Tag: garlic powder

You’ll be ‘bacon’ plenty of friends with this hearty breakfast

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 12, 2023

Making breakfast for a crowd is easy with this crockpot breakfast casserole. It’s a great way to start the day.

With the Chiefs heading into the playoffs, Joey and I have been planning for our annual get together with our fantasy football league to watch their first game.

In discussing menus for that game, it reminded me that I haven’t shared a fantastic recipe I tried earlier this football season with all of you.

We invited several friends over for a “breakfast for lunch” football day, and in addition to some baked goods, I decided to try what ended up being an easy and fantastic breakfast casserole.

This comes from the blog “40 Aprons” by Cheryl Malik. You can find the original post at https://40aprons.com/crockpot-breakfast-casserole/. I added garlic, green chiles and extra seasoning in my version.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

Making breakfast for a crowd is easy with this crockpot breakfast casserole. It’s a great way to start the day.

Course Breakfast

Keyword breakfast for a crowd, crockpot, diced green chiles, eggs, frozen hashbrowns, garlic, garlic powder, half and half, sharp cheddar cheese, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 pound bacon diced (or sub in ground sausage)
1 small yellow onion diced
4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
8 ounces canned diced green chiles drained
26 ounces frozen hashbrowns
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
12 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and saute the diced bacon until it’s crispy. Line a plate with paper towels and place the cooked bacon on it.
Remove all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan and add the diced onion. Saute until it’s cooked through, and then add the garlic. Saute for a couple more minutes and then remove the pan from the heat.
Coat the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray and layer in half of the hashbrowns. Add half of the shredded cheese, half of the onions, half the chiles and half the bacon. Repeat. (I saved a bit of the cheese and did a final layer on the top of mine.)
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, garlic powder, salt and pepper until it is well combined.
Pour the mixture evenly into the crockpot.
Cook the casserole on low for eight hours or high for four hours. When the eggs are cooked through, serve immediately or turn the crockpot to warm until you’re ready to eat.
(Side note: If you don’t have time for the crockpot, follow the same steps with a deep nine-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about one hour or until it’s cooked through.)

This was fabulous, and it reheated great, too. It was a hit with our football friends, and it was a great addition to the spread of breakfast items we had available. We ate too much, hollered at the TV together and had a great time.

I still don’t know what our playoffs lunch spread will look like, but no matter what, I’m so excited to see our friends again, hang out in the basement and cheer on the Chiefs.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 12, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags breakfast casserole, breakfast for a crowd, crockpot, diced green chiles, easy breakfast, eggs, frozen hashbrowns, garlic, garlic powder, half and half, sharp cheddar cheese, yellow onion

Side Dish

There will be no ‘crisp’appointment at dinner with these potatoes

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date December 15, 2022

Parmesan encrusted potatoes take baked potatoes to a new level with crispy parmesan, garlic and some salt and pepper. This simple side dish packs a big wow factor.

When it comes to the holidays and cooking, it’s so often about all of the traditional recipes.

We have Thanksgiving down to a science at our house, making sure we have everyone’s favorite dishes on the table.

And at Christmas, it’s all about the snack table for me. Dinner was always kind of a rotating menu, but the snack table was the old favorite.

That being said, I think trying out a new recipe at the holidays is fun. It’s a way to share a new experience with family and friends and change things up a bit. After some looking around, I think I found my holiday experiment for the year: parmesan encrusted potatoes.

This recipe takes baked potatoes to a whole new level, and they are perfect for the holidays, when most of us aren’t too worried about counting calories.

This comes from the blog “Audrey’s Apron.” You can find the original post at https://audreysapron.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/parmesan-upside-down-baked-potatoes/. I added extra cheese and seasonings to my version.

Parmesan Encrusted Potatoes

Parmesan encrusted potatoes take baked potatoes to a new level with crispy parmesan, garlic and some salt and pepper. This simple side dish packs a big wow factor.

