Cheesy Bacon Potato Bites

Oh these were so yummy! While they would make a fantastic appetizer, these were great for supper and seriously you can't go wrong with bacon and cheese. There might have been a common theme with all of the appetizers I made this night... whoops! :) I wasn't super excited about these once they cooled down, so make sure you eat them up the first go round... It won't be hard, believe me!

Cheesy Bacon Potato Bites
(Recipe found at inspiredreamer.com via pinterest)

2 pounds potatoes, I used 3 large potatoes
6 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
2 cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Wash and slice potatoes, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick. Place potato slices in a large pot, cover with water and cook until water boils. Boil for about 5 minutes or less, depending on the thickness of your potatoes. You DON'T want them cooked through, and you definitely still want them firm or they will fall apart. Carefully drain potatoes and arrange on prepared cookie sheet, shingle style, slightly overlapping. Lightly brush potatoes with olive oil.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste and chopped bacon. Bake for 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked through. I placed it under the broiler for 2 minutes after baking for a little extra crunch. Top with chopped green onions.

Baked Parmesan Portobellos

The hubs has been doing a weight loss challenge this winter and the night before weigh-ins I knew that I needed to make something pretty low cal that he would still want to eat! :) I was busy making cupcakes and cake for two of my boys' birthdays, so the hubs actually ended up making these up. He grumbled through the whole ordeal about "these complicated recipes that I always pick out" and I'm not sure if he followed the recipe exactly (it seemed to have a bit more cheese then it should have...), but they ended up being fabulous!! We made something different for the kiddos because the last time we tried portobello mushrooms they didn't go over very well. So, rather then fight with them the entire time, I thought that the hubs and I would just enjoy our meal... and that we did!!

Baked Parmesan Portobellos
(recipe found on pinterest via oneperfectbite.blogspot.mx)

1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 cup egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
4 large (5 to 6-inches wide) stemmed portobello mushrooms, brushed clean
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Mist rack with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons parsley, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow pan. Mix well. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, marjoram, garlic powder and oregano. Mix well. Dip both sides of mushrooms into egg mixture. Dredge in crumb mixture until both sides are completely coated. Transfer, stem side down, to prepared wire rack. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove pan from oven. Reset oven to 450. Meanwhile, carefully turn mushrooms stem side up. Cover each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of remaining parmesan cheese, 1/4 of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Spray tops lightly. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer mushrooms to a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon parsley.

Potato Mice

Last summer we started letting the kids pick out their own meal, once a week on a rotating basis. They have a tendency to pick the same things over and over so I wanted to be able to pick some of the meals also - you know how I like to shake it up a bit every week with something new! I gave them a cookbook that I had gotten at a book fair and let them choose recipes from there as well. Brody found this super cute recipe and we made it up one night. They turned out really fun and the kids enjoyed them, even though they didn't eat all the "add-ons" - at least they ate the potatoes!

Potato Mice
(recipe found in Mama and Me Cookbook)

4 baking potatoes
radishes
cherry tomatoes
raisins
green onions
chives
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheese
2 tablespoons butter

Wash potatoes and pat them dry. Prick the skins with a fork and put the potatoes on a baking sheet. Brush them all over with oil. Bake the potatoes until they are soft. Remove from oven and let cool until you are able to handle them. Cut the tops off and carefully scoop out the centers. Mash the soft centers with butter, milk, 3/4 of the cheese, salt and pepper. Then put the mixture back into the potato skins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the potatoes and cook under the broil for a few minutes until golden,. Make a nose and whiskers with half a tomato held in place with a toothpick and chives tucked behind it. Finish decorating with raisin eyes, radish ears and green onion tails.

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

So, when I moved back to Minnesota, I started subbing for the bunco group that my mom, a few of her friends and my sisters are a part of. They meet every other Monday during the school year and just hang out playing bunco or cards, eating and having some good adult time! Just what I need after a full day of only children all by myself!! This year I was asked to take on a regular spot and I was super excited... I actually get to have it at my house every once in a while and you all know that I am in my glory when I get to cook up fun food for a bunch of people! This was one of the recipes that I tried out, in fact as soon as I saw it I marked it to make for my first bunco night at my house - they were coming out of the oven as everyone was walking in so I wasn't able to get a picture and everyone (even the ones that aren't too excited about sweet potatoes) LOVED these so much that I didn't have any left when the night was through! Super yummy!!

