The Easiest Cheesiest Garlic Bread

A great way to get more cheese into your life is to stuff it inside and on top of some bread. Chrissy Teigen's Armadillo Cheesy Garlic Bread does just that, and is so simple to put together ahead of time that it makes the perfect party appetizer. Your guests' dinner plate eyes and reaching hands as you pull back the aluminum foil to reveal its cheesy criss-cross pattern will cement your status as bread honcho.

3 c shredded mozzarella (or another cheese of choice)
1 1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used finely shredded Parmesan)
1 stick butter (original recipe calls for an additional half stick, but 1 was plenty for the size of our loaf)
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced garlic (we used jarred garlic)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (we used paprika)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 pound round loaf bread (Teigen uses French, we did sourdough)

1. Preheat oven to 400 (if prepping ahead, skip to 2).
2. Combine cheeses, butter, mayo, and seasonings in a large bowl.
3. Slice bread (almost to, but not through the bottom) in a diamond pattern, making cuts 2 inches apart.
4. Cover a baking sheet in foil and place bread at center. Using a spoon and/or rubber scraper and/or your fingers, stuff cheese mixture into all the cracks. It works best to start at one end and fold back the cuts to fill in an entire row with cheese. Cover the top of the loaf with any remaining mixture.
5. With another sheet of foil, cover the loaf, curling the top and bottom sheets together to seal in the bread.
6. When ready to serve: bake 20 minutes at 400, then remove top foil sheet and reduce temperature to 375 and bake another 15-20 minutes longer. Cheese should be melty and golden.
7. Serve immediately, though it does reheat wonderfully the next morning for breakfast!

My Favorite Roasted Potatoes

I learned tonight that I can make a meal out of a few potatoes. Healthy? Debatable. Delicious? Absolutely.

I can't tell you where my recipe originated, except to say that it was both crowd-sourced and the result of plenty of experimenting. You should do the same with your own recipe - take mine, add in a few more opinions, try a few things out, and end with your very own favorite roasted potatoes.

Roasted Potatoes

4-5 small or medium potatoes (Baby Reds work great)
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
paprika
rosemary (fresh or dry)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Wash and cut potatoes into similar-sized cubes. Rinse again and pat dry with a towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine potatoes and enough olive oil to completely coat them. Start small - a tablespoon or two, then add more if needed. It's important that the potatoes be completely covered in oil as that will seal in the heat & moisture of each piece so when they bake they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, BUT you don't want to overdo it with oil either. (This is where practice and experimenting comes in.)
3. In a small bowl, combine equal amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Again, start small (1 tsp). Toss this mixture with the potatoes so that they are once again completely covered. Repeat the process if necessary. (If you use 5 larger potatoes, you may need more seasoning. Four small potatoes probably won't.)
4. Pour potatoes onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a baking mat. Spread them out so they aren't touching each other. Use two baking sheets if needed - these guys need space!
5. Bake until crispy golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside, 30-45 minutes. (If you used two baking sheets make sure to rotate them at some point.) I usually check after 30 minutes by piercing a potato with a fork, then decide they definitely need more time. Then I add in some rosemary (fresh). They always need more time than I think they do - you'll want to roast these until they are almost almost burnt. As long as the oil is covering them, they won't dry out. The insides will be nice and fluffy and the outside will crisp right up. You know you're there if the outsides are starting to bubble/puff out.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

When you find an easier way to make a great recipe, you share it with everyone you know. This is an update on this cauliflower crust, with a few adjustments adapted from this recipe. I've tried it more than several times in the past few weeks. It passes all the tests.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza, adapted from Going Cavewoman

Ingredients
3 c cauliflower, riced (super timesaver - buy cauliflower pre-riced, in the refrigerated vegetable section)
1 c mozzarella cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
your favorite pizza sauce & toppings

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until fully mixed.
3. Press mixture onto parchment paper, spreading evenly (spoons or fingers work here).
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
5. Top with sauce, more cheese, and any toppings, taking care not to overload. (My recent favorite combo has been pesto sauce with more mozzarella and Parmesan, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and fresh basil.)
6. Bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden. If you decide to broil at the end, pay close attention so the cheese doesn't burn!

