Foodie Friday: French Toast Casserole + Bacon

Welcome back to another edition to Foodie Friday!  We made a menu plan this week for the first time in quite a while - and we did a fairly good job of sticking to it!  It feels good to cook and eat at home - I was definitely getting tired of eating out so frequently!  This week's post is the meal we had on Wednesday night - French Toast Casserole with bacon!

I found the recipe for the French Toast Casserole on page 90 of a little cookbook I found at the Hallmark store - Cooking Together: Recipes for Parents and Kids.

French Toast Casserole

1 (16 ounce) loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed - *I used Cinnamon Swirl bread!

6 large eggs, beaten - *I used egg beaters!

3 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

powdered sugar

Layer bread cubes evenly in greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl.  Pour mixture over bread cubes.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve warm, topped with syrup.

I have made this recipe several times and it never disappoints!  It would even be great on Christmas - make it the night before and just pop it in the oven when you get up!

And we use Center Cut Oscar Meyer bacon - it is delicious and lower calorie (all things considered).  Yum!  And Katie told me that my bacon tasted as good as when Daddy makes it - that is a true compliment!

Hope you have a great week!  Stay tuned for more fun posts coming up soon!  Happy Friday!

Foodie Friday: Perfect Panko Chicken with Hummus + Zesty Honey Carrots

Welcome back!  And stop the presses - I know...it has been forEVer since I've done a Foodie Friday!  Well, to be honest, it has been forEVer since I've cooked a good meal! Jack is just at an age where it is way hard to get much done since I have to chase after him!  Well, when I was walking through Publix for the groceries for the week, they were making this meal - it was delicious AND the card says it is only 20 minutes total time.  I almost hugged the woman.  I bought all the things I needed to make this and was excited and proud to announce to Brad that I was actually going to cook this week! 

Wednesday was the night and I could hardly wait.  I hoped that I could make it as deliciously as the woman at Publix.  And let me tell you.  It did not disappoint!  I could have easily eaten all of the food I prepared!  And it was so easy!  It may have taken me more like 30 minutes, but I'll take it!  And I may have given the kids snacks and put the TV on to get it made!  Here is the recipe (from the little Publix Aprons recipe card)...

Perfect Panko Chicken w/ Hummus

Ingredients:

-juice of 2 limes

-3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

-4 chicken cutlets (about 1 lb)

-1/2 tsp kosher salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-1 (8 oz) container deli cilantro/jalapeno hummus, divided

-3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

-2 pouches boil-in-bag rice

-3 tbsp canola oil

-1 tbsp water

 Steps:

1) Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Reserve 1/2 cup hummus for sauce, then coat both side of the chicken with remaining hummus (about 1 tbsp for each cutlet).  Place panko in shallow dish.  Dip chicken into panko (coating both sides).  Wash hands.

2) Cook rice following package instructions.

3) Preheat large saute pan on medium 2-3 minutes.  Place oil in pan, then add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes each side or until 165 degrees F.

4) Combine reserved 1/2 cup hummus with cilantro, lime juice, and water; drizzle sauce over chicken. Serve.

*560 calories for 1/4 of the recipe!*

Zesty Honey Carrots

Ingredients:

-1 (16 oz) bag dip chip cut carrots

-2 tbsp honey

-2 tsp chili powder

-1/4 tsp kosher salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

Steps:

1) Place carrots in microwave-safe dish and cover; microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until tender.  Drain any water in dish.

2) Whisk together in medium bowl, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper until blended.  Stir carrots into sauce.  Serve.

*70 calories for 1/4 of recipe*

And this is what my plate looked like before I devoured everything on it!

 The meal even got the Katie Seal of Approval!  She especially loved the carrots - she asked for seconds! :)

I cannot wait to make this recipe again.  It so easy and so delicious.  Who could ask for more?! Let me know if you decide to add it to your menu plan - you won't regret it!

Foodie Friday: Crockpot Beef Tips + Gravy (w/ Mashed Potatoes)

Last night I tried another new recipe I found on Pinterest - it was great!  We had some beef in the freezer that we needed to use, so off I went searching Pinterest.  This recipe for Crockpot Beef Tips and Gravy was one of the first ones I came across.  And I served it over Simply Potatoes Classic Mashed Potatoes to be on the healthier side!  Here is what my plate looked like...

We also had cranberry sauce but I didn't have enough space for it on my plate :)  And this dish even got the Katie Seal of Approval!  It reminded me how much I love using the crockpot.  I really should do one meal in the crockpot every week...it is SO much easier than cooking during the crazy time of the late afternoon/early evening!  Happy Friday!

Foodie Friday: Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

This week, we followed our menu plan loosely :) We ended up picking up Newk's Monday night because we had gone out to shop at Jos A Bank's big sale and were all starving (and I didn't want to prepare anything)!  Tuesday night I had a meeting, so Brad and Katie had leftovers from the weekend.  And Wednesday night, I made the Pesto Tortellini with Pine Nuts - so easy and always a crowd favorite!  And the neighbors came to eat with us, so that was fun!

