Spicy bacon-wrapped pork roast

This was really yummy! And came from my new cook book: The ultimate one-pan oven cookbook by Julia Konovalova

Spice rub
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp cayenne (I only used 1/2 tsp and it was plenty spicy)
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme

Pork Roast
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork rib roast (or buy a cheaper cut.  I did a boneless picnic roast.  I think a pork sirloin would work.  The book says a tenderloin also works)
1 tsp vegetable oil for the pan
4 slices of bacon (I used like 6 so they were really close together).

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  While the oven is preheating, make the spice rub.  Rub the spices all over the meat.

Brush the vegetable oil (put down aluminum foil and spray with pam).  Place the pork on the pan and wrap it with bacon.  Roast in the oven for about 1 hour or until internal temp reaches 145-150˚ F.  Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.

Crock pot Thai peanut pork

From all recipies.com
I modifiedit a little.

4 pork loins
2 red peppers thinly sliced
1/2 c chopped green onions
Lots of garlic (original is 2 cloves)
1 tea crushed red peppers  (we both thought it was a bit blah. Will do a teaspoon of chili sauce next time)
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2Tbl of rice vinegar
1/2 cup peanut butter  (original was a quarter cup. It was borring so I added another quarter cup it was much better.)

Throw everything but the peanut butter in the crock pot and cook for 8hrs on low or 5hrs on high.
Once time is up throw some rice on the fire and then pull the pork out and set aside. Wisk in the peanut butter and throw the pork back in and cook on high till the rice is finished  (original recipe calls for 10 min)
Serve over rice
If desired add crushed peanuts and lime wedges.

Sweet Potato Hash

This is a delicious breakfast! That also tastes good the next day. Adding cream to the potatoes really just makes them a bit more smooth and yummy. The recipe calls for ham. We've also used bacon and that worked great too. 

With chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, I just blend up a whole can, use what I need, and then freeze the rest. You can then scoop out what you need next time. It doesn't make it super hot, just adds a wonderful depth of flavor.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ham-and-sweet-potato-hash/

INGREDIENTS

• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (if I don't have a red pepper I leave it out)
• 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 10 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or bacon, or sausage, or whatever else)
• 6 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting microwave-safe lid and microwave for about 6 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked – they’ll cook a bit more in the skillet later. Stir the potatoes halfway through cooking. Drain the potatoes of any excess liquid and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the chipotle and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the drained potatoes and the cream. Using the back of a spatula, pack the potatoes into the pan, pressing them into a somewhat even layer. Let the potatoes cook without stirring them for about 2 minutes so they can start to get nicely browned. Flip the potato hash mixture, one portion at a time, and lightly repack into the skillet to let the potatoes brown on the other side. Continue this flipping process every few minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in the ham and lightly repack the hash into the skillet. Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow divots about 2 inches wide in the surface of the potato mixture. Crack one egg into each indentation. Season with salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Let the mixture cook until the eggs are set to your liking, about 5-7 minutes. Serve.

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

This was a fast, delicious pasta dish. Perfect with crusty bread! We were both very happy with this meal, and Sam's engineering friends were jealous the next day. He must normally hide when he eats because they were all amazed at his homemade lunch… which he has basically everyday… Anyway fast and good!

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/09/creamy-sausage-and-tomato-pasta.html

Ingredients
• 4-5 Italian sausages (about 1 pound) found in the fresh meat department (see Note)
• 1 cup chopped onion- I randomly didn't have an onion so I just used dried
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• 12 ounces penne pasta (get a 16 ounce box and use 3/4 of it)
• grated Parmesan for topping

Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage. Remove the casings, brown and crumble the sausages like you would ground beef.

Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and heat through.

Pour in the cream and heat through. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.

Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

Salsa Verde Tostada

Yum tostadas! We had giant burrito sized tortillas and neither of us could finish our tostadas. So I recommend not using giant tortillas for this recipe. But this was a yummy, filling meal. Instead of the can of beans, I used some crockpot refried beans that I had hanging out in the freezer.

This was great, fast, and filling!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/11/salsa-verde-tostadas.html

INGREDIENTS

• 4 flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken or pork
• 1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained or you can use refried beans and just spread them on
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, etc.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tortillas, bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken (or pork), salsa verde, 1/4 cup cilantro, beans, and cumin (this can marinate all day if you like). Spoon mixture evenly over the tortillas and bake until heated through about 8 minutes.
3. Top warm tostadas with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream and other toppings as desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with additional green salsa if desired.

