Caprese Pasta Salad

 Here's another great recipe I got from the Two Peas & Their Pod blog! This is a great side dish, or add some meat to make it a main dish for lunch or dinner. I like to make a big bowl of it and put it in the fridge to eat for a couple days. I have to adjust it a bit to make it work here in Chaosville but I can add all the fun stuff to my personal bowl with each serving!

THE INGREDIENTS:

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz bocconcini

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

4 TBSP chopped basil, divided *

1/2 tsp dried oregano

dash of crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz pasta **

balsamic glaze

* I use 4 tsp dried basil so there isn't anything that looks like *gasp* SALAD in it

** I have used a few different types of pasta. This time I used Ditalini and think it is perfect!

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, half the basil, the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add in the tomatoes and mozzarella balls and allow them to marinate while the pasta cooks.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Add it to the tomato mixture and stir it all together.

To my personal bowl I added some cucumber, Kalamata olive, artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese along with the garnish of the balsamic glaze and a bit more of the basil.

Garlic Parmesan Noodles

This is another recipe I can thank Facebook for! It came from this blog and I am so glad to have found it. It's a very nice side dish for many different meals, or you could add some grilled chicken or shrimp to it and it would be a meal in itself.

THE INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound dry pasta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream

I make a double recipe, so if in the pictures it looks like more than the amounts listed, it is! Recipe amounts above are for a single recipe. Add the olive oil to a saucepan or stockpot and saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes.

Add the butter and stir to melt. Then add seasonings and chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, then add pasta. I used angel hair this time, but have used spaghetti, linguini and fettucine as well. Use what you like!

Cook pasta for the time listed on packaging. If the noodles start to stick together or the liquid seems to be cooking out, you can add a little more. When the noodles are done to your liking, add the cream.

Then add the Parmesan cheese.

Stir to combine and serve!

We had it last night with some baked fish. It was wonderful!

Loaded Gnocchi

Looking for a side dish that will wow everyone? Here it is! Once again from the amazing team at Two Peas and Their Pod.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package mini potato gnocchi
2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
3 strips cooked bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. Boil a pot of water and cook gnocchi according to package instructions. When cooked, drain and spread in a single layer in the prepared dish.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.

Add flour to make a roux. Whisk and cook until thickened.

Add the milk and continue to whisk. Wait until this thickens as well. About 3 minutes.

Whisk in one cup of cheese and keep whisking until smooth, then remove from heat.

Add sour cream.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the gnocchi in the pan.

Add remaining cheese and all the bacon.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and melty. When you take it out of the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes.

You can serve this with just about anything. We went SUPER FANCY and had it with grilled cheese sandwiches!!

Look at that perfection!

Not sure if the family liked it though...

Squash on the Side

Summer squash is one of those things I just can't get enough of when I make but I don't make often because the kids don't like it. Well, we had a dinner guest last night so I used the excuse to of another person to go ahead and make this fast and easy side dish.
The Ingredients:

 4 summer squash, sliced into rounds
about the same amount of sliced sweet onion
1/4 cup stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

Put the butter in a skillet and add the sliced onion and squash.

Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Put the lid on the skillet and cook over medium heat until soft.

Seriously, that's it! You barely have to watch it at all. Stir it a time or two and make sure there is enough butter that they aren't sticking or frying. Absolute perfection!

Mashed Potatoes a la PW

I couldn't believe I had never shared this recipe before but I guess I just thought everyone probably knew about it. In any case, I decided to post it today. It is straight out of the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook and the only thing I change is I cut it in half. Here's how that looks!

The Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes
6 Tbsp butter (plus 2 more for the top)
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste

I have a nifty little kitchen scale which helps out a lot with things like this! I peeled potatoes and added them to the bowl until it was right.

Halve or quarter each potatoes to make fairly uniform pieces that will cook evenly. Bring a pot of water to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and bring to a full boil. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until fork tender.

Drain potatoes and put back into the pot over low heat while you mash them.