Course Side Dish

Keyword baked potatoes, easy side, garlic powder, parmesan, potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes

Ingredients

about 6 medium-sized yellow or red potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the butter in a nine-by-13-inch baking dish and place it in the oven while it preheats. Preheat to 400 degrees.
While the oven preheats, halve the potatoes, lengthwise.
When the oven is hot, carefully remove the baking dish and tilt it to coat the entire bottom as evenly as possible with the melted butter.
Evenly sprinkle the parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper over top of the melted butter. (Use just a touch more of each of the seasonings than you think you might want.)
Place the potatoes, cut-side down, onto the parmesan mixture, pressing them down just slightly.
Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Serve the potatoes immediately, using a spatula to cut the crispy parmesan between each potato before scooping them out of the dish.

These potatoes were almost magical. They were delicious. The combination of the fluffiness of the potatoes with the crispiness of the cheese, the flavor pop of seasoning and the saltiness—it was so, so good.

We tried this recipe out with some delicious smoked chicken Joey made, and it felt like we were having a mini feast at our dining room table. We both agreed that this was a recipe to make for Christmas this year.

The other nice thing is it’s easy to expand or contract, depending on how many folks you’re serving. Really, if you can fit more potatoes in your baking dish, you don’t even need a whole lot more of the other ingredients. Just squeeze ’em in.

I will say that while these do reheat OK, they’re not the greatest leftovers. The cheese gets a little soggy, and trust me, the crispy cheese is the best part. They’re still good as leftovers but not nearly as awesome as the first serving.

As Christmas approaches, I’ll be mixing up my annual double batch of peppernuts and probably coating something in almond bark, but I’m also looking forward to sharing a new dish with my family. For me, that’s what the holidays are all about.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 15, 2022.

Tags baked potatoes, easy side, garlic powder, parmesan, potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes

Crockpot Main Dish

These tacos must ‘birria’ your next new dinner recipe

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date December 8, 2022

The process of making birria tacos is simplified a bit with the use of a crockpot for this recipe, but all the rich flavors are still there to enjoy.

A few months ago, I was introduced to the deliciousness that is birria.

Birria, according to the “My Latin Table” website, is a Mexican dish that traditionally uses lamb but is often made with beef, too. The article goes on to note that it can be eaten as a soup or made into tacos.

The reason birria is so delicious is that, as the meat cooks, it creates a delicious stock that is served as either base of the soup or as a side for dipping the tacos. Between the spices, reconstituted dried chile peppers and beef, you almost want to pour yourself a glass and drink it. (But I didn’t do that. Because that’s weird.)

After trying birria at an amazing Mexican restaurant, I decided I wanted to give the recipe a try myself. Being short on time, though, I opted for a slightly less-than-authentic version that relies on a crockpot. Either way, this turned out absolutely amazing. I was so sad when the final container of leftovers exited our refrigerator.

This recipe comes from Nicki Mejia. You can find her on Instagram under “tastewithnicki.” I added extra seasonings and changed the directions slightly in my version.

Birria Tacos

The process of making birria tacos is simplified a bit with the use of a crockpot for this recipe, but all the rich flavors are still there to enjoy.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword adobo, all spice, allspice, bay leaves, beef, beef roast, chiles de arbol, chili powder, consomme, corn tortillas, crockpot, cumin, garlic, garlic powder, guajillo peppers, Monterrey jack cheese, oregano, slow cooker, tacos, thyme, tomatoes, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 pounds beef roast
1 small yellow onion diced
8 cloves garlic minced
3 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons adobo
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon all spice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
16 ounces beef broth or stock
6 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried chiles de arbol
1 half large tomato
Monterrey jack cheese shredded (for serving)
Corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

