Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light. Not only is it delicious, but it's a lot healthier than some of the alternatives out there! It can be eaten as a side dish, as well.

6 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided
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

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.

Guacamole

I could eat this with a spoon. Or, I HAVE eaten this with a spoon....!

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

(Note: To prevent it from browning, refrigerate with the pits and with a small amount of lime juice squeezed on top.)

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

You'll either love this or hate it. It's a version of Greek Avgolemono soup, and a lot of people mistake the strong lemon taste for salt. It's a favorite of mine for sore throat season!

8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons chicken soup base
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat
16 slices lemon
8 egg yolks

In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, carrots, onions, celery, soup base, and white pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend the butter and the flour together. Then gradually add it to the soup mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light in color. Gradually add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the egg mixture to the soup pot and heat through. Add the rice and chicken. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with lemon slices.

Monkey Bread

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a bundt pan.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes ( very important), then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

(Note: You could easily double the recipe for the caramelized sauce- maybe not the healthiest thing, but it makes for some gooey goodness!)

Garlic Chicken with Orzo

This is one of our favorites! I usually use a lot more red pepper and garlic, because we are gluttons for punishment over here. You can easily use more spinach without killing the recipe, as well.

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Juice of one FRESH lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear.

Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Squeeze lemon into pan. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Vegetable Fried Rice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh or bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh or bottled minced ginger
3 cups mixed cut-up fresh vegetables (such as sweet peppers, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, or thin carrots
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped bok choy
3 cups cold cooked white or brown rice
¼ reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir for one minute. Add mixed vegetables and bok choy; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Add rice and soy sauce; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion.

(Note: You can also add chicken or shrimp with rice and soy sauce for a main dish.)

Veggie Mash

3 medium baking potatoes (1 pound), peeled and cubed
1 cup coarsely chopped cauliflower
½ cup sliced carrot or coarsely chopped cauliflower
¼ cup light dairy sour cream
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely shredded parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, cook potatoes, cauliflower, and carrot, covered, in enough boiling salted water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash with a potato masher or beat with electric mixer. Add sourcream and salt. Mash or beat until combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Easy Cheesy Broccoli and Rice

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup quick cooking rice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or swiss cheese

In a medium saucepan, combine frozen broccoli, uncooked rice, water and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring often to break up broccoli.

Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Return to heat. Over low heat, add cheese, stirring until melted. If desired, serve in single serving dishes with additional grated cheese. Sauce will thicken upon standing.

Mighty Mac and Cheese

1 1/3 cups dried corkscrew pasta or elbow macaroni
¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups milk
10 slices reduced fat American cheese, torn (7 ounces)
6 flavored crisp breadsticks (such as cheese or garlic) crushed

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook pasta according to package. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan stir together the milk powder, onion, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk until mixture is smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the pasta. Spoon mixture into 1 ½ quart casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until bubbly, stirring once and topping with crushed breadsticks after 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
½ cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
½ cup sliced carrot or sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 14-ounce can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 10 ¾ ounce can reduced-fat, condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
1 6 ¼ ounce package chick-flavored rice pilaf mix
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 ½ cups milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

In a large saucepan, cook celery, onion and carrot in hot butter over medium heat until tender.

Add chicken broth, soup, and water. Stir in pilaf mix with the seasoning packet and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in milk and cooked chicken; heat through.

Smashed Potato Pot Pie

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup milk
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
2 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 20-ounce package refrigerated mashed potatoes (about 2 2/3 cups)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced (or more, I add tons of garlic)

Preheat oven to 375*.

In large saucepan, melt button over medium heat. Stir in flour, ¼ teaspoon of seasoned pepper, and salt. Add chicken broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in thawed vegetables and cooked chicken. Pour into an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine mashed potatoes, cheese, garlic, and remaining pepper. Using a spoon, drop mixture in large mounds over chicken mixture in baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Honey Crusted Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken beast halves (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ cup cornflakes, crushed (to approx 1/3 cup)
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly coat baking pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan.