Add the butter, cream cheese and half-and-half.

Mash some more until everything is combined and soft. you may need to add a touch more half-and-half.

Season and taste and adjust as necessary. You could go ahead and serve them now but that would just be plain old mashed potatoes! PW has other ideas!! Spread those taters out into a casserole dish and dot the top with a little more butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and you have really got a treat in store!

Frito Salad

Just in time for summer! I had forgotten all about this yummy and easy dish until I was looking for something to take to my brother-in-law's house to have with burgers. I got the recipe from my former neighbor, Misty, so if you love it, thank her!!
The Ingredients:

2 cans corn (I prefer to use 3 cans of Summer Crisp sweet corn, just a personal preference, you use whatever brand you like. I use 3 cans because they are smaller)
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/4 of a purple onion (this one was small so I used 1/2 of it)
1 cup grated cheese
Miracle Whip to desired consistency
1 bag Chili Cheese Fritos corn chips

All measurements are a starting place. As you add things together, look at the colors. If you want more green, add more bell pepper. More purple? Add some onion. I would recommend some variety of cheddar-type cheese. I used Colby-Jack as it is my favorite but I have used sharp or mild cheddar in the past. You MUST use Chili Cheese Fritos though, even if you don't like them by themselves (I do not) they are a must for the recipe.
Drain the corn and put in a large bowl. Add the diced veggies and cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Start adding Miracle Whip and stirring. When it looks right, taste it, see if you need a little more.

It is perfect if you have time to put this in the fridge and let the flavors come together. Don't add the Fritos until right before you serve it, or they will get soggy.

Try to remember to take pictures before digging in, Fran!!!
It is a really tasty, crisp and refreshing salad that goes perfectly with burgers or BBQ or anything else you might have at your next picnic or family gathering. I hope you like it!

Kinda Sorta Caprese Salad

Once upon a time when I was a skinny mother of one, my fantastic friend Ann had a girls night at her house. She served a classic Caprese salad with the thick slices of fresh mozzarella sandwiched between a slice of Roma tomato and a basil leaf. The whole thing was drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and liberally sprinkled with salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. It was kind of like heaven on a plate. I have periodically craved it ever since.
At my new favorite restaurant, BJ's Brewhouse, they have a "Tomato and Mozzarella" salad that reminded me of this one. It's a different take on it with salad greens instead of the basil but the taste was amazing. I decided to try to make something like it at home for my mom and I to enjoy. Here's how it went:
The Ingredients

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into bite sized pieces You could also buy the little balls that come in a small container
1 carton of small tomatoes such as cherry or grape tomatoes. I found this amazing package of baby    heirloom tomatoes. Halve them if you'd like or leave them whole.
Balsamic Vinaigrette, to taste
Salad greens of your choosing. I like the Half & Half blend or the Baby Spinach

Mix the cheese and tomatoes with the dressing in a large bowl.

Add enough of the greens to make a tasty looking salad.

Put some on your plate, add more dressing if you want to.

So very good and really easy and quick. If you don't quite eat it all the first time, remove any greens (they'll get soggy) and refrigerate the cheese and tomatoes to add to your next salad.

Mashed Potato Casserole

A couple years ago at Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law made this for our potato dish. I loved it so much I asked her for the recipe and she told me it was a Betty Crocker dish called "Crunchy Onion Potato Bake". We just call it Mashed Potato Casserole.

The Ingredients

2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1 box Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes (I use the Creamy Butter flavor)
1 can corn
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can (2.8 oz) fried onions (I could only find a large can at the store)

In a large saucepan, bring milk, water and butter to a boil.

Add both puches of potatoes and stir until moistened. Let stand one minute, then stir smooth with a fork. Add the (drained) can of corn.

Spoon half the mixture into a well greased 9 x 13 dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese and half the onions.

Repeat layers and place into a preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and onions are golden. I didn't get a picture until *someone* had taken a few servings out!

We had this with our steaks for Christmas dinner last night. Very yummy and oh so good leftover too :)