Spectacular Spinach Casserole

My family does not like greens! Not green food, but turnip or collard greens. So I was trying to find something green to make for our New Year's Day lunch that could substitute for the greens. I mean we need all the money we can get! I toyed with creating an almost "dip" but finally came up with this which is absolutely delicious and nutritious!!!!


Spectacular Spinach Casserole

2 (10 oz.) packages of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of mayonaise
1/2 cup shredded parmesean cheese
1 (6oz) can of fried onions, divided



Preheat oven to 350. Thaw and drain the spinach. Combine all ingredients (only 1/2 of fried onions) in a large bowl. Top with remaining fried onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

Thrice Baked Potato Casserole

It is ridiculous how simple this recipe is...


4 packages of Idahoan Roasted Garlic Parmesean Instant Potatoes
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
4 chopped, green onions

Cook potatoes in a large pot according to directions on package. Once the potatoes are prepared, mix in sour cream and 1/2 of the cheese. Spread mixture into a 9 x 13 dish. Top with the rest of the cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions. Cover with tinfoil & bake for 30 minutes at 375.

 

 

No one will ever know you used instant potatoes! That is unless you just want to tell them to shock them and let them in on how smart you are!!

Ham, Cheese, Broccoli Ring

This is easy, delicious an nutritious!

You need:
1 cup of chopped ham
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of chopped broccoli
2 tbsp of honey mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 cans of crescent rolls

1. Cook broccoli. Allow to cool. And chop.

2. Chop ham and place cheese, broccoli, and ham

3. Add 2 tbsp of honey mustard dressing and 1 tbsp of mayo and mix well. 

4. Separate crescent rolls into triangles and lay in circle with tips pointed out. 

5. Press the seams flat so none of the yumminess will escape.

6. Scoop mixture onto crescent rolls in  a circle. 

7. Fold the points toward the center to cover the filling. 

8. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. 

Patriotic Cupcakes

I saw this on Pinterest and couldn't help myself. They were too cute!

What do you need?
1-2boxes of your favorite cake mix. Yeah, you could make it from scratch but why? It is just as good and so much easier! I always use pound cake because I love it and it is always firm and ready for decorating.

Now you just need to prepare the cake mix according to the box's instructions. 

Next evenly divide the batter into three separate bowls. 

Line the cupcake pan with liners and then scoop each color into every mold. Layering them: red, white, blue.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Top with your favorite icing. I use my homemade buttercream that is super easy and cheap. 

OMG Chicken

Seeing as it is summer, and I have an abundance of time on my hand (is there every really such a thing as an "abundance of time"), I decided to start trying all of these recipes I have been pinning. I also decided to blog about it and let you know whether or not they are worth the effort of preparing.

OMG Chicken is the first recipe I decided to try. It had 4 ingredients.

1 cup of sour cream (I used fat free)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan (in the green can and I would have used fat free if I had had it)
Italian Bread crumbs
5 chicken breasts, deboned (of course)

•  Mix sour cream and 
Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl.

• Cut chicken breasts into strips. This will make them cook faster, allow for smaller portions, and in able you to stretch this meal into 2 nights. (Left overs are amazing!)
• Lay strips in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.
• Spread sour cream mixture over top.

• Sprinkle bread crumbs over top. 

• Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and brown on top

I served it with steamed broccoli, frozen corn on the cob (Sacrilege in the South during the summer, I know!), and Uncle Ben's Brown Rice. 

The calories in one serving of the chicken is 140. The total calories for my entire meal (Yes, I am counting, and yes, I have a super cool app for that) is 200 because I only had a spoonful of the rice. Oh yeah, don't let the picture fool you! I serve all of my personal meals on a salad plate. It ensures that I eat less!

What was the verdict? Super easy to prepare. I already had everything on hand. It was not only tender enough to cut with a fork, but it was also juicy and quite tasty. However, I do think in order to call it "OMG Chicken", it needs a little something more. I will probably add some garlic salt to the sour cream mixture. That and maybe a little rosemary or thyme. 

Leslie's Caramelized Flatbread

An appetizer like no other!

*Disclaimer* If you are counting calories, you are not allowed to even look at this recipe. You will try to change it and ruin it and then not be able to enjoy the absolute deliciousness!


