BLT Pasta Salad

Hey gang, I'm finally able to write a post because:

• We had no baseball games last night!
• I actually cooked something for dinner!

Yes, it's been one of those summers. Last week, I grilled a bunch of salmon at 10 am on a Tuesday and made a bowl of Ramen & Boy Choy Salad so that we'd have something to eat after my boys' games.

My husband and I ate the dinner I pre-made. My boys opted for frozen pizza.

This week I made some pasta salad. Genius, I thought. A hearty, cold salad that will be ready when we are! And since my boys eat bacon almost every morning, on a bagel with cream cheese, surely they would like this BLT Pasta Salad, right?

Sam took a big bowl for lunch yesterday, then told me later on that he threw it out and made a sandwich instead. Max hasn't tried it, but Bob and I enjoyed it.

How do you feed your family during these crazy days of summer? Please share!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

BLT Pasta Salad
Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchen.

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 bacon slices, cooked crispy and diced
1 pound pasta, cooked to package directions (rotini or ziti) and cooled
3 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 pint curry tomatoes, halved
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and combine with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, bacon, spinach and tomatoes. Pour dressing on top and mix until pasta is coated in dressing.

Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving, to let flavors combine.

Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Triangles

Spinach is often on our dinner table and I am forever trying to find ways to get my kids to eat the leafy vegetable.

Who wouldn't like spinach with cheese and bacon? My boys — of course.

The good news: My husband and I loved this side dish, and since there were lots of leftovers, my main course for lunch the next day was good to go.

You can tailor this to your tastes by using your favorite type of cheese or leaving out the bacon.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Triangles
Inspired by this recipe from Family Circle

Cooking spray
3 10 ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8-9 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 to 6 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray bottom and sides of a 13-by-9 inch baking dish.

Wrap spinach in a clean kitchen towel. Holding towel over the sink, squeeze out as much water as you can.

Heat a skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a dish lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

In a large bowl, mix 1 tablespoon bacon fat with flour, eggs, milk, baking powder and salt and pepper. Add spinach, cheese, bacon and green onions and stir until well combined.

Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until top starts to turn light brown in spots.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut into triangles.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Savory Spring Egg Cups

These breakfast treats remind me of the Italian Easter meat pie (pizza rustica) that my family would devour every spring. That hearty dish (best consumed cold) combines hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, prosciutto and ricotta cheese in a flaky double pie crust.

I still hope to make one of those savory pies before summer hits, but today's sweet little recipe satisfied my craving.  Better yet – my boys liked it. I served these egg cups for dinner and the leftovers held up great the next day. Lunch for me; hearty after-school snack for them.

You can use your favorite breakfast meat, like sausage or ham. I used bacon because it imparts a taste similar to the prosciutto used in my family's traditional Easter morning meal.

These would make a great addition to an Easter brunch menu, especially if you have extra eggs in the fridge. Or they might be a good way to use that leftover holiday ham.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Savory Spring Egg Cups
Inspired by a video from HomemadeHooplah.com

2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed
Small container ricotta cheese
6 slices precooked bacon, chopped
1 dozen eggs
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper

**Cut recipe in half if you don't need 12 egg cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large 12-tin muffin pan with cooking spray. If you like, line each tin with paper or parchment muffin liners.

Place 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten into a square shape. Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Cut each pastry sheet into 6 squarish rectangles. Push 1 square of pastry into each prepared muffin tin. Flute edges of pastry so they stand up slightly. Spray pastry with cooking spray.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Push down gently with back of a spoon.

Crack one egg into each muffin cup. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Place in preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cook a few minutes less if you prefer a less solid yolk. (You can test the yolk with a toothpick.)

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Tastes great served warm or cold. Fresh berries make a nice side dish. Perfect for any meal!

Yellow & French Lentils with Wilted Greens

Now that we're deep into the cold, gray winter months out here in Illinois, I've been trying to make meals that use what's in my pantry, as I did last week with pumpkin and pasta.

This week, lentils are on the menu. I have several bags – French, yellow and red. I thought of Amy's Soul-Soothing Red Lentil Stew. So pretty, hearty and healthy, lentils could be just the ticket for a cozy dinner.