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 pound bacon strips, halved
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
maple syrup, warmed (I skipped this step)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix butter and seasonings. Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Wrap one piece bacon around each sweet potato cube; secure with a toothpick. Dip each side in brown sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake 40-45 minute or until bacon is crisp and sweet potato is tender. Mine took a bit longer. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Corn Casserole

If you are looking for a healthy side dish, this may not be it... If you are looking for a recipe that makes your taste buds explode, this will definitely be it!! I love a good corn dish that has a bit more to it and the hubs fell all over himself trying to get more onto his plate. He was super excited about this as a side dish and I know that it will be made again soon!

Corn Casserole
(recipe found on pinterest via hello010.blogspot.com)

1 box corn muffin mix
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together, adding sour cream last. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

I was in search of gluten free recipes when my brother in law came into town for a visit and this one caught my eye. We had a potluck to go to and I knew this would be a great dish to bring along that he would be able to eat! Although they ended up being late enough that they didn't get to eat with us, this was a hit at the potluck and I'm definitely going to make it again!

Broccoli Slaw Salad
(recipe found at www.justapinch.com)

1-2 pounds broccoli, peeled & chopped small
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2-4 carrots, grated
1/4-1/3 cups bacon bits
1 apple, peeled & chopped small
craisins, raisins, or chopped dates, to taste
walnuts, chopped, to taste
marzetti slaw dressing, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate to chill. Stir before serving.

Frito Corn Salad

I'm not going to pretend that this is the healthiest side dish that I have ever made, but it sure was delicious and it did include corn... :) This looked a little scary to the non adventurous eaters that I was bringing this dish to, but the ones that actually gave in and tried it came back for more. It was super good - it might have had something to do with the fritos crushed into it! YUM!!

Frito Corn Salad
(recipe found on www.justapinch.com)

1 can whole kernal corn (drained)
1 can whole kernal fiesta corn (drained)
1 cup miracle whip salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 package chili fritos
chopped bell pepper (optional)
chopped onion (optional)

Mix all ingredients except Fritos. This may be mixed the night before and refrigerated. Just before serving add Fritos. If they are added too early, they will become soggy.

Ranch Potatoes

These were even a hit with Beau! ENOUGH SAID!! When my anti potato boy will eat a potato dish, you know that it is worth making! :)

Ranch Potatoes
(recipe found on pinterest via www.laaloosh.com)

12 ounces red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425. Place potatoes in a large bowl, spray with cooking spray until they are lightly coated. Add ranch mix and salt and toss until both are coating the potatoes. Spread evenly onto a baking pan and bake until potatoes are cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Serves: 4
Points: 2+

Twice Baked Potatoes

I am a big fan of twice baked potatoes but don't put the time into them as often as I would like. Partly because I focus so much on making new "main" dishes that I just usually throw a salad or some frozen veggies on the side and partly because I hate putting my effort into something that not everyone is going to eat. But, sometimes I just have to have what I want and Beau just has to suck it up and eat some taters! :) The rest of the family enjoyed the twice baked potatoes and Beau had a few bites...



Twice Baked Potatoes
(recipe found on pinterest via www.wwrecipes.net)

3 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup green onion slices
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Heat oven to 400. Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until tender. Immediately cut potatoes lengthwise in half; scoop out centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Beat potato, broth, 1/2 cup cheese, onions, sour cream and mustard with mixer until well blended. Spoon into shells and top with remaining cheese and paprika. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

I am usually so busy making something new and fun for main dishes that the sides that we have are just thrown together... A side salad most of the time, rice, microwaved veggies, something quick and easy. Josh and I really like sweet potatoes so I thought that this would be a fun recipe to try. While the kids weren't too fond of it, we both really enjoyed this version of a twice baked potato!



Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
(recipe found on pinterest via shape.com)

3 medium sweet potatoes (2-2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped sage

Heat oven to 400. Pierce potatoes with a fork several times and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until they are soft enough to be pierced easily with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in small nonstick pan and add shallots. Cook until soft and just browning, remove and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half and scoop out insides, leaving about an inch around the edges for stablility. Mix potatos for about 30 seconds until starting to get smooth. Add salt, pepper, ricotta, ginger and brown sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in parmesan, sage and shallots. Spoon mixture into potato shells. Set oven at 350. Sprinkle each potato half with parmesan and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Loaded Roasted Potato Casserole

This meal was oh so simple and oh so yummy - well for me anyhow!! I love a good baked potato with all the trimmings and this definitely had the taste of that... As for Beau, who doesn't care for potatoes and informed me on this night that he only likes the bottoms of the broccoli, it wasn't so much of a wonderful meal... Oh well! :)

Loaded Roasted Potato Casserole
(recipe found on bettycrocker.com)

2 bags (19 ounces each_ frozen roasted potatoes, broccoli and cheese sauce
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, omit if going for no meat meal!
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Heat oven to 400. Cook vegetables in microwave as directed on the bag. Spoon into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with cheese and bacon. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and light golden brown. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Dill Mashed Potatoes and the SRC

I am sad to say that this is my last hurrah with the Secret Recipe Club... :( It has been so much fun, finding new blogs to check out, trying new recipes that I might not have found with the club and just cooking up a storm. But, lately it seems that I am just not keeping up with the blog enough - sick kids, vacations, work and just life in general is coming up and all of that comes before a blog... So, rather then be someone that can't give her all to the group that she is in, I am going to bow out. I'll still be blogging (you should see the recipes piling up around here) but just more on my own terms! That being said...

This month I had the honor of checking out the blog groundcherry.wordpress.com/. Stephanie has a variety of gluten free, healthy, veggie recipe ideas on her blog and it was very interesting going through them. What does a meat and potatoes kind of girl find to make on a mainly veggie type blog? Why mashed potatoes of course!! They were a different taste from our regular potatoes and oddly addicting... Check them out sometime and take a step off the beaten path! :)



Dill Mashed Potatoes
(recipe found on groundcherry.wordpress.com)

4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
dash of lemon juice
black pepper, to taste

Place potatoes in saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and allow to boil until potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of potato water. Add remaining ingredients and mash with potato masher. Add potato water to create desired consistency (I only added a bit.) Enjoy these warm or cold!

Chinese Cabbage Salad

I guess this is a popular recipe that I have never had before! :) When I started talking about this fabulous salad that I had everyone knew all about it... So, a quick search of pinterest and this recipe popped right up. It was as fabulous as I had remembered it and super easy to throw together.

Chinese Cabbage Salad
(recipe found on pinterest via jamiecooksitup.net)

2 1/2 pounds napa cabbage
5 green onions
3 packages ramen noodles
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Dressing:
3/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Cut off end of cabbage and throw away. Thinly slice remaining head of cabbage and place in large bowl. Slice green onions and add to bowl with cabbage. Unwrap ramen noodles and place in ziplock bag. Crush into small pieces with a mallet or rolling pin. Melt butter in skillet and add almonds, sesame seeds and ramen noodles. Cook mixture stirring frequently until noodles are browned. Set aside until cooled. In saucepan, add sugar, peanut oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Bring mixture to rolling boil over medium high heat. Allow to boil hard for one minute and then set aside to cool. When ready to serve, add ramen mixture and peanut sauce and gently toss to coat.

Roasted Broccoli

After I found this recipe I have made it a few different times. Of course none of them included taking a picture, but as much as I have been making it, I am sure that I will get one on here sooner or later! :) Definitely a fun take on roasted broccoli...

Roasted Broccoli
(recipe found in Parents)

1 pound broccoli, cut up
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, inced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Mix broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Spread mixture in a shallow baking pan. Roast for 13-15 minutes or until broccoli is tender, stirring once. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle on cheese.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

This is one of my favorite salads and I have never made it before!! I was browsing through my own cooking binder (for once!:) and found this recipe, so I decided that it was just the thing to make for Braxton's first birthday party... It was obviously a hit since I didn't even get to have any!! They ate me out of house and home that night... At least that means that the food was good, right?? I guess that I will have to make another batch soon so I can have more then the one bite I got off my dad's plate!!