Combine the roast, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, adobo, oregano, thyme, all spice and garlic powder in your crockpot. Pour the beef broth over top of everything in the pot.
To prepare the chiles, pull the stem off of each one and shake out as many seeds as you can.
Add the chiles to a medium-sized pot and cover them with water. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for about five minutes or until the chiles are soft. (Do not get rid of the water you boiled the chiles in!)
Add the softened chiles, tomato and about one cup of the boiling liquid to a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the chiles mixture into your crockpot. If the liquid isn’t covering the ingredients in the crockpot, add more of the boiling liquid until it is.
Cook for eight hours on low or four hours on high.
When the roast is done, shred it with a couple forks.
To make the tacos, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray it lightly with cooking oil. Dip a corn tortilla in the stock. Place it in the hot skillet and sprinkle on one to two tablespoons cheese. Put a large spoonful of the meat mixture onto half of the tortilla and carefully fold it over. When the tortilla is browned to your liking, gently flip the taco over to brown the other side. When it is done, transfer the taco to a warm plate.
Continue until you have as many tacos as you want to serve for your meal. Serve the tacos sprinkled with a little extra cheese and alongside a small bowl of the stock for dipping.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Like I said, the flavor of these tacos is absolutely phenomenal. They weren’t at all spicy, but you could easily kick them up a notch with some salsa. Birria is also traditionally served with fresh diced onions and cilantro, if you want to add some color.

The trick for the leftovers is to wait to put the actual tacos together until you’re ready to eat them rather than assembling 100 percent of them right away and storing them in the fridge. They assemble just as easily as leftovers as they do the first time.

And if you are having any trouble finding the dried chiles mentioned in the recipe, try looking in the Hispanic foods section of your local grocery store. They’re normally sold in big plastic bags in that area.

Despite looking complicated, birria tacos were actually very simple to make, and they bring a little bit of a wow factor to the dinner table. Put this one on your list for your next taco night this winter.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 8, 2022.

Side Dish

Don’t fritter away dinner this week; try a new side dish

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date September 29, 2022

Chickpea fritters are really easy to make, using a base of canned garbanzo beans, along with plenty of herbs and spices. They are a fantastic side dish to add to your next dinner.

I’m going to need all of you to mentally prepare yourself for the mood I found myself in recently: pantry clean out mode.

Once or twice a year, I find myself staring into the abyss that is my pantry and wondering where all of these random food items came from.

Because I love to try new recipes, I often fall victim to clearance items that look “interesting” or just having loads of extra ingredients leftover from whatever my last experiment happened to be.

This week, I found myself staring down a can of chickpeas that has been taking up space at the back of a shelf for longer than I care to even guess.

I bought a few cans for a recipe experiment that went terribly, and I never ended up using the last one. I kept assuming we’d make a batch of hummus or they would end up in a curry or soup sometime, but they’ve just become a permanent resident instead.

But not any more, thanks to this week’s successful experiment: chickpea fritters.

This comes from Yumna Jawad of the “Feel Good Foodie” blog. You can find her original post at https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/chickpea-fritters/. I added extra seasoning in my version.

Chickpea Fritters

Chickpea fritters are really easy to make, using a base of canned garbanzo beans, along with plenty of herbs and spices. They are a fantastic side dish to add to your next dinner.

Course Side Dish

Keyword chickpeas, cumin, garbanzo beans, garlic powder, parmesan, parsley

Ingredients

15 ounces canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, mash the chickpeas until they’re nice and crumbly. Add in the flour, parmesan, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and water, and stir until the mixture starts to come together.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat, and add the canola oil.
While the oil heats, form six patties—about one-half-inch thick—out of the chickpea mixture, making sure to compact them with your hands so they stay together.
When the oil is hot, carefully add the patties and cook for one to two minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.
Serve hot as a side to your favorite Mediterranean, Indian or Middle Eastern dish, or just eat them by themselves with a good dipping sauce. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

I recommend eating these with something—maybe as a side to a curry, along with a gyro or at least with a good sauce—because the are a bit dry on their own.

That being said, they have great flavor, and I really liked these. Plus, they were super easy if you’re looking for a quick side dish.

I know that removing a single can from my pantry is nowhere near the triumph I’m trying to pretend it is (and you would definitely be saying that if you saw the mess I’ve gotten myself into), but as they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I suppose the cleanup of a thousand ingredients starts with a lone can of chickpeas.

This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 29, 2022.

Tags chickpeas, cumin, fritters, garbanzo beans, garlic powder, parmesan, parsley

Appetizer Side Dish

You won’t want to hush about this week’s southern dish

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date August 18, 2022

Homemade hushpuppies are a pretty easy side dish to create.

This summer, we have had the privilege of welcoming an intern from the University of Kansas into our newsroom.

