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!

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...)