Cabonara Mac'n'Cheese

Not only is it deceptively cold outside, everyone I know is getting sick. A couple of weeks ago, the Bear was sick. This week and last, my fellow colleagues are dropping like flies with all sorts of nasty. I am washing my hands like I have OCD and maintaining my winter homeopathic vitamin regiment hoping that I don't fall pray to any of the nasty. Since this is primarily a food blog, I won't discuss anymore. That is not very appetizing. If you are cold or recovering from any sort of nasty, you may enjoy this...

Oh yea, that is bacon you see. Mmm....bacon. I got the idea for this recipe from my husband's Cabonara Style Hot Pockets. He informed me that they are only available for a limited time, but he did finish the box just so the flavors would not conflict with my Cabonara Mac'n'Cheese. Oh the Bearness. Such an informed consumer. I cannot enjoy Hot Pockets anymore. Really, I'm solidly okay with that.

This recipe contains components of a cabonara style pasta dish, without the egg, butter, and added calories. To keep the recipe nice and creamy, I substituted 1/3 less fat cream cheese for the butter and eggs. I kept the bacon, but used a leaner center cut bacon instead. Full of creamy, bacony, comforting goodness this recipe can be made ahead and enjoyed on a weeknight when you are seeking healthier comfort food.

Cabonara Mac'n'Cheese

2 cups dried brown rice penne noodles
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 slices center cut bacon, chopped
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Spray a 9' x 13' baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the pasta, peas, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the bacon. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown and crisp a little. Add the onions. Cook another 4-5 minutes or until the onions begin to look translucent in color. Add the milk, garlic, and cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Poor the milk mixture over the pasta and stir to combine. Pour the mixture (it will be soupy) into the baking dish. Cover and store in your refrigerator until you are ready to bake and serve. When you are ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, let the pasta sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Then, cover the dish with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

BBQ Black Bean & Cheese Burritos

The Bear recently complained that my "meatless Mondays" were no fun because it typically means "meatless Monday and Tuesday. This is due to the fact that I usually serve leftovers on Tuesday nights. I simply replied that meatless Mondays are saving us some money. Saving money always makes my husband happy. Then he tried these burritos.

Sure they are not nearly as earth shattering as the BBQ Smoked Turkey Enchiladas I made back in November. Those are pretty hard to beat and as soon as I can get Justin to smoke another turkey, I will be on it like blue bonnet. For now, I've got black beans to work with. To my husband's surprise, my BBQ Black Bean & Cheese Burritos were great for a "meatless Monday" (and Tuesday) meal. 

These burritos are stuffed with the perfect amount of cheese and a smoky bean combination. In place of traditional flour tortillas, I used brown rice and flax seed tortillas to take the gluten out and leave the nutrition in. If you are looking for a vegetarian meal you can easily make ahead, you may want to try these burritos!

BBQ Black Bean & Cheese Burritos

1 yellow or white onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

2 cups (one can) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded 2% cheddar cheese

6 gluten-free wraps (such as Sandwich Petals)

Spray a 9' x 9' casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until the onion begins to turn translucent in color. Add the garlic, beans, water, paprika, cumin, and BBQ sauce. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. Remove from heat. With a potato masher or the back of a large spook, mash some of the bean mixture and stir to thicken. Set aside.

On a microwave safe plate, heat your wraps for 30-40 seconds or until they are pliable. Fill one tortilla with 1/2 cup of the bean mixture and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Place seam side down in the casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Sprinkle the tops of the burritos with the remaining cheese. At this point you can cover and store until you are ready to bake them. When you are ready to bake them, let the dish stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven preheats at 350 degrees. Then, bake in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt and bubble on the top.

* Noteworthy tips: To make the Corn Slaw you can click on the words for the link. Also, I used dried black beans that I soaked over night. Then, I boiled the beans for 20 minutes to soften the beans. I've been using bagged beans because they were cheaper than canned beans at the grocery store. Thanks for stopping by!

Inside My Crock Pot

This is the little gem of a healthy dinner that simmered away while I was cleaning...

For some odd reason, I thought it might be fun to take the picture with minimal styling straight from the Crock Pot itself. There was about a 45 minute window today where the sun was shining perfectly. I stopped cleaning for a moment to snatch the opportunity. This meal was incredibly easy to put together and freed up my time to clean my house. Filled with a plethora of vegetables available throughout the winter months, this dish will warm the heart and soul when it is somewhat dreary outside.

