Creamy Carrot and Potato Soup

Source: https://www.greenku.com/creamy-carrot-and-potato-soup/

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional, for creaminess)(I didn't use this)
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and potatoes, stirring occasionally, and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in vegetable broth, then add cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Remove the pot from heat and use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a regular blender.
Stir in coconut milk, if using, and adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Source: https://bellyfull.net/hash-brown-egg-casserole/

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
8 precooked frozen hash brown patties (thawing is not necessary)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 & 1/2 cups diced leftover ham (about 3/4 pound)
2 scallions , diced
9 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard , optional but recommended
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Arrange frozen hash brown patties in the dish, in a single layer.
Sprinkle the cheeses, ham, and scallions evenly over the top of the hash browns.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, mustard, and garlic powder.
Pour the custard evenly over the ham mixture.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into portions and serve.

Black Bean Taco Salad

Adapted from: https://peasandcrayons.com/black-bean-taco-salad/

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

SALAD
2-3 cups chopped romaine lettuce (I used bagged salad)
1 red bell pepper
1 cup black beans (drained + rinsed if canned) (I used a full can of pinto)
1 cup corn (canned or steamed from fresh/frozen) (I used a full can of corn)
½ cup freshly diced or chopped tomatoes (I used more than this but didn't measure)
1/4-1/3 cup sliced green onion (greens and whites)
½ cup grated cheddar cheese (I added more)
¼ cup crushed tortilla chips (I didn't crush any; I just served them on the side)

CREAMY SALSA DRESSING

 ¼ cup sour cream
2 TBSP red salsa
½ tsp ground cumin
⅛ tsp salt or season to taste
½ lime (didn't have any, so I skipped it this time)

Instructions
To make the dressing, combine sour cream with salsa, cumin, and salt. Juice half a lime and whisk into the dressing. If your salsa is chunky and you'd like a more uniform dressing, simply puree using a blender or immersion blender.
For the salad, cook corn via your favorite method. You can grill or boil it right on the cobb then cut it off for this salad, or simply steam from frozen.
Chop all your veggies up super small for a little bit of goodness in every bite. Finely chop romaine lettuce, bell pepper, and tomatoes, and thinly chop/slice green onion. Combine with black beans, corn, crushed tortilla chips, and grated cheese. Toss to combine. **(I didn't mix the bagged salad in with the other ingredients so things wouldn't get soggy. I mixed the veggies and beans and added some of of the creamy dressing, but then I put the chips and salad on plates and added the veggie mix on top.) For a little dressing in every bite, toss salad in a few TBSP of dressing and mix to coat right before serving. Serve with extra toppings/dressing on the size for a custom salad. (My kids added cheese salsa and guacamole.)

Notes
Recipe yields 4 side salads or 2 large meal-sized taco salads.

Vegetarian Peppers and Rice Casserole

Note to self: This tastes good! (I realized that for some reason, looking at pictures of or even smelling rice and tomatoes/tomato sauce together turns my stomach, but this really does taste good--and it smells great once it's cooked!)

source: https://herrecipebox.com/vegetarian-stuffed-pepper-casserole-recipe/

Ingredients
For the Casserole Base:
Bell Peppers: 2 large, multi-colored , cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons, extra virgin
Yellow Onion: 1 large, chopped
Garlic: 4 cloves, minced
Long-Grain White Rice: 1 cup, uncooked
Black Beans: 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained (I used pinto because I was out of black)
Diced Tomatoes: 1 (15-ounce) can, undrained
Tomato Sauce: 1 (8-ounce) can
Vegetable Broth: 1 ½ cups, low-sodium (I used beef broth and water, because I had beef broth to use up)
Chili Powder: 1 tablespoon
Cumin: 2 teaspoons, ground
Smoked Paprika: 1 teaspoon
Dried Oregano: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 1 teaspoon, or to taste
Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon, freshly ground

For the Cheesy Topping:
Shredded Cheese: 2 cups, a blend of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar works well

For Garnish (Optional):
Fresh Cilantro: ¼ cup, chopped
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

For serving:
Avocado: Sliced or diced

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or a large, deep cast-iron skillet with olive oil or cooking spray.

 
2. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped yellow onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until it becomes soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Add the chopped bell peppers to the skillet. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the peppers to soften slightly but still retain a bit of their crispness, as they will continue to cook in the oven.

 
3. To the skillet with the peppers and onions, add the uncooked rice, rinsed black beans, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together for about one minute. This step is crucial as it “toasts” the rice and spices, waking up their flavors and allowing them to coat every ingredient evenly.

 
4. Pour in the undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Stir thoroughly to combine, ensuring the rice is fully submerged in the liquid. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

 
5. Once the mixture is simmering, carefully transfer the entire contents of the skillet into your prepared 9×13 inch baking dish. If you used a large, oven-safe skillet (like a cast-iron skillet), you can skip this step and bake it directly in the same pan. Spread the mixture into an even layer.

 
6. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This traps the steam, which is essential for cooking the rice properly. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. At this point, the rice should be tender and should have absorbed most of the liquid.

 
7. Carefully remove the foil from the baking dish. Sprinkle the 2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. (I actually mixed some in, to get the cheese all through the casserole, not just on top.) Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and just beginning to turn golden brown on the edges.

 
8. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. This is a critical step! It allows the casserole to set, making it easier to serve and allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully. After resting, garnish generously with fresh cilantro and serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 17 mins
Servings 12 Muffins

Ingredients
2 ripe large bananas mashed
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup whole milk Plain Greek Yogurt
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, egg, milk, peanut butter and vanilla together until smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or you will have tough muffins.
Evenly distribute the batter between the muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop for easy portioning). Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F degrees. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for another 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 8 hrs
Total Time: 8 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin , optional
1 large onion peeled
2 large carrots peeled and sliced or chopped
2 stalks celery optional, chopped
1½ pound chicken breasts with skin and bones (2 or 3 breasts)
2 tsp chicken base, or 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon rosemary dried, optional
4 ounces egg noodles wide dry (2 cups)
¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped for garnish

Instructions
Add the oil, onion, carrots, chicken, celery, Vegeta, salt, pepper, water, bay leaves and rosemary to your crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
Remove the onion and take out the chicken. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred with two forks.
Add the chicken back to crockpot and add egg noodles. Cook for another 1 hour on high or until noodles are cooked.
Garnish with parsley.

Cheesy Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 tbsp butter
10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ c milk
½ c sour cream
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 heaping c frozen broccoli
3 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 large eggs whisked
2 c cooked rice
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp salt
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
Topping:
1 c Ritz crackers crushed (about ¾ of a sleeve)
2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions
Start by cranking up your oven to 350°F so it’s ready to go when you need it.
Melt some butter in a big pot over medium heat—simple as that! Once it’s melted, toss in the diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
Next, stir in the cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, and all the seasonings. Mix everything together until well combined.
Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and stir until it melts into the creamy mixture.
Now, toss in the frozen broccoli and mixed veggies. Let them heat through for a few minutes. Once they’re warm, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Stir in the whisked eggs and cooked rice, making sure everything is nicely blended. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.
Cover the dish with some foil and pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes. While it’s baking, mix the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter to make the crunchy topping.
After 20 minutes, take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle the buttery crackers over the top. Pop it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 10 minutes until the topping is golden and crispy. Take it out, let it cool for a bit, and dig in!