Quick Bake Loaded Potato Slices

As proof that my home life/work life combination has become more than super busy, I have not published a post in about a month and a half! 

At work, I volunteered to take part in a Samsung Galaxy Tablet pilot program, and my involvement and commitment to work has increased greatly... extra meetings, more planning time to integrate technology to ensure that my kids get the best education and get the most out of this opportunity. 
I was given the privilege of traveling to Austin, TX for 3 days for a technology convention to fill my brain with ideas, and since then, I have been a little lax on the food blog mission. 

But lately, because I have been so busy, I was forced to create some quick dinner ideas on the fly...   this was a Wednesday night, I was super tired when we got home, I had to take care of my son and dog, cook dinner, and get ready for a live webinar all at the same time.  I fried some steaks with onions on the stove and while that was cooking I made up this quick side to go with the steaks. 

We always think of steak and baked potatoes... and these are nearly the same, but sooo much quicker and easier! Soooo good!

Loaded Potatoe Slices 

Two potatoes
Seasoned Salt (Tastefully Simple)
Fresh ground black pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits
Sour cream, chives, etc.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel, wash, and thinly slice potatoes.  Spray cookie sheet with Pam or olive oil (I didn't do this, but wish I would have...).  Spread potato slices evenly in one layer over cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. 

 

Bake for 10 mins.  Take potatoes out of oven and spread shredded cheese over all potatoes.  Sprinkle with bacon bits.  Bake for about 10-15 more mins. until cheese is melted and/or until potatoes are fully cooked.  Serve hot with sour cream and chives or any other baked potato toppings.

Howdoyoubakeyourpotato?? LML<3

Italian Herb Chicken Pasta with Veggies

Another purpose of my blog is to share cooking products that I have tried that made my life easier and will make your life easier too! 

Again, another quick weeknight meal-  I usually make a pasta dish Monday nights for some reason and in the quest to change up the dish each week, I ended up trying KRAFT Phildahelphia Cooking Crème.  DELISH!  I am always on the lookout for quick, quality tasting ingredients to use in my meals and to make my life easier!  This is one that I will definitely go back to time and time again. 

 

 

I used the Italian Herb flavor crème, but there are also two other flavors to try.  AND...Everyone LOVED this meal!

Italian Herb Chicken Pasta 

2, 10 oz. KRAFT Philadelphia Cooking Crème Italian Herb
Rigatoni or other type of pasta
2 Chicken Breasts
Half  a pack of frozen chopped broccoli
Half a bag of mixed vegetables
Olive oil
Lawry's seasoned salt
Black pepper
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Boil water and let pasta cook while cooking chicken/veggies.
Begin cooking chicken breasts and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with Lawry's and black pepper.  When chicken is mostly cooked, take out of pan and slice into small pieces.  Put back into pan and cook until fully cooked.  Add frozen broccoli and frozen veggies.  Mix, cover, and let chicken and veggie mixture cook until veggies are crisp.  Then, add one tub of Kraft Cooking Crème.  Mix into chicken and veggies.  Add the other tub of crème and mix.  When pasta is cooked, drain water and add to chicken, veggie, crème mixture.  Mix until pasta is completely coated with mixture.  You can add milk if it is not creamy enough. 
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and serve hot.  Amaazing with a glass of red!

 

Pasta junkie4life  LML<3

Tomato Basil Breakfast Burrito

One thing I do love about living in Texas besides my job, is that the majority of the days when I wake up, it is absolutely beautiful outside with the sun shining brightly!  On the weekends, I love waking up, cleaning, and making breakfast.  And when it's beautiful outside (65 degrees in January!) I am inspired to turn to fresh ingredients in my breakfast, as well as my favorite herb: basil.  

I still don't have a ton of time on the weekends, so again, this is a simple, quick, and refreshing breakfast burrito... ENJOY!

Tomato Basil Breakfast Burrito

1 egg
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil
Feta cheese
Tortilla
Fresh ground black pepper

Scramble one egg and (some) milk in a bowl.  Pour into pan to cook.  When the egg is cooked and scrambled, add sliced cherry tomatoes and basil and cook until tomatoes are wrinkled. 

 

Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper (I put pepper on everything!).  Add feta cheese and mix until feta cheese starts to melt.  Put in a tortilla, wrap it up, and enjoy your FRESH breakfast!

FETAmakeseverythingBETA!  <3LML

Cranberry and Feta Turkey Bagel

Laaaaazy day:  Saturday brunch/lunch when I don't feel like cooking.... This is quick, refreshing, and healthy... a different idea instead of the usual sandwich.  Also makes a great lunch for the work week!

Cranberry and Feta Turkey Bagel

Sliced turkey breast
Dried Cranberries
Cucumber slices
Feta cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
Thomas Bagel Thins 100% Whole Wheat

Simply Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

Again, I try to find basic recipes to make and if I can make my life any easier, I will- after all, that's what this whole thing is all about! 

On a chilly day when I was craving some warm, hearty soup and had a "to do list" a mile long and therefore, no spare hours that are required for making a time consuming soup, I decided to check out Tastefully Simple's Chicken Tortilla Soup mix 
( http://www.tastefullysimple.com/ ). 