Herb Chicken with Winter Vegetables

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
1 lb. baby red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Salt & pepper to taste

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. In a small dish, mix together the corn starch, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and garlic powder until combine. Pour spice mixture into the bag, seal, and shake until the chicken is evenly coated. Place chicken and all remaining ingredients in your slow cooker. Stir to combine. Throw the plastic bag away. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Add any additional salt and pepper to your liking before serving. This is a one pot meal!

Chicken, Bean, & Bacon Burrito Bowls

Over the weekend, the Bear and I went out for a nice date night at Blanc Burgers & Bottles. I was thrilled to discover that they had vamped up their gluten-free buns. It had been quite a while since we last dined there. Last time, we ate at the restaurant on the Plaza. I think I like the one down in Leawood is a little bit better, so I suggested we go there. The Bear agreed that this time was a lot better. I had the Chicken Capri burger. The Bear had the Burger Melt. Our meals were outstanding; however, it was very crowded with noisy kids. Not that we don't enjoy kids, just not screaming kids while we are out on a date. We could have gone out again, but Saturday we stayed home.

One of the benefits of cooking at home is that you know exactly what you are putting into your food. And, we don't have any screaming kiddos to worry about, yet anyway. This meal is defiantly restaurant quality that you can make in the comfort of your own home.

Chicken, Bean, & Bacon Burrito Bowls

For the rice:
1 cup brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
Zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 of the lime
1/4 cup cilantro

For the chicken & beans:
2 slices center cut bacon
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 14.5. oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons cilantro

To make the rice: bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the rice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the lime zest, juice, and cilantro. Fluff with a fork until combined and set aside.

To make the chicken & beans: heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and add the onion, bell pepper, and chicken. Cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans, tomatoes, and spices. Stir and cook until the tomato juices begin to thicken. Remove from heat. Serve over rice and top with cheese and cilantro.

Sunny Saturday Menu Post

Good afternoon everyone! What a lovely Saturday it is today. I am so happy the meeting I had to voluntarily attend let out early enough to grab a quick lunch, come home, and enjoy the rest of my day. Now I am looking forward to spending the day grocery shopping and cooking my Chicken, Bacon, and Bean Burrito Bowls later this evening. I feel so productive since I had to get up at 6:00 this morning. Maybe it isn't so bad to not sleep in on a Saturday?

This week's menu is kind of eclectic. A lot of the ideas I formulated very early in the mornings Tuesday and Wednesday when I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't want to think about school so I thought about this dear, sweet blog. Here are my insomniac induced ideas- It has been quite some time since we used up all of our leftover Sven turkey, but I am kind of craving those BBQ Smoked Turkey Enchiladas. Then I thought, wouldn't it be fun to create a vegetarian twist with some black beans? And, because I can't get enough mac'n'cheese in my life, I've come up with another make ahead spin with a cabonara style mac'n'cheese. It should be a fun week filled with recipe experimentation! Here is the rundown:

Sunday 1/27          Herb Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Monday 1/28        BBQ Black Bean & Cheese Burritos with Corn Slaw

Tuesday 1/29        Leftovers

Wednesday 1/30   Cabonara Mac'n'Cheese with Salad

Thursday 1/31       Leftovers

Friday 2/1 or         Braised Beef with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
Saturday 2/2

Groceries you will need:

1 lb. boneless beef short ribs
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 package center cut bacon (if you do not have any leftover from last week's menu post)
1 avocado
1 red pepper
1-2 oranges
1 large sweet potato
2 lbs. red potatoes
4 yellow or white onions
1 bulb garlic (if you do not have any from previous posts)
1 parsnip
1 bag baby carrots
1 bunch celery
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1 bag angel hair cut cabbage
1 bag mixed greens
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 package gluten-free wraps (such as Sandwich Petals)
1 package gluten-free elbow noodles
1 bag black beans or 1 can black beans
1 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 box reduced sodium beef broth
1 can tomato paste (if you do not have any from previous posts)
1 bag frozen corn
1 bag frozen peas
1 bag frozen green beans
1/2 gallon 2% milk
1 container light or fat-free sour cream
1 package shredded 2% mozzarella cheese
1 container grated Parmesan cheese
1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot

Pantry items you will need:

Sherry cooking wine
Extra virgin olive oil
Granulated sugar
Corn starch
Rice wine vinegar
Ground cumin
Chili powder
Smoked paprika
Paprika
Oregano
Dried thyme

* Noteworthy tips:  I will most likely prepare both the burritos and mac'n'cheese over the weekend, cover, and store in the fridge until I am ready to bake and serve them. As always, all veggies will be washed, chopped, and stored as soon as I get home from the grocery store to save me extra time. Have a great weekend!

