Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is my go-to party appetizer and I absolutely love it every time I make it!

1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach

2 cans artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped

2 packages cream cheese, softened (I use light or fat free)

1/2 cup sour cream (I use light)

1/2 cup mayo (I use light--I'm making a real effort to make this a slightly healthier version!)

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup mozzarella

Few pinches of red pepper flakes

Salt

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, set aside. Cook spinach according to package directions, drain. Mix spinach, onion and garlic in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, mix. Add mayo, sour cream, cheeses, red pepper flakes and salt. Mix well. Add artichoke hearts, mix. Transfer to a baking dish top with a little more mozzarella. Bake at 350 until bubbly and slightly browned on the top, about 25 mintues. Serve with tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

Apple Pecan Cheesecake

This was my first attempt at cheesecake and I was making it as one of the Thanksgiving desserts, so I was feeling a little nervous about it. Then as I was about to pop it in the oven, I realized that I had used regular sugar when I was supposed to use brown sugar! It ended up turning out really good anyway and I got lots of compliments on it, so even with the mini-disaster, my first cheesecake was a success!

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

4 packages cream cheese, softened (I used 2 regular and 2 fat free)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)

4 eggs

4 cups chopped, peeled apples (about 3)

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 325. Line 9x13 pan with foil. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 tablespoons sugar; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; blend. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Mix remaining 1/2 sugar, apples, pecans and cinnamon; spoon over batter. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Makes 16 servings

Source Jello ad in Everyday by Rachael Ray magazine

Menu 11/29-12/7

Sunday:
Dinner at my mom's for my sisters' last night in town :(

Monday:
Black Bean Soup
Turkey tacos

Tuesday:
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Rice
Veggie Eggrolls

Wednesday:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Garlic-Cheese Biscuits

Thursday:
Smothered Mushroom Chicken
Garlic Spinach

Apple Pancake Disaster

So you would think it would be easy to make pancakes from a mix, but apparently not so much. These were still tasty even after they were mangled (and I must add that my lovely husband was in charge of the pancake flipping) and Colin was pretty impressed that I managed to just "whip up" some real whipped cream!

Taco Soup with Jalapeno Cornbread

Ok, I think I have a slight soup obsession! I always find recipes for soups that sound so good and they're usually so easy and filling that it's hard to resist! I know pretty much everyone has a version of a taco soup recipe, so here's mine.....

1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn
1 can (14 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) tomato sauce
2-3 cups water
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing

Brown meat in Dutch oven. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados and crushed corn chips.

Before I made this cornbread Colin made sure to tell me that he didn't like it when cornbread was "too dry". So, lucky me, I came across a recipe for "extra moist" jalapeno cornbread and figured Colin would love it. Well, turns out he also doesn't like it when cornbread is "too mushy", go figure! Either way I thought this was super tasty and will definitely make it again!

Extra Moist Jalapeno Cornbread
3 (7 oz.) packages of cornbread mix (if using Jiffy, omit the sugar from the recipe)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cups shredded Colby or Monterey Jack cheese (I only used 1 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole or buttermilk (I used 1% milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 (15 oz.) can cream-style corn
6 oz. chopped jalapenos

*This made a huge amount, so I'll probably half it next time

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 pan or cast iron skillet. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes (I ended up baking it for closer to an hour).

Parmesan Orzo with Pesto Vegetables

Colin used to say that a meal wasn't really a meal without meat, but ever since our "Month Without Meat" last year, he's been a total convert to vegetarian-ish meals. He loved this and made sure to take all the leftovers with him for lunch the next day too!

Parmeasan Orzo

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup orzo

1 1/4 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cup water

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper

Source Cooking Light

Red Potatoes and Green Beans with Pesto

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed

1/2 cup pesto (I kept it simple and used store-bought)

1/4 cup goat cheese, optional (I skipped this)

Handful of thin red onion slices

Salt and pepper

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and season with salt. Simmer until potatoes are nearly tender, about 12 minutes. Add the green beans to the pot and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the vegetables and toss with the pesto (and goat cheese, if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with sliced red onion.

Cheesy Muffins

I made these for both my work Thanksgiving lunch and real Thanksgiving and they were enjoyed at both!

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups shredded colby jack cheese (I only use 2 cups and they are still plenty cheesy!)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Mix together and bake in 12 greased muffin tins for about 15 minutes.