Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Food for Thought

A few days later than planned with this week's recipes, but we were taking our 19 y.o. down to school.  He has chosen, and obviously admitted to, Northern Arizona University.  We left on Thursday at o-freaking-before-the-crack-of-dawn and came back home Saturday, well after sunset.  He's settled into his dorm, has wandered around campus and is now just waiting for classes to start today.  At breakfast before we left, we asked him what he wanted in a care package, to which he answered dinner rolls and chocolate chip cookies.  No big surprise there.  My boy loves his carbs.  I asked if he was at all interested in doing some of his own dorm-room cooking, because I'd send him some easy mug-meals if he was.

Mug-meals were not part of this week's menu.  If you're menu planning give the below a try.


This Enchilada Meatball Bake was really good and really easy - two things that score in my book.  The meatballs were flavorful - I left out the jalapenos and used this enchilada sauce.  Now, this is recipe was one I cooked a while ago, but feel in the black-hole of non-posting.  I don't remember what I served these with, I seem to recall, just tortilla chips and toppings, but it would be great as part of a rice bowl, with the toppings.



I've made a different Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars recipe, but I think I'll use this one from now on.  Moist and lightly flavored with vanilla and cinnamon and a quick dessert to pull together.


During one of the few cold snaps we've had - it was 50 today - this One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese made an appearance.  It was flavorful, with just enough heat, and filling with lots of protein.  And who doesn't love a one-pot meal?

Outside of the zucchini-hating son, who did try the zucchini, everyone liked this Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini.  It was a warm comforting meal - love crunchy chicken, but light as well.


This Creamy Mexican Corn Chowder is just packed with flavor and creamy goodness.  Diced avocado is a definite must on top!  It reheats marvelously the next day.


At the time I made this One Pan Creamy Tortellini with Butternut Squash Kale and Bacon (which was a while ago) I didn't know there was a lactose free half-and-half, so I made a light roux to thicken up this dish.  It was good, but the roux made it goopey as it sat.  Now I have lactose free half-and-half and will make this dish again - goop-free.  If you haven't tried Kale, this is the dish to do so; lots of good stuff going on in there.


Healthy eating kick aside, sometimes you just need some gooey-fried-thing on your plate.  Here comes Chicken Parm Sliders.  And they were so worth every extra step I had to take to eat them!  Gooey and saucy and crunchy chicken.  I can, and will, lighten up some of the excess calories by grilling the chicken, or using rotisserie, reducing some of the sauce (it really is a lot) and putting on less cheese (mozzarella gets plenty stringy) and it would still be a yummy dish!


After you have Chicken Parm Sliders, breakfast should probably get you back on the wagon, so I made these Pumpkin Oat Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies.  I didn't expect any crunch, and didn't get any, but I got a nice chewy thing with the oatmeal.  Plus it had chocolate chips - so winner!  they weren't as delicate as I expected, either.  One cookie kept me feeling full longer than I expected.


Happy Monday,

Lori

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