                    

Slow Cooker Black Bean & Quinoa Soup

Well, I finally got the real definition of "craptastic" from the source. In case you were wondering, craptastic is a description of when you have a really crappy day, but you want to use a "nicer" way of saying it. Yup, that is from the second grader herself. The last few days have not been totally crappy, but more on the craptastic side. I am really glad I had this soup to fuel me through dinners Wednesday and Thursday night, as well as lunch today. The flu bug has hit our school. Lots of people have been out, which makes for a pretty craptastic experience for a special education teacher such as myself. Kids are off their schedules, I am trying to fill in the gaps, all while trying to teach, grade papers, test kiddos, plan for next week, complete paperwork, and hope that I don't get the flu myself. That would be even more craptastic. It is really just fun and makes me laugh to say it. Hee, hee! Craptastic!

Just when you thought black been soup couldn't get any healthier, Sara Nickel swags it up another level with the addition of quinoa. Spicy, smoky, and absolutely vegetarian this soup is a wonderful way to get the nutrients you need to fuel yourself through a cold winter's day. I am very proud of this soup if I do not say so myself.

Slow Cooker Black Bean & Quinoa Soup

1 cup dried black beans (rinsed & soaked overnight)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 14.5 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chipotle peppers, canned in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried quinoa
Sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and avocado for garnish if desired

Place all ingredients to quinoa in your slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on high for 6-7 hours stirring every so often so the beans do not get stuck to the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the quinoa and stir. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the quinoa has softened. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, or avocado if you wish before serving.

* Noteworthy tips: To soak the black beans, simply place the black beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Let the beans soak overnight or until you are ready to cook them. I made this soup over the weekend. It actually gets better over time.

To make the baked tortilla chips, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the tortillas into wedges using a pizza cutter or knife. Place on the baking sheet. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops begin to brown. Flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until browned on the other side. Super easy and fewer calories than chips from the bag!

Make Ahead Sun Dried Tomato Mac'n'Cheese

I love, love, love this recipe because I didn't have to re-invent the wheel. You see, when you have a blog mostly dedicated to food and menu planning it can get a little tough coming up with new ideas. Especially last week when I was in my little recipe rut. I thought to myself, "Why are you making this so hard on yourself? Don't beat yourself up or stress, Sara. You can do this!" So, I started looking at some of my old favorites from last year. Rarely do I go back and make the same thing again. This recipe is sort of the same recipe as my Broccoli Penne Mac, but with a fun twist- sun dried tomatoes!

Tomatoes are not that great this time of year, but I absolutely love them. Sun dried tomatoes are all of the tastes of a summer tomato concentrated into one small, condensed raisin-like tomato. Here, I served the broccoli on the side and was able to sneak in even more veggies to our meal by replacing the broccoli in the mac with sun dried tomatoes. The result was fantabulous! I know, not really a word. It is a word I made up with my students by combining the words "fantastic" and "fabulous." It is really catchy. So catchy, that one of the students in second grade told her teacher that her mom came up with a word for when a "crappy" day doesn't turn out so bad after all- "craptastic." This recipe is not "craptastic" in any sort of the word because it was never "crappy" to begin with. Unless you didn't like broccoli to begin with:) Instead, it is fantabulous!

Make Ahead Sun Dried Tomato Mac'n'Cheese
inspired by my Broccoli Penne Mac

1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
8 oz. 2% Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
2 cups brown rice elbow noodles
1/2 cups diced sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
More whole sun dried tomatoes to top and garnish if desired

Spray a 9' x 13' baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent. Pour in the milk and cheeses. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Toss the noodles and tomatoes together in a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese mixture, stir until evenly coated (the mixture will be soupy), and pour into the casserole dish. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake and serve. When you are ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let set at room temperature for at least 15 minutes while your oven preheats at 350 degrees. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly in the middle. Give the pasta a little stir before serving and enjoy!