My original meal plans for the week included sautéing some sausage with a bag of greens. Why not add some lentils into the mix, right? I looked around at various online lentil recipes to give me some ideas – and Yellow & French Lentils with Wilted Greens was born. I served this with a side of cajun sausage links to please my boys. If you have any leftovers, the lentils taste great cold, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Yellow & French Lentils with Wilted Greens
Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchn.

1/2 cup French (green) lentils
1/2 cup yellow lentils
2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 13 ounce bag mixed greens (kale, spinach, collard, etc.)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Put lentils and chicken broth into a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook lentils for about 25 minutes, or until softened. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Do not drain.

In a large pan or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until just crisp. Drain fat out of the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of grease. Add onions, garlic, rosemary, sage and ground pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are softened.

Lower heat to medium. Add lentils and any remaining stock into the bacon and onion mixture in the Dutch oven. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Add greens to Dutch oven and cover for 2 minutes. Remove cover and stir, incorporating greens into lentils. Continue to cook and stir until all greens are wilted. Remove from heat, partially cover and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar to make a dressing.

Serve lentils and greens warm, topped with dressing and sliced green onions.

Grilled ABC (Avocado Bacon Cheese) Sandwich

My husband and I do our best to instill important values in our children.

There's the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."

And then there's Lucy's and Penny's Golden Rule: "Bacon makes everything better."

The grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich is not an every day sandwich; it's a special treat, for sure. I make it whenever we have the good fortune of having ripe avocados and a little bit of bacon that needs to be used up.

XOXO,
Amy

Grilled Avocado Bacon Cheese Sandwich

Bacon
Butter spread or softened butter
Sliced bread
Avocado, sliced
Cheese slices

Cook bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees. It will take about 15 minutes. No need to flip the bacon halfway. You will know when the bacon is done when it is sizzling all over. (BTW, I recently learned there is no other way to cook bacon. The mess is contained and the bacon stays flat versus curling up like it does in a frying pan.)

While bacon is in the oven, butter the outside of your slices of bread. Place buttered side down in a skilled sprayed with Pam. Turn heat under the skillet to medium to medium high. Place a piece of cheese on top of the bread and then layer with avocado. Next, layer with the cooked bacon, which you blotted with paper towels after removing from the oven. Layer another piece of cheese on top of the bacon. Add the top piece of bread. Cook as you would a grilled cheese. Be carefully flipping the sandwich so the insides don't spill out all over.

Eat up and enjoy just like this little girl!

Here's Penny giving thumbs up to her first grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich. It was February 2, 2014, a date that called for a fun, festive, yummy dinner to honor Penny's fifth birthday and Super Bowl Sunday. The only thing that would have made the occasion better would have been if Penny's beloved Carolina Panthers had been playing in the big game.

Cajun Turkey Jambalaya

Tired of leftovers? Here's a great way to disguise last night's turkey or chicken in an entirely new dish. This quickly-prepped dinner is a delicious way to use what's left from a big holiday bird or the weekend's whole roasted chicken. In fact, I ordered an extra large smoked turkey from my butcher this Easter — just so I could stir this up later on.

Why do I love this recipe so much? It's a one-pot meal. It's easily varied. It has bacon in it! And it works equally well with freshly cooked, leftover or smoked turkey or chicken.

But I have to be honest with you. The real reason this is one of my go-to suppers is that the turkey and rice dish is a real crowd pleaser at my house. The jambalaya delivers enough kick to satisfy my husband and oldest son Max, who prefer spicy foods. Yet the heat is mild enough for me and Sam to enjoy, too.

A California Chopped Salad or green salad topped with Apple-Herb Vinaigrette would be a perfect way to round out this meal.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Cajun Turkey Jambalaya
Adapted from About.com Southern Food

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (red, yellow or orange bell peppers work here, too)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups leftover or cooked fresh turkey or chicken (white or dark meat or both), cut in cubes
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley or both), divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups raw rice
1/2 cup sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot with lid, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and turkey to the bacon drippings and saute for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Add the chicken stock or broth, 1/2 cup of the cilantro, salt, black pepper, marjoram, cayenne and bay leaves. Stir together and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and stir to combine. Cover and place pot in center of oven. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Spoon servings onto plates or into bowls. Top with green onions, bacon and remaining cilantro.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice

I was in search of dinner inspiration last week, and I went old school. People, I busted out the church cookbook from 2001.

