As I’ve adopted the habit of menu planning, I’ve realized that there are a number of basic recipes that are essential to preparing the meals on my menus. Paramount among these are cheese sauce and cream of mushroom soup. If I wanted to save a little time and effort, I could use a processed cheese product (e.g., Velveeta) instead of … [Read more...] about Essential Recipes: Cheese Sauce and Cream of Mushroom Soup
recipes
Maple-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake
I don’t know why I’d not previously considered combining pears, maple syrup, and spice cake, but I’m sure glad I thought of it last week! In order to make my idea come to life, I augmented a spice cake recipe that I found on allrecipes.com (you can see the original, pear- and maple-free recipe here). Ingredients 2 pears (firm enough that … [Read more...] about Maple-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake
Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza
I had a hankering for caramel apples about the time my husband and I needed to take a dessert to our small group. I didn’t want to make caramel apples per se, but I wanted to preserve their flavor in a unique dish. I got creative and here’s the result. Ingredients Pizza dough - 2/3 cup warm water - 2 cups flour (I used white whole … [Read more...] about Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza
Chicken Bacon Ranch Macaroni and Cheese
This variation of macaroni and cheese has turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes on our menu this fall! Ingredients 1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-sized cubes 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled 3 cups macaroni (uncooked measure) 1/2 cup sour cream 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix 4 cups shredded … [Read more...] about Chicken Bacon Ranch Macaroni and Cheese
Chili Mac
We’ve enjoyed having chili mac on our menu this fall. This super affordable dish is easy to prepare, nutritious, and filling. Ingredients 3 cups macaroni pasta (uncooked measure) 1 lb. ground beef or turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 24 oz. strained tomatoes, tomato sauce, or finely diced tomatoes 1 … [Read more...] about Chili Mac
Healthier Queso Dip
The cheesy, spicy flavor of creamy queso dip is practically addictive. Until recently, the only queso dip I was familiar with was made with Rotel® and Velveeta®. As my husband and I have moved in the direction of healthier eating, we’ve eliminated processed cheese products (including Velveeta®) from our diets. We weren’t about to go … [Read more...] about Healthier Queso Dip
Honey Wheat Butterhorns
Though my husband enjoys most of the foods I prepare, he rarely stops in his tracks over the flavor of one. A couple of weeks ago this rare reaction occurred after he took a bite out of a breakfast sausage link encased in a honey wheat butterhorn. I have a feeling I’ll be making lots of these over the coming months! Ingredients (Adapted from … [Read more...] about Honey Wheat Butterhorns
Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Once there is any hint of cooler fall temperatures, I start craving soup (this explains why there are several soups on our fall menu!). A few weeks ago I began looking for a recipe for a creamy chicken or turkey soup, but I had trouble finding an easy one that didn't call for canned cream of mushroom soup. I decided to try one of the recipes I … [Read more...] about Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
