Delicious Hash Brown Casserole

This casserole is one of my family's favorite side dishes, it is so creamy, cheesy, and delicious, who wouldn't want to eat it! Usually hash brown casseroles can be quiet heavy in the calorie department, but I have lightened it up a little bit and found that there is no real difference in taste. Now you can eat this family favorite without worrying about the added inches to your waist line!

1 (2 lb) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1  (10.75 oz) can low-fat condensed cream of potato soup; I can't always find the low fat kind so original will also work
1/2 cup melted butter; 1/4 cup for the topping, 1/4 cup for the casserole
1 (8 oz) container Greek yogurt
2 cups low-fat shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 cups crushed corn flakes
Cooking Spray
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13in casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, cream of potato soup, 1/4 cup melted butter, Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Place the mixture in the casserole dish.

In a bowl mix together the crushed corn flakes and 1/4 cup melted butter. Top the hash brown casserole with the corn flake mixture. Bake the casserole in the oven, uncovered, for approximately 40 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and bubbly. Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

This recipe is so quick and easy! Start to finish it took me a total of 20 minutes to make...what could be easier then that? This pizza also comes in under 500 calories a serving which is always a plus when you are trying to eat healthy. This pizza reminds me of the Tostada Pizza that California Pizza Kitchen serves, the base of this Mexican pizza uses Pillsbury Crescent rolls, where as California Pizza Kitchen uses pizza dough. Either type of base will work, depending on what your family likes. Pizza dough would also bring the calorie count down even more if you wanted to go in that direction.

Bake the pizza in the oven at 375 degrees until the cheese has melted.

Ingredients-

1 lb. ground beef; 90% lean, 10% fat

2 (8 oz) cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls

2 tbs. Taco seasoning

2 (16 oz) cans refried beans

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, I used low-fat cheese

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup black olives, sliced

4 cups shredded lettuce, I used Romaine

1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tbs. Ranch seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the Pillsbury Crescent rolls into rectangles and place in an ungreased 11 1/2 in x 16 1/2in jelly roll pan or baking sheet. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. The rolls may overlap slightly, that is ok. Bake the crust in the oven 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

While the crust is baking, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Drain off any extra grease. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. While the ground beef is cooking, heat the refried beans in a medium sized pot over medium heat. 

Once the crust is done cooking, carefully spread a layer of the refried beans over the crust. Next, spread that browned ground beef over the crust and top with the shredded cheese and scallions. Place back in the oven and cook for another 4-6 minutes until the cheese has melted. 

While the pizza is cooking, in a large bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning. Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, and olives in with the yogurt mixture until all the lettuce is nicely coated. When the pizza comes out of the oven top with the salad mixture and serve. Enjoy!

Angel Wings or Crostoli

Angel Wings is a recipe that my Grandma Balogh used to make for us children. Although the family recipe has been lost, this is the closest that my aunt and I have come to the original. Making these cookies brings back fond memories of special treats that Grandma used to make!

Here is what you will need:

1 lb Flour (4 cups)
1 Tbs Crisco or Lard
2 Egg Yokes
1 Whole Egg
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 tsp orange extract or Brandy (we used Almond Extract instead - yum!)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Milk
Powdered Sugar
2 cups Crisco or Lard
2 cups Vegetable Oil

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, 1 tsp lard (or Crisco), egg yolks, whole eggs, extract or brandy and salt. Gradually add milk until the dough forms a firm ball and begins to pull away from the side or the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead for about 5 minutes. This dough will be elastic, but firm. Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Cut dough into four parts, keeping all but one covered. Keeping surface floured, roll one quarter of the dough to about 1/8" thick. With a pastry wheel, pizza wheel or knife, cut dough into 4X2 diamonds or strips. Make a small horizontal slit in the center of each strip and draw an end of the strip through and curl it back in the opposite direction.

In a deep pan, heat oil and lard (or Crisco) to about 375 degrees. Oil is ready when a test strip of dough bubbles. Fry in hot oil until golden, about 30 seconds on each side, gently turning with tongs. Place angel wings on paper towels and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar when cooled. Store in an airtight container.