These are the recipes of my youth. The casseroles, the jello salads, the cakes eaten off Styrofoam plates in the church basement. Comfort food made by people who love you. The smile on my face grew wider as I flipped through each page. Yes, I was thinking about how good Bonnie's Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is, but more than that, I was thinking about how good the people are.

The recipe I landed on was contributed by Amy, our fearless babysitter back in the 90's. She took us to the county fair and let us swim until we were pruney. We spent summers cruising in the backseat of her giant whale of a car, listening to Billy Joel's Greatest Hits. I could hear the opening strains of Piano Man whispering through my subconscious as I made Amy's Bacon Cheeseburger Rice.

This is fall-is-here comfort food at its finest. Quick, easy, and delicious, The husband and I couldn't stop eating it. I kept sneaking bites as I was cleaning up the dinner dishes. Truth. Bacon Cheeseburger Rice will be a regular on the menu rotation around here.

Thanks for a divine hot dinner, Amy. And thanks for being such a great babysitter.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice
Serves: 4-6
Gently adapted from the Randall Memorial Baptist Church Cookbook

6 strips bacon
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
Salt and pepper
1 3/4 cups water
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from the pan and return to medium heat.

Add ground beef or turkey to reserved bacon grease and cook, stirring, until cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add water, barbecue sauce, mustard, and onion powder. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved bacon before serving.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Savory, sweet, salty. Crisp, crunchy, tender. It's all of the good things.

It began with an innocent trip to Trader Joe's. I had already planned my menu for the week and purchased all of the required ingredients. But I got a little bored and the weather got a little crummy, so I bundled up my little boy for a trip to snag pumpkin spice rooibos tea from TJ's. And I maybe wanted a sample of whatever they were sampling. I'll be honest.

I was sticking to my pumpkin-themed shopping list until I meandered through the produce section. There I came upon a giant stalk of Brussles sprouts. "Danny, look at this!" I breathed with awe. Danny's eyes were wide with wonder, and he demonstrated true admiration by rubbing his drool-y hands all over the Brussels sprouts. He loved them. How could I not buy them? For Danny, of course.

And then this deliciousness happened. What's better than Brussels sprouts? Brussels sprouts with maple syrup and bacon, thankyouverymuch.

Get roasting, people.

P.S. No, Danny did not eat the Brussels sprouts. He only eats graham crackers. Sigh.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Serves: 4

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 strips bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss together Brussels sprouts, oil, bacon, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until Brussels Sprouts are golden brown and tender, tossing halfway through.

BLT Salad with Homemade Low Fat Ranch Dressing

I'm getting real with this post.

Real Life #1: I made this salad for dinner to use up a bunch of stuff in my fridge. There's nothin' like leftovers to force creativity!

Real Life #2: My intent was to make homemade croutons to put on this salad. You know, to represent the bread part of a BLT sandwich. But then the husband got home from work early, and we took our boy to swing at the park. Swinging trumps croutons every. single. time.

Real Life #3: I made seven pieces of bacon when I was prepping for this salad. I thought I'd use four pieces in the salad and three for a club sandwich the next day. I put all seven pieces in the salad. No regrets.

Real Life #4: I was pretty tempted to use bottled ranch dressing for this recipe, but making it from scratch made the salad extra special. The dressing took about ten minutes whip up, though, so if you don't have ten extra minutes, by all means, use the stuff from a bottle. I won't judge.

Real Life #5: The husband told me that for lunch at work, he's been ordering BLT sandwiches with cheese. I jumped right on that band wagon when I made this salad. I married him for his brains as much as his good looks.

BLT Salad with Homemade Low Fat Ranch Dressing
Dressing adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves: 2 as a main dish (with extra dressing)

Dressing:
1/8 cup buttermilk*
1/8 cup lowfat sour cream
1/8 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons water

Salad:
Half a head of iceberg or Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
7 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients except water. Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons water until dressing reaches your desired consistency.

