Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Here is a quick easy side! These garlic mashed potatoes are fast and don't take much work, so when looking for something easy and filling go with these! 

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb red potatoes
• 1/2-1 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese 
• 4 garlic cloves. leave whole
• half stick of butter
• 8 oz sour cream

Directions:

1. Wash and quarter potatoes. Leave skins on.
2. Add potatoes and whole garlic cloves (peeled) to pot of salted water. Bring to boil, cook until soft. 
3. Drain potatoes, return to pot (including garlic). Add butter, sour cream, and Parmesan.  
4. Mash potatoes with masker, they should be chunky!

Source: Adapted from Queen Bee Coupons

Pan-Fried Asparagus

I am trying to add more veggies into my diet but I like to add a little extra flavor to me vegetables so that I don't get sick of the same old vegetables. When looking for veggies recipes I stumbled on this Pan-Fried Asparagus on All Recipes. It's simple and quick and when cooked just right it tastes amazing. Maybe this recipe can help spice up your ordinary asparagus into a delicious somewhat healthy side dish.

Pan-Fried Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1/8-1/4 C butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

Directions:

Melt butter in pan over medium high heat. Add in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for a minute, do not brown. Add asparagus, and cook for 10 minutes, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking. 

Source: Adapted from All Recipes: recipe by Kim. 

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

Looking for a great, easy, quick side dish? Look no further. Ranch red potatoes requires only 4 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes of prep time. We served our potatoes last night with crockpot pot roast and gravy. This combo was great; I didn't have to do much cooking or use much cooking equipment to get a awesome meal in return.

Combine potatoes, ranch seasoning, olive oil, and salt. Make sure potatoes are well coated.

Pour potatoes onto baking sheet, spread out evenly.

Bake in oven for 20-25 mins till soft. 

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs red potatoes, washed & quartered
• 1 packet Ranch dry seasoning mix
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl add potatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add in ranch dressing mix and salt. Toss until well coated (I used a bowl with a lid, and shook the bowl until well coated).
3. Line baking sheet with foil (I would still spray the foil with cooking spray). Pour potatoes onto the baking sheet and spread out potatoes evenly.
4. Bake in oven until potatoes are cooked through, and edges start to turn dark brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. (Pierce one of the larger pieces of potato with a fork to see if it is soft).
5. Serve hot. 

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Fettuccine w/ Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

This cauliflower sauce is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Can you imagine a healthy version of Alfredo sauce? I couldn't either until I tried this and it was delicious! If you think I am being a little over dramatic on how good it is then go to the blog where I got the recipe from, Pinch of Yum, she will tell you how awesome the sauce is. The main ingredient is a vegetable, so you cant feel bad eating a lot of it:). This sauce will be common in my house from now. You gotta try it! I cant wait to eat it again!

Saute garlic in butter on low for a few minutes until soft and fragrant. 

Meanwhile, boil cauliflower in vegetable broth/water until tender. 

Combine butter, garlic, cauliflower, some broth, salt, pepper, and milk in blender. Blend till smooth. Return back to saucepan. Stir in a little olive oil and Enjoy!

Served over Fettuccine!

Fettuccine w/ Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

*recipe makes 5 Cups

**I halved the recipe since there was only two of us

Ingredients:

• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 5-6 C cauliflower
• 6-7 C vegetable broth or water (I did half broth and half water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 C milk
• olive oil-Optional
• Parmesan cheese-Optional

Directions:

1. Saute garlic in butter in large nonstick skillet over LOW heat. Cook for several minutes or until garlic is soft and fragrant. Do not let it brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Bring vegetable broth/water to boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Do not drain.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cauliflower pieces to blender. Add 1 C vegetable broth/water (cooking liquid), sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend until sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk if originally too thick. Blend in patches if needed depending on size of blender. Return sauce back to skillet, stir in a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot over noodles! 

If sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of oil, water, or milk.

Adapted from Pinch of Yum.

Mom's Cheese Potatoes

My mom made these cheese potatoes growing up and I absolutely loved them! I thought I better whip this recipe out again and make them myself. They aren't too hard, the only difficult thing is trying to get the cheese sauce to a certain consistency. I thought my cheese sauce was a little more runny then I like it but after it was baked it tasted just like I remembered!

Peel and slice potatoes. Boil them 'till tender yet still firm.

Layer potatoes in Pyrex dish.

Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan adding flour. Add in milk, let it get hot and thick. Add  in cheese. Stir until melted.

Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and top with a little extra cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees between 15-25 minutes. 

