BBQ Season! BBQ'd Potatoes

So, it's been awhile since I've posted anything new! How sad is that! I never stopped cooking, so exactly what happened?


Anyway, it's BBQ SEASON! YIPPEE! That means all I need to do is prep food and clean up food, and hubby can do the 'cooking', hahaha.


We got a brand new BBQ on monday. I got it for my hubby as a late anniversary and early father's day gift. Yeah... real early... Anyway, it's stainless steel, has 3 burners (countem, 3, woah!), and it cooks evenly! Posted is the picture of our first meal cooked on the grill...

BBQ Potatoes

You can BBQ just about anything. A friend of mine showed me how to do potatoes on the grill a few summers ago and we've been doing this ever since.

First, chop your potatoes (and other veggies). I like to stick them in the microwave for about 5 minutes to partially cook them so that they don't take quite so long on the grill. Get a large piece of tinfoil, spray it with cooking spray, and place the veggies in a row down the middle (works best if you do only 1-2 people's veggies per piece of foil and just have multiple foil pouches on the grill). Add your spices, whatever tickles your fancy, and a bit of butter (again, however much you want). Make a pouch from the foil by grabbing the long ends and wrapping them over the mixture, pinching and 'rolling' them together somewhat... (I wish I took pics, but this diagram should help... I hope...). You should have a tube of foil with veggies inside. Roll each of the ends tightly to close them. Place on the grill, seam side up, preferably over really low heat or on the 'warmer' section (unless you want charcoal potatoes). Voila! "Baked" potatoes and veggies on the grill!

Of course you could probably grill them seperately with tinfoil, but what's the fun in that?

Cheese-and-Spinach Casserole

I made this casserole for one of our Thursday night dinners. I was in charge of bringing veggies that week, and figured it'd be nice to do something a bit different. It went over quite well! I had hardly anything to take back home for later. (Adapted from Kraft)

Cheese-and-Spinach Casserole

Drain 2 packages (10 oz each) of frozen spinach (or use 2 bunches of fresh spinach for the package of frozen if you wish). Spread spinach in a shallow casserole dish, top with 1 cup each of cottage, shredded mozza, and shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with 1 cup of bread crumbs (approx. 1 slice bread). Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

Homemade Mac N Cheese

Can you believe I've never made homemade mac n cheese before? My mom used to make it, and I thought... hmm... why not? So, I found this recipe online through Mom's Budget and adjusted it a bit for my liking.

Homemade Freezer Macaroni And Cheese

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups dried macaroni noodles
5 tbsp butter
6 tbsp white flour
3 cups milk (since I'm on a farm, whole milk is what I used)
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 red pepper (or green), chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 slices. I used whole wheat)
salt (optional)
pepper (optional)

1. Cook macaroni noodles. Drain. Melt a small amount of butter and mix with noodles, to prevent them from sticking together (instead, I rinse with cold water). Cover and set aside.

2. Melt 5 tbsp butter in a large saucepan (really large), add flour and stir over medium heat for about thirty seconds, being careful not to brown. Add milk and whisk until thick (boiling). Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer.

3. Heat red pepper on stove in a separate pan, or in the microwave for about a minute. Add to milk mixture, then add cheese. Stir until melted.

4. Add macaroni noodles and mix well. Place in a casserole dish (a disposable foil casserole dish may work nicely for freezing). Top with breadcrumbs.

5. To bake immediately, place in preheated 350F oven for 30-40 minutes. Top with cheese if you like for the last few minutes.

I split this recipe into two, baked one, and for the other I cooled, covered and froze.

Instructions from Freezer: Allow to thaw at room temperature for one hour, or all day in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350F, and bake for 45 minutes. (If you split it into two, baking time may be reduced... I figure to about 30 minutes).

Serve with meat of your choice (ham of sorts is great, we did pork chops from the local farmer... and hotdogs are great for the kids) and salad or cooked veggies. To make it into a complete meal, add chopped ham or weiners with the macaroni.

Meals and Sides

Here is a list of different meals and side dishes.

Fish
Fabulous Fillet of Salmon
Salmon with Brown Rice Pilaf
Shrimp Pasta
Skillet Salmon
Tangy Tuna Patties
Tuna Noodle Casserole

Complete Meal
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie
Cheesy Tortilla Bake
Chicken Dinner for One
Hamburger Biscuit Bake
Homemade Mac N Cheese
Leftover Hamburger Casserole
Meatless Lasagna
Mix n Match Cheesy Burritos
Mix and Match Potato Dinners
Shrimp Pasta
Slow Cooker Chops
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti Squares
Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake

Soups and Sides
BBQ Potatoes
Black Bean Soup and Greek Salad
Cabbage Soup
Cheese-and-Spinach Casserole
Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Homemade Mac N Cheese
Roasted Potatoes
Zesty Potato Soup

Breakfast
Bright Beet Pancakes
Pancakes

Appetizer Meal - breaded shrimp, (includes milkshake, dip, pizza and salad)

Recipes Part XIII: Roasted Potatoes (april 21, 2008)

Here's another recipe I made last week that was really good! Great with burgers, hot dogs, steak, or anything barbeque. (got this recipe from Kraft)

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese
Prep: 15min
Total: 1hour 10min


Ingrediants
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup mozza shredded cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits
2 lb (900g) small red potatoes, quartered (we used regular potatoes chopped)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or enough dry for your tastes)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon bits in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss lightly.
Spoon into lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Cover with foil.
Bake 40 min. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 min, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
Makes 8 servings, 2/3 cup each.

Recipes Part V: Cabbage Soup (jul 23, 2007)

This is an actual diet recipe. I remember my mom making this one a long time ago, and I found it again online. It's supposed to really help clean out your system and help you burn fat. It's super low on calories, and high in fiber. And it's not bad! It reminds me of cabbage borsht, without the sausage.


Cabbage Soup


Ingredients
1 head of cabbage
2 onions
2 green peppers
1 celery
1 can of peeled tomatoes
2 vegetable bouillon cubes


Chop all the vegetables in small pieces, and put them in a pot with the bouillon and enough water to completely cover the vegetables.
Heat and boil for 10 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are done.
Add any spices you like (I really like pepper, but you can add whatever. Just try not to add too much salt)
Makes about 15-17 cups of soup. Estimated at 10 servings of 1.5 cups each


Nutritional Information

Calories - 53.6
Fat - 0.6 g
Carbs - 11.9 g
Protein - 2.3 g
Fiber - 3.3 g
Sodium - 202 mg