In a small bowl, combine honey, orange juice, ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Brush honey mixture over chicken.

Combine the corn flakes and parsley. Sprinkle cornflake mixture over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

(Note: I like to keep the cornflakes pretty coarse, instead of grinding them into dust. It adds a lot of crunch!)

Pineapple Beef

12 ounces beef top round steak
1 8-ounce can pineapple slices
2 tablespoons reduced- sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 green onions, sliced
1 6-ounce package frozen snap peas
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
2 cups hot cooked rice

Thinly slice meat across the grain into bite-size strips. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Cut pineapple slices into quarters and set aside.

In a bowl stir together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Add meat and stir until coated. Cover and marinate meat at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving marinade. For sauce, stir in cornstarch and set aside.

Lightly coat unheated skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add meat and green onions. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until meat is to desired doneness. Push from center of skillet.

Stir sauce; add to center of skillet. Cook and stir over medium to high heat until thickened and bubbly. Add pineapple, pea pods, and tomato. Coke and stir for an additional 2 minutes. Serve immediately over cooked rice.

My Own Pasta Bake

8 ounces dried penne
1 14-ounce can whole Italian-style tomatoes, undrained.
½ of a 6-ounce can (1/3 cup) Italian-style tomato paste
¼ cup tomato juice
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
¼ cup sliced pitted olives
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375*. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato juice, sugar, dried oregano, and pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium high heat until meat is brown. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in pasta, fresh oregano, and olives.

Divide the mixture among 6 10- to 12- ounce casseroles and bake covered for 15 minutes. Or, spoon all of mixture into 2-quart casserole and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and return to oven for approximately 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

(Note: This can be frozen in portion size containers. Also, I like to use fresh tomatoes when available. You can also add fresh or powdered garlic for some extra flavor.)

Crispy Cheese Crisps

30 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350*.

Use a sharp knife to cut wonton wrappers diagonally in half to make 60 triangles. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 of the triangles in a single layer on the baking sheet. If desired, for ruffled chips, line baking sheet with foil. Shape foil to make ridges.

In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic and basil. Lightly brush the wonton triangles with one-third of the oil mixture; sprinkle with one third of the cheese.

Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Yam and Jam Muffins

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ of a 17-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained (approx 1 cup)
1 beaten egg
½ cup milk
1/3 cup fruit jam or preserves (I like peach or apricot)
¼ cup cooking oil

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners preheat oven to 400*.

In a large bowl, combine four, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture; set aside.

In another bowl mash the draining sweet potatoes with a fork. Stir in egg, milk, jam and oil. Add sweet potato mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Drizzle with Jam Icing.

Jam Icing: In a small bowl, stir together ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon fruit jam or preserves, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (3-4 teaspoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency. Makes about ¼ cup.

Peter Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ cups fat-free milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup refrigerated egg product
2 tablespoons cooking oil

In medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice.

In another bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, egg product and oil. Add the milk mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Lightly coat griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup batter onto skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes for each side or until golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm with syrup, if desired.

Morning Glory Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 ¼ cups finely shredded carrots
½ cup raisins
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (packed in juice), undrained
2/3 cup cooking oil
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Line 18 muffin cups with paper muffin liners, set aside. Preheat oven to 375*.

In large bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir in brown sugar. Stir in apples, carrots, and raisins. In a medium bowl, combine undrained pineapple, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add pineapple mixture to flour mixture, stir until just moistened.

Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake in oven for about 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack before serving warm.

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens, Kid Favorites Made Healthy)

Bunch of Banana Bread

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 cup mashed banana (or 3 medium bananas)
¾ cup sugar
¼ cooking oil

Preheat oven to 350*

Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl stir together egg whites, banana, sugar and oil. Add flour mixture all at once to banana mixture. Stir until moistened (the batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into loaf pan.

Bake in oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool loaf completely on rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing for best results.

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens, Kid Favorites Made Healthy)