Mom's Cheese Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1/4 C butter
• 4 Tbsp flour
• Salt & Pepper
• 4 C milk (whole or skim)
• 2 1/2 C sharp cheddar cheese 

Directions;

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and slice potatoes. Boil potatoes till tender yet firm.
3. In a saucepan melt butter. Add flour to melted butter and whisk till combined. Add a dash of salt & pepper.
4. Add in milk, stirring constantly (double boiler recommended). Allow it to get hot and continue stirring until it thickens. (Mine wouldn't get thick enough at first so I added about 1 C of flour water to help thicken it up). 
5. Once you have reached your desired consistency add 2 C sharp cheese into sauce. Stir until cheese in melted and combined.
6. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes. Top with remaining 1/2 C cheese.
7. Cover dish in foil. Bake for 15-25 minutes. 

Garlic Cheese Pull-Aparts

Ok so these rolls are so good! I keep looking for another opportunity to make them again. I might just have to make them just cause. They are super easy but it takes time just because you have to wait for them to rise, which is typical though when baking bread/rolls. It recommends using a springform pan but since I didn't have one I just used a regular round pan. Go on over to 30 Days to check out where I got the recipe and if you want to use a springform pan.

Loosely wrap frozen rolls in plastic wrap for about 45 mins. 

Cut rolls in half with scissors. Combine butter and seasonings together and pour over rolls. Add in Parmesan cheese. 

Line the bottom of your pan with rolls and top with more cheese. Let rise for 1.5-2.5 hrs.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Garlic Cheese Pull-Aparts

*I halfed this recipe since I was only feeding 3*

Ingredients:

• 16 frozen white dinner rolls (Rhodes brand)
• 1/2 C butter, melted
• 1 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tsp dry parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. Remove frozen rolls from freezer and loosely wrap them in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. 
2. Cut rolls in half with clean pair of scissors
3. Combine butter and seasonings together and pour over dough. Each piece should be coated
4. Line the bottom of the pan with the piece of dough and then top with remaining grated cheese.
5. Allow to rise in a warm place fro 1 1/2 -2 1/2 hours.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until center is completely done. 

Parmesan Caesar Chicken

Here is another 5 ingredient recipe! And it doesn't take a lot of prep work, which I love. If you like Ritz chicken this is the same concept, this The Girl Who Ate Everything recipe just gives you another chance to do something with that chicken in your freezer. I really liked it! 

Put Parmesan cheese & crushed croutons mixed together in one bowl. Combine Italian dressing and Caesar dressing in another bowl.

Take chicken and and dunk it in the dressing mixture then roll it in the crumb mixture. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Parmesan Caesar Chicken

Ingredients:

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup creamy Caesar dressing (I used Gardini's)
• 1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing (the actual dressing, not the mix. Like Kraft's Zesty Italian)
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup garlic crouton crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor or blender crush croutons until fine crumbs.
3. In a shallow bowl combine the Caesar and Italian dressings. Set aside.
4. In another shallow bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and crouton crumbs. You can use grated Parmesan if you don't have shredded.
5. Take each chicken breast and dredge it in the dressing mixture and then roll it in the crumb mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is done.

Cookies & Cream Brownies

I love brownies from the box, I mean why fix something if it tastes good already. But recently I found a recipe for Oreo brownies that are made from scratch and I had to give it a try. They were delicious and Oreos are another one of those special ingredients that makes everything better! The Girl Who Ate Everything brought this awesome recipe to my attention.

Mix melted chocolate and butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour.

Fold in crushed Oreos, "the good stuff"

Bake for 28-32 minutes. Cool completely on cooling rack.

Beat butter and cream cheese together. Add in powdered sugar, milk, & vanilla. Fold in crushed Oreos. Frost cooled brownies.

Cookies & Cream Brownies

Ingredients:

Brownies:

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped up (I had semi-sweet on hand so that's what I used)
• 3/4 C butter
• 1 1/2 C white sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 C flour
• 8 Oreos, crushed

Cookies & Cream Frosting:

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/4 C powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp milk
• 5 Oreo cookies, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 9×9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl until butter is melted (~2 minutes).
3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined. Fold in crushed Oreo cookies.
4. Bake for 28-32 minutes; do not over bake. These taste completely different if they are overbaked!
5. Remove to cooling rack.
6. For the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy with a mixer.
7. Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing together until combined. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
8. Add milk to desired consistency. If your frosting is too thick add more milk and if it's too thin add some more powdered sugar.
9. Crush Oreos and fold them into the frosting.
10. Frost cooled brownies. Makes enough frosting for a 9X9 pan of brownies. Makes around 12 brownies

Benihana Stir-Fry

My family loves Benihana's! It is our absolute favorite restaurant, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. If you are signed up with Benihana then you get a $30 gift certificate to spend on a meal during your birthday month. So Andrew and I went just the other day since I had to use my birthday gift certificate and man was it good! Sometimes my family will make homemade Benihana and just buy the salad dressing and ginger sauce (we love this stuff!!! can be an acquired taste though) from the restaurant and bring it home; much cheaper this way! So this is what Andrew and I did, we ate at Benihana and then got the sauces to go so we could make it the next night too.