I did do some cooking this week for a breakfast item I found on Pinterest.  I had never tried to bake anything that didn't have oil or flour in it, so I decided to give it a try!  I made Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins!

Here are all the ingredients in the blender.  I made the mistake of ignoring the suggestion of putting the oats in a little at a time.  Oops!  So I ended up having to take it all out into a bowl and mashing it around with a spoon.  It worked just fine but I am sure a blender or food processor would've been easier.  It's definitely times like this where I wish I had a KitchenAid Mixer - that would make me "official" ... maybe I can ask for that for birthday/Christmas this year!  I bet they go on sale on Black Friday :)  

Anyways...back to the muffins...this is what they looked like when they were done!

They are really good and filling...and only 50 CALORIES each!! I did use Splenda instead of sugar and Egg Beaters instead of eggs, so that is why they are so low in calories!  And I very badly want to try one with Nutella - but that would negate the health factor :)  When I make them again, I might try putting some cinnamon and maybe honey in them to enhance the flavor a bit.  But they are easy and delicious - I highly recommend them!  Just be sure to add the oats gradually rather than get in a hurry and pour it all together at the start! Also, on the website, there are a lot of comments of variations people have tried - ways to make it dairy free, adding pumpkin, etc!  So be sure to take a look at the comments!

Foodie Friday: YUM!

It has been a LOOOONG time since I've done a Foodie Friday post! Heck!  It has been a looooong time since I've done a menu plan and cooking!  I guess having a 3 year old and young baby will do that.  Anyway, I am so glad I made a menu plan for this week - it was so fun to try these new recipes (thanks, Pinterest!!) and cook and eat at home!  Here is what our week looked like...

Monday: Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes (Betty Crocker), and Cheesy Broccoli (one of those steamer bags from the frozen food section)

What a delicious meal!  The chicken was tender and had great flavor!  And then who can go wrong with au gratin potatoes, cheesy broccoli, and Hawaiian rolls :)  Go {here} for the chicken recipe!

 Tuesday: Sandwiches/Leftovers

Wednesday: Cilantro Lime Chicken Rice Bake

 This meal was pretty involved (note: do not make if you want a quick, easy meal), but man, was it worth it!  Our neighbors came over to eat with us and there weren't any leftovers!!!  It was delicious!  I forgot to get a picture of the creamy sauce to put on top of it, but it is quite similar to Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno sauce - YUM!  Go {here} for the recipe!

Look at all of those dirty dishes!  Definitely a sign of a good meal...and since I cooked, Brad got to clean all of those :)  He said it was worth it though!

 Thursday: Cream Cheese Sausage Pinwheels and Scrambled Eggs

YUM!  These were so easy and delicious...I could not stop eating them!  It would obviously work as a breakfast or brunch item, but sometimes we like to do breakfast for dinner - perfect!  Go {here} for this recipe! 

And I actually put things out on the table!  Usually, we serve buffet style, but it was nice to have it on the table with us for a change.  Maybe buffet style would've been better - those pinwheels were right in front of me calling my name :)

I think all 3 of these recipes will be made again in this house! Yum!  And I've already got next week planned out as well :) So stay tuned for more yumminess!  Happy Friday!

Foodie Friday: Pesto Tortellini

I know - it has been forever since I've done a Foodie Friday, but since I actually put together a decent meal this week, I decided to do a post!  I will probably do another one next week with another dish that I made recently (and who knows, maybe I'll make that same dish again next week - easy and delicious)!  

This week, I made a delicious salad, pesto cheese tortellini with pine nuts, and ice cream sundae for dessert!

It is all super easy - just a matter of putting it all together!

The salad had romaine lettuce, strawberries, glazed pecans, and mango poppyseed dressing (Publix brand). 

We cooked the packages of pasta and put pesto sauce and pine nuts with it.  We also baked some garlic bread to serve with the pasta.

And then the ice cream sundae is self-explanatory...ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries!  Of course we went with patriotic sprinkles since the Olympics are still going on :)

And the good part?  We had leftovers!  I had the rest of the salad for lunch the next day and we all had pasta for dinner that night!

Happy Friday!

Foodie Friday: Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Another installment of Foodie Friday - this time it is just a dessert!  And they were pretty tasty if I do say so myself!  I took this dessert to a housewarming party (along with store-bought sugar cookies) and they were so good!

I tried the Six Sisters Stuff recipe for Chocolate Caramel Brownies!  I do recommend it - it wasn't terribly difficult and it is nice to make something from scratch from time to time (as opposed to a box mix)!  I opted to not use pecans and it tasted just fine! As for the sugar cookies with sprinkles, they came from a box from Publix :) 

Happy Weekend, folks!

