Cheesy Smashed Potatoes

Growing up, adding cheese was a guaranteed way to get me to eat something healthy. (Or not so healthy, I remember eating a lot of "cheese bread" consisting of a slice of Velveta on a piece of white bread, microwaved until melty - Yuk!)

One of my aunts used to make some cheesey mashed potatoes - so cheesey, that I think there was more cheese than potato in them. I wanted to make something similar, but keep them *slightly* healthy, and retain some of their texture. These were a great combination between baked potatoes & creamy mashed potatoes. The cream cheese & sour cream blended into the mashed potatoes well, but the skin (and nutrients) remained.


(Sorry for the awful picture!)

Cheesey Smashed Potatoes

5 lb bag of potatoes
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups cheddar cheese
Milk

Clean potatoes, cut up (keeping skin on), and boil until tender.

Place approximately half of the potatoes into a bowl with the sour cream, cream cheese & garlic. Mix until well blended. Add in 1.5-2 cups of the cheddar cheese, milk as needed for creaminess and remainder of potatoes. Mix *just* until blended (it will still be chunky).

Place in a 9x13 inch pan. (You can place these in the fridge at this point if you are preparing a day or two early.) Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, then add additional 1/2-1 cup of cheddar to the top. Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Feta, Basil & Olives

Pasta salads are a common side at summer BBQs and potlucks. I've grown up eating some delicious creamy pasta salads, but wanted to make something that I was hoping was a bit different from the traditional salad. (Surprisingly, someone brought an almost identical pasta salad to the BBQ we brought this to! Oh well, I enjoyed the leftovers!)

This is easy to make, and can be made the day of the event if you don't have a lot of fridge room to keep in in. We used the Campenelle pasta because it would help hold onto the sauce, and it was a festive looking pasta for the BBQ. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!



PASTA SALAD WITH FETA, BASIL & OLIVES (Adapted from The Parsley Thief)

6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound Campenelle pasta (or pasta of choice)
1 large red-ripe tomato, diced
8 ounces feta
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup black olives, pitted & halved

Add the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes & garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain & transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing & toss to coat. Cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, feta, basil, Parmesan, & olives. Toss to combine.

Serve chilled.

ENJOY!

Sesame Pasta Salad

This fall, we had a BBQ with friends. We provided the meet, everyone else brought the sides & drinks. Some of our friends stopped by the local coop on their way over to pick up some salads, and brought a sesame pasta salad over that I fell in love with. I scoured the internet for something similar, and think that this is it!

This is so simple to make up (and makes a HUGE batch - perfect if you're bringing it somewhere to share!) I think it easily be made into a more substantial salad by adding some chicken and cashews or peanuts to the mix.



SESAME PASTA SALAD (Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

16 ounces, thin noodles (spaghetti, angel hair, etc), cooked and drained
1/3 cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Chill before serving.

ENJOY!

Pesto & Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

I've been wanting to try spaghetti squash for awhile (I've never had it before!) While picking up some summer squash for grilling, I saw the spaghetti squash & decided to give it a try.

I'm not sure why my squash didn't have all of the strands that it's supposed to have (it really didn't look much like spaghetti), but it was a fairly easy side to prepare. We love pesto & often have it on hand, so I went with this recipe. If you like pesto, you'll enjoy this!



PESTO & PARMESAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH (From Bless Her Heart)

1 medium to large spaghetti squash (cooked)
1/4-1/3 cup pesto
1/3+ cup grated parmesan cheese

Once cooked squash is cool enough to touch, remove the seeds/waste from the center (if it hasn't already been removed). Use a fork to separate the the strands from the shell of the squash.

Toss the squash in a bowl with pesto and parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Preheat Broiler. Spread your squash mixture in a medium baking dish and sprinkle the top with a layer of parmesan cheese.

Place the dish in the broiler for about 10 minutes or until the cheese on top gets a little crispy and takes on a golden hue.

ENJOY!

Dill Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a summer staple in many homes. While we routinely add cukes to our salads, we wanted a simple side for our many grilled dinners. These are easy to make, and we always have the ingredients on hand. The are a great, cool side dish for these hot summer days!



DILL CUCUMBERS(From Disgustingly Good)

2 cucumbers, sliced thin
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
2/3 cup sour cream
1 T. dried dill (or more, to taste)


Start by slicing the cucumbers thin. Place a paper towel on a drying rack, and layer the cucumbers on the towel, sprinkling with salt. Let them dry for 1-2 hours.

Mix sour cream, dill and pepper in a small bowl. Mix cucumbers with sour cream mix. Top with more dill and pepper and salt to taste if you need too.

ENJOY!!

Orange Cottage Cheese Salad

With the start of grilling season & the outdoor meals that come with the warm weather, I knew I had to make this "salad." This has been one of my favorite "salads" for as long as I can remember. My mom got the recipe from a friend years ago, and this has been a staple recipe ever since. It's very easy to whip up, and compliments grilled burgers & hot dogs wonderfully. It's a nice, light dish to serve when it's hot outside.



ORANGE COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD

24oz container cottage cheese
12oz container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
small box of apricot (or orange) jello
1 small can mandarin oranges (drained)
5 oz (1/2 bag) of miniature marshmallows

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl & refrigerate. It may be slightly runny initially, but will set up in the fridge. Serve cold.

NOTE:
I use both fat free cottage cheese & whipped topping. I also use sugar free jello. Personally, I like more fruit in the salad, so I add a total of 3-4 small cans of mandarin oranges. I also added more marshmallows so that I could finish off what I had left in the bag.

This recipe could easily be converted to different flavors - raspberry or strawberry would also be wonderful!

ENJOY!