Twice Baked Potatoes

One of my kids would not complain if we ate these every day. Since the recipe starts with pre-baked potatoes, we usually have baked potatoes for dinner with chili, cheese, sour cream, etc. and then sometime in the next 2-3 days, we use up all the leftover potatoes using this recipe. But feel free to bake your potatoes solely with this recipe in mind. Microwaved potatoes work well, too.

4-ish medium baked potatoes, skin on

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Bacon bits

        Start with pre-baked potatoes, cold or warm. Cut each potato in half the long way and scoop the pulp out of each half (try to salvage the skin in one piece). Mash the pulp with butter. Add milk, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon back into the skins. Top with bacon. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. 

        Note: I spoon the potato mixture into small (~1 cup) oven-proof glass bowls, if needed, to compensate for any skins that don't survive the scooping out process.

Mini Tacos

These cute mini tacos (or wonton tacos) are easy to make and fun to eat. Sadie brought this recipe home from her Food and Nutrition class at school and it's a keeper.

24 wonton wrappers

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 c. salsa

1 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. fresh chopped cilantro

sour cream

        Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray. Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups. Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and 3/4 c. salsa. Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with a little salsa and the shredded cheese. Bake about 6 minutes or until wontons are golden brown. Remove from oven and top each with cilantro. Serve immediately with remaining salsa and sour cream as a garnish.

Easy Cheesy Garlic Pizza Bread

This is one of Sadie's favorite lunches. It is so easy to make if you have about 10 minutes. We ate a LOT of this when the kids had online school during Covid. It is so satisfying. The recipe says "serve warm," but my kids have been known to eat the leftovers straight out of the refrigerator. :)

1 or 2 loaves Jimmy John’s day-old bread*

Butter or margarine

Garlic bread seasoning (Click here for the recipe)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pepperoni

     Cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Lightly butter each piece and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning (substitute with garlic salt, if needed). Sprinkle with cheese and cover with a row of pepperoni slices. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes, checking every couple of minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Cut each piece into fourths. Serve warm.

*You can ask for "day-old" at Jimmy John's. At the location near us, which happens to be store #00001, it costs 50 cents a loaf and you can buy up to 4 loaves. Sometimes they sell out, but they seem to have it 90% of the time around here. If it's not available where you live, you can always use French bread or Italian bread loaves instead.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

If only I hadn't found that super delicious pre-made chicken salad tub at the grocery store... Seriously, I usually take the easy way out these days, but if I ever decide to make chicken salad again myself, this is the recipe I'll use.

2 pkgs. crescent rolls
1 can chicken – 12.5 oz.
1/4 to 1/3 c. mayonnaise
½ tsp. garlic salt
chopped grapes, celery – optional
craisins, sunflower seeds, or sliced almonds - optional
        Bake crescent rolls according to package directions. Drain chicken, cut up if necessary, and combine with mayo, garlic salt, and any other additions. Spread chicken salad inside crescent rolls. Top with provolone cheese slices if desired. Makes about 12.

Layered Taco Dip

This is great to take to a potluck or to serve at a small party. 

Spread a large can of refried beans in a 9x13 glass baking dish. (I microwave the beans right in the pan so they are warm and easy to spread.) Next add browned ground beef prepared with taco seasoning. Cover with a layer of picante sauce or salsa, whatever chunkiness/texture/spiciness you like. Then spread sour cream, stirred smooth, over that. It gets a little messy, but it’s okay if the salsa and sour cream get mixed. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese. You can add diced tomatoes on top, or onions, olives, whatever you like. Dip/shovel with tortilla chips. It makes a great grazing or lunch snack.

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is originally from Thanksgiving Point in Utah. My sister passed it on to me and I've tweaked it a bit over the years. It has a slightly better texture when you peel, cube and roast the squash yourself, but I found frozen butternut squash at the grocery store one day and it was a game changer! It cut the prep time from about an hour to only 20 minutes. I've included the simplified recipe at the end. Maybe give both a try and see if the extra time commitment is worth it. For me, this used to be a luxury dish - something I only made once or twice a year. But now with the simplified version, I can make it whenever I'm craving its deliciousness. 

2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (4-6+ c. squash)*

1/4 c. olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

1 small diced onion

1 Tbsp. butter

3 c. chicken broth

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

     Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes until browned. While squash is roasting, place onion and butter in large sauce pan and sweat until translucent. Add chicken stock to sauce pan and roasted squash. Boil until squash is tender. (Before pureeing the soup, you might remove some of the liquid so it’s not as runny. You can always pour some back in as needed.) Place in blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Return to pan and stir in spices and cream.

*If using more squash, alter other ingredients as needed.

 

Harvest Butternut Soup, Simplified

This version uses frozen butternut squash and comes together in about 20 minutes.

2 bags (10 oz. each) frozen butternut squash (steamable, organic)

2-3 c. chicken broth

A small handful of dried onion

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ c. heavy whipping cream

     Place chicken broth in large sauce pan and bring to boil. Add onion and squash. Boil until squash is tender. (Remove some of the broth, if needed, before pureeing.) Place in blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Return to pan and stir in spices and cream.

Egg Rolls

I haven't made these in years and now, if I want egg rolls, I always opt for veggie egg rolls instead. But if you want meat and a little more substance to yours, these will do the trick!

1 lb. ground beef, pork, chicken, or firm tofu

1 tsp. minced ginger

2 c. finely chopped cabbage

¼ lb. bean sprouts

½ c. shredded carrot

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 T. oyster sauce, optional

1 pkg. (16 oz.) large square egg roll wraps

oil for frying

sweet and sour sauce

Fry and drain meat or tofu. Add remaining ingredients and cook 2 minutes. (If using oyster sauce, stir in last.) Use 2 Tbsp. filling for each egg roll. Roll up securely. Can be frozen individually or fried right away. If all ingredients are precooked, don’t need to fry too long. Just until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Makes about 20.

Veggie Egg Rolls

Okay, these are completely delicious. My friend, JaNae, posted the recipe on her blog and I could eat them everyday. They are pretty simple, but they don't skimp on flavor. Oh Yum!!

Saute 1 diced onion. To the pan of onions, add 2 shredded carrots, 2 shredded zucchinis, and 1 small head shredded cabbage. Very lightly sauté. Spray with Braggs liquid aminos. Wrap in egg roll wraps and fry in oil or bake in oven. Super delicious!!