Tag Archives: meatless meals

Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

17 Jul

I really like twice-baked potatoes, but they can be just a bit time-consuming to make.  I think next time, I might put the potatoes in the slow cooker to cook all day, then stuff and oven bake them at night.  For these, I used ranch dressing and broccoli, but there are other variations that could be done as well.  For example, sour cream or cream cheese instead of ranch, spinach in place of broccoli, cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan.  Or, add in some meat like bacon, cooked chicken or cooked ham.  You could make this just as your one-course for dinner having a meat and a vegetable mixed in.

 

Broccoli Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

 

Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

What you need:

4 large or 6 medium russet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Thoroughly wash potatoes and pierce all over with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Once potatoes have cooled, cut tops from potatoes, and scoop out the insides carefully to keep the skins like little bowls.  Mash the insides in a medium size mixing bowl.  Brush the skins with olive oil and return to the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onion and broccoli; cook until soft.  Remove from heat and stir in with the mashed potatoes.  Mix in ranch dressing and grated Parmesan cheese.

Spoon the potato mixture into each of the potato skins.  It is fine  for it to come out of the top of the skin.  If desired, sprinkle with more grated Parmesan on top of each potato.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

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Three Cheese Mostaccioli

31 Dec

Three Cheese Mostaccioli

My mom and sister discovered this recipe on the back of a box of Creamette mostaccioli noodles.  It’s a little time consuming to prep, but turns out really tasty!

 

Three Cheese Mostaccioli

What you need:

1 pound mostaccioli noodles
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded swiss or mozzarella cheese

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, basil, garlic salt, and pepper.  Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly to avoid getting lumps.  Continue to stir and cook until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar and the Parmesan cheese.  Mix in with cooked noodles.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle with the swiss or mozzarella cheese.  Add remaining pasta noodles.

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until bubbling.   Remove foil and immediately sprinkle with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.  Let stand for 10 minutes to cool, and serve.

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Lasagna using Egg Roll Wrappers

27 Nov

 

I meant to get a picture of this before we started eating, but forgot!  Anyway, I had gotten a package of egg roll wrappers from a friend who wasn’t going to be using them.  I didn’t have vegetables for egg rolls, so I decided to explore other things I could use the wrappers for.  Turns out there is a lot!  My husband and daughter have been asking for lasagna, and I had cottage cheese in the fridge, so it was an easy decision!  This was quick to put together and didn’t take too long to bake.  This only took 4 wrappers, so I have plenty left to try something new tomorrow night!  Now, my husband could tell a difference in using wrappers over dry noodles from a box.  I couldn’t tell much different, but wrappers are a lot thinner, so it’s not as bulky.  But, something different to try, and if you have a few wrappers left from another meal, this is a great way to use them up.

 

Lasagna using Egg Roll Wrappers

What you need:

2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper
2 cups tomato or meat sauce
4 large egg roll wrappers

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together cottage cheese, egg, spinach, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

In an 8×8 baking dish, cover the bottom of the dish with a little of the sauce.  Place egg roll wrapper down on the sauce.

Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over wrapper.  Spread sauce over the cheese mixture.  Then, place a wrapper.  Continue until cheese mixture is out and you end with a wrapper on top.  Pour remaining sauce over the top.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on the top.

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted.

 

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Potato Leek Soup

10 Sep

I have eaten Potato Leek Soup before, but it was a store bought soup mix.  I have never actually cooked with leeks, so I was excited to see them in my Bountiful Baskets this week while most people were turning up their noses at them.  Plus, we also got gold potatoes, so Potato Leek Soup had to be made!  My husband was really excited too, and he really enjoyed the soup.  It also worked out that Saturday was an overcast, rainy, cooler day, great soup weather.  And, it was coupled perfectly with the baguettes I had gotten from my Sunizona Family Farms FarmBox.  Can you tell how excited I am about how well this meal came together?!?!

Potato Leek Soup
Based on recipes here and here

What you need:

1/2 cup butter
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped (There is a great video here on how to clean and chop the leeks, thank you Kelly H. for the link!)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (make sure to use gluten-free broth if you need this gluten-free)
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, preferably Yukon gold, diced
2 cups half and half or whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Melt butter in a large stock pot and add chopped leeks, plus salt and pepper to taste.  Cook leeks in the butter until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Do not let leeks brown, brown will give them a burnt taste.

Next, wisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, leaving no lumps.  Pour into the stock pot.  Then, add the diced potatoes and half and half.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Stir in the parsley and more salt and pepper, if desired.  If you want a smoother soup, remove about half of soup to a blender and puree, then return to the pot.  You can also use an immersion blender or hand potato masher to slightly mash some of the potatoes in the soup.  Serve hot.

Variations:

Potato Leek Soup with Sausage:  While soup is cooking, crumble and brown 1 pound of Italian sausage.  Drain excess fat.  Stir into finished soup.

Potato Leek Soup with Ham: After soup has finished cooking, add in 2 cups of fully cooked ham (such as Zaycon Foods ham)

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