Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

This is yet another slow cooker recipe which I decided to try in anticipation The Veggie Mom becoming the Working Veggie Mom.  By the way, hubris is a heartless bitch and she will ruin your chances of returning to work if you get cocky and start preparing in advance for a job you do not yet have.  I hate hubris.  

The Ingredients
20 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

10 3/4 ounces cream of celery soup

1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cups onion, diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoons ground black pepper

16 saltine crackers, crushed

 Combine all except the saltines in the crock of your slow cooker

Cook on low for 6 hours

The first time I attempted this recipe I put the crackers on the top for the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, but that left me with some VERY mushy crackers on top.  So, the second time I added the crackers to each plate as I served it.  Nice and crunchy!!

Recipe source: Crock-pot.com

 

Serving size 1 cup (including crackers)

Calories 123

Protein 5 grams

Fat 7 grams 

Sodium 326 grams

Fiber 3 grams

Potassium 178

Baked Smokey Macaroni and Cheese

This is a smokey and delicious baked macaroni and cheese.  You simply start by making a cheese sauce with a nice Smoke Gouda at it's base, toss it with the cooked elbow macaroni, top it with bread crumbs and bake.  This recipe can be made with any variety of cheese, but I always like to include some mozzarella, as mozzarella melts so well and it seems to help keep the other cheese from getting that grainy texture as they melt.

 The Ingredients
12 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups, shredded smoked Gouda
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups 1% milk
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
several dashes of liquid smoke
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

The Tools
Large stock pot
Large sauce pan
2 qt baking dish
cheese grater (if you didn't purchase pre-grated cheese)

The Cooking

 

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and have your 2 qt baking dish ready, spray your dish with a cooking spray if you feel your dish needs to be prepared in this fashion.  Over medium heat melt the butter and add the flour, stirring constantly until a paste is formed.

Slowly begin to add the milk, stirring constantly.  Add a little, stir a lot and then add some more.  Take your time of this part of the process.  As I have you using milk you will need to be careful that the mixture not come of a boil. 

Once all the milk is added you will have a nice white sauce 

In batches slowly add the cheese, stirring and allowing each batch to melt before adding the next.

Once all the cheese is added you will have a cheese sauce to which you can add the addition of Worcestershire sauce

Then add some liquid smoke to enhance the smokey flavor of the smoked gouda.  

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni. The brown flecks you see in the cheese sauce are from the outside of the smoked Gouda. Mix the cheese sauce and macaroni together.  

  Place the macaroni and cheese into a prepared 2 qt baking dish and top it with the breadcrumbs.  Somehow I failed to photograph the breadcrumbs on top, but you can see them in the finished product at the beginning of this post.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  

Or until the top is nice and golden brown

The recipe source: My Brain

This recipe serves 12 1-cup servings

Calories: 307

Protein: 15 grams

Fat: 14 grams

Sodium: 443 mg

Fiber: 1 gram

Potassium: 3 mg

Faux Chicken Tetrazzini

I have wanted for some time to make a Vegetarian Tetrazzini Recipe, but then I realized I had no idea what the hell Tetrazzini was.  So, I started doing some research and I discovered that Tetrazzini was kind of like Tuna Casserole, but not.  I don't know what to tell you, that is the impression I was left with after researching the recipe. Also, apparently this recipe was named after an opera singer, who must have really liked dishes made from Thanksgiving leftovers.  Regardless, I like what I ended up with and I hope you enjoy it.  

The Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups homemade vegetable broth

2 cups fat-free half and half

1/4 cup dry sherry

1-9.0 ounce package fake chicken

1-6.0 ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons capers

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

paprika, for sprinkling on top

Tools

large sauce pan

stock pot

2 qt casserole dish

The Cooking

Cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 9 minutes. When it is done, drain it and sit it aside until needed. 

 Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat

Once the butter is melted, slowly add the all-purpose flour, making sure to whisk the mixture constantly.  

 Whisk the mixture continuously until the flour is completely cooked together with the butter to form a roux.

Gradually add in the vegetable broth, whisking until in each addition until it is completely combined and the sauce begins to thicken. 

Stir, stir, stir and add, add, add until the all the broth has been absorbed and the sauce is nice and thick

Gradually, add the fat free half and half.  This is where you have to be careful with the heat.  Because this half and half is fat free is it going to be likely to separate.  You will need to keep your sauce from boiling at all cost while you add the half and half.  Just add it slowly and whisk it in between additions to make certain that is is fully incorporated.  Your sauce will get thinner, but it won't be too bad.  

Add the sherry to the sauce

Then, add the fake chicken,

the jarred mushrooms,

and the capers. 

 Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed.

Place the cooked spaghetti into the baking dish

Pour the sauce mixture over the spaghetti

it will be really full, but that's okay because it will be really full of awesomely delicious food

Top with the Parmesan cheese, and 

sprinkle the casserole with paprika

Bake the casserole for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling

a serving size is 1/8 of the casserole

Calories: 261

Fat Grams: 8

Fiber:2

Sodium: 298

Tex-Mex Lasagana

 

What?  You've seen this recipe before?  I can't imagine where you might have seen it?  Hmmm, I just don't know.  Okay, fine!  I've done it again.  This is a recipe I have previously posted, but NOW it has more pictures and step-by-step instructions, AND I added black olives.  Basically, it is not a totally different recipe!  Shut up, it totally is! 

 The Ingredients

1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-4.0 ounce can of sliced black olives, drained and rinsed

 1 cup frozen yellow corn

1/2 cup salsa

6 no-bake lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

The Tools

large bowl

9x13 inch baking dish

aluminum foil

The Cooking

Pre-heat the oven to 450°.  And combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, beans, black olives, and frozen corn, in a large bowl.  

Spread 1/4 cup of the salsa into the bottom of the baking dish

Top the salsa with 1/2 of the noodles

Top the noodles with 1/2 of the bean mixture

Top the bean mixture with 1 cup of cheese and with another 1/4 cup of the salsa

Top the salsa with the last of the noodles.

Top the last of the noodles with the rest of the bean filling

And finally, top the last of the filling with the remaining 1 cup of cheese

Cover the dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 25-30 minutes.  

Let the lasagna sit until it is not molten hot and enjoy!

Serving is 1/8 of the lasagna

Calories (calculated via myfitnesspal.com and my vary based on your ingredient choices): 237

Fat Grams: 6

Fiber Grams: 6

Sodium: 791

Original recipe source: Cooking Light

Spinach Lasagana

I have posted this recipe before, but this is my step by step version.  This recipe is a classic and all time favorite in our house, and it was originally my mom's recipe. 

While making a lasagna from scratch may seem daunting, it need to be.   You can use any type of vegetables in your lasagna, just swap out about the same amount as I have here for the spinach.  Of course you could also replace the vegetables with a vegetarian/vegan sausage or vegetarian meat product. 

The Ingredients

 8 ounces lasagna noodles

15 ounce package ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 ounces marinara sauce of choice

1/4 cup water (sorry, I forgot to include it in the photo)

The Prep Work

Preheat the oven to 350°.  You will need aluminum foil and a 98x13 inch baking dish for this recipe

The Cooking

Boil the pasta for 12 minutes or until al dente

Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach, and herbs/seasoning together in a medium sized bowl.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish

 Top the sauce layer with three noodles

Spread 1/3 of the filling on top of the noodles

On top of the filling, add a layer of sauce

 Repeat the layering

And repeat, again

Top with the last cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.  Pour the 1/4 of water around the edges of the lasagna and top with aluminum foil.  Bake for an hour. 



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