Zuppa Toscana

I found this recipe and I was not sure if I would like it. Boy was I wrong. This recipe was fabulous!! So so so good. I don't even know what else to say. It was a little spicier than I expected with the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes- so Danielle you would probably want to like 1/2-3/4 teaspoon. I do think it helps add a depth of flavor so I wouldn't omit it completely. 

You could probably leave out the bacon and no one would really notice. 

This also makes a ton of soup 8-10 servings. So for those of us who only feed 1-2 people, take note!

Anyway, everyone should make this soup because I was so happily surprised by it. 

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/01/zuppa-toscana.html

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (see Note)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 bunch kale, coarsley chopped (swiss chard can be substituted) I didn't buy a bunch of kale so I think I did about 2 cups of chopped kale. 

Instructions

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven (or large pot with a lid) over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the onions and garlic the the same Dutch oven; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the onion mixture and bacon; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the kale into the soup just before serving.

Notes

You can control the thickness of the soup by the amount of potatoes you put in it. The original soup isn't extremely thick but is chunky.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Loin

Pork loin was on sale and Mel has posted a bunch of pork loin recipes, so I was like that will make a lovely Sunday dinner. Fortunately I just put it in the fridge and not the freezer so when Sam's family randomly came to Logan for a day and wanted to eat dinner with everyone I actually had something that I could throw together that could feed everyone. It was a miracle. 

The recipe calls for 2 12-16 oz pork tenderloins. I bought a pork loin that was 4 pounds so I doubled all the recipe stuff. The 4 pound one fed 6 adults and we even had a few slices left over. Also since it was a pork loin not tenderloin, I ended up cooking it for about 50-60 minutes (I did check it at 45 with a meat thermometer). It was delicious!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/06/sweet-and-spicy-pork-tenderloin.html

• 
  
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 (12- to 16-ounce each) pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pat the pork tenderloin dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture and use the rest to rub over the pork tenderloin on all sides.
2. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it is rippling and hot. Add the pork tenderloins in a single layer and cook the pork until browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes total (flipping as needed). Transfer the pork to an aluminum-foil lined baking pan and bake until the meat registers 140 degrees at the thickest part, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter or plate and tent with foil, letting it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
3. In a bowl, combine the reserved spice mixture, ketchup, vinegar and sugar and brush over the cooked pork. Slice the pork and serve.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sausage

This was quite good. Interesting flavors all melded together. I halved it and there was still quite a lot of leftovers just fyi for everyone besides Danielle who are now cooking for fewer people. 

I was impatient with cooking the butternut squash and should have let it cook longer so it was softer. FYI this isn't meant to be super saucy. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2014/01/skillet-butternut-squash-sausage-and-penne-pasta.html

1 large shallot (or 1/4 cup minced yellow or white onion)

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 pound chicken sausage (if links, remove the casing)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
• 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
• 2 large sage leaves, torn into small pieces, or 1/4 teaspoon dried, more or less to taste
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded or cubed fontina or mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan for serving, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, combine the shallot, garlic, sausage, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces, and cooking until the sausage is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the mixture to a plate and return the skillet back to the heat.
2. Add the chicken broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and the pasta clumping together. Stir in the squash and simmer 5-7 minutes longer until the squash and pasta are both tender. As the squash breaks down, it will help bring a creaminess to the sauce and pasta so add more liquid, if necessary, while cooking if the mixture seems dry.
3. Stir in the spinach and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the sausage/shallot mixture back to the skillet and stir in the fontina or mozzarella cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Off the heat, cover the skillet with a lid or foil and let the pasta sit for 5-10 minutes. Give it a good stir and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I've had/ made honey lime enchiladas before, but I like these ones the bests that I've ever tried. They have the sweet (from the honey), but the chili powder gives it a just enough of a kick to make it interesting and not overly sweet. Sam's reaction: "Yeah I like this." a few bites later, "Oh I really like this," bite bite bite "Definitely a keeper, I'm liking it more and more as I go. Ha so it definitely had his approval. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/03/honey-lime-enchiladas.html