Extra:  More pizza posts!

S'mores Treats

Summer may be over, but it can keep right on going in your kitchen with this campfire-esque recipe. S'mores Treats are Rice Krispie Treats, with Golden Grahams subbed for Rice Krispies and a few chunks of chocolate added in to the mix. Here's how I made mine, adapted from Rian Handler at delish and Christy Denney at The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Ingredients

7 cups Golden Grahams (I used Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
3 tbsp butter (I used coconut spread)
1 package mini-marshmallows with 1 cup reserved
1-2 chocolate bars, cut into pieces

1. Grease bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pan.
2. Measure cereal into a large bowl.
3. Stir together butter and marshmallows (minus 1 cup) in a large pan over medium heat until creamy.
4. Add marshmallow mixture to cereal and stir until cereal and marshmallows start to come together. Add a few pieces of chocolate and continue stirring until completely mixed.
5. Spread mixture in glass pan (tip: use a buttered rubber scraper) and top with remaining marshmallows and chocolate.
6. Let cool, then cut and enjoy!

Dulce de Leche Brownies

This recipe is not summery and will make your kitchen unbearably hot (350 degrees for 45 minutes will do that even in winter), BUT it's so good. And I've made it twice now for my coworkers, so I'm the office favorite.

I didn't change much from this recipe by The Merchant Baker, and really, any brownies can be dulce de leche brownies - just add a few dollops to the batter and swirl around - so feel free to adapt this to your favorite recipe or store-bought mix.

2/3 c cocoa (I used Nestle)
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 c flour (I used all purpose)
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1/2 c oil (I used olive)
2 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 (+ some extra) dulce de leche at room temperature, or slightly warmed in microwave (I used what Bailey brought me from Uruguay, but it can be found in the States - check specialty grocers or the "world foods" aisles)
[Note: I left out chocolate chips and espresso powder and these didn't suffer one bit!]

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease square baking pan.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Add eggs, oil, water, and vanilla to dry mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Pour just over half the batter into pan.
5. Drop generous spoonfuls of dulce de leche over batter and swirl, making sure there is dulce in all areas without overspreading it.
6. Pour the remaining batter over and gently spread to cover. Drizzle any remaining dulce de leche on top.
7. Bake 35 minutes for a 9" pan, 45 minutes for 8". Fork inserted into center should come out (mostly) clean. Allow to cool before cutting.

Enjoy - these are decadent on their own or pair well with ice cream.

They also don't last long in an office of 4 women...

We Couldn't Believe It Wasn't Gardetto's

With so many awesome recipes online, it's sometimes silly to think about buying cookbooks if you're not a tried and true foodie or professional chef. And yet, there's one cookbook that I would recommend having a physical copy of: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen. Yep, you heard it here: buy it, borrow it, or peek over someone else's shoulder - not only for the amazing selection of recipes to try out, but for Teigen's dead pan humor and relatable narration. (Like, shockingly relatable, considering she is a model + married to John Legend.)

During our recent family reunion, we tried two selections - Dump & Done Ramen Salad (quick, easy, tasty - look for a post soon!) and I Can't Believe It's Not Gardetto's. Like the title states, we were pretty sure what we were shoveling into our mouths (along with the epic cheese tasting cheeses) could have been Gardetto's, that ubiquitous road trip snack that was basically my diet in middle school. (Teigen admits she also noshed on Gardetto's in middle school - SO RELATABLE.) This party dish would go great at a Memorial Day gathering, as weekday office treats, or just because you have some snack cravings.

