Chicken Zucchini Casserole

I was craving a casserole this week.  I had this recipe pinned on Pinterest and it seemed to be exactly what my taste buds were wanting..

This might be a favorite casserole to date.  I could NOT stop eating it! 

I love how the diced zucchini cooked in this recipe.  It was so warm and seemed to almost melt in my mouth.  Double thumbs up!  I'll be making this again!

Ingredients
6 ounce package of boxed stuffing mix (I used Stove Top)
½ cup melted butter
4 cups of zucchini, diced
2 cups of cooked chicken, cubed
10.75 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
½ onion, chopped
½ cup of sour cream

Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix and melted butter.
Set aside ½ cup of the mixture for the topping.
In a large bowl add the zucchini, chicken, soup, onion and sour cream to the remaining stuffing.
Place the zucchini mix into at greased 9x13 glass pan and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle reserved ½ cup stuffing mix on top and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.

I served this with a side of salad

Soooooo delicious!

AND it feed our family of 4 for two nights in a row

Lovejoy Ladies Game Night - Presidents

Each year the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools hosts a Ladies Game Night as a fundraiser.

It's a fun evening of games, laughter, food and drink.

The most exciting part of the evening (besides winning a game and receiving a prize) is seeing all the decorated table themes! 

*fun fact - I never win any games anyways EVER

The room consists of multiple tables of 10, and each table decorates/personalizes their table with the theme of their choice.

Our table of 10 gathered weeks ago to begin brainstorming table themes.

Examples of table themes in the past have been: 50s table, movie stars, sports themes, etc.  

We tossed around multiple ideas and finally settled on The Presidential Candidates.

-Our plan was to find images online of the top 10 candidates and make masks using those images to wear all evening during the event.

-Our table was decorated elaborately with Uncle Sam, flags, balloons, flag banners, etc.

-The male candidates all wore black pants, white shirts, red ties, and a black sport coat was optional.

-The 2 female candidates were to dress the way their candidates typically do, pant suit or dress 

-Each candidate was to wear a flag pin on their collar

-Each candidate would carry their own campaign sign throughout the event and engage with the crowd

Disclaimer: the candidate we represented was not a reflection of who we plan to vote for

The room was full of tables with fun themes!

Our table - The Presidential Candidates

  

Introducing your candidates 

 

 

We would randomly stand up during the event and campaign for ourselves

Loved Jebs upside down sign all night

If you weren't there or haven't figured it out, I was Chris Christie.

I tried to bulk up with extra clothing, made sure I paraded around with my thumb up, and actually had a snickers candy bar in my hand all evening

Kudos to Christie for his current weight loss and healthier lifestyle, but I'm sure he still enjoys a candy bar every once in awhile 

 

This was such a crazy fun night!  I think all 10 of us enjoyed hiding behind our masks and working the room.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.  

What a fun night!  

Thank you to the Foundation for hosting such a wonderful evening of fun!

Sausage Egg Cheese Breakfast Bread

In place of a sausage breakfast casserole, try this!

I loved this dish!

photo and recipe courtesy of TheNeighborhoodMoms

You will need:

3  cans of regular biscuits (generic are perfectly fine)
8 eggs
splash of milk
1 tsp ground mustard
1lb of breakfast sausage
1 4oz pkg of shredded cheese (your choice, cheddar or mexican is best!)

Brown the sausage in a skillet and drain well. 
Beat the eggs into a bowl and add the splash of milk, ground mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.  Slice the biscuits into quarters. 
In batches, dip the biscuits into the egg mixture and place in a bundt pan.
You will want to layer in biscuits, sausage, cheese, and pour a little bit of the egg in.  I think I did about 3 layers of biscuits. 
Pour any leftover egg mixture on top.
Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Serve immediately!

Once my pan cooled for 5-10 minutes, I turned the bread over onto a plate like you would a bundt cake.

Then you can pull the bread apart or slice it to serve it.

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

I made my first ever quiche this week!

And I'm giving it 2 thumbs up!

You bet I'll be making this again and again!

recipe courtesy of MixAndMatchMama


 
1 (9 inch) pie crust (refrigerated or homemade)
5 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon of pepper
¼ teaspoon of salt
1½ cups chopped fresh spinach
6 strips of bacon, chopped (you can use turkey bacon if you want)
½ pound of browned and crumbly sausage, optional
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly spray a pie plate with cooking spray.  Fit your pie crust down inside.  Set pie crust aside.

Beat eggs with whisk until well blended. Beat in cream, onion powder, salt and pepper.

 In the bottom of your pie crust layer half of your chopped spinach, bacon, sausage and cheddar cheese.  Repeat for one more layer.

 Pour egg and cream mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until egg mixture is firm and the top is golden. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I can't even believe I am posting this.  People, I made brussel sprouts.  

Can you believe it took me 38 years to even try one?  

Brent and I were at a restaurant a few months ago and the waiter highly recommended the Brussel Sprouts as a side dish.  So I decided, what the heck, I'll try it.  Granted those brussel sprouts were flash-fried (so a small crisp to them), they were amazing!

