Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt

This one's for everyone who always complains when I post ice cream recipes because they don't have an ice cream maker. No ice cream maker required for cookie dough fro yo! It's a perfect summer recipe, and it has yogurt in it, so that means it's healthy, right? Jeff and I loved this frozen yogurt so much that we ate teeny tiny servings of it to make it last longer, which is silly because I could've just made more. But you know. 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 2 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips 1 cup vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular)
Directions: 1. In a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated. 2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the chocolate chips and stir. 3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir gently. Add yogurt and stir again. 4. Scoop the mixture into a container with a lid. Cover and freeze until set (overnight, or at least a few hours).
(pre-yogurt)
(after adding yogurt)
(in a container for the freezer)
Ta-da!
Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic & Herb Red Potatoes

I don't make potatoes very often, but when I do, I make them this way. I can't stand the texture of mashed potatoes, but roasted like this? Totally different. Something about these just tastes like a traditional family dinner (I think it's the rosemary?), which makes me smile! 

Recipe loosely based on this one and this one.
Ingredients: 12 baby red potatoes 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp rosemary 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp paprika salt to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced
Directions: 1. Cut potatoes into wedges. 2. In a large bowl, toss potato wedges with all other ingredients. Mix until all potatoes are coated. 3. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on the baking sheet, skin-side-down.  4. Roast at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes
(tossing in a bowl)
(coated potatoes)
Ta-da! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken, Veggie, & Rice Casserole

I love this recipe. It can serve it crowd. It can feed picky eaters. It can be made ahead of time and frozen. It's easy to make for a family who just had a baby or something. I've made it four times in the last couple months, which is a TON for me (I normally don't like to repeat recipes)! It's tasty, and it doesn't even have any of those "cream of ____" soups in it! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 5 stalks celery, diced 4 carrots, peeled and diced 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken meat works great!) 2 cups steamed white rice 2 packages Uncle Ben's w"long grain & wild" Ready Rice, prepared 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper, divided 1/4 tsp garlic powder 4 tbsp butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Directions:  1. Heat oil in a really big skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrots until tender (10-12 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low. 2. In a separate medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and 1/2 tsp pepper. Pour in chicken broth, whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and starting to boil. Stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  3. Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture, then transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. {if you want to freeze it, cover and freeze at this point - thaw before continuing} 4. Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar. 5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted through.
(this is the wild rice I use, but any prepared wild rice will probably do)
(sauteed veggies)
(chicken)
(chicken and rice added)
(cheese sauce)
(cheese sauce added in)
(in the 9x13...)
(cheese on top)
(all done!)
Ta-da!
Enjoy!

Pin-spired Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans

I'm sure y'all have seen this one going around Pinterest. You just dump a bunch of stuff in a dish, stick it in the oven, and it ends up being an entire meal! Well, I was curious as to how this actually worked, so I decided to give it a try, and it actually turned out pretty well! 

Overall, this was a SUPER easy meal to prepare. It's not the most delicious thing I've ever cooked, but it more than makes up for it with how EASY it is! The potatoes were really quite tasty, and the green beans were good as well. The chicken was a bit bland, so I think next time I'll marinate the chicken breasts for a while first. We try to keep a low-sodium diet, so this isn't something I'd make often (canned veggies and dressing mixes are full of sodium), but when you need a really quick simple dinner, this recipe is great to have on hand!
I originally found this via this pin on Pinterest, but ended up adapting the recipe found here.
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 4-6 red potatoes, cubed 2 cans green beans 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 packet Italian dressing mix 1 stick of butter, melted salt and pepper to taste
Directions: 1. Layer chicken, potatoes, and green beans in a casserole dish. Top with garlic.  2. Sprinkle dressing mix on top. Pour melted butter evenly over the entire dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. 
(layering the ingredients in the dish...)
(this is the dressing mix I used)
(topped with dressing mix)
(ready for the oven!)
Ta-da!
Enjoy!

Roasted Zucchini with Thyme

I made a New Year's resolution for 2013 to cook and eat more vegetables. I've actually been sticking to it, and I've discovered that I LOVE roasted veggies. It's so easy to cook vegetables on a foil-lined baking sheet (easy clean-up!), and the flavors are so delicious! Thyme makes the zucchini SO tasty, and I just love this recipe!

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 3 zucchini, quartered and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks 1 small onion, thinly sliced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Directions: 1. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray it with olive oil spray.  2. On the baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread zucchini into a single layer. 3. Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring and tossing halfway through. 
(combining ingredients)
(ready for the oven!)
(out of the oven)
Mmm, roasty zucchini-y goodness! 
Ta-da!
Enjoy!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Coconut shrimp are one of my favorite seafood dishes. But usually they're fried and just not very good for you. But with this recipe, you bake them, and they come out just as delicious! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deviened 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp panko bread crumbs 2 tbsp flour 1 large egg pinch of salt cooking spray (I like the olive oil kind)
Directions: 1. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine coconut flakes, panko, and salt. Place the flour in a small separate dish. Lightly beat egg in another bowl.  2. Dip the shrimp in the flour, lightly shaking off the excess, then into the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture.  3. Lay shrimp on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the shrimp with olive oil spray.  4. Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Turn shrimp over, and bake for another 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through. 5. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice (although I don't think they need it; they're so tasty just on their own!). 

(large shrimp)

(coconut crumb mixture)

(sprayed with olive oil spray)

(ready for the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Corn Casserole

Last fall a couple people told me that their favorite Thanksgiving dish was something called "corn casserole." Having never heard of such a thing, I put it on my list of things to try. And I finally got around to finding a recipe and making it, and let me tell you - it is tasty! It's kind of like cornbread, but with more of a casserole-creamy consistency. Delicious! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 15oz can whole kernel corn, drained 1 15oz can cream-style corn 1 8oz package Jiffy corn muffin mix 1 cup sour cream 3 tbsp butter, melted 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: 1. In a large bowl, mix together the corn, Jiffy mix, sour cream, and butter. Stir in the cheese. 2. Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish, and pour in the mixture.  3. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredients...
Before adding the cheese...
Finished Mixture
Ready for the oven!
Ta-da!
Enjoy!