I Can't Believe It's Not Gardetto's (adapted from Chrissy Teigen)

2 bagels sliced into thin rounds (she suggests pumpernickel; we used everything)
3 cups Chex cereal (any variety - we used both rice and corn)
1 cup broken grissini breadsticks
1 cup broken pretzel sticks
1 stick unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place bagel rounds on a baking sheet in one layer and bake 10-12 minutes, or until crisp (but not brown!).
3. Combine Chex, breadsticks, and pretzels in a large bowl and add crisped bagel rounds.
4. In a small saucepan, combine butter, garlic, and onion. Simmer over medium heat until garlic begins browning, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain, discarding solids. Whisk in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and pepper.
5. Add butter to dry ingredients, stir until coated, and pour back onto baking sheet in one layer.
6. Bake until crisp, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.

These are great straight from the oven, but your fingers would rather you wait until they cool. Store in an airtight container (if you have any left to store).

Overnight Oats (Oats in a Jar)

The fad of putting foods in jars seems silly at first (why not use Tupperware?), but it's been a staying one in my kitchen. For one, I know the jar is totally sealed. And since I use jars of all the same size, I have built-in portion control when packing a lunch. True, I usually have to pack a separate bowl along with the jar for actual eating, but that means my desk lunches feel more legitimate.

One of my tried and true jar recipes is Overnight Oats, in which oats and milk "cook" in the fridge overnight to create a sort of oatmeal pudding. I promise it's better than it sounds. These breakfast/mid-morning snack oats are packed with good things, and they can be customized to your heart's content. Here's my basic recipe with a few add-ins.

1 clean glass jar (or another container with a lid)
3/4 - 1 cup oats (I use old fashioned)
3/4 - 1 cup milk (I use almond or cashew or coconut)
1 tbsp chia seeds

The important part is to add enough milk to cover the oats so they have liquid to soak up, then fill the jar the rest of the way with whatever you'd like. A few fun combos:

frozen fruit + spoonful of peanut butter + honey/maple syrup
frozen fruit + nuts (add these in right before eating so they don't get soggy)
frozen fruit + cinnamon + maple syrup
spoonful of peanut butter + cocoa powder to taste + honey + banana (again, add in right before eating)

Experiment to see what you like best, then prep a few on Sunday night to have for the week - my Mondays (and Tuesdays) generally go a lot better when I have some brain food on hand!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I hesitated to post this recipe - partially because I thought I already had, partially because it's just so stinkin' easy, I feel like I'm getting away with something every time I make it. And I make it a lot - it's my most adaptable recipe and the best crowd-pleasing-yet-non-fussy, feel-good-and-taste-good go-to I have in my arsenal when I'm entertaining.

The basic recipe, from Ali at Gimme Some Oven goes like this:

-chicken
-salsa

Put them in a crock pot and walk away. Then come back about six hours later, remove the chicken and use two forks to shred it. Put it back in and mix it all up.

Seriously, it's that simple.

You could kick it up a notch and add a few things: frozen corn, a can of black beans, or chopped onion and peppers. (I've started to.) And when you serve it, make sure to include all the fun fixings: lettuce, tomato, cilantro, salsa, rice, tortillas, avocado, lime...and a few friends to share with.

Falafel with Cucumber Dip

One of the first kitchen tools I purchased after moving in with Jesus was a food processor. After years of getting by with a (cheap) blender, I wanted to be able to make dips and sauces like a boss. So far, I've made plenty of hummus, but the wonderful chickpea lends itself to so much more. Like falafel!

I followed this recipe, substitutions below. While a food processor isn't listed in the directions, I made it work. It made enough for dinner, plus leftovers for my lunch the next day - these reheat very well!

Falafel

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
[I didn't have parsley, cayenne, or coriander, so I left them out, but I did add about 1 tsp paprika.]
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c dry bread crumbs
oil for frying

1. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, onion, and garlic. Process gently - consistency should still be fairly thick. Pour into medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, lemon juice, olive oil, baking powder, and spices. Add to chickpea mixture and combine.
3. Slowly add bread crumbs to the mixture. It should hold together without being too sticky (ie, you should be able to form patties with it). If needed, add more bread crumbs.
4. Form into balls and flatten into patties roughly the size of a sand dollar.
5. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Fry patties until brown on both sides.

