos: Scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon wrapped in a tortilla. Dip in salsa or put ketchup or hot sauce on top. Not only for breakfast!
• Biscuits and gravy: Make a batch of refrigerated biscuits, buy a packet of white gravy and top the biscuits with the gravy. If you want to make it heartier, you can brown some sausage and add that to the gravy.

Above: Garlic Pita Pizza



Above: Pita Pizza

Lunch or Dinner:

• Taco salads: Chili (or prepared meat of your choice), tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, ranch dressing, salsa, etc. (other toppings you might want to add or keep on hand are sliced black olives, cilantro, refried beans, and black or pinto beans).
• Burritos: Fill with chicken or ground beef or simply chili or refried beans. You can add rice and salsa too, if you like. Add cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and other favorite fillings/toppings.
• Tacos: Taco shells, ground beef with taco seasoning, hot sauce, cheese, etc.
• Navajo Tacos: Thaw Rhodes Dough (one roll for every Navajo taco you want to make). Once the dough is thawed, stretch it out. Heat some oil in a pan on your stovetop. Once the oil is heated (medium to medium-high heat), put the stretched roll into the oil. Cook until the first side is browned. Flip over and brown the other side. Remove from oil and top with chili, refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, cilantro, salsa, ranch dressing, sour cream, etc.
• English muffin pizzas: English muffins, pizza sauce or pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, any other toppings of your choice. Bake in a toaster oven until cheese is melted and muffin/pita is toasted. Or, toast in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
• Pita bread traditional or garlic pizzas: Bottled pizza sauce, favorite traditional pizza toppings, and cheese. Or, Chef Tom's garlic spread (or garlic/butter mixture of your own), mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese. Follow toaster oven/oven instructions for English muffin pizzas.
• Pizza: Use Pillsbury frozen/refrigerated pizza dough and add whatever toppings you would like. Or, thaw 12 Rhodes Dough rolls (20 if you want a pizza the size of a jelly roll pan). Once the dough is thawed, stretch it out on a floured pan and cover with desired toppings. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is nicely browned. Or, you can use a prepared pizza crust, such as Boboli.
• Calzones: Make them with Rhodes dough (or refrigerated pizza dough). Thaw 2-3 rolls in the morning and let them rise. When you get home, flatten/roll it out into a circle. Fill with your favorites: marinara sauce, pepperoni, ground beef, veggies, mozzarella, etc. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes or until nicely browned on top.
• Chicken Caesar Salad pita pockets: You can buy pre-cooked cut chicken in the deli aisle by the cheese and deli meats. Buy a Caesar Salad kit and only mix as much as you need for your sandwich. Mix the salad and chicken together and put in a pita.
• "Thanksgiving Dinner": Cook a packet of Stovetop stuffing. Cook some chicken in a skillet on the stove. Heat a can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken) soup. Add the cream soup to the chicken and top with stuffing.
• Soup in bread bowls: Buy a bag of powdered soup, such as Bear River. Just add water (as well as anything else you would like to throw in). You can cook it according to the package directions or you can put it in a slow cooker on low and it will be done once it is thickened and bubbling (you can also leave it in there all day on low and it will be ready when you come home) . Serve in a soup bowl or with rolls.
• Baked potatoes: Top with sour cream, cheese, butter, and salt and pepper. Or, top with chili and cheese. Or, top with broccoli and cheese. Pierce a potato with a fork and wrap in tin foil (you don’t have to wrap it, but I like to). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 1-1 ½ hours or until tender when pierced with a fork. Top with chili and cheese.
• Pasta: Top with canned Alfredo sauce, meat sauce, marinara sauce, etc. Or, you can simply do a little butter or olive oil, garlic salt, parmesan or mozzarella cheese, and even Italian style bread crumbs.
• Pasta salad: Betty Crocker Suddenly Salads are especially easy. When you follow the package directions, all you add is either mayonnaise or oil and water. Or you can embellish these pasta salads by adding extra ingredients of your choice (such as tomatoes, olives, bacon, etc.) to make it into a hearty meal. The packages often include additional topping serving suggestions.
• Seafood pasta salad: Buy imitation crab meat and grape tomatoes. Add in any other veggies that you would like (such as peas). Season with salt, pepper, fresh basil, ranch dressing or oil and balsamic vinegar, or any favorite salad dressings that would compliment it, etc. You can also add parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
• Stir Fry: Buy a bag of frozen stir fry mix. Cook some chicken. Add stir fry sauce (can be bought bottled) and add the vegetables. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.
• Chicken: When you want chicken for dinner, simply take a chicken breast out the night before, put it in a plastic bag, cover it with marinade, (marinade choices like teriyaki, BBQ, buffalo sauce, lemon juice and lemon salt seasoning, etc.) and put it in the fridge. The next day, it will be thawed and ready to be cooked. You can grill it on a George Foreman grill or broil it in the oven for about 10 minutes (5 minutes per side).
• Fish: Buy frozen uncooked fish fillets and follow the same instructions that you would for the chicken above.
• Grilled chicken sandwiches: Grill your marinated chicken (BBQ, buffalo sauce, teriyaki, etc.). Make a sandwich out of it by putting it on a bun and add cheese, bacon, lettuce, etc. Serve with a side of chips or carrot and celery sticks.
• Hamburgers: Buy frozen hamburger patties when they are on sale. You know how you like 'em so make 'em that way!
• Sloppy Joes: Brown some ground beef and mix it with a can of Manwich. Not as good as my Mom's homemade Sloppy Joes for sure, but cheaper, faster and easier.
• Meatball sandwiches: Buy Italian frozen meatballs. Cook them in a little marinara sauce, put them on a hoagie roll and top with mozzarella or provolone cheese. You can heat the meatballs and marinara in a slow cooker and then they’ll be heated when you get home. Simply top your hoagie roll with meatballs, add cheese, and enjoy!
• Sandwiches: You can make it even more filling by pairing it with your favorite soup.
• A deli lunch meat sandwich with cheese and veggies.
• Use leftover meat (sliced or shredded chicken, pork, ham, or beef), add cheese, a fun mustard (such as Spicy Brown, Honey Dijon, Honey Mustard, Dijon, etc.), and veggies, if you like. Serve toasted.
• PB&J sandwich.
• Veggie sandwich (favorite veggies on whole wheat bread with a little Ranch dressing…yum! My ideal veggie sandwich includes the following: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts, mushrooms, banana peppers/pepperoncini peppers, black olives, etc. You can even add cheese. You can swap the Ranch dressing for some oil and vinegar too. Don’t forget to salt and pepper it to taste!).
• BLT. Toasted white bread, a little mayonnaise or mustard, if you like, topped with crisp lettuce, tomato slices, and bacon.
  