Note: My aunt and I have also used 1 tsp ground cardamom to season these cookies.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 1st Birthday Party

My son's birthday party was so much fun, everyone loved the decorations and the Mickey Mouse theme was a huge hit. One way we kept cost down for the party was to keep the food really simple. We had a "Hot Diggity Dog Bar", veggies, fruit, kettle corn, and chips. We were able to buy all the food and drinks at Costco, which was a big help with 60+ people to feed. Dessert however is a different story, my sister and I made a Mickey Mouse cake, Mickey Mouse cupcakes, and Mickey Mouse Oreo pops. The cake only served about 20 people, which is why we added the cupcakes. I also made a large majority of the decorations and used a lot of my son's Mickey Mouse toys to help fill the tables. Be sure to check out all the pictures of the party!

          

My sister and I used a special Mickey Mouse cake pan for the
base of the cake. We used crushed Oreos for the ears, nose, and sides.
Black melting chocolates for the eyes, M&M's for the rope on the hat,
and surprisingly Starburst for the face, tongue, and hat!

                      

We had two tables inside that I decorated with a red table cloth, Mickey Mouse confetti, my son's toys, books, cups, DVDs, and M&M's. We also had two tables outside that were decorated with a red table cloth and balloons. A great way to help with the costs of the decorations is to use things from around your house, which worked especially well since my son already had quiet a bit of Mickey Mouse paraphernalia. 

              

                 

One way to keep cost down is to choose a color theme along with the party theme. We choose red, yellow, and black to help fit in with Mickey Mouse. I was able to buy all the table cloths, napkins, utensils, and paper plates at the dollar store. If you choose primary or secondary colors it will be very easy for you to purchase most of your paper goods at the dollar store. 

I found the template for the food labels at this website: wonderfulchaoticlife.blogspot.com. I simply downloaded them and made up fun names for the different foods we were serving. 

Unfortunately we did not get a good picture of the Mickey Mouse head that the Oreo pops were placed in, I made them out of two small half spheres and one large half spheres. I painted the spheres black and held the "ears" on with toothpicks. 

This was such a fun project for me to make and it barely took any time or money. Just a piece of scrapbook paper, a frame from the dollar store, and picture printer paper. Everyone loved looking at the pictures and seeing how our son has grown. 

I saw a sign like this one online, I thought it was so adorable I decided to make my own. I downloaded free Mickey Mouse and Disney fonts online and bought the frame at the dollar store. Cheap, Easy, and Super Cute!

If you have any questions on how to make the decorations or where I found all the supplies, please don't hesitate to ask!

Blueberry Banana Buttermilk Bread

So you make a recipe that calls for 1 cup of buttermilk and then you think to yourself, what am I going to do with the rest of this cartoon. It sits in the fridge, gets shuffled around to make room for other food, and finally goes bad... Well not anymore, this recipe allows you to use that buttermilk and those over-ripe bananas that no one wants to eat. Add some fresh or frozen blueberries, some almond extract and you have a delicious breakfast bread that is sure to satisfy.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup blueberries, plus more to top the bread

Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two non-stick loaf pans with cooking spray. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. On low speed, add one egg at a time until combined. Next add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract, mix on low speed till combined. Mix in the mashed bananas on medium speed. Gradually add in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined, making sure not to over-mix as this will make the bread tough. With a spatula, gently fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and top with a few blueberries. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes. Then remove the bread from the loaf pans, place on a wire baking rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Note: The loafs of bread are relatively small as you can see from the picture above; if you would prefer to make one big loaf of bread that would be fine as well, just make sure to cook the bread longer in the oven. 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This old church cookbook recipe is easy to make and a family favorite. I have found that church recipes are "tried and true" and everyday kind of cooking. Feel free to add your own touch to the topping mixture or add a glaze! Curl up with a cup of coffee and enjoy!  

Topping:

8 oz. chopped walnuts or pecans

3 Tbsp. Cinnamon

1 cup sugar

Mix together and save for topping.

Coffee Cake:

1/2 lb butter , softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sour cream

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan. Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Spread half the cake batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. Cover with remaining batter and then sprinkle on remaining topping. Bake for 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when done.

Satisfying Breakfast Sandwiches

These breakfast sandwiches are quick, easy, packed with protein, and will keep your hunger satisfied all morning. Better yet, it only takes 20 minutes to make a batch of six, which can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Great for busy mornings while you are running out the door or for kids before school. They are delicious and healthy, something every mom is looking for in a quick breakfast. 

Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper in each ramekin.

Lightly beat all the ingredients together.

Bake the eggs for 15-18 minutes.

Layer each sandwich with one egg, sausage patty, and slice of cheese.

Tightly wrap all the sandwiches with plastic wrap.

6 Whole Wheat English Muffins
6 large eggs
6 tsp. 1% milk
6 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
6 sausage patties; you can buy the pre-made ones or make them yourself from your favorite breakfast sausage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cooking spray
Special equipment: 6 small baking ramekins or a jumbo muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, place the ramekins on a baking sheet, spray the inside of each ramekin with the cooking spray. Crack one egg into each ramekin, season with salt and pepper. Also, place 1 tsp. of milk into each ramekin. With a fork or small whisk, lightly beat the eggs in each ramekin. Place the baking sheet with the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the eggs have set. Once the eggs have cooked, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. 

While the eggs are baking, cook the sausage patties according to the package instructions. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly. Slice the English muffins in half. Layer the bottom of each English muffin with one cooked egg, one sausage patty, and one slice of cheese. Top with the other half of the English muffin. Repeat until all the sandwiches are made. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, place all the breakfast sandwiches in a large zip-top bag and freeze.

When ready to eat, place in a damp paper towel and microwave for approximately 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Waldorf Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Generally, Waldorf salad is made with apples, grapes, celery, walnuts, and tons of mayonnaise... Well I have taken the classic Waldorf salad, lightened it up and made it into chicken salad. This chicken salad is light, refreshing, and packed with lots of flavor. Great for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day.

3 lbs. cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
1 large Gala or Fuji apple, cubed
1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 tbs. finely chopped tarragon
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh baby arugula or romaine lettuce to top the chicken salad
4 toasted Kaiser rolls for serving

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, apples, grapes, dried cranberries, walnuts, tarragon, chives, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Serve on the toasted Kaiser rolls with arugula and enjoy!

Zucchini Fries

I love, love, love fried zucchini. When I was a kid, I used to order fried zucchini for dinner when we went out to restaurants, I wish I could still do this as an adult without the inches it would add to my waist line...Now I have a recipe that will allow me to eat a pretty hefty portion of "fried" zucchini and not feel guilty about doing so. The reason being-this "fried" zucchini is actually baked, but the panko breadcrumbs give the zucchini such a crunchy exterior you would never know they weren't fried!

Zucchini Fries alongside a delicious Turkey Burger, see recipe below

1 lb. zucchini squash; approx. 4-5 zucchini

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, beaten

1 tbs. water, for egg wash

1 cup panko breadcrubs

2 tbs. Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut each zucchini in half horizontally, then slice each half into fourths. Next set up your breading station. In a large zip-top bag, place the flour, salt and pepper. Next, in a shallow dish, beat the three eggs and water until combined. In another shallow dish, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Place a wire baking/cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Then, place all the zucchini slices in the zip-top bag, close the bag and shake until all the zucchini is coated with the flour mixture. Take each zucchini slice-dip into the egg mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture and place each breaded zucchini slice onto the wire rack. Continue until all the zucchini slices are coated. 

Bake the zucchini for approximately 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Delicious Turkey Burger

I have never really liked turkey burgers, every time I have had one they always taste like cardboard and are extremely dry, which does not make for good eats. Since my husband and I are trying to eat more healthy I decided to give them another go, however this time I made the burger mixture myself and added lots of ingredients I know my family enjoys. Not to toot my own horn, but these burgers were DELICIOUS! Even my husband thought so, which is always a good sign when I am trying new recipes. I will definitely be making these again!

1 lb ground turkey; 93% lean, 7% fat
1 Gala or Fuji apple, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup apricot preserve or jam; cranberry would also be good
1 tps. Tabasco hot sauce
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small skillet, heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat, then saute the apples and garlic till tender, about 10 minute. After the apples and garlic have cooked allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes. In a medium sized bowl mix together the apples, garlic, chives, parsley, apricot preserve, Tabasco, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Add the ground turkey and mix until just combined, make sure not to over-mix otherwise the burgers will be tough. Place the burger mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 6 hours.

After the mixture has chilled, form into four patties, and salt and pepper both sides. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the skillet and cook for 7 minutes on each side. You could also cook the burgers on a grill over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes on each side.

I served the burgers on a toasted roll with a small smear of mayonnaise, a slice of provolone cheese, and a handful of arugula. Enjoy!

Note: Even after letting the burger mixture rest in the fridge all day, the burgers were very loose. Next time I make these I will probably add an egg to the mixture or some bread crumbs. Also, my husband thought they were a little spicy, so you might want to add less Tabasco if you are sensitive to heat like he is.

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Every time I go to a restaurant and see "Bar-b-que Chicken Salad" on the menu I am always inclined to order it. I love the contrast of the smoky bar-b-que sauce with the tangy Ranch dressing. So, I decided to create my own version of the salad, it is just as delicious, but a lot healthier and cheaper! This recipe is also super easy and comes together in no time, great for a busy weeknight.

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
3 cups shredded chicken
1 red pepper, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup crushed tortilla cups, or tortilla strips
your favorite Bar-b-que sauce

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonaise
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbs. Ranch dressing seasoning
1 1/2 tbs. taco seasoning

In a large bowl mix together all the dressing ingredients. Next, place all the salad ingredients in the bowl, minus the tortilla chips and the bar-b-que sauce. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing until all the ingredients are well coated. Then drizzle a small amount of your favorite
bar-b-que sauce, about 1 tbs., over the top of the salad. Top with the tortilla chips and serve. Enjoy!

Note: You can use shredded rotisserie chicken or roasted some chicken breast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes and shred yourself. Also, my husband is allergic to avocados, so I only put them in my salad; you can omit or add any ingredients you like, make the salad your own.

Light and Healthy Chicken Potpie

I know what you must be thinking, light, healthy, how could chicken potpie fit this description and still be delicious... Well, I just might have found the recipe that offers the comforting feeling of eating chicken potpie and is only about 480 calories a serving. The key to making this potpie healthier is no cream, none at all. A combination of 2% milk and greek yogurt give the potpie the creamy consistency that everyone associates with chicken potpie.

I found the original recipe on Food Network, but modified it to my own family's tastes and likes. Hope you find this potpie as enjoyable as my husband did, he has only been talking about it for the past five days!

4 cups shredded chicken; you can use rotisserie chicken if you like

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the chicken

2 large russet potatoes

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced into chunks

2 large shallots, diced

1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves; striped from the stems

4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbs. all-purpose flour

1/3 cup 1% milk

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 large egg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 store-bought pie crust

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake on the oven rack for about 45 minutes, or until tender. While the potatoes are baking place the chicken on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and coat with 1 tbs. of the olive oil. Place the chicken in the same oven with the potatoes and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. When the potatoes come out of the oven, slightly cool then remove the peel and cut into cubes. Follow the same procedure with the chicken, except shredding instead of cutting into cubes. 

While the chicken is cooking, heat the remaining 3 tbs. olive oil in a large pot or skillet with tall sides. Add the shallots, carrots, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste in the pan and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and continuously stir until the flour is lightly brown and toasted, about 3 minutes. Then add the milk, stock, and potatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. After the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the corn, peas, chicken, yogurt, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. 

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface until it is slightly larger then the casserole dish. Place the pie crust over the dish and press the pie crust against the sides of the dish. Beat the egg in a bowl and then brush over the pie crust. Season the crust with salt and pepper. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: I ended up using 2 pie crust because I wanted a thicker crust on top of the potpie. You can also add more vegetable if you like; adjust the recipe to your taste. 

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Here is a recipe for chicken noodle soup that is easy and sure to please on a blustery winter day!

What you need:

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Thyme - a few fresh sprigs, leaves stripped from stem or dried thyme leaves (1 tsp)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (to your liking)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
6 cans chicken stalk
Wide egg noodles (half a bag)
Parsley for garnish (if desired)

Heat olive oil in stock pot over high heat. Dice chicken breasts and add to the pot. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes. Add vegetables, thyme, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cover, letting the vegetables sweat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. When vegetables are tender, add egg noodles and cook according to package. Serve immediately with parsley as garnish, if desired.

Variations: I like my chicken noodle soup VERY full of chicken and vegetables, so you can add more if you want.