These are best when topped with the Cucumber Dip:

6 oz plain yogurt (I used Greek)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

salt & pepper to taste

splash of lemon juice

[I didn't have dill, so omitted it, but I know it would've been tasty. I also omitted the mayo because the yogurt is creamy enough. I added some lemon!]

1. Mix together all ingredients. Chill. Use generously with falafel; also tastes great with pita chips, tortilla chips, and raw veggies!

Savory Bread Pudding

Fall was a whirlwind of lesson planning, paper grading, and reminding myself that it's okay to feel frustrated and confused at a job you know almost nothing about. Teaching (especially for classes where there are no grades, so no built-in way to keep students focused) is hard, y'all.

What's not so hard, for me, is feeding myself. If I learned anything in my first semester as a teacher, it's that even the worst of days in the classroom can be redeemed in the kitchen. And a positive day in the classroom is made even better with a celebratory meal. Basically, it doesn't matter if my kids go crazy during class or sit quietly and complete homework - I'm gonna want a hearty dinner.

Enter the savory bread pudding. It's like bread pudding, just not for dessert. Or a crustless quiche, except with some cut up bread thrown in. Or, to be very Midwestern about it, it's an eggbake. Baked eggs. What more description do you need?

I modified both of these recipes to create my own:

MyRecipes: Wild Mushroom and Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

Five and Spice: Strata with Mushrooms, Sweet Potato, and Bacon

bread (preferably dry/stale) - I used leftover dinner rolls (about 5), cut into cubes
1 sweet potato, cut into cubes
olive oil, enough to cover the sweet potato pieces
chopped mushrooms (I used about 1/2 cup)
onion (between 1/2 to a full, depending on size and preference), diced
2 cloves garlic
chopped broccoli (I used about 1 cup)
1/4 c dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
3 cups milk (I used almond)
4 eggs (when I make this again I'll up it to 5 or 6, so it's really an egg bake)
salt and pepper to taste
rosemary and thyme to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss sweet potato pieces in olive oil and spread evenly on a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. While the sweet potato is baking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Add onion and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and broccoli. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for several minutes, until broccoli is nearly tender and mushrooms have released their liquid. Add the wine and simmer until it has cooked off. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Liberally grease a 13x9 baking dish (I only lightly greased mine and paid for it in all the extra elbow grease I needed to wash off baked on egg). Layer dish with cubed bread, cooked vegetables, and egg mixture. Let sit until most of the liquid is soaked up by the bread.
6. Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes, checking halfway through. The pudding should be set and the top should be golden brown.
7. Enjoy while warm and use the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Fall Eats

Goodbye watermelon and freeze-pops, hello butternut squash and all things apple. While the weather might warm up again before we're truly on our way to winter, it seems like we went from t-shirts to layers of fleece in just a few days.

In the kitchen, I'm finally hitting a baking/cooking rhythm and trying out a few new things mixed in with old favorites:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

One of the easiest, cheapest, and longest-lasting meals I've made - all you need is several pounds of pork shoulder/butt (I used about 9 pounds) and a marinade (easily googled). Let it cook low and slow for 8-10 hours, shred it, and you're done. You can put sauce on it or leave it as is, and you've got lunch and dinner for a week (or freeze it and have pulled pork all winter)!

BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza

At a loss for what to do with all the pork? Throw it on a pizza! Once you have your dough rolled out, use your favorite bbq sauce as a base, then add the pork plus cheese, pineapples, and sliced peppers and onions. Bake at 450 until golden brown and top with cilantro before serving.

Squash and Barley Risotto

I found this recipe while I was deciding what to do with the squash we just bought. Coincidentally, I had also just started making barley to have as a grain for lunch. I quickly chopped up the squash and added it in to the barley and broth, along with some caramelized onions, more vegetable broth, and some milk. It was surprisingly easy and, above all, tasty.

Apple Crisp Muffins

After all these savory foods, I need something sweet. In October, that means baking apples into everything. I used this recipe (omitting the applesauce since I didn't have any) and satiated my sweet tooth. Other options include: Apple Crisp, Apple Cake, Apple Pie or Baked Apples.