The other night I got fancy at dinner with a fish dish (that post will come soon) and for a side dish, I opted to try and bake some brussel sprouts.  I am so glad I did.  They were wonderful!

photo and recipe courtesy of AverieCooks

INGREDIENTS:

about 1 1/4 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
about 1/4 cup balsamic reduction or glaze (I used Trader Joe's glaze.  Do not use balsamic vinegar - it's not the same)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
parmesan cheese, optional for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
Add the brussels sprouts to the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss with your hands to evenly coat.
Arrange the sprouts with the cut-side (flat side) down and bake for about 18 minutes, or until the tops of some of the sprouts are turning light brown.
Remove baking sheet from oven, flip sprouts over with a tongs, and evenly drizzle with balsamic and evenly sprinkle with brown sugar.
You only need to put a tiny pinch of sugar on the top of each sprout. It helps with caramelization and takes the edge off the intensity of the balsamic and doesn't make them taste sweet, but if you're adverse to adding sugar, it can be omitted.
Return baking sheet to oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until sprouts are as caramelized and browned as desired.
Baking times will vary based on the size of the sprouts used, personal preference for done-ness, oven and climate variances, etc.
Keep a close eye on them in the last 10 minutes of baking because they can go from underdone to overdone and burnt in just a couple minutes. 
Optionally garnish with cheese before serving. Brussels sprouts are best warm and fresh.

Once they were cooked and ready to be served, I moved them from the baking sheet to a serving bowl

Death by Oreo Cupcakes

I was asked to bake some cupcakes for Ashlan's dance studio meeting.  There would be kids there, so I opted to make both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.

For the chocolate cupcake, I picked this Oreo recipe.  

What kid doesn't like an oreo? (I sure haven't met one yet)

Of course I had to eat one as soon as they were complete.  

My favorite part of the cupcake? The oreo at the bottom of the cupcake!

photo and recipe courtesy of RecipeSnobs

Ingredients

1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake).
Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner.
Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix.
Fill the cupcake tins.
Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions)

While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.
Cream together butter and cream cheese.
Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well.
Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine
 Add to frosting.
After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup

Kate was sick this week with a nasty stomach bug, so our meals needed to be bland and easy on her tummy.  This 'twist' on chicken noodle soup (tortellini instead of noodles) was a huge hit and her tummy tolerated it well.  Plus, it's just a good meal for these slightly chilly winter evenings

 (although I wish it were colder here)

photo and recipe courtesy of TheRecipeCritic

Ingredients
 
1½ pounds boneless chicken breast
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or more to taste
2 cups cheese tortellini
chopped fresh parsley for serving, if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 
Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker except for the tortellini.
Cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred or cube and add back to the slow cooker.
Add in the tortellini and cook for 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Discard bay leaves and serve immediately with chopped parsley, if desired.

I served this soup with some pretzel rolls that I already had.

But definitely warm up some french bread or whatever you choose, so you can dip it in the broth.

Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars

I know the holiday is over, so cranberries and white chocolate are so last season....But really, why wouldn't this recipe be good year round.  I saw these bars online and immediately wanted to try one.  I had the ingredients on hand (I can't believe I had dried cranberries already in the pantry, either), and quickly got to work.  These turned out so good!  I even shared them with a couple of close neighbors who later asked for the recipe.  After you make them, store them in the fridge.  They are fantastic any time of day, but I indulged in having one for breakfast 3 days straight along with my coffee.

 

photo and recipe courtesy of SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (Gold Metal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

For the Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted*
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.

Fold in white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cranberries. Spread batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.


Bake 10 - 14 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended. Frost bars and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.

*To melt the chocolate, place in a microwave safe cup and heat 15 seconds; stir. Another 15 seconds; stir until the chocolate is melted.

When the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sweet Kielbasa Bites

I had some girlfriends over this week to plan for an upcoming event, and I prepared some appetizers to share with the girls.  This appetizer went so fast that I didn't have a chance to snap my own picture.  But I need to share it with you, because your guests will love this dish!

Photo and recipe courtesy of MostlyHomemadeMom

Ingredients
14 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced
3/4 cup Canada Dry® Ginger Ale
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Cooking Directions
Place sliced sausage in the bottom of a square baking dish.
In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
Pour over sausage in dish.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

My stepson requested a specific dinner this week.  He wanted fish, spinach, and whatever else I wanted to add.  So I added squash risotto (frozen from Trader Joes), and this amazing cheesy bread.

It's easy to make and the entire family devoured it!

photo and recipe courtesy of DinnersDishes&Desserts

Ingredients
1 tube Pillsbury Grand Biscuits
¼ cup butter
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1½ Tbls Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.
Pop open the tub of biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4-6 pieces.
Melt butter. Mix all of the seasonings in with the melted butter.
Toss the cut up biscuits in the melted butter mixture.
Place a layer of biscuits in the bottom of your prepared pan.
Sprinkle a layer of Mozzarella cheese.
Continue layering until you used up all the dough.
Bake or 12-14 minute until puffed up and golden brown.