Evenly divide lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, and cheese between two plates. Top with dressing and black pepper.

*Don't have buttermilk? Don't let that stop you. You can make your own buttermilk by mixing together 1 cup regular milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and allowing it to sit for about 5 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the milk thickens and looks a little bit curdled. (Since this recipe only calls for 1/8 cup buttermilk, just use 1/8 cup milk and a little less than 1/2 a teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar to make your own.)

Three Cheese and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

I woke up yesterday morning, and there was snow on the ground. SNOW. Sticking. On. The. Ground. Geez Louise, it's the middle of April. I was peeved. Really peeved.

If mother nature won't give us springtime warmth, we'll have to crank up our ovens and make our kitchens cozy. So today we're making a familiar favorite, Macaroni and Cheese. Piles of melty, gooey cheese are punctuated with salty, savory bacon.  And pasta. I think that pasta is food's way of giving us a hug. That'll stick it to the snow.

Let's make comfort food.
--Erin

Three Cheese and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound small pasta (I used bowties.)
8 ounces bacon
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk (I used 1% because that's what we drink.)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for one minute less than al dente. (Since we're baking this pasta, it will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain pasta and set aside.

Put the empty pasta pot back on the stove over medium-high heat. (You could use a separate pot, but I don't like washing dishes.) Add bacon and cook until it's just barely crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once it's cool enough to handle, chop bacon and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease from the pot.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onion. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent, 5- minutes. (Scrape the bottom of the pan as the onion cooks to incorporate the bacon-y browned bits into it.) Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Remove onions and garlic from the pot and set aside. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the pot. Stir in flour and allow it to cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in mustard, mozzarella, and cheddar until the cheese is melted.

Stir cooked pasta, onions, garlic, and chopped bacon into the cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter and combine it with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of pasta. Bake macaroni and cheese for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and it's hot throughout.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Apples

There are many nights when we need to get dinner into our bellies in a hurry. There are also nights when I just don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. And then there are nights when I want to eat something cozy and delicious.

All of these occasions are perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich. The husband makes a mean grilled cheese. He figured out a way to get a cheesy crust on the outside of the bread as well as the melty, gooey inside. It's genius, really.

Recently I decided to take a stab at his specialty, but I added a twist with smoked cheddar, salty bacon, and sweet apples. I don't like to toot my own horn, but it was crazy good. Next time you're in a hurry/not in the mood to cook/hankering after comfort food, give this sandwich a try.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Apples
Serves: 2

4 slices bread
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese (We're generous with the cheese at my house.)
6 slices bacon, cooked
1/2 apple, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter, softened

To make each sandwich layer 1/4 cup cheese, 3 slices bacon, half of the apple slices, and then another 1/4 cup cheese. Spread the butter evenly on the outsides of each piece of bread. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until the cheese is melted.

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon

I would be perfectly content eating sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. PB&J, turkey with cheese, chicken salad...I don't play favorites. They're all good.

As I've mentioned before, though, slapping ham and swiss on a couple slices of bread doesn't count as "hot dinner" according to the husband. But, I happily discovered, toasted sandwiches are hot enough to be the main meal! Yessssssss.

Which brings me to today's offering: Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon. Make them for breakfast. Make them for lunch. And you even have the husband's permission to make them for dinner.

 Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon

Serves: 4

4 pretzel rolls, sliced in half (If you don't have pretzel rolls, feel free to substitute your favorite bread.)
Butter, preferably at room temperature
4 slices Havarti cheese
1 apple, thinly sliced
8-12 slices of bacon, cooked
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Or 4 slides cheddar, I just happened to have the shredded variety.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Schmear butter on both sides of the pretzel rolls. On the bottom half of each pretzel roll, layer 1 slice of Havarti, a quarter of the apple slices, 2-3 pieces bacon, and a quarter of the cheddar cheese. Top with the second half of each pretzel roll.

Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil to create four little sandwich packets. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the sandwich is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

To round out your meal, consider serving these sandwiches along side a steaming bowl of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or Sweet Potato Soup with Chipotle.