Roasted Sweet Potato and Feta Rounds

We just love these! My Mom introduced them to us as part of the South Beach Diet, but they are a wonderful appetizer or side dish for non-dieters as well. The feta and sweet potatoes complement each other beautifully, and the feta isn't too overpowering as it sometimes can be.

3 long, thin sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt

1 pkg. feta cheese (I believe I use a 4 oz. pkg, but it might be 6 oz)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into discs about 1/2 inch thick. Scoop out a small dish-shape in the middle of each disc, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the potato. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and salt to taste. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 15-25 minutes until tender. (But not too tender! You'll still be cooking them a bit more, so take that into account.) Combine feta cheese with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to make a thick paste. Scoop a small amount into the center of each sweet potato round and bake at 350 degrees for another 5 minutes until cheese is heated through.

Spinach & Tomato Pesto Pasta

I got this recipe from a ward recipe exchange. The original recipe calls for a pound of chicken, grilled and cubed, but it tasted great without as well. I'm always on the lookout for good pasta recipes, and this one is surprisingly zesty and full of flavor!

12 to 16 oz. pasta
1 jar Classico Traditional Basil Pesto (or 1 cup of homemade pesto)
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 bag of fresh spinach, shredded
2 medium roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, diced (optional)

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Rinse in cold water. Mix Classico pesto sauce in to taste with lemon juice. Add chicken (if using), spinach, tomatoes, and onion and toss. Serve with powdered parmesan cheese.

Chicken Broccoli Stirfry

Sam doesn't particularly care for stir-fry, but this one is an exception. I love how tender the chicken gets because of the marinade.
Original recipe from $5 Dinners


3 chicken breasts, cubed
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 c. soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 head broccoli or equivalent frozen broccoli
1 onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 green bell pepper

Toss uncooked, cubed chicken with oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a skillet. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or more (if more than 30 minutes, put in refrigerator). Chop broccoli, onion, and bell pepper into small pieces. Cook chicken in marinade, adding broccoli, onion, garlic, and bell pepper about halfway through the cooking process. Serve over rice.

Cheddar Bacon Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

This salad is a staple at White family gatherings. Even those who don't like raw broccoli and cauliflower (namely me) love this salad!

1 head broccoli
1/2 head cauliflower
1 pound bacon
1 pound cubed cheese

Sauce
1/2 c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/8 c. milk
seasoning salt and sugar to taste

Cut up broccoli and cauliflower into small, bite-sized pieces (really tiny pieces are best so all the parts of the salad come together in one bite). Cut up bacon and fry. Mix with cheese, broccoli, and cauliflower. Mix 1st 3 ingredients of sauce until smooth, then add seasoning salt and sugar and mix with salad.

Lasagna Buns

This meal is perfect to make and take to people! I love it because you can wrap the sandwiches in foil and give them to whomever with the baking instructions. It leaves no cooking mess for them since you just stick the foil-wrapped sandwiches in the oven, and it is filling, kid-friendly, and easy. Pair it with a side salad and you're set! This is one of our favorite dinners. One time and money saving tip is to use hoagie, sub, kaiser, etc. rolls from the "Oops! We baked too much!" rack at Kroger or the equivalent at your local grocery store.

Recipe from $5 Dinners

6 sub rolls (or other rolls--I prefer the oblong kind, but I have even used circular rolls with good results)

2 cups spaghetti sauce with meat (this one works well)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg white

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Slice off the tops of the rolls and scoop out some of the bread from the inside, being careful to not make a hole in the bottom of the roll. Spoon some spaghetti sauce into the rolls. In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, egg white, spices, salt, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon over the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese over the top of the sour cream mixture. Place the bread top back on. Wrap securely in foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Salted Caramel Brownies

Cake mixes are cheap and convenient, but not all that tasty, right? This recipe is a good way to use a cake mix. I wish the picture did a better job showing just how amazingly gooey that middle layer of caramel is, and the salt in it adds just the right zing to make the flavors more complex.

Adapted from this and this recipe by The Pioneer Woman

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 c. chocolate chips

1/3 c. half and half

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. half and half

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tsp. salt

Combine cake mix, chocolate chips, 1/3 c. half and half, and 1/2 c. melted butter in a mixing bowl. Press half the mixture into a greased square baking pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350.

Warm 1/2 c. half and half in a small saucepan. In a seperate tall saucepan, dump water and sugar but do not stir (make sugar evenly distributed in water so it is all wet). Place over medium heat and wait without stirring until mixture turns an amber color, which will likely take around 10 minutes. When it is amber, remove from heat and add warm half and half, 1/4 c. butter, and salt. Stir until mixture is smooth and well combined.

Pour over baked brownie mixture. Press remaining brownie mixture into large, flat pieces and lay them over the caramel to cover the top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool to room temperature before eating.

Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza

I love Papa Murphy's Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza, but Papa Murphy's isn't here in Houston and even if it were the price tag is a bit high for our graduate school budget. This is an adaptation of a copycat recipe I found online here. 

I use a lot of approximation for the pizza crust, but here are the basics I follow:

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
pinch sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine water, yeast, and sugar and let sit until yeast foams. Add salt, flour, and olive oil and knead in stand mixer with dough hook or by hand. Continue to alternate adding olive oil or water as needed. Dough should not be sticky at all but should form a cohesive ball. Lightly coat ball of dough with olive oil, cover with towel, and let rise until double. Makes enough for 1 large jellyroll pan or 2 8-9 inch round pizzas.

Mix together:

1/2 c. ranch dressing

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (the kind from the jar works great)

Spread sauce over pizza and top with:

2-3 c. cooked, diced chicken (seasoned according to your desires)

3 medium roma tomatoes, diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped (minus the lower inch or so of white and the floppy ends)

2 c. mozzarella cheese

Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.