It’s amazing how quickly someone can go from being a stranger to being part of the family, and that’s definitely been the case with Will. So, with his final day looming this week, Joey and I decided to have him over for dinner to treat him to a home-cooked meal and thank him for all of his work this summer.

I sent him a text message before setting the menu, double checking that he didn’t have any allergies or major dislikes before I started planning, and he gave me a carte blanche to do whatever I liked.

As anyone who knows me is aware, that can be a bit dangerous, but after some pondering and discussion, Joey and I decided it was going to be Cajun night at the Youngs, mostly because Joey has been craving some hushpuppies lately.

I’ll share the other recipes from the weekend with you in future columns, but I wanted to start with those hushpuppies, because they were absolutely delicious and actually way easier to make than I ever would have thought.

The recipe I used comes from the blog “Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen.” You can find her original post at https://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/hushpuppies/. I added extra seasonings in my version.

Hushpuppies

Homemade hushpuppies are a pretty easy side dish to create.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Keyword cornmeal, fried, garlic powder, hushpuppies, Old Bay, onion powder, seafood seasoning, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning I used Old Bay
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk or regular milk with a splash of vinegar
1 yellow onion minced
4 to 6 cups canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, seafood seasoning, salt, garlic powder and onion powder and stir until everything is well combined.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk, and then add the mixture to the larger bowl, mixing until all of the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
Fold in the minced onion, and then set the mixture aside.
In a stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. (You’ll want to put enough oil in the pot to make it a couple inches deep.) Using a two-inch ice cream scoop or a large spoon, carefully drop the batter into the hot oil. (I was able to do about five hushpuppies at a time in my pot.) As the hushpuppies cook, slide a slotted spoon underneath them to make sure they’re not sticking to the bottom.
Let them fry, turning them to let them evenly brown, for about four minutes or until your hushpuppies have reached your desired color.
Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle them with a little more seafood seasoning, if desired.
Wait until the oil is back to 350 degrees, and repeat until you have used all of the batter.
Serve hot.

These were everything Joey had been dreaming of, and he was super excited with how they turned out. I was, too. They were a little sweet but also had fabulous onion flavor without it being overwhelming, and they were a great side dish.

Truth be told, I could probably just eat a plate of them for dinner by themselves, too.

We ended up having a wonderful dinner together with Will, and we’ll be sorry to see him go back home this week. He’s been a great addition to our crew. Maybe someday we’ll be able to entice him into coming back and working with us again. I mean, at least he knows he’ll eat well.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 18, 2022.

Tags Cajun, cornmeal, fried, garlic powder, hushpuppies, Old Bay, onion powder, seafood seasoning, yellow onion

Side Dish

‘Tajin’ up the flavor with yummy seasoned rice

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date July 14, 2022

Tajin rice takes on all the flavors of the popular spice mix—chili peppers, lime and salt—and is perfect as a side dish to all kinds of Mexican dishes.

When we were stuck in the house for lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, I (like everyone else) started getting a bit stir crazy and began looking for ways to reorganize different parts of our house.

One of my first projects was my horribly organized spice cabinet. The way it was all stacked in, I had to pull half the contents out to find what I needed. I started looking online and discovered a large spice rack I could hang on my kitchen wall and immediately bought it.

That thing has been a game changer. I love having everything in its place, alphabetized and ready to use immediately. It also freed up an entire cupboard in the kitchen for other items.

Recently, I kept staring at a large bottle of Tajin Clasico (pronounced tuh-heen) seasoning in my spice rack, which I purchased for a failed recipe and hadn’t touched in awhile. I decided I needed to put it to good use.

If you’re not familiar, Tajin is a mild seasoning that features chili peppers, dehydrated lime and salt. The lime is the flavor that really sticks out when you first give it a try. Some people swear by it and put it on everything.

This comes from the blog “The Fiery Vegetarian.” You can find the original post at https://www.thefieryvegetarian.com/tajin-rice-recipe/. I added more spices in my version.

Tajin Rice

Tajin rice takes on all the flavors of the popular spice mix—chili peppers, lime and salt—and is perfect as a side dish to all kinds of Mexican dishes.

Course Side Dish

Keyword chicken stock, garlic powder, onion powder, rice, Tajin Clasico, vegetable stock

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white long-grain rice
1 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Tajin Clasico seasoning

Instructions

Rinse your rise with cold water several times until the water runs mostly clear.
Add the rinsed rice, vegetable stock, garlic powder and onion powder to a medium-sized pot with a tight-fitting lid. Heat over high heat, stirring to dissolve the seasoning, until the mixture is at a boil.
Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to a simmer. Leave it on the heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid and stir in the butter until it’s melted and fully incorporated. Stir in the Tajin and then let the rice sit, off the heat, for about five minutes to let the flavors meld. Add any additional seasonings if desired, and serve as a side to your favorite Mexican entree.

This was a nice side dish. We had it alongside some chicken tacos one night and ate the leftovers with quesadillas on another evening.

I will say that if you’re not a fan of Tajin or citrus flavors in your savory dishes, you definitely won’t like this rice, but we thought it was pretty good—especially as a side dish. I don’t know if it could hold its own as the main star of a dinner, but it probably depends on how much you like Tajin.

So, that spice bottle is still staring down at me from my spice rack, but at least it’s a couple tablespoons lighter. I’ll have to come up with some other ways to use it up—especially since it’s nice and tall and has to be stored out of alphabetical sequence in the rack. Now that I finally have things organized, I want to keep it that way.

This piece first appeared in print on July 14, 2022.

Tags chicken stock, easy side dish, garlic powder, onion powder, rice, Tajin Clasico, vegetable stock, white rice

Side Dish

Roasted vegetables will be the ‘bell’ of the ball this summer

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date June 9, 2022

Southwest potatoes combines potatoes, bell peppers and onion with plenty of herbs and spices for a delicious summer side dish that's easy to make and looks pretty on the table.

Even though I try not to heat up the house with my oven too often in the summer, I am definitely willing to make an exception for the right recipe.

Last week, that exception came when I decided I didn’t want one of the typical cold summer sides like coleslaw, potato salad or a green salad to go with our dinner, and I stumbled on a delicious-looking recipe that combined potatoes and bell peppers. It sounded like a fantastic summer side, especially with all the brightly colored peppers included.

It fit the bill perfectly, and not only was I happy with the flavors but it also ended up being a great meal for leftovers later on.

This comes from the blog “Will Cook for Smiles.” You can find the original post at https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/southwest-roasted-potatoes. I added extra spices and vegetables in my version.

Southwest Potatoes

Southwest potatoes combines potatoes, bell peppers and onion with plenty of herbs and spices for a delicious summer side dish that's easy to make and looks pretty on the table.

Course Side Dish

Keyword bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, potatoes, summer side dish, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 large Russet potatoes
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper
1 small yellow onion
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with foil.
Cut potatoes and onion into about one-half-inch pieces. Cut the peppers into about one-inch pieces.
Add all of the vegetables to a large bowl or directly onto the baking sheet to combine with the other ingredients.
Add the oil, herbs and spices to your vegetables and mix well until they are evenly coated in the mixture.
Evenly spread out the coated vegetables on your prepared baking sheet.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Serve hot.

If you’re into something a bit spicier, you could easily toss in some hot peppers or maybe some cayenne pepper in the mix for this. But I will say this combination of spices was definitely flavorful while still being a crowd pleaser.

It was also super gorgeous on the table. I would highly recommend this one for a gathering if you need a good side dish this summer. We really enjoyed it.

And, in the grand scheme of things, heating up the kitchen was very much worth it. There’s something about roasted bell peppers that I absolutely love, even if I have to sweat just a bit to get them.

This piece first appeared in print on June 9, 2022.

Tags bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, potatoes, summer side dish, yellow onion

Main Dish

Avocado tuna salad pits spouses against each other

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 5, 2022

Avocado tuna salad is packed with yummy vegetables, along with the creamy addition of Greek yogurt and ripe avocado.

Joey and I love to prepare meals together. He’s a great cook in his own right, so we take turns with one of us cooking while the other helps with prep work.

Well, that’s most of the time.

For this week’s recipe, I was all on my own. As soon as Joey heard the words “tuna salad,” he was out.

I tried to explain to him that it was mayonnaise free, since he has a very vocal dislike of the condiment, but he said just the idea that tuna salad is normally laden with tons of mayo meant he was going to make himself a nice turkey sandwich for lunch instead.

Oh, well. More for me.

I kind of went rogue on this recipe, but it was inspired by a recipe from Carrie Walder at her blog, “Walder Wellness.” I took her base and subtracted a little and added a little to land on my version. You can find the original post at https://www.walderwellness.com/no-mayo-high-protein-tuna-salad.

Avocado Tuna Salad

Avocado tuna salad is packed with yummy vegetables, along with the creamy addition of Greek yogurt and ripe avocado.

Course Main Course

Keyword avocado, English cucumber, garlic powder, Greek yogurt, green bell pepper, tuna, tuna salad

Ingredients

5 ounces tuna packed in water
1 medium-sized avocado
5.3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup English cucumber diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Drain the tuna extremely well.
In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork, and then add all of the ingredients. Stir well and then taste to see if there’s anything else you need to add.
Serve immediately on bread or as a wrap with additional vegetables as desired (I did mine with fresh spinach and a few more slices of cucumber). Refrigerate any leftovers.

I really, really liked this. I like regular tuna salad, too, but this had a little bit of a tang from the yogurt and tons of fresh flavor from the cucumbers and green peppers.

The only drawback was when I went to eat the leftovers. Because the cucumbers and green peppers have so much water in them, there was quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of my container the day after I made this. I drained it off and still had a great wrap, but I think it was much more delicious when it was first made.

This would also be very easy to customize, depending on your favorite veggies and maybe what’s growing in your summer garden over the next few months. This is already pretty full of protein, but you could add eggs, too, if you wanted a bit more.

I probably won’t ever give up traditional tuna salad, and Joey will still have to deal with having a jar of mayonnaise in the refrigerator for the rest of our marriage, but using an avocado and Greek yogurt instead was a nice change of pace. Plus, it was kind of nice that I didn’t have to share.

This piece first appeared in print on May 5, 2022.

Tags avocado, English cucumber, garlic powder, Greek yogurt, green bell pepper, healthy, sandwich, tuna, tuna salad, wrap

Main Dish

Be ready for an enchi’little’ heat with jalapenos this week

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 24, 2022

Jalapeno cream cheese chicken enchiladas are a great weeknight dinner. They're spicy, cheesy and make for fantastic leftovers.

Sometime last summer I found a huge bag of hatch green chiles that were on clearance in our local grocery store.

I immediately threw them in my cart, visions of cheesy enchiladas with mild, roasted chiles dancing in my head.

What I created was an abomination. I quickly realized how spicy the chiles were when Joey and I each took our first bite and nearly choked from the heat. I’m sure there are people who love playing chicken with the Scoville Heat Scale who would have absolutely loved them, but at the point that they even made Joey sweat, I knew they were way too spicy for either of us to consume. They ended up being deconstructed and made into another dish with lots of other ingredients to balance out the spice.

When I told Joey I was going to try a recipe for jalapeno enchiladas this week, he looked at me with a bit of skepticism that I wasn’t going to try to kill us both again. Luckily, though, we ended up with a dinner that was just the right amount of spicy and was really delicious.

