~Au Gratin Potatoes~

Well these were a slice of heaven! I think I got this recipe from a cookbook that Costco gave me on Black Friday last November. I don't often cook starch anymore, especially potatoes (mostly because potatoes are usually cooked in some super fattening way...). Now, to be clear, this isn't the healthiest way to eat potatoes either, but it is a delicious way to eat them! (And according to Costco, it's healthy...) So on occasion, I will make these, perhaps on a random slow Sunday. I made these potatoes with a Coca-Cola Roast and buttered carrots--very yummy meal. Jeremy got seconds too, so that must mean something. My father-in-law Jed gave me a food slicer for Christmas, and holy cow is it sharp! It's so sharp the first time I used it, I sliced my finger open pretty good...after that I was afraid of it. But the other night I made myself use it--it's such a time saver. The only thing I will do differently when I make these next will be to slice the potatoes even thinner.

Serves 6-8

You'll Need:

2 pounds your favorite potatoes

3 Tbs. sea salt

1 Tbs. garlic powder

dash of pepper

Dried minced onions, or minced fresh onions, to taste

3-4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 quart low-fat milk

Get Busy:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Peel the potatoes and slice them very thin. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the salt, garlic, pepper, onions, cheese and milk. Repeat with 2 more layers. Bake until the potatoes are tender, 60-90 minutes. Done! These were so good--I hope you like them.

~Mom's Potatoes~

I call these "Mom's potatoes" because I got the recipe from my mom and this is her favorite way to eat potatoes. I also don't know anyone else who makes them like this. I don't make a starch side very often anymore, but for some reason on Sundays (and when I make a delish roast) it's fitting to have a side of potatoes. I'd have to say this is my favorite way to eat potato these days. You can call this dish whatever you want...creamy baked potatoes...cheesy potatoes...what ever floats your boat!

Slice the potatoes fairly thin (we have a food slicer we got from Jeremy's dad for Christmas and it cuts potatoes in about 15 seconds...amazing time-saver). Pour heavy whipping cream over the sliced potatoes, then the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about an hour, and then they're done.

Full recipe serves 6-8

you'll need:

6-8 brown potatoes

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

garlic salt

pepper

dried parsley

get busy:

Preheat the oven to 350. Peel the potatoes but leave some skin on (as much as you can handle). Slice the potatoes fairly thin or in wedges. The thinner the slice, the faster they cook. Put slices into a 9x13 pan. Drench with the heavy whipping cream. Liberally sprinkle on the garlic salt. Add a little pepper. Lastly cover the top of the potatoes with the cheese evenly and sprinkle a little parsley on top. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour, or until you can stick a fork in the potatoes and they feel soft. That's it! I promise whomever you make these for will love them They are a go-to potato dish for me every time!

~Baked Zucchini with Parmesan~

Such an easy way to make zucchini and so tasty! I love zucchini, and most of the time I bake it like this because it requires minimal attention and it does the work by itself. Also, there are only a few ingredients for this, and it is almost impossible to mess this up! All you need is 1 zucchini, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and some butter. Get cookin'!

serves 2

you'll need:

1 large zucchini

salt

pepper

Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 Tbs. butter, cut into fourth chunks

get busy:

Preheat the oven to 'broil.' After washing the zucchini, slice it fairly thin. Lay foil on a cookie sheet, completely cover the sheet. Fold up the sides of the foil (to catch the butter). Place the slices on the foil and spread evenly, but keep them close together (like the picture). Distribute the butter chunks evenly over the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and some shredded Parmesan cheese (just eyeball it). Throw that in the oven for about 4-6 minutes. Don't forget to check the zucchini! It will probably burn if you leave it in too long. The zucchini should be soft for the most part.

This is a great dish for those times you are cooking dinner and forget about the veggie until everything else is almost done. This cooks up so quickly, you'll have it done at the same time everything is, most likely. Enjoy!

~Green Bean Casserole~

This is NOT the typical boring casserole recipe that calls for Cream of Mushroom soup!! This recipe is a million times better, thanks to my sister Ashley! It is seriously amazing and everyone she and I have made it for has loved it. This green bean dish is one of my husband's favorites and he requests these often. Unfortunately these pictures hardly do them justice, but I promise the cheesy goodness is one sweet dish sure to impress your friends and family.

Serves 4

you'll need:

1 pkg frozen cut green beans (or enough fresh green beans to be thick in an 8x8 pan)
1/8 c. finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1 c. evaporated milk
4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
French's Dried Onions

get busy:

Preheat the oven to 350. Microwave the green beans until cooked. Meanwhile, saute the onion in the butter until tender. Remove from heat; whisk in flour, salt, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard until blended.

Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese cubes. Stir until the cheese completely melts.


Gently fold the green beans into the cheese sauce. Pour them into an 8x8 dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle some French's Dried onions on top and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and onions are hot. If you are cooking for more than 4 or want leftovers, simply double the recipe. Enjoy!!

~Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Walnut Streusel~

While this may not be the healthiest way to eat sweet potatoes...it is probably the most delicious way to eat them!! This recipe got rave reviews at Thanksgiving with my fambam. I was so proud and happy :-) It didn't take too long, and the walnut streusel was really what made it from average to fantastic. I can't wait to make this again. Funny fact: this recipe called for sweet potatoes, but yams were on sale, so I used those instead...couldn't tell a darn difference, and still just as yummy. SO you can use either!

I made these with my sweet sis-in-law Kelli. Without her help, these would not have been finished by Turkey Time! I completely lost track of time playing with my siblings' kids, so a big thanks to Kelli. Makes 6 servings.

you'll need:

3 large sweet potatoes (or yams)

4 Tbs. packed brown sugar

3 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Streusel:

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbs. whole wheat flour*

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

2 Tbs. butter, softened

3 Tbs. packed brown sugar

get busy:

Preheat the oven to 375. Prick the potatoes with a knife or fork after giving them a good scrub. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until soft. Once they are cooked, cut them in half and scoop out the centers of the into a big bowl. Combine with brown sugar, softened butter and brown sugar. Scoop mixture back into the skins.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for streusel. Top the sweet potatoes with the streusel. Bake for 20-30 minutes. All done! Whoever you make these for will absolutely love them.

*If you are unsure about the whole wheat, you can substitute it for processed flour; however, you can't taste the difference, so why not use whole wheat? It's healthier!

~Crispy Parmesan Asparagus~

I love asparagus. And I love asparagus even more when it's on sale or pretty cheap. It has been pretty inexpensive lately, so we've had it every week for the last month. I don't always like to cook veggies the same way every time, but I also don't like getting used to vegetables loaded with butter, cheese and other fattening stuff. Most of the time I try to steam my veggies with a tiny bit of salt. On occasion, I'll make it like this. This is actually a very healthy way to cook asparagus, and it tastes delicious. And did I mention, incredibly easy??

When you pull out the asparagus, they'll be golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside.

Snap off the tough ends (I never cook those). I cut this recipe in half for Jeremy and me.

In goes the flour, parmesan, salt and pepper, and bread crumbs.

After the asparagus is rolled in the egg whites, roll them in the bread crumb mixture until completely coated.

Onto the bake rack they go and into the oven in 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. Super easy, super healthy.

you'll need:

1 bunch asparagus (about 30 spears)

2 egg whites, slightly whipped

1 c. whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

salt, pepper

1/4. parmesan cheese

get busy:

Preheat oven to 425. Lay a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. On two different small plates, add two egg whites (whipped slightly with a whisk), and on the other plate, the bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper and parmesan. Roll the asparagus in the egg whites, then roll in the dry ingredient mixture. Place on rack and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.