I used it as sort of a base and just added some extra ingredients to make it what I NEEDED in that moment!  It turned out to be an amaaazing soup that satisfied my craving.... and honestly took about 30 mins. to prepare, so I thought I would just throw this idea out there...

 

The soup is sooo simple to make, that all it calls for is water and chicken (you can even use canned chunk chicken!). 

I decided to throw in the following ingredients to make the soup my own: 

a can of corn, a can of black beans, a can of chopped green chiles, fresh cilantro, and some Fiesta brand Quick Chili Mix powder for seasoning, but I'm sure any chili powder would do.

 I am in love with cilantro!!

 

 

 

 

And of course, top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, and some squirts of fresh lime juice!

Eat/top with tortilla chips or saltine crackers!

 

 

 

 <3 LML, loverofsoups.

Creamiest Cheese and Mac with Pork chops and Almond Green Beans

So I literally spent an entire day in the kitchen today and produced a tasty soup, part of dinner for tomorrow, and a complete dinner for tonight.  It was all part of my realization that I go back to work tomorrow after a long, relaxing Christmas break and again will be faced with the task of balancing my family life with my ever more demanding job.

 

I am trying to utilize my time as wisely as possible: on Saturdays I plan the menu for the week as well as the shopping list.  Sunday morning I hit the grocery store, and now decided that in addition to schoolwork on Sundays, I will be doing any meal prep for the week that I can. Today I made crockpot chicken so when I come home tomorrow night, I will only need to make rice.  I also made chicken tortilla soup that I will be taking in my lunch this week, as well as the meal that I am posting.  Feeling very accomplished today!

 

I have always looooved my mom's homemade Mac and cheese and have finally gotten around to creating my own recipe- pretty delicious!  

 

 

 

I made this for a nice sit-down Sunday night dinner because it does take some time to prepare.  I served this with my favorite pork chop recipe (see my earlier post "Weeknight Rush." from Oct. 12, 2012) and almond green beans.

 

Creamiest Cheese and Mac

 

3 cups elbow macaroni

2 cups milk

3 cups water

16 oz Velveeta Cheese block

Garlic salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Italian bread crumbs

Real bacon bits (optional)

 

 

Preheat oven to 375.  

 

Start boiling 2 cups milk, but be careful you don't over boil!  When the milk just starts to boil, add 3 cups of elbow macaroni.  Stir continuously and add 1 cup of water.  Keep stirring and when you see that the liquid has been reduced some, add the next cup of water. Continuously stir and add third cup of water when it looks like more liquid is needed.  Keep stirring and boiling until the noodles are cooked.  Reduce heat to low.  DO NOT drain milk/water!  

 

Cut the 16 oz. Velveeta block in half and add 8 oz. of the cheese to milk and noodles.  Stir, stir, stir until the block of cheese melts.  Add next half of cheese block and stir until melted.  As you are stirring, be sure you are scraping the bottom of the pot as the melting cheese burns super easily!  

 

 

Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  Sprinkle garlic salt into mixture to taste. Pour into 9x11 glass casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs.  

 

 

Bake for 20 mins.  Serve hot and add bacon bits if you wish!   SOOOO yummmmmy!

 

SERVE WITH....

 

Almond Green Beans

 

Fresh Green Beans

Walnut Oil

Tastefully Simple seasoned salt

Almond slivers

 

 

 

Cut, wash, and steam green beans.  In bowl while green beans are still hot, drizzle them with walnut oil and lightly salt with seasoned salt.  Add almond slivers and toss.

 

 

 

 

GETYOURCHEESEON!  <3LML

Brown Sugar and Garlic Soy Chicken with Broccoli and White Rice

  Not really any story behind this one- just a love and passion for food and a search for easy crockpot weeknight dinners!  So I tried the whole "leave something cook all day in the crockpot while you're at work" thing before, and I completely charred an entire batch of orange chicken and had to improvise when I got home, so chances are I won't do that again... I let this cook all day on a Sunday while I cleaned, did laundry, and school work.  It worked great and at the end of the night I put it into a Tupperware container and it was ready to go for Monday night dinner.  Monday we got home from school and all I had to do was cook the rice and defrost the broccoli, add it to the chicken and heat it!

Brown Sugar and Garlic Soy Chicken

4-5 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ginger ale
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic
Frozen chopped broccoli
White Rice
Crispy rice noodles


Mix soy sauce, vinegar, ginger ale, brown sugar, and garlic in a bowl. Put chicken in crockpot and pour mixture over chicken.  



Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Make sure chicken is covered by mixture and spoon mixture over chicken.  Turn chicken and stir mixture, spooning it on top of chicken, approximately every hour.  I also sprinkled some brown sugar on top of chicken while it was cooking. 



Remove chicken and cut into chunks. (When I started to cut my chicken, it ended up shredding because it was so tender!)  If you don't want shredded chicken, make sure you pay attention to your chicken while it's cooking.  

Return chicken to liquid and sprinkle with more brown sugar and soy sauce.

Cook frozen broccoli according to package and add to chicken mixture.
Serve over white rice and top with crispy rice noodles!

 

 

The flavor of this sauce is AMAZING... let me know what you think!  <3LML