My appetite is ready for colder weather - bring it on, fall!

Beer Bread Muffins

I made these muffins a little prematurely (it's nearly 80 degrees outside, which is not a temperature at which I want to turn my oven on), but we have more beer in our fridge than either Jesus or I care to drink and I really wanted to try them out. Despite sweating long into the evening, I'm glad I did. They're super easy and tasty.

Beer Bread Muffins (adapted from this recipe by My Wild Kitchen)

3 c flour (she uses self-rising; I made my own by adding baking powder and salt, below)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 12-oz bottle of beer (I used Corona)
2 tbsp butter (I used coconut/palm oil spread)

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease muffin tin.
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Pour beer over and stir until combined.
Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
While the muffins are baking, melt butter in a dish.
When muffins just start to turn golden brown, brush butter on top of them.
Bake for another 5-7 minutes.
Enjoy warm!

According to this recipe, the muffins aren't as good the next day, but I'll be putting that to the test tomorrow.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I'm the designated dessert maker in my apartment, and in Jesus's family. I wouldn't refer to myself as a baker, but I sort of fell into the role. And since I have a sweet tooth, I guess I'm okay with it. For Mother's Day, I made strawberry cupcakes (using blended strawberries in the batter). They were just okay (meaning I will try again). For Father's Day, though, there was no try. Just 100% knocking it out of the park with lemon blueberry muffins.

I adapted/doubled this recipe from Cookie and Kate, who followed this one from Smitten Kitchen, which is itself adapted from Cooks Illustrated...meaning just about everyone on the Internet has made a variation of these. The end product was light and sweet and not too guilt-inducing.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (additions/substitutions in parenthesis mine)

10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar (I used 1/2 c white sugar and 1/2 c cane sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c plain yogurt (I used coconut yogurt)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
(I also added the juice from one lemon)
3 c flour (I used regular white flour)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c blueberries (I used a whole container of fresh blueberries, but frozen would also work)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars.
4. Add eggs, beating well after each. Add yogurt and zest, beat until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.
6. Add dry ingredients slowly to batter, beat on low speed until mixed.
7. Fold in blueberries.
8. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Batter should be thick, so you can just use a spoon to scoop and fill.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden.

Drop Biscuits

Today I want to share my new favorite recipe (because I'm craving carbs big time). These biscuits are called drop biscuits because that's how you get them on the baking sheet - drop them by the spoonful. There's no rolling out or cutting dough into perfect circles because these are no fuss mounds of pure gluten-full joy. I also have no idea where I got this recipe, so while I can't claim it as my own, I also can't give credit to anyone...though I'm sure most chefs/bakers have their own similar versions of this guy. It's quick, only takes one bowl and one pan, and pairs well with a hearty dinner or a savory breakfast.

Drop Biscuits (makes 12 medium-large biscuits)

2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
5 tbsp cold butter
1 c cold milk (I used unsweetened plain almond milk & they still turned out great!)

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Cut butter into mixture.
Slowly stir in milk and mix gently until dough comes together.
Drop onto baking sheet by spoonfuls, leaving space to expand.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until turning golden.

Enjoy hot out of the oven/as soon as possible! These are still good a few days later, but not as good once they've cooled. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container. I'm thinking my next batch might need a few fun add-ins (rosemary, chives, bacon, cheese), but I have no complaints with this basic recipe!

"More of Me to Love" Tuesday

I hope you all got your fill of sweets and treats today. I was lucky enough to have plenty of leftover Valentine's Day candy plus a few more homemade goods at my disposal. (I also had the sort of day that begged for an abundance of food consumption. Tuesdays, man. They're the worst.)

Today I want to share the recipes for two of my Fat Tuesday treats, the classic brownie and a no-bake cookie. I followed the recipes pretty close to the letter (so I'm basically just copy/pasting from the two sites that I'll link you to), but I still think these desserts deserve their own space on As The Romans Do. I know I'll be making both again, maybe even during Lent. I'm not giving up chocolate (or cocoa powder, which is where all the chocolate comes from in both recipes).