• Chicken salad, sandwiches (using leftover or canned chicken). Add a little mayo or plain yogurt with salt and pepper for a simple version. Dress it up by adding Dijon mustard, celery, onion, nuts, spices, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, olives (or even fruit--which can be either dried or fresh. Fruit works better with chicken sandwiches than with tuna fish. But add craisins or red grapes to the chicken salad for a sweeter version). Make it even more fun by using different kinds of bread (wheat, rye, etc.).
• Tuna salad (or tuna melt), Add mayo or plain yogurt and salt and pepper. Add celery and onion, if desired. Other additions could include spices, nuts, herbs, pickles, etc.
• Egg salad.
• Tomato sandwiches, etc.
• Ham and Swiss.
• Grilled cheese sandwich served with tomato soup.
• Italian grilled cheese sandwich (instead of cheddar, use mozzarella cheese and a little marinara sauce. Grill as usual).
• Wraps. Same as sandwiches—just with tortillas.
• Quesadillas. Besides cheese, fillings can include chicken, pork, beef, black beans, rice, corn, diced chilies, etc.

Quick Side Dishes:

• Instant mashed potatoes: (Idahoan brand especially. All you add is boiling water and it is the perfect side dish.)
• Couscous.
  
• Packaged seasoned rice (such as Rice-a-Roni) makes a quick and easy side dish too.
• Canned or frozen veggies are a great and easy side.
• Refrigerated biscuits or rolls.
• Cornbread mix (made in a pan or muffin-style).
• Muffin mix (especially if you're doing a breakfast-for-dinner theme).
  
• Pudding.
• Pre-packaged salad kits.
• Pasta salad (such as Betty Crocker's Suddenly Salad).
• Fruit (fresh, canned, fruit cups, applesauce, etc.)
  

Pre-packaged Options:

• Hot dogs, Polish dogs, or Brats. Simple, quick and easy.
• Corndogs. Even easier.
• Frozen burritos.
• Frozen tamales.
• Frozen fish sticks. These are much improved when you pair it with your own tartar sauce (mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, onion powder, garlic powder to taste).
• Frozen pre-cooked breaded chicken breasts or tenders.
• Hot Pockets/Lean Pockets.
• Frozen individual pizzas (stock up when they are on sale.)
• Frozen dinners (Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine are great options when you want something fast and healthy, but don’t want to cook).
• Macaroni and cheese.
• Canned soup.
• Dried soups. Cup-o-noodle, Ramen, Bear River soups, etc. These are actually really easy to dress up too by adding meat and veggies.

And don’t forget dessert!

• Microwave mini/individual cakes: Stir together ½ cup cake mix and 1/3 cup water or milk. Microwave for 90 seconds. Top with canned frosting, whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel topping, etc. You can even put fun additions inside your cake mix prior to microwaving it (such as a bite-sized candy bar, crushed cookies, pureed fruit, chocolate syrup--to make a lava cake, etc.). Get creative with your toppings and fillings. You’ll be surprised at how good this is!

• Homemade ice cream sandwiches: Use chocolate wafer cookies or chocolate graham crackers. Spread one half with Cool Whip topping (you can use regular or one of their flavored varieties…or you can flavor the Cool Whip yourself) or with pudding (use chocolate or vanilla pudding—or any favorite pudding flavor). Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm—about 3 hours. Then you have a much lighter ice cream sandwich available whenever you’re in the mood!

• S'mores! Did you know you can make them in the microwave? That's right. You don't have to have a campfire to enjoy s'mores. Lay two sections of graham crackers out on a paper plate. Place chocolate and marshmallow on one half. Microwave for 15 seconds. The marshmallow will puff up (and deflate again once the microwave stops). This amount of time in the microwave will also make the chocolate nice and warm and soft. Take it out of the microwave and place the other graham cracker half on top and enjoy! Yum!
  
• Ice cream cone or sundae.
• Rootbeer float.
• Cookies and milk.
• 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate.