Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

I always underestimate the deliciousness of quiche.  I was craving it the other day and decided to make one for dinner the next week.  I went with broccoli and cheddar because, well, I love anything broccoli and cheddar.

1 Pie Crust
6 Eggs
2/3 cup Milk
2 cups Broccoli (chopped and lightly steamed)
1/2 cup Onion (finely chopped)
1 1/2 cups Cheddar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350. Place the pie crust in a greased pie plate. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.  Stir in the onion, cheddar and broccoli.  Season with salt and pepper and stir.   Pour into the pie crust.  Bake in the oven for 50 minute to an hour or until the quiche has set.  Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Navajo Tacos

This recipe had been floating around the internet forever.  I have always wanted to try it and yet it just never happened until recently.  These tacos are fun and different!  They were a hit at our house.  This recipe was adapted from The Recipe Critic.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1/4  cup water
1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained)
1 can Pillsbury Grand Original Biscuits (8 Biscuits)
oil for frying (I used vegetable oil)
shredded cheese
tomatoes
lettuce
onion
sour cream
guacamole
salsa

Heat oil in a skillet and fry each biscuit up. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.  In a separate skillet brown the ground beef, drain off the grease and add the pinto beans.  Stir in the taco seasoning.  Once the mixture is heated through spoon it onto the fried biscuits and top with your desired toppings.  Serve right away. 

Banana Bread Crumb Cake

We go through a lot of bananas in our house.  I'm talking 4 bunches a week which is usually between 28-32 bananas for the 3 of us.  If banana prices ever go up we are in big trouble.  Anyways, i had been eyeing this recipe for a while and finally we had some bananas get riper than any of us enjoy so I decided to make this recipe.  The recipe is from Cookies and Cups.

Cake Batter:
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup butter  (room temperature)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk

Crumb Mixture:
1 cup cold butter (cubed)
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl combine the mashed banana and banana.  Add in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Alternate adding in the milk and flour mixture until it is all combined.  Set to the side.  In a small bowl mix together the light brown sugar and flour.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until it's a coarse crumbly mixture.  Pour half of the batter into the pan then top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture.  Pour the remaining into the pan then top with the rest of the crumb mixture.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the cake is cooked through.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting or serve at room temperature. 

Cheesy Meatless Manicotti

Okay so it took this one being on my menu plan for several weeks before I actually got to making it.  It was so good!  This recipe is slightly adatped from Creme De La Crumb.

14 manicotti shells
16 oz fat free cottage cheese
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
3 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
1/3 cup water

Heat oven to 350. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place the manicotti shells in the water and boil for 10 to 12 minutes.  In a separate bowl place the cottage cheese,  2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, basil, oregano, pepper, salt and garlic powder.   Use a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until the ingredients are fully combined. Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 dish.  Using a spoon, carefully fill the manicotti shells with spinach filling.  Once all of the shells are filled and placed in the dish top with the remaining sauce then add in the water.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  After you have removed to the dish from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

Ultimate Loaded Baked Potato Soup

There are a lot of basked potato soup recipes out there.  Heck, there are several on my blog.  This soup though, oh my lawd.  Good stuff.  It's like the rich, creamy, thick restaurant baked potato soup.  Heavenly I tell you!  This recipe is from Center Cut Cook.

8 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
11 tbsp butter
2/3 cup all purpose flour
7 cups milk
4-6 potatoes (baked, peeled and cubed)
4 green onions (chopped)
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Whisk in the milk 1 cup at a time.  When all the milk is added continue to whisk until the mixture has thickened up slightly.  Add in the cubed baked potatoes and 3 of the chopped green onions.  Bring to a boil while stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and add in 2 cups of cheese, 6 slices of crumbled bacon, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has fully melted into the soup.  Serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese, green onion and bacon. 

Black Bean Totchos

I heard about totchos for the first time from my friend Ashley!  Suddenly I started seeing them pop up on menus and all over recipe blogs.  I think they are officially a "thing" now.  Boy are they good! Here is our recipe for yummy vegetarian totchos!

1/2 Bag Tater Tots
1 can Black Beans
1 cup Shredded Colby Jack
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
Lettuce
Tomato
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Cook the tater tots according to the directions. While the tots are cooking, place the black beans in a pot, add the cumin and chili powder and bring to a boil.  Turn down to keep warm.  When the tots are finished cooking, gather them all in the center of the sheet pan.  Top with 1/2 the cheese then black beans then the remaining cheese.  Place back in the oven and turn on the broiler.  Once the cheese is melted remove from the oven.  Slide on to a plate and top with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole. 

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

I am really obsessed with making oatmeal smoothies.  They are the BEST for breakfast and keep me full for so long.  This is one of my favorite combinations to make, so creamy and yummy!

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 sliced frozen banana
1/2 cup yogurt of choice
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk of choice
2/3 cup frozen blueberries

Place all of the ingredients in the blender.  Blend until it reaches the desired consistency.  Drink right away.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Muffins

These pretty little muffins would make the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast!  I love everything about red velvet and these little muffins were fun and yummy.  This recipe is from Gal on a Mission.

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp red food coloring
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.  In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the oil, egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix.  Fold in the unsweetened cocoa powder, red food coloring and white chocolate chips until combined.  Fill the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full and bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until done.  Remove and let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack. 

Skillet Cornbread

This is the cornbread recipe I have been making forever.  I got it from my mom and I am thinking the original came from an old church cookbook from the church she grew up at in a very small town in North Carolina.  Let me tell you, the ladies in that town can cook!!!!  The recipe is so simple and always turns out great!

1/2 cup self rising flour
1 cup self rising cornmeal (we use white cornmeal)
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (melted)


Heat oven to 375.  Place the skillet in the oven while it is heating up (this is how I was taught, I know others do this part differently).  In a bowl combine the self rising flour, self rising cornmeal and sugar.   Mix in the egg and buttermilk.  Stir in the melted butter.  When the oven has reached the proper temperature remove the skillet, remember it's very hot.  Pour the batter into the skillet, you should hear a nice sizzle.  Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cornbread is cooked through. 

Pinto Beans

This is one of our favorite winter meals.  I think we love it even more now that we live a long way from home and this just feels so southern and so much like home.  The key to eating pinto beans is having cornbread to go with them!  My cornbread recipe will post on Friday.  We didn't eat a lot of pinto beans in my house growing up but I did eat them with my grandmother.   One thing she taught me was to eat them with onions and ketchup on top.  Gray did not grow up eating them with ketchup.  To each his own!  Anyways, this is my recipe for pinto beans.  After years of tweaking it, this is the recipe we have stuck with for a while and we both love it.

1lb dried pinto beans
6 cups of chicken broth OR 3 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup onion (diced)
3 strips bacon (any kind of smoked bacon works best)
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup (optional)

Soak beans according to directions.  Place the beans, diced onion, salt and strips of bacon in a pot.  Pour the chicken broth over them beans.  Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 to 7 minutes.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add in the worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Keep at a simmer and cover again and cook for another hour.  Stir in the ketchup (optional) and cook for 30 minutes to an hour.  Serve with fresh diced onion and/or ketchup. 

Farfalle with Bacon, Roasted Tomatoes and Cream

This has been on my list to make for a while now.  I finally made it last week for dinner and as expected, it was delicious.  This whole dish just works so well together.  This recipe is from Cassie Craves.

1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil 
16 oz farfalle
6 strips of bacon (diced)
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400.  Line a pan with foil and lightly grease it.  Toss the tomatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the tomatoes on the foil and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions. While the pasta is cooking, saute the bacon until cooked through.   Remove the bacon, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the grease in the skillet.  Add the butter and saute the garlic for 1 or 2 minutes.  Stir in the wine and then add the heavy cream. Heat until it begins to simmer.  Add in the parmesan cheese and turn down the heat.  Stir until the cheese is melted.  Add the tomatoes and bacon to the sauce.  When the pasta is ready and drained, stir in the sauce.  Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.