Spaghetti-o Casserole

Source: I honestly have no idea. I think my mother found it somewhere, way back in the day.

Notes: This is stupidly easy.

SPAGHETTI-O CASSEROLE

1# hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can Spaghetti-o's
2 cans Vegetarian Vegetable soup (does that sound redundant to anyone else? Ha)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Brown hamburger & onion.

Mix well with cans of soup & Spaghetti-o's.



Pour into greased 8x10 pan.

Bake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes, or until heated through.

Seriously. That's it.


Leftover quality: Very good, reheats well. It's easy to eat a lot of, though, so you might not have any leftovers, haha. We rarely did. ;)

Ham & Cheese Brunch Squares

Source: Pampered Chef "Season's Best" Mini-Cookbook - Spring/Summer 2010

Notes: Yeah, probably most of my recipes will be from P-Chef. Because they're awesome. At any rate, the new mini-cookbook just came out so I have a whole bunch of new things to try. Also, I love brunchy eggy cheesy hammy deliciousness.

My comments in italics.

HAM & CHEESE BRUNCH SQUARES

2 cups grated Colby & Monterey Jack or marble cheese (also known as Colby Jack?), divided (buying pre-shredded would probably work too... but you get nice big flakes of cheese when you grate it yourself and I am a huge kitchen tool nerd so I'm sorry I'm pushing my agenda on you)
1 pkg frozen hash brown patties, thawed (about 10 patties) (I had to use 12, but my bar pan is ginormous... besides, all I could find was a pack of 20, so it was ok)
8 oz cream cheese, softened 12 eggs 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 8 oz thickly sliced deli ham (I used the thickest lunch meat I could find, because I am poor. I would recommend using something a little better quality, haha)
4 green onions with tops, divided (I only ever eat the tops? the green part? hmm)
3 plum tomatoes



1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Lightly brush Large stone bar pan with vegetable oil. (I imagine this is the equivalent to greasing a regular metal bar pan) (stoneware is awesome though) Grate cheese using mandoline grater (or pull out of a bag. whatevs). Crumble hash browns over pan; press gently. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Bake 13-15 minutes or until crust starts to brown.

2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl (Classic Batter Bowl, if you've got it!), whisk cream cheese until smooth. (This always, always sends me into a state of irritation... but you know what helps? Softening it in the microwave first. Genius, I know.). Coarsely chop ham using Food Chopper (you need one of these. Seriously. Don't make me tell you again.) Slice green onions, reserving 1/4 cup of the tops for garnish (or, you know. whatever looks about right. I didn't see the measurement when I was doing this. oops.) Place ham and remaining green onions into saute pan; cook and stir over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until hot. Stir ham mixture into egg mixture. (Honestly, I am not 100% sure what this particular step achieved, but they said to do it, so I did it. Plus I got to use my new saute pan. So that was fun.)


3. Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack. Pour egg mixture over crust. (If you have a Classic Batter Bowl, you'll find this step is super awesome and easy cause there is a SPOUT and you don't spill anywhere. Shameless plug.) Return to oven; bake 8-6 minutes or until center is set. (I went about 10, because I couldn't tell.) Meanwhile, seed and dice tomatoes with a knife. Remove pan from oven; top with remaining cheese, tomatoes, and reserved green onions. (It says you can also sprinkle with additional black pepper, if desired.) (I did not desire. I also did not desire tomatoes. First, I have no idea what a plum tomato is, and I realized I don't really love tomatoes anyway, so I just left them off.) Cut into squares and serve.


Verdict: I love breakfasty brunch foods... this one is pretty quality, but I wasn't blown away by it. I do love anything with green onions - they are a recent discovery for me, and they are my favorite of all onions... maybe I needed to add more, haha. I can't place why I'm not amazed... everything about it comes together and is quite tasty... I think I'm mentally comparing it to the egg casseroles my grandma makes, and that's just a setup for failure, haha. If you try it, let me know what you think, or if you changed anything to make it your own, and how it worked? I am curious...

Leftover quality: Good. I ended up with a LOT of leftovers... I eventually had to throw them out because I couldn't eat them fast enough. Be warned: if you use a large bar pan, you get a LOT of food. ;)

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Source: Pampered Chef "It's Good For You" cookbook

Notes: This is probably my favorite recipe in the history of recipes. It is sooooo good and it's even good for you. It's also really easy to make, although there is a little bit of multitasking involved.

update: Weight Watchers Points Plus values: 6 pts+ (serving size: 1 1/3 cup)

