Twice Baked Potatoes

My mom made these yummy twist on mashed potatoes when I was growing up.
I loved them then, and I love them now.
My little family also enjoys them, especially my husband.
This is a very easy side to make, and can be made apart of any meal.
Enjoy!



Twice Baked Potatoes

What you Need:

-4 large-ish russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 or 2 green onions, white and green parts thinly chopped
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1/4 cup milk
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato three or four times with a fork and place in the oven (or on a baking sheet). Bake for about an hour, until a fork can easily be inserted into the potato. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes.

2. Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise, so you get two “boat” shapes from each potato. Using an oven mitt or potholder, hold the potato in one hand and with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border (a little less than 1/4-inch) of potato innards around the skin so that it isn’t too fragile to hold the pumped up potato mixture.

3. Mash the potato flesh with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter, 1 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well.

4. Preheat the broiler and move an oven rack about 3-4 inches away from the broiler heating element.

5. Scoop the potato filling into the shells, mounding each potato shell full of the good stuff. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil the potatoes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Pico de Gallo

I love Pico de Gallo!
It is fresh, healthy, and so easy to make.
You can serve it with Tortilla chips, add it to Guacamole, or 7-layer dip.
Yummy.



Pico de Gallo

-5 plum OR Roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)
- 1/2 large or 1 small onion
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 medium bunch of cilantro
- 1/2 of a lime
- salt

How To Make:

1. Dice tomatoes and onions put in a bowl.

2. Cut the ends off of the jalapenos, scrape the seeds from the jalapenos and discard them. Dice the jalapenos, and to the tomato and onion mixture.

3. Now chop up the bunch of cilantro. You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there’s no need to peel the leaves from the stems. Add to the bowl

4. Squeeze half of the small lime into the bowl. Season with salt (to taste).

*Serve with Tortilla Chips.

*You can also add this mixture to 2 mashed avocados with one or two scoops of sour cream for a yummy Guacamole!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This soup is AMAZING!
The taste and texture is fabulous.
Huge bonus is that it is super fast and easy to make.
By the end of dinner, Andy and my two kiddos were bargaining on who got to have what was left in the pot.
Next time, I think I better double the recipe.
Once again, a big thank you to Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe for this yummy soup.



Broccoli Cheese Soup
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

What you Need:

1 can chicken broth (you can use 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of Shirley J Chicken Bullion)
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

2 c. milk (whatever kind you have)
1 1/2 c. shredded of extra Sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
3-4 cups of steamed chopped broccoli

How to Make:

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Makes 3-4 servings

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

This soup is amazingly close to the Olive Garden's Minestrone soup!
It is so delicious and very healthy.
Packed full of vegetables in a tomato soup base and then topped with Parmesan cheese.
This soup would also be really good if you wanted to add turkey sausage.
I usually serve it with bread sticks or french bread and a green salad.
I also love that it is made in a crock pot, that makes dinner time prep a bit more smoothly.


Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

serves 6 - 8

What you need:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
• 4 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 1/2 cup of good shredded Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like shells or elbows (al dente)
• extra shredded Parmesan cheese to top

How to Make:

1. Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

2. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR on high for 4 hours.

3. Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Serve soup into bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Grilled Vegetables

Now is the season to find yourself some squash and zucchini.
This recipe is so easy and simple.
I was pleasantly surprised how grilling these vegie's with olive oil and herb's brings out a sweetness in them.
They were good enough for my 6 year old to actually eat them and LIKE them!
Makes a great side dish.

Grilled Vegetables

2-3 medium-sized zucchini
2-3 medium-sized yellow squash

1 onion quartered

1-2 tablespoons olive oil, enough to coat
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
Italian Seasoning

Directions:

- Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.
- Slice the zucchini and yellow squash on a diagonal into slices roughly 1/4 inch thick. Cut onion in quarters.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, squash, and onoin with the olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Using a pair of tongs, place the coated vegetable slices on the hot grill pan. Cook until dark char marks appear. Flip the slices using the tongs and cook the other side until charred.
- Serve warm as a side dish or use cold in a vegetarian sandwich or wrap.