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons honey
• 5 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 large limes)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded (3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts) you can use pork too if you like
• 8-10 fajita-size flour tortillas
• 1 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 16 ounces green enchilada sauce (like the Herdez brand)'
•   1 cup heavy cream, sour cream or half-and-half

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together the first four ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a Ziploc bag (or other covered container) and toss with the shredded chicken. Refrigerate and let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour and up to 8 hours. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken (reserving the leftover marinade) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream (or sour cream/half-and-half) and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Hot Chorizo and Cheese Dip

This was so good! So so good. I normally things that use melted fresh cheese because they get grainy and weird texture-y, but this one wasn't at all! It was so great!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/01/hot-chorizo-and-cheese-dip.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 8 ounces chorizo, casings removed and diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) medium cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the diced chorizo and cook, breaking up the chorizo into smaller pieces if you like, until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the flour and stirring constantly, cook for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and combine well. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick, about 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese to the pot in tablespoon-size pieces and stir to combine as the cream cheese melts. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is melted before adding more. Stir in the green chiles and the salt.
2. Serve warm in a bread bowl or with tortilla chips.

Smothered Pork Chops

So Sam's parents gave him pork chops for his birthday, and unlike Danielle, I am not absolutely, positively in love with the way we grew up with them. So I wanted something new. These were amazing. So good. And since it's in the crock pot the pork chop is all tender falling apart delicious instead of tougher like when you cook them on a skillet. 

We only had 2 bigger pork chops. And I put them in when we got home from church (around 1) so I cooked on high for 2 hours and on low for 3 and everything was cooked. Mel pleads (and I agree) that you do the steps before throwing it all in the crock pot and I would say it is very worth it. This was a fancier, Sunday meal, and we loved it! I served it with mashed potatoes and corn from our grandparents.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/06/smothered-pork-chops-slow-cooker.html

INGREDIENTS

• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.
2. Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.
4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).
5. When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve. If the gravy doesn't thicken enough, mix another tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix it into the gravy and bring it to a boil.

Italian Nachos- Nachos Week Day 1

I love good Italian Nachos. Mmm. And Sam had never had Italian Nachos so I searched around and found a few recipes and kind of just meshed them. So here you are!

I used Italian Sausage and pepperoni. You could also add shredded chicken. Or just do sausage, or just pepperoni or just chicken. These are very versatile.

Wonton Wrappers
Oil for frying
Salt
Italian Sausage
Pepperoni
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoncini
Diced Roma Tomatoes

Alfredo- esque Cheese Sauce:
4 Tablespoons of butter
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tablespoons of flour
2 1/2 cups half and half
2 1/2 cups grated parmesan- it melts in better if freshly grated

Heat up oil in frying pan and fry the wonton wrappers for like 15 seconds on each side. Then place them on paper towel. I thought these were still a little greasy- but that could be because I had a killer headache that day and so it made me feel awful- so maybe pat them with the paper towel. I also saw somewhere you could spray/ drizzle them in olive oil and bake them....

Cook and chunk up Italian Sausage.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan at about medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant- 30 seconds ish. Add the flour and mix it to form a roux. Slowly add half and half and stir often for about 5 minutes until thicker. Take off heat and stir in the grated parmesan. If not using right away put a lid on the pan and let it just hang out.

Now layer the chips, cheese, meats, pepperoncini, cheese sauce, whatever else you want to add (olives, jalapenos, etc) and either throw it in the oven until the cheese melts or put in microwave. I did the oven because I like nachos better that way.

Top with tomatoes and eat!

Yay!

Ideas mostly from:
http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/2011/01/05/italian-nachos-johnny-carinos-style/

Green peppers and sausage

This is one of the meals I make when I need something really easy and totally no brainer.

Cook about 8 oz pasta, I normally do penne

While that is cooking:
-Heat some olive oil and once it is hot, add onion, garlic, italian seasoning, and basil.  Infuse the spices by cooking them in the oil for about 30 seconds
-Add 14 oz (this is the size it comes in when I buy it) smoked sausage, cut in bite sized pieces
-Add 1-2 green pepper, cut in slices
-Cook with the lid on (or your house will smell like onions) until the peppers are cooked through and the sausage is warm
-Add about 1/2 a jar of your favorite red pasta sauce (I have been buying Prego and have been happy with that) and heat through
-Taste the concoction.  I always think it needs salt and pepper.
-Mix in the pasta
-Eat

Dumpling/ Pot Sticker Filling

This is mostly so I don't have to go searching around for this recipe and I'll know where it is. If you ever want dumplings... Ask Sam maybe he'll make them for you some time.