My comments in italics.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (1 boneless, skinless breast should be enough. When cooking, I always use lemon-pepper seasoning - entirely optional)
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion (I use sweet yellow onions, though I don't imagine it matters. I usually end up using about 1/2 the onion)
1-2 lemons (if you get a big enough/juicy enough lemon, you should be okay with 1. I like using 2 just to make it a little more lemony. Tip: heavier lemons = more juice)
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley (I tried using parsley flakes this past time - in which case you will want to use 2 tsp - it wasn't a huge difference but I think I will definitely go back to fresh parsley again in the future. It's a little bit more work, but I think the subtle taste difference is definitely worth it. Besides, it's cheap.)
1 garlic clove, pressed (I always use 2 - no such thing as too much garlic!)
1 can 98% fat-free reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cans 100% fat free chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice



1. Chop chicken, carrots, and onion using food chopper. (Seriously, if you don't have one of these, you need to get one. I would obviously recommend the Pampered Chef chopper but I think the infamous infomercial Slap Chop will get the job done as well. There is no other way to get this stuff chopped as finely as you need to, without probably losing a finger.)

2. Zest one lemon using a lemon zester/scorer to measure 1 tsp zest (approximately - just zest until you can zest no more - the more you can get, the more it will enhance the flavor). Finely snip zest using kitchen shears. Juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup juice (if you get a good lemon, it will give you 1/4 cup exactly. If you want to use a second lemon, go for it. I do.) Snip parsley using kitchen shears; set aside.

3. Spray 4qt stockpot with nonstick cooking spray (I just use Pam - for cooking, nto for baking. The baking version is a little more buttery for, obviously, baking). Heat on stovetop; add carrots, onion, and garlic pressed with garlic press. Cook and stir 2 minutes. (Be careful not to scorch - because, um, ew.)

4. Stir in chicken, soup, broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and stir parsley into soup just before serving.

Seriously, that's it! Prep time probably takes the longest, but it's totally worth it. I have gotten so many compliments on this soup I can't even tell you.

Leftover Quality: Fantastic! That's actually one of the reasons I make this, so I can have food for the next few days. It makes quite a bit, and it's really easy to double the recipe if you need more. Especially if, say, you're having friends over... otherwise, you might not have any left for yourself!

The soup does thicken up upon sitting, though, so that is (I assume) perfectly normal. The texture changes a little bit it still tastes amaaaazing.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Source: Pampered Chef "It's Good For You" cookbook

Notes: I have added some of my own commentary (it italics) below. This recipe is super easy and tasted soooo good. I used to love Perkins' Bread Bowl Chicken Caeser Salad (now it's just a salad in a dish, boo) and this reminds me a LOT of that, especially if you eat it warm!

The salad dressing mixture was awesome, too - I might keep a mental note of that just for mixing up my own salad dressing in the future (See Step 3 below). So good!

It's a little tricky to eat, but way delicious - you just kinda need a fork. :)


CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD PIZZA

1 pkg (10 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
3 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (basically I chopped them into chunks/pieces in the 1-2-3" range, seemed to work okay - whatever seems reasonable for hunks of lettuce on an individual slice - you don't want them too big) (you're going to buy a bag, aren't you? LAME!)
2 cups diced cooked chicken (thereabouts - about 1, maybe 1 1/2 chicken breasts?) - (I seasoned mine with a parmesan-herb powder while cooking, but you probably don't have to)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I used one pepper - didn't measure)
1/3 cup pitted black olives, drained/sliced (I used one little can of pre-sliced olives)
1/4 cup (1oz) grated/shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (just buy it. It's easier.)
1/2 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
1 garlic clove, pressed (LOVE LOVE LOVE using fresh garlic! There is no other way!)

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly sprinkle large round baking stone (prob a regular pizza pan would work too!) with flour and unroll pizza crust, shaping into an approximately 12" circle. Bake 12-14 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, slice lettuce; dice chicken and bell pepper. Slice olives (or just buy a can of pre-sliced ones, which is what I did. Works the same and is obviously way easier!). Place lettuce, chicken, pepper, and olives in a large bowl; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, half Parmesan cheese (1/8 cup), and garlic pressed w/ garlic press. Mix well.

4. Spread 1/2 of the dressing mixture evenly over crust. Add remaining salad dressing mixture to lettuce mixture; toss to coat. Top crust with salad mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

(my cookbook touts this as being low fat, low cholesterol, and low calorie. Which would probably be true if I'd have used a light dressing, but, we all know those never taste quite as good, haha. Still, it's pretty good for you!)

Leftover Quality: Surprisingly good! I wasn't sure how it would hold up as leftovers because of the lettuce (leftover salads are usually full of fail), but when I ate it for lunch today, it was still really good. I would recommend heating up the leftovers a little bit - it doesn't need to be hot, but make it a little warm and it tastes exactly like it did when it was freshly made.

Yes, I know. ANOTHER Blog.

The more things I attempt in the kitchen, the more people ask me for the recipes for them. Which (usually) I am happy to share, but, well. It sucks typing them all up. So I had a brilliant idea today (well, I have brilliant ideas every day, but this one is for today). I am making a brand new blog where I'm only going to post recipes and probably pictures and it's going to be awesome.