Cocoa Powder Brownies

I've seen this exact recipe on several sites, but Alice Medrich is the original creator of these chewy brownies. No need for baking chocolate--which means the fat comes just from the butter and the sugar just from the sugar.

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (or sub coconut oil)
1 1/4 c sugar
3/4 c plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 325 and grease or line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
Fill a skillet (about halfway) with water and set to simmer.
Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl, then put the bowl in the simmering water.
Stir mixture until fully combined and smooth. It should be hot to the touch.
Set aside mixture and let cool until just warm, then stir in the vanilla and eggs (one at a time).
When batter is well-blended (it will look shiny), add flour and stir until you can't see it anymore.
Beat "vigorously" for 40 more strokes using just a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Spread into pan - batter will be thick and you'll have to actually spread it out.
Bake until a toothpick emerges slightly moist, 20-25 minutes.
Let cool before cutting. Makes 16 or 25 squares. Or one giant square.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

This snack/dessert is a little more diet-friendly, but still plenty sweet. It makes a great road trip snack, or a gift for the protein lover in your life. I found this recipe on Gimme Some Oven, where Ali has shared several varieties of energy bites.

1 c oats
2/3 c coconut flakes (She specifies toasted and unsweetened, but I'm lazy and could only find sweetened, so that's what I used.)
1/2 c peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/2 c ground flax seed
1/3 c honey (or sub agave)
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until fully mixed.
Refrigerate for about half an hour (makes it easier to form into balls later).
Roll into tablespoon-sized balls (use your hands and/or a tablespoon).
Eat.
If you happen to have leftovers, store in an airtight container.

Can every Tuesday be Fat Tuesday? It sure beats my normal #tuesdaybluesday.

Tater Tot Casserole

Sometimes you want to remember the past in the most delicious way possible, but also in an easy to make and clean up way. Enter Tater Tot hotdish. My favorite lunch days at school included one of a few things: tortilla chips, rice, or tots (I liked--like--carbs). So, when I wanted a nice throwback recipe for the weekend, a snowy one in late January, Tater Tots swimming in meat and veggies it was.

This recipe is a little different than the creamy casserole most of us (especially in the midwest) remember from our elementary school days. I substituted some homemade gravy for the usual Cream of Whatever soup to let the ingredients shine. The texture didn't change at all, and the taste wasn't that much different either, just less mushy cream and more meat/veggie/tots.

Tater Tot Hotdish (adapted from this recipe)

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 c beef broth (chicken or veggie work as well)

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 c cold water

2 bags frozen veggies (enough to cover 9 x 13 pan, veggies your choice--I used green beans and corn, but wish I used carrots)

1 bag Tater Tots 

salt and pepper to taste

Brown and season ground beef and onion, layer on the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pan.

Cover with veggies.

Boil broth and in a separate bowl, combine water and cornstarch. Stir mixture into boiling broth and continue boiling until thickened.

Pour gravy into the dish, making sure it spreads evenly.

Layer Tater Tots over meat and veggies, covering the entire dish.

You can prepare this ahead of time, then keep in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to make it. Just preheat the oven to 350 and bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken & Noodles: Relationship Observations and a Recipe

Isn't it funny how the books we read and meals we make inspire so many conversations? These simple touchstones can carry me through an evening of companionship--though sometimes the dialogue can get a little heated, as was the case Saturday night when Jesus and I made dinner and I discussed my current read, Cooked, by Michael Pollan. (Readers of this blog know I'm a fan--see here.)

The book has already brought up a myriad of life-thoughts for me, and I'm only 50 pages in. Especially as I (continue to) pontificate to Jesus while reading, it's clear that food (and where it comes from) is pretty important to me. I strive to eat food (not food-like products) and think about how it gets to my kitchen/table/mouth. Jesus's philosophy is quantity over quality, getting the most for the least, and protein above all.