A bag of shelled pecans
3 onions
1 cup Brown sugar
Crumbled blue cheese
2 sticks of butter
8-10 slices of bacon
Package of ur favorite flat bread ( she uses sundried tomato)



1. Melt butter and brown sugar.

2. Pour pecans into pan and let them caramelize until tender.

3. Lay out wax paper on cookie sheet and allow pecans to cool until crispy.

4. In the mean time, fry up bacon and lay it out to cool.

5. Next chop onions into 1/2 inch slices and caramelize (don't rush it).

6. Once pecans have cooled crumble or chop or beat (with a mallet) them into tiny pieces.
7. Crumble bacon.
8. Spray both sides of flat bread with Pam and then lay flat bread onto greased cookie sheet.
9. Crumble blue cheese on top of flat bread.

10. Dip caramelized onions out of pan with fork to drain some of the butter off.
11. Place onions on top of blue cheese.
12. Follow with crumbled pecans and bacon.

13. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
14. Now indulge in something so good it should be sinful!

P.S. Can you tell that I have acquired an iPhone?

Excellent Eggplant Parmesan

One of the best things about living in the South is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. So what do you do when someone gives you a bushel of delicious eggplants? You make Excellent Eggplant Parmesan!

Ingredients:
4 Medium to large eggplants
4 eggs, stirred and in dish for dipping
2 cups of Italian bread crumbs
1 Large jar of spaghetti sauce
2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups Shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Angel hair pasta

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350.
Step 2: Pour 2 tbsp olive oil in pan or skillet and heat.
Step 3: While olive oil is heating, peel and slice eggplant into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch round slices
Step 4: Dip eggplant slices into eggs and then coat with bread crumbs.

Step 5: Brown breaded eggplant slices on both sides in skillet.

Step 6: Cover bottom of 9 x13 dish with a little less than half of spaghetti sauce.
 

Step 7: Lay eggplant out on top of sauce.

Step 8: Sprinkle half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan on top of eggplant.
Step 9: Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce on top and then repeat layers ending with cheese.
Step 10: Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Step 11: Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

Cran-A-Licious

My sister and I are both trying to lose weight. She has lost a total of over 65 pounds. Can I hear a WOOT! WOOT! for Leslie? She has been working her tail off for quite sometime, and has really helped me in my weight loss journey. Granted, thanks to genes, I did not have near as much weight to lose. I inherited my mothers genes and she inherited my dear father's genes. Therefore, she has had to work much harder! I am so proud of her dedication. I have watched her count out chips and then roll up and put away the bag so she can't get any more. Me...I have a hard time not gorging myself. She is my inspiration! Do it, Sissypants!!

What she has taught me is that everything you put into your mouth counts. That one Hershey's Kiss, that one Lay's potato chips (of course you can't have just one), that one drink, be it a sweet tea, coke, or beer. The drinks or one drink is what inspired this post!

She developed a super delicious, refreshing, and diet concoction. I am calling it Cran-A-Licious! You will love it even if you don't like cranberry juice. 

 Ingredients: 

Passion Fruit or Rasberry Rum, 

Diet Cranberry or Cranberry Promegrante juice, 

Sprite Zero

Place ice in cup. Pour 1 ounce of rum in glass. Pour enough juice in cup to color rum, We usually fill the glass to about half way. Top of the drink with the Sprite. Stir well and enjoy your 60 calorie drink!!

Disgusting Yumminess

We tried my first Pinterest recipe tonight! I know, GASP! As addicted as I am to Pinterest, I can't believe this is my first recipe that I have actually tried. And trust me, this mess was so good I will try it over and over and over again.

It is called Crockpot Cubed Steak but I am calling Disgusting Yumminess because it looks so gross, almost like dog food, but it is Oh So Very Good! I am talking lick your plate good...literally had to stop my child from doing this. I did alter the original recipe a little, so here it goes.

Disgusting Yumminess
Cubed Steak (I used a family pack of 6)
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup (use Fat Free...No one will know!)
1 soup can of milk
1 Envelope of Lipton Onion Soup
Garlic Salt
Seasoning Salt

Place cubed steak in slow cooker. Season with Garlic Salt and Seasoning Salt. Mix 2 cans of soup with 1 can of milk. Pour over steak. Sprinkle Lipton Onion Soup over top, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

After my family of four dug into it, this was all that was left:

I had planned on having left overs, however, that does not seem to be happening. Next time, I will definitely double, and maybe even triple, the recipe.

Pizza Roll Ups

*Adapted from a recipe I found on Pinterest

2 Cans of Crescent Rolls
Pizza sauce
Pepperoni slices
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Parmasean Cheese
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Red Pepper Flakes

First unroll crescent rolls and pinch together the seams.

Next spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the crescent rolls.

Layer cheese on top.

Next lay pepperoni slices until they cover the rolls and then sprinkle with seasonings to taste.

Carefully roll them up length wise so that you have a long roll.

Place on grease baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Slice, serve, and enjoy.