Butternut Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
8 oz cooked pasta {such as macaroni or rotini}
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced butternut squash (1/4 inch diced)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
salt & pepper, to taste
2 pinches nutmeg
1-1 1/2 cups milk

Directions
Saute onions, garlic and squash in butter over medium heat. Cook until tender and lightly browned, stirring as you go, about 6 minutes.
Pour in chicken stock and reduce liquid by half. If desired, mash the squash and onions together using a potato masher to help dissolve into the sauce.
Pour in cooked pasta and the cheeses little by little, stirring as you go. Pour in splashes of milk if needed to thin out melted cheese to create sauce.
After all the cheese is melted into the pot, continue stirring and adding in milk. At first there may seem like a big wad of cheese melted in the middle, but as you keep stirring and adding in the milk bit by bit, it should come together to form a very cheesy sauce. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Chicken Enchiladas (2 versions)

 White Chicken Enchiladas

1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups milk
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded or cubed
1-2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup salsa

8 flour tortillas (6 inch)

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk dressing and flour in medium saucepan until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 cup sauce.
Add chicken, salsa and parsley to remaining sauce; scoop 1/4 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

Results: I thought they were kinda bland. So, I adjusted the recipe to have double the amount of salsa that I used originally and I'll add some seasonings next time. (The next time I made them, I left the salsa the same, but I added a small can of red enchilada sauce. GOOD!)

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

10 tortillas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
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.
Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Spinach Pasta Toss

Spinach Pasta Toss Total Time: 25 min Makes 6 1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained 16 oz pasta (penne, ziti, elbow, etc.), uncooked 1 cup water 3-4 c spinach leaves 1 cup mozzarella cheese Put tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spinach; simmer, covered, until wilted. (Note: It might be easier to add the spinach in small batches.)Stir. Stir in cheese. Results: Delicious! I was skeptical about this recipe but all four members of the family loved it! So good and so easy! (This is a note from the old blog...)

Creamy Vegetable Soup

adapted from: https://legallyhealthyblonde.com/vegan-pot-pie-soup/ 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
8 tablespoon butter
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups Celery chopped
2/3 Large yellow onion diced
1.5 tsp Garlic powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
10 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
4 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced or 2 russet potatoes
2 cups Frozen petite peas
2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel and finely dice carrots.
Dice celery and onions.
Melt butter in large non-stick pan. Add onion, carrots, and celery.
Peel and dice potatoes.
Once the onion is translucent, add garlic.
Add the flour and immediately stir to combine. Cook and continue to stir until the flour becomes lightly golden.
Add the milk and mix into the flour and vegetables until it becomes a thick, creamy sauce.
Add the broth and combine thoroughly. (Reduce amount of broth by 1-2 cups if you want a thicker soup).
Add chopped potatoes, and bring the pot to a simmer.
Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the soup has reduced to your desired thickness.
Stir in the frozen peas while the soup is still hot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Banana Bread

Source: the back of the Kroger sweetener bag 

Prep Time: 20 mins 

Total Time: 65-75 minutes 

Ingredients 

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 pinch salt 

1-1/4 cups well-ripened bananas, mashed 

1 tbsp oil 

1/3 cup buttermilk 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional) 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2. Spray 9 by 5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

3. Blend dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

4. In a separate bowl, combine oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well. 

5. Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and stir until blended. 

6. Add walnuts, if desired. 

7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pork Tenderloin (2 versions)

These recipes are both from saltandlavender.com

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes (oven); 2 hours (crockpot)
Rest Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins about 1 pound each
1/2 cup beef broth (FOR SLOW COOKER VERSION ONLY!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1/4 cup butter cut into pats
Chopped parsley optional, to taste

Oven Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
Prep the tenderloins by cutting off any excess fat and the silver skin (the tough part that may cover some of each tenderloin). Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towel. Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper) to a small bowl and stir together. Coat the tenderloins all over with the spice rub.
Add the pork tenderloins to a 9x13 (or similar size) baking dish and place the butter pats on top. Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 145F. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing it into medallions so it remains juicy.
Pour the pan juices over the pork (they're also great over a side dish like mashed potatoes) and sprinkle with chopped parley if desired.

Crockpot Instructions
Prepare the tenderloins by trimming off excess fat and the silver skin (the tough part that may cover some of each tenderloin).
Pour the beef broth into your slow cooker.
Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper) to a small bowl and stir together. Using your hands, coat the tenderloins all over with the spice rub. You may want to do this on a plate with each tenderloin one at a time.
Add the pork tenderloins to your slow cooker, along with any excess rub that is on the plate. Place the butter pats on and around the tenderloins and close the lid.
Test for doneness after 2 hours on low or 1 hour on high as slow cookers can vary a LOT, and it's easy to overcook tenderloin. If it's not quite ready, simply put the lid back on and test after another 5-10 minutes if it's close (145F-150F will be medium after resting, and keep in mind that 160F is already well done). If your tenderloins are larger than 1 pound each, they will take longer to cook.
Take the pork tenderloins out of the slow cooker and slice into medallions after 5 minutes of resting. You can put the pork back in the slow cooker to toss with the sauce or plate it and spoon the sauce over top. Sprinkle with chopped parley if desired.


Pork that's 145F in the thickest part is safe to eat. Farming practices have changed over the years, and it's no longer recommended to overcook pork. This recipe, by the time it's finished resting, yields pork that is slightly more cooked than the 145F but may still have some pink in the middle (this is totally safe!). Use an instant read meat thermometer so you never over or undercook meat again.

Vegetarian Sheet Pan Nachos

Source: https://easygoodideas.com/vegetarian-sheet-pan-nachos/
Prep Time 5minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 - 16 oz cans refried beans
1 pkt of taco seasoning
Tortilla Chips
2 ½ C. shredded cheddar cheese
½ Red Onion diced
1-2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 16 oz can corn
6 oz can of olives sliced

Instructions
In a medium pan, heat the refried beans, add 1 pkt of taco seasoning. Heat until warmed. Set aside.
Place a layer of tortilla chips on a sheet pan, top with 1 cup shredded cheese, red onion, tomatoes, corn and olives.
Add a second layer of cheese, onion, tomatoes, corn and olives. Top with refried beans by dropping small spoonfuls across nachos. Lastly sprinkle the last ½ cup of cheese across the top.
Set your oven to 450 degrees and place nachos on the middle rack, bake 5-7 min until the cheese is melted.
Remove and serve with your favorite salsa and/or sour cream. Enjoy!