These contradictory principles have worried me in the past, but so far haven't been an insurmountable point of contention. It helps that I do most all of the cooking when we're together, so I have control in that area. (By choice--I very much enjoy it. Plus, Jesus makes a great sous chef. Don't think he doesn't do his share or at least wash dishes!) And he'll eat whatever I make--if homemade/home-cooked/real food is offered to him, he definitely takes it over fast food. He just won't go out and search for these things on his own.

To illustrate our food logic: I love soup. I never/rarely order it at restaurants because I know I can make it cheaper and better at home. Soup is easy to make, hard to mess up, super comforting in the cold months, and can be as hearty as you want when you're the chef. Jesus hates soup. Or rather, he hates broth. Give him a rotisserie chicken and a side of veggies and he's happy. Put those ingredients in a bowl with some chicken stock and he's up in arms wondering where his sustenance is.

The meal that inspired this revelation? Chicken noodle soup from scratch. I used store-bought noodles, but balanced that out by using a whole chicken for the meat and stock. I roped Jesus into helping and heard all about how cutting up the chicken on our own, boiling it off the bone, using the bones for stock, and adding all that water was counter-intuitive to our his end goal: eating chicken. I listened, then watched as he devoured two bowls.

I still couldn't get him to see that the activity of cutting the chicken and knowing I wasn't wasting any part of it added to my eating experience, but I think he found new respect for me (if his "I love you. That's gross," as I dislocated the thigh bone means anything). Even if I don't go to the From Scratch Extreme every time, I like to challenge myself. I always learn something. Spending non-screen time with my boyfriend is always a positive, and we had a lovely meal at the end of it all. I guess until he refuses to eat what I serve (as if), we're doing okay.

Chicken and Noodles (from the Pioneer Woman)

This recipe isn't meant to be soup, but depending on how much broth you make/use and if you add the flour at the end (I didn't), it can range from soup to stew to...chicken and noodles. Enjoy!

1 whole cut up fryer chicken (YouTube "how to cut a whole chicken" for helpful walk throughs)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced (I used almost a whole onion)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric (I left this out)
1/4 tsp white pepper (I used black)
1/4 tsp ground thyme (I used an Italian seasoning mix)
2 tsp parsley flakes
16 oz egg noodles
3 tbsp flour (optional)

Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. (Heads up, you're gonna need a huge pot. Or two medium sized ones at least.)

Remove chicken from pot to a cutting board. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Keep meat off to the side. Return bones to broth and continue simmering on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth. Add vegetables, herbs, and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.

Increase heat and add egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8-10 minutes. (I stopped here and served myself a bowl of hearty chicken noodle soup.)

Optional: mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two full disclosures that aren't necessary for this post (but that I feel like sharing anyways):

1. I was originally planning on sharing (another) squash recipe here today as one final fall recipe before December/winter/holiday sweets season (that's a thing, right?). It was going to be butternut squash (finally!), and I really did make it this weekend, but what I did is so easy and kind of boring actually. Peel it, dice it, cover it in oil, salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar (aka whatever toppings you want) and roast at 400 for about half an hour (until tender). Done. Tasty, but I'd rather share something a little bit more interesting until I do something other than just roast a squash.
2. These cookies took several attempts to get the texture right, so I'm not going to laud them as the best cookies ever. If you're looking to cut out butter from your diet, or want to try something new, or if you really like coconut (like my boyfriend), definitely try these. If you have a strong cookie game already, stick with what you know. These are cookies, not wedding cakes. We're not trying to impress anyone here, just trying to get maximum comfort out of flour and sugar.

Okay, now for the recipe. It's almost exactly the same as your traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, just with coconut oil instead of butter. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but melts easily (like butter), so it's conducive to cookie making. Based on my various attempts at not having flat cookies, the trick here is to start with soft/melted oil for the mixing, but then refrigerate the dough for about half an hour before spooning onto the cookie sheets. Then the cookie stays together instead of spreading out and you end up with a chewy bit of perfection. The dough also refrigerates well for several weeks.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Recipe is from Sweet Treats & More. Changes in parenthesis mine.)