*There are no measurements here because you cook as much as you would like*

Cook onions, chicken, & steak tips in olive oil and soy sauce until no longer pink.

In another pan with olive oil & soy sauce, cook squash & zucchini.

I cooked my mushrooms in another pan (with butter) since Andrew doesn't like them.

Before serving add vegetables to chicken & steak. Serve over rice.

Benihana Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

• Cooked white rice
• Chicken, cubed
• Steak Tips
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Benihana Ginger Sauce

Directions:

1. In a pan cook chicken, steak, and onions in olive oil and soy sauce. Cook until no longer pink.
2. In a separate saucepan cook zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in olive oil, soy sauce, & a little bit of butter. 
3. Once everything is cooked, combine into one pan and serve it over cooked rice. Top it off with ginger sauce.

**We served ours with a side salad using Benihana salad dressing. They sell their sauces ~$4/pint.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, so if you are anything like me then you struggle to find a yummy, doable enchilada recipe. I swear all the recipes out there don't taste that great, are too spicy (for my weak taste buds), or way too difficult and time consuming. Well Joyful Momma's Kitchen helped me out (again) and helped me deliver a fast, good-tastin', chicken enchilada! And most of you are probably with the times and have already found this deliciousness on Pintrest but if not here ya go...

In pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and whisk until smooth

Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not let boil.

Meanwhile, combine shredded chicken and cheese. Roll mixture into tortillas.

Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 22 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes.

                           


White Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 8-10 soft tortillas
• 2 C cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 C chicken broth (~1 Can)
• 1 C sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.
2. Mix chicken and 1 C cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not let boil.
5. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 22 minutes and then broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese. 

Ritz Ranch Chicken

This Ritz Ranch chicken is the definition of easy! Four ingredients and that is all, can you believe it? I served our chicken with the Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake, great combo!

Put melted butter and crushed Ritz crackers mixed with Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix in separate bowls.

Dip thawed chicken (I used tenderloins) in butter then coat it with Ritz ranch mixture. Place in greased baking dish. Cook for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

That's it! So yummy!

Ritz Ranch Chicken

Ingredients (use as much as needed depending on how much chicken you want):

• Butter
• Chicken, thawed
• Ritz Crackers
• Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning packet

Directions:

1. Grease baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place melted butter in one bowl and crushed Ritz crackers and ranch seasoning in another bowl combined.
3. Dip chicken into butter then coat it with Ritz ranch mixture. Place in baking dish.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

For a vegetable side dish this one is awesome! I love zucchini so this hit the spot! So easy too; toss the ingredients together, put it in a baking dish, and bake, that's it! Hope you like this one as much as I did. Thanks Kalyn's Kitchen for the fun recipe!

Combine yellow squash, zucchini, cheeses, garlic powder, salt & pepper, green onions, and basil. Stir together.

Place mixture in baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Top casserole with remaining cheese and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, cut in slices
• 2 medium yellow squash, cut in slices
• 2-4 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (however much you want really)
• 2 Tbsp sliced green onion
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 C white cheese, grated (I used a pizza blend, use whatever your heart desires)
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray square baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Wash and cut zucchini and yellow squash. Wash basil and chop. Cut green onions.
3. Combine squash, basil, green onions, garlic powder, 1/2 C white cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir together until everything is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Put mixture in baking dish. Cook for 25-30 minutes.
5. Take casserole out and top with remaining 1/2 C grated white cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and squash is fully cooked.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This soup recipe comes from Favorites cookbook by the Ivory family. I love this cookbook, if you don't already have it I would consider getting it because it has the best recipes; it's one of my "favorites" for sure! Anyway, I thought I would try another tomato soup recipe on another cold winter day. It turned out surprisingly good; I say surprisingly because while I was cooking I wasn't so sure it would turn out so great. My Easy Tomato Soup has more of a sour taste to it and this tomato soup is more sweet and requires a little more work; both pretty good though. 

Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft.

Add in tomato soup and cream cheese.

Whisk until everything is incorporated.

The soup isn't looking to great at this point, does it? 

Add in whole tomatoes.

Puree soup in blender until smooth (I left some chunks in mine). Return to pan.

Add milk and basil into soup.

Gently warm over low heat.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed tomato soup
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 C milk
• 1/4 C fresh basil

Directions:

1. Using a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until soft.
2. Add cream cheese and tomato soup. Whisk together until cream cheese and tomato soup is well incorporated. 
3. Add whole tomatoes and their juices.
4. Puree soup mixture in blender (do it in batches if needed), return to pan.
5. Add milk and basil. Warm through over low heat. Serve.