Foodie Friday: Honey Sesame Chicken

This week I cooked Six Sisters Stuff: Honey Sesame Chicken.  It was amazing and I definitely plan to make it again - it was a little salty, so next time, I may add a splash of orange juice to the mixture.  I certainly didn't hear any complaints though!  I served it with teriyaki rice and a salad - YUM!  

I forgot to take a picture, so this is the picture that is featured on the website with the recipe - YUM!  I didn't get sesame seeds - and it probably would have been fine with regular rice.  In fact, that may have reduced the saltiness.  

All in all, I highly recommend this recipe - so easy and yum!  It will definitely be in our regular rotation!  Happy Friday, folks!

Foodie Friday

 I actually cooked THREE times this week! WOW!  I think that is a record as of lately!  Monday night, we had some friends over and I threw together a yummy (and easy) dinner!  We had grilled chicken tenderloins, parmesan asparagus, and au gratin potatoes.  

It was DELICIOUS!  With the asparagus, I just put them on a cookie sheet, drizzled some olive oil on them, sprinkled a little salt and pepper, and then sprinkled parmesan cheese (more than a sprinkle, really) on them.  Then I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes.  YUM!  Thanks, Pinterest!

And Katherine made some DELICIOUS cupcakes - so I had to take a picture...even though it came out slightly blurry.  She left them here with us and we have enjoyed them all week! 

My other two cooking ventures this week involved pasta - super easy!  Hope you have a great weekend!

Foodie Friday: Grilling Time!

All I have to say is that I am SUPER happy that the weather is nice enough to start grilling!  This was our first grilling of the season - and it was great!  I do enjoy cooking, but I also like being able to prep (AKA marinate some chicken and cut up veggies and marinate them as well) and let Brad do the grilling! Since the time change, we have played outside some at night - wears Katie out (especially since she also plays outside during the day)!  Our neighbors came over for dinner Tuesday night, and I decided grilling would be the best option. 

Here is the griller extraordinaire!

 And here is what we had!  A salad kid (delicious!), grilled chicken that had been in caribbean jerk marinade, grilled zucchini and squash that had some Dale's on it, and then some mashed potatoes that I had gotten (you just microwave them - easy peasy!  I think they were the brand Simply Potatoes).

I cleaned my plate and probably could've gone back for more.  But I saved some room for a little Klondike bar!  It's only 100 calories - the perfect size!

Can't wait to do more grilling through the spring and summer...we really need to remember that grilling is easy and fun!

Foodie Friday: Eating Out Edition

We have not done so hot on eating at home this week - OOPS! So this week's Foodie Friday is featuring the places we have eaten this week :)

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

We ate at our neighbor's house!

They made pesto chicken tortellini and a salad - it was AMAZING!  It definitely tasted good, but I think having a homecooked meal (after all our eating out) made it that much better! :) 

Hoping I will do better next week - I just don't like to cook when Brad is out of town!  Happy Friday!

Foodie Friday: Slow Cooker Lasagna

TGIF for sure!  And the good part? We have zero weekend plans.  That makes me super duper happy! Hopefully get some good quality family time in since Brad has been working like a wild man these last few weeks!

This week, I made Faithful Provision's Slow Cooker Lasagna.  I had made it once before and it was tasty, so I decided it was time to do it again!  It is yummy and SO easy - perfect for a weeknight meal.  I paired it with a salad kit and some garlic bread and it was perfect!

Here is the creation in the crockpot before we all started digging in! 

 If you are wanting the recipe, jump on over to the Faithful Provisions site!  The direct link to the recipe can be found {here}!  I highly recommend it - I only cooked mine for about 3.5 hours, so you can get it all loaded in the crockpot at lunchtime (or during the kids' naptime, or in the morning before work - and it will sit on warm), and it will cook and be ready just in time for dinner!

This is what my plate looked like - super delicious!  And I had Milo's sweet tea with Splenda mixed with Publix raspberry iced tea to drink.  Perfection! 

Happy weekend!

Foodie Friday: Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Happy Friday, folks!  I had a slight panic attack because I thought that Blogger wasn't going to be my friend anymore (it said something about not being compatible unless you have Google Chrome as a browser or something like that), so I bit the bullet and downloaded Google Chrome as the browser.  Seeing as I am less than 5 minutes into my experience with it, I have no complaints yet - it is a bit faster than my Internet Explorer!  Sorry for that - I'm just happy that it is letting me post and see comments and see stats!

Today's Foodie Friday is a Pinterest find (of course...what isn't these days?!)!  Man, what would we do without Pinterest!  I wanted to make a fun dip for the Super Bowl party and this sounded pretty easy and delicious.  So I made it.  And lots of it.  It filled a whole 9x13 dish!  If you are interested in seeing the ingredients, here is the link for it! Easy and delicious!  

 And I wanted to throw in a little family pic from the gathering.  Did you love any specific commercials from the Super Bowl (yes, I know, I'm late in the game for asking that...)?  I did - the tan M&M commercial, and the VW one with the St. Bernard dog! So cute :)  I think there was one other one, but I can't think of it right now! 

Have a super weekend!