Broccoli Rice Casserole

Strangely enough, broccoli is one of the few green vegetables that my husband and kids will eat. So a few years ago I started adding some sort of broccoli casserole to the Thanksgiving menu just for them. I haven't really found one that I'm head over heels for yet. A lot of the recipes out there call for Velveeta cheese which I am not too much a fan of. A good number of the recipes out there call for the same ingredients- I just changed/ added a few ingredients. This one turned out pretty tasty! I may still try to come up with something "even better", but for now this will be on the list!

Ingredients
2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped broccoli
3 cups rice (long grain or instant)
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp butter
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cook broccoli and rice according to packages. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, mix soups and water. Gradually add cheese and stir until melted.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute celery, onion and garlic until soft.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, rice, soup-cheese mixture and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

5. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.





ENJOY!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I wanted something good to accompany the Grilled Chipotle Chicken and these creamy mashed potatoes were calling my name! If you are looking for a healthy mashed potato recipe, please close your browser immediately and erase this post from your memory. If however, you are looking for a creamy, comforting, "anything but low fat" mashed potato, go ahead and pull up a fork!

This is what I compiled from looking at many recipes for mashed potatoes. These potatoes were incredibly creamy and had a good taste. However, I don't think they would be my "everyday" kind of mashed potato. But for those times I want some rich and creamy potatoes, this will be my go to recipe.

Ingredients (8 servings)

3 lbs Russet potatoes

3/4 cup butter

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

Peel and cut the potatoes into uniform pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add potatoes.

Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes. The potatoes are done when they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot on the stove.

Mash the potatoes over low heat.

Turn off the stove and add the butter, cream cheese, half and half, salt and pepper. Continue mashing potatoes.

After mashing, stir well and transfer to a baking dish. Slice a few pieces of butter over the top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until warmed through.

ENJOY!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes are one of those dishes I really only think of around the holidays. I'm not sure why though because I really do like sweet potatoes. Oh yeah- just remembered that I'm the only one that likes them in this house! Well, my daughter would probably like them too, so I'll have to search out some more recipes for us girls!

This is a super simple recipe that can be made with fresh sweet potatoes (as shown below) or a large (18oz) can of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
3 medium sweet potatoes (around a pound) OR one 18 oz can sweet potatoes, drained
3 tbsp brown sugar (I use light)
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Put potatoes in pan and cover with water. Boil potatoes for 25-35 minutes until tender. Drain; cool slightly. If using canned sweet potatoes, drain and cut into smaller pieces.

2. In a casserole dish, layer half of the potatoes, half of the brown sugar and half of the butter. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until glazed. You can spoon liquid over potatoes a couple of times during cooking. I am not a fan of nuts or marshmallows on my sweet potatoes, but if you are, you can add them now!

(before baking)

(completed dish)

ENJOY!

Mexican Rice

Although we love going out to eat Mexican food, we also cook it at home quite often. A few years ago, we saw an episode of America's Test Kitchen where they made Mexican Rice. When I looked the recipe up online, you were required to subscribe in order to view it...and I was much too cheap for that! It was also before the day of the "I can't live without it" DVR. So, we winged the recipe best we could. I've changed it a little here and there, but it is definitely our go to recipe for Mexican Rice. This recipe cooks partially on the stove and partially in the oven. While I am quite sure you could cook it entirely on the stove, I like being able to put it in the oven and not have to fuss over it the entire time.

Ingredients
2 cups medium or long grain rice
1 onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
olive oil
1 to 2 tbsp tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)

Directions
1. Put rice in a strainer and run cold water over it until the water is almost clear. Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat. Add rice, onions, garlic and cumin and cook until tender and lightly browned; about 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While rice is browning, put the diced tomatoes in a blender and pulse until smooth. (if you use tomato puree, there is no need to blend). Once rice is browned, add tomato paste and 2 cups of the tomato mixture; stir and cook about a minute. Add 1 3/4 cups chicken broth and the peas and carrots and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Place lid on skillet and place in the preheated oven. After 15 minutes, stir rice. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes then stir and serve.

This rice also freezes well. To reheat, place frozen rice in a steamer bag and heat.

Enjoy!