Pot Stickers

1/4 small head Napa cabbage, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 pound ground pork 

1 small carrot, coarsely shredded (about 2 tablespoons)

2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1/2 egg, lightly beaten

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

wontton wrappers

1/4 cup canola oil

In large bowl, toss together cabbage and 3/4 teaspoon salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Transfer to clean dish towel or cheesecloth, gather ends together, and twist to squeeze out as much water as possible. Wipe bowl clean, then return cabbage to it. Add pork, ginger, carrots, scallions, and garlic and stir to combine.

In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg, then stir into cabbage-pork mixture. Stir in pepper and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I realized that some of our traditional New Year's Eve stuff wasn't up here and thought I would change that.  This is adapted from the Lion House Cookbook

50 medium sized fresh mushrooms
1 lb italian sausage
1 package 8 oz cream cheese
3 tbs fresh parsley
3/4 tsp garlic powder
shredded mozzarella

Wash and remove stems from mushrooms
Cook sausage
Mix in cream cheese, parsley and garlic powder
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil
Stuff mixture in mushrooms
Put cheese on top of stuffed mushrooms
Cook at 400 for about 30 minutes

Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup

1-1.5  lb. Italian Sausage
1 medium onion chopped fine(I use my frozen onion)
2 cloves of minced garlic

Cook until the sausage is cooked through

Add
3 beef bouillon cubes
3 1/4 cup water
1-1 1/2 c diced zucchini (I use one small zucchini)
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes(I blend for a moment-don't like the big chunks of tomato)
1 can kidney beans-drained and rinsed
1 can black beans-drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn unddrained
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt

Heat to boiling

When boiling add 8 ounces cheese tortellini

Reduce heat and simmer until the tortellini is cooked about 15-20 minutes.

The way I make Mini Breakfast Quiches/ Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Ok, we like these because they are pure protein and free carbs for breakfast but the best part is that you can refridgerate them or freeze them and heat them up in the morning.  This is mostly a Best Bites recipe but I add a few other things (more meat and cilantro)

I made these for mom and dad this weekend and even dad said they were very good. 

Mini Breakfast Quiches/ Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Recipe by Our Best Bites 

4 eggs

1 C egg substitute* (or an additional 4 whole eggs instead)--I always just do the extra 4 eggs. I never have egg substitute

3/4 C shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever cheddar cheese I have)

1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 C cottage cheese

5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted, water squeezed out and roughly chopped

(that’s half a standard frozen box of spinach)

1/3 C roasted red peppers, diced (jarred, or make your own)---I do NOT put these in as Eric would not eat them...but I am leaving them here because I think just fresh diced red pepper would be yummy

1 oz finely diced ham, canadian bacon, or crumbled bacon (about 1/4-1/3 C) -so I just take and cut up a heaping 1/4-1/3 cup of the lunch meat ham. Then, I cut up that same amount of cooked bacon

1/4 C sliced green onions-I do like half of this

This isn't in the recipe but I like a handful of chopped up cilantro-yum!

1/4 t kosher salt-not necessary if you do bacon

1/8 t black pepper
1/2 t hot sauce-I use Tabasco

foil muffin tin liners (no, don't do that) OR 12 slices ham-like the sandwich ham from the grocery store

*1/4 egg substitute = 1 whole egg, so if you’re using all eggs, or some eggs and some egg whites, you can adjust accordingly.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except ham slices) and stir well.

If using ham slices, spray muffin tin with non cook spray and place one piece of ham in each well to form a bowl.  

If using foil muffin liners, spray the insides of the liners with non-stick spray. 

Evenly divide egg mixture between the 12 muffin wells (about 1/4 C each), being careful to keep ingredients well dispersed.  You want them to fill right up to the top.

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The tops should be puffed and just barely set on top. Eggs will sink after cooling.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them. When reheating in the microwave, make sure to take off the foil liner! And if you’re reheating from frozen, I try to take them out the night before so they can thaw in the fridge. Then when you microwave them, set them on a folded paper towel to drain excess moisture.

Eat them alone, or for a well-rounded breakfast crumble on top of a piece of whole grain toast along with a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. Makes 12.