The recipe I used is from the “All Recipes” website. You can find the original post at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/218031/jalapeno-cream-cheese-chicken-enchiladas. I added extra seasonings in my version.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Jalapeno cream cheese chicken enchiladas are a great weeknight dinner. They're spicy, cheesy and make for fantastic leftovers.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword cayenne, cream cheese, cumin, enchilada, garlic, garlic powder, jalapenos, Monterrey jack cheese, paprika, rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken, weeknight dinner, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken cooked and shredded (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 small yellow onion diced
2 or 3 jalapeno peppers diced (remove seeds and ribs for milder taste)
4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
8 ounces cream cheese I used fat free
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
28 ounces green enchilada sauce
7 to 8 flour tortillas
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken, one teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate the ingredients. Set it aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapenos, and saute until they are soft. Add in the minced garlic and saute for another couple of minutes until it just starts to brown.
Cut the cream cheese into one-inch cubes and add to the skillet, stirring to melt the cheese and combine the ingredients.
Once the cheese is melted, remove the pan from the heat, and add one-half teaspoon cayenne, one teaspoon garlic powder, paprika, cumin and the seasoned chicken. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
In a nine-by-13-inch pan, spread half of the enchilada sauce on the bottom.
Assemble the enchiladas by spreading a large spoonful of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle the filling with about one tablespoon of shredded cheese, and roll the tortilla tightly, leaving the ends open. Place it seam-side down in the pan. Continue until all the filling is used, squishing the tortillas together as necessary.
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Let sit for five minutes before serving. Garnish with sour cream and pickled jalapenos, if desired.

These had just the right amount of heat, and it was balanced really well with the cheese, but you can also decrease the spice level a bit by leaving out the cayenne pepper. They were also fantastic leftovers, which I always appreciate on busy weeks.

If these still sound too spicy for you but you’re in the mood for enchiladas, I’d encourage you to search for “queso fresco enchiladas” on my website (spiceupkitchen.net). Those would easily fit the bill.

But if you decide to make up your own recipe, just be careful not to blindly trust mystery peppers at the grocery store. And if you do, let me suggest purchasing some good anti-perspirant, a big box of tissues and a gallon of milk to help you recover.

This piece first appeared in print on March 24, 2022.

Tags cayenne, cream cheese, cumin, enchiladas, garlic powder, green enchilada sauce, jalapenos, Monterrey jack cheese, paprika, rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken, weeknight dinner, yellow onion

Main Dish

Casserole should tread care’philly’ with its cheesesteak claims

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date September 2, 2021

This casserole is a quick weeknight meal with lots of cheesy flavor, complimented by bell peppers and mushrooms.

There are tons of great copycat recipes out there.

I was blown away several years ago to learn that you can make a pretty convincing Butterfinger candy bar with candy corn and a few other ingredients. I also once tried a great recipe claiming to mirror Starbucks’s lemon bread.

So when I tried a casserole this week that promised to mimic the flavors of a Philly cheesesteak, I was intrigued. I have only gotten the opportunity to visit Philadelphia once, and if you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend getting one of their famous sandwiches.

Unfortunately, this week’s recipe was not a great substitute. Fortunately, though, it was just a solid, tasty casserole. So I decided to rename it and present it to you. It has great flavor, and it comes together quickly, which is something a lot of us need in our lives now that school activities are starting up again.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog, “Bowl me Over.” You can find the original post at https://bowl-me-over.com/philly-cheesesteak-baked-tortellini-recipe/. I added mushrooms, extra roast beef and seasonings to my version.

Bell Pepper Baked Tortellini Casserole

This casserole is a quick weeknight meal with lots of cheesy flavor, complimented by bell peppers and mushrooms.

Course Main Course

Keyword Alfredo sauce, bell pepper, casserole, cheese tortellini, cream cheese, garlic powder, mushrooms, onion powder, provolone, roast beef

Ingredients

19 ounces cheese tortellini
1 teaspoon olive oil
15 ounces frozen bell pepper strips or use fresh
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
15 ounces Alfredo sauce
2 ounces cream cheese I used fat free
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound deli roast beef sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
Cook the tortellini according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pepper strips and mushrooms and saute until the peppers are lightly browned and soft.
Add the Alfredo sauce, cream cheese, seasonings and roast beef and stir.
Once the cream cheese is melted and everything is well combined, fold in the tortellini.
Dump the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the slices of provolone, overlapping them as needed.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

This casserole was filling and cheesy and hit the spot for dinner. Plus, it reheated really well for lunches later in the week.

It certainly wasn’t a good facsimile for an actual Philly cheesesteak, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. I guess I’ll just have to wait for another East Coast trip to taste the real thing, but until then, at least I have a quick dinner recipe to add to my list.

This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 2, 2021.

Tags Alfredo sauce, bell pepper, casserole, cheese tortellini, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, provolone, quick dinner, roast beef