1/2 c coconut oil (I nuked it so it was slightly runny.)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour (I used only all purpose instead of half whole wheat and half all purpose.)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips (I used dark.)

In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil and sugars. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well combined.
In another bowl, combine dry ingredients (except chocolate).
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture until combined.
Add chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for about half an hour. Preheat oven to 350.
Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool and transfer to wire rack. Or serving plate. Or straight to mouth.

Pumpkin Bread (and Muffins)

Happy Homemade Bread Day! I think fall is the perfect time to bake your own bread--no matter what kind, your house will smell amazing, and the finished product will put you in Comfort Food Central. This weekend I made (and consumed) my first pumpkin-flavored items of the year: bread and muffins.

The recipe I followed was for two loaves of bread, but since I only have one loaf pan, I used the leftover batter to make pumpkin muffins. My mouth couldn't tell the difference. Besides that switch, I didn't change a whole lot else with this recipe from Once Upon a Chef.

Pumpkin Bread & Muffins
(by Jennifer Segal, substitutions in parenthesis mine)

• 2 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cloves (I don't have cloves on hand, so I used 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/2 tsp allspice to round out the flavor.)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 c sugar
• 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 15-ounce can 100% pure pumpkin (She uses Libby's & so did I.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease two loaf pans (or one loaf pan and one muffin pan).

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin.

At low speed, beat in flour mixture until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. (I found it easiest to pour about half the batter into the bread pan, then fill my muffin tin (12 muffins), then add the leftover batter to the bread.)

Bake 65-75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. (I put the bread and muffins in together at the same temperature, then removed the muffins after about 25 minutes.)

Let loaves/muffins cool about 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

This bread and the muffins (you know I tried both) were great by themselves, but a layer of cream cheese frosting probably wouldn't hurt. Or a simple powdered sugar glaze. Or butter. Mmmm. Butter. They also didn't last long in this house, so I might have to stock up on pumpkin for the next few weeks.

Spaghetti (Squash) Carbonara

Until this weekend, I've never mastered the carbonara (spaghetti coated with a bacon, egg, black pepper & cheese sauce). My past attempts always ended looking like spaghetti with scrambled eggs and bacon. I can't say substituting the spaghetti with spaghetti squash is what did the trick, but it sure didn't hurt.

Like most of my recipes, I found a basic version online that I could tweak to my liking. I went with this one from Emeril Lagasse, trusting him to do this classic-dish-with-a-squash-twist justice. I didn't make many adjustments, but I did add some yogurt chicken to the finished product to round it out.

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara (feeds 4...or 2)

1 spaghetti squash (look for ones that are heavy)
4-6 strips of bacon, cut into strips (the short way)
about 1/4 c chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c white wine
2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
1 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste (but be generous with with pepper!)

First, bake the squash to soften it. Preheat oven to 375. Cut the squash in half (you'll need a big/sharp knife for this) and scrape out the seeds. Place cut side down in a baking dish and add water to cover the bottom and up about 1/4 in. on the squash. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender, about an hour. (I'd check it sooner--mine got a little mushy.) Let the squash cool a little (drain the water if you can) and use a fork to scrape out the flesh into a medium bowl. If you scrape length-wise it should come out in strands, like spaghetti.

In a large saute pan, cook bacon bits. When they are just about done, drain most of the fat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for about 1 minute longer, add the wine and let simmer until all the liquid has evaporated, and then remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk eggs and add cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour this into the bacon mixture and stir to warm the eggs/cheese. Here's where the magic either happens or doesn't--if the bacon is too hot, the eggs will scramble. The eggs shouldn't cook through, just make sure everything is coated. Add spaghetti squash and make sure that's completely coated as well. I had a little extra liquid at this point, so I turned the stove back on to cook that off and to make sure everything was heated uniformly.

Taste test, adjust seasonings, top with chicken, and serve!

This also makes great leftovers.

Extras: My love of Italian food runs deep and another classic Roman dish.