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound bacon
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (add when you are ready to eat)

Dressing
1 cup miracle whip
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Mix everything together and serve.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

I was watching a cooking show with Bobby Flay the other day and these scrumptious sweet potatoes were on the menu... So, I finally sat down with my pen in hand and copied the recipe from my DVR and made them the other night... I thought that they were super yummy! A little sweet with our savory. The kids were not such big fans, but I think it might just have been the night - they were fiesty about everything! :)



Glazed Sweet Potatoes
(recipe found on Cooking with Bobby Flay)

6 large sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place on sheet try and bake for 25 minutes in 350 oven. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add lemon juice and brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add lemon zest, whisk and pour over sweet potatoes. Stir to coat. Place sweet potatoes back in oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Pasta Primavera

This was a quick and easy weeknight meal idea that most of my kids ate! I don't know whose child Beau is, but seriously, if he picks apart one more meal I might scream... He finds the smallest things, holds them out and asks "what's this?" for everything!!! UGHHH... At least he is the only one, but if he keeps it up much longer I can see a copycat sister trying it in the future! :) Anyhow, back to the food... I used angel hair pasta instead of linguine, just out of personal preference, so feel free to use what you like! Happy eating!



Pasta Primavera
(recipe found in Taste of Home Simple and Delicious)

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 cup thinly sliced fresh broccoli
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces fresh or frozen snow pea (about 2 cups), thawed
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli, carrot and onions in butter in a large skillet for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, basil, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Add snow peas and wine. cover and cook 2 minutes or until peas are crisp tender. Drain pasta; add to skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

See, I promised! Here is the recipe for spaghetti squash lasagna... Now hopefully you have one laying on your cupboard so that you can try this little piece of heaven. It was so yummy that you just need to try it. I couldn't believe how much it actually tasted like pasta... and all the stuff that went with it? It really was like eating lasagna, but much healthier! :)

Side note: in the original recipe it calls for making 4 individual servings in separate baking dishes. You all know that I am all about quick and easy, so I went with a bigger baking dish and just cut it into 4 servings...




Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
(recipe found at www.skinnytaste.com)

2 cups marinara sauce
3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash
1 cup part skim ricotta
8 teaspoons parmesan cheese
6 ounces part skim shredded mozzarella

See instructions for roasting a spaghetti squash here. Preheat oven to 375. In an 8x8" baking dish ladle 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom. Top with 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash and spread it out evenly. Top with 1 cup ricotta. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons parmesan cheese and 3 ounces mozzarella on top of ricotta. Add the remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese to the top. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Serves: 4
Points: 6

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Who has cooked a spaghetti squash before? Not I said Raina... My mother-in-law brought me one and said "my friend said you would know how to cook it." Umm, okay. So, off to the computer I was going to go - eventually. It sat on my counter for a while and then I was checking in on some of my favorite cooking blogs and the recipe for Spaghetti Squash Lasagna appeared. Normally I would look at it and move on, but not this time. This time I had a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter, ready to use! First off though, it called for roasted spaghetti squash. Okay, so now I needed to find that recipe - lucky for me, she had it linked, just like I am going to do for you! :) So, today we are learning how to roast a spaghetti squash and tomorrow you will find the recipe for Spaghetti Squash Lasagna. Lucky you! :)

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
(recipe found at www.skinnytaste.com)

1 large ripe spaghetti squash
salt and pepper

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon. Place on a baking sheet, cut side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes. Using a fork, scrape out the squash flesh a little at a time. It will separate into spaghetti like strands. Place in a serving dish and serve hot.

Easy as pie!! I have heard that it works perfectly as a spaghetti substitute which I am going to try soon, since my mother-in-law brought me another spaghetti squash that is sitting on my cupboard! :)

Serves: 6 1 cup servings
Points: 0

Garlic Chive Baked Fries

These fries were a huge hit with my family! They got a little doner then I would have like, but the kids thought that they were like eating chips (since their dad sliced them that way)... They had a great taste which meant that we all kept going back for more!



Garlic Chive Baked Fries
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

4 medium russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 teaspoon dried minced chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut potatoes into 1/4" julienned strips. Rinse well and pat dry. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chives, salt, garlic powder and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on two 15x10" baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once.

Serves: 4
Points: 4 per serving