Creamy Shells and Cheese

-with broccoli and grilled chicken

If December were to call for any kind of food, I would think it would call for comfort food.

Yes, December is a month for indulging in all things food, it's true. However, you also have to keep in mind that December brings cold, cloudy, gloomy weather. It always seems to bring a time crunch. I mean, doesn't it seem there is never enough time this month? Between shopping for gifts, baking and cooking, relatives in town you only see but once a year, Christmas decorating, Christmas recitals and pageants... Where's the time to breathe? To sneak in some yoga? To calm down? There's not a lot. My advice? Slow it down at dinnertime a little bit. This recipe is super-quick and easy, but it's guaranteed to get your family in the kitchen to enjoy it. What's not to love? It's a one pot meal slathered in delicious cheese sauce. Yep, sure to be a hit :)

Call me crazy, but I enjoy grilling year round. I may not sit around on the patio in the snow and sleet while the meat cooks on the grill, but I'll run in and out of the house to do some flipping. I just set my timers, and run. This year is a lot better than last though, because I have a garden path to run along to the grill. You know, instead of running and tripping through mud. Grilling is my preferred method with chicken. It gives it the best flavor, and comes out juicy every time. 

The pasta is customizable. Throw in your preferred shape. I'm obsessed with mini-pasta right now. I used these mini-shells for this dish, but I am pretty preoccupied with mini-farfalle right now too. 

While you can definitely use fresh broccoli, I use frozen most of the time. I have frozen broccoli on hand 100% of the time, making this recipe a complete pantry recipe for me. Something I can always throw together without having to make a trip to the grocery store. I steam the broccoli in a little steamer basket over the boiling pasta, it's a complete time-saver. I love steaming broccoli whenever I make pasta simply because of that reason- two things cooking at once. With relative hands off-ness. 

Here's another benefit of making this dish- Just as the pasta is customizable, so is the rest of the recipe! You could sub in a different vegetable, such as cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, or even something like spinach. And you could totally use a different protein, such as shrimp, pork tenderloin, ground beef or turkey, or even something vegetarian like tofu. Or heck, you could even make the shells and cheese with no protein or veggie. Call it a side dish and watch the kids go nuts.

I cannot guarantee the kids won't turn up their noses and ask for Kraft mac-n-cheese, however. Only because I know that's what I did as a kid :)

It's Friday! Another week of Christmas shopping in the record books, though I can't say I've done any. Procrastination is my Christmas game, although I will be starting cookies probably on Monday. I can't wait! The hubby is working this lovely, sunny weekend so here's my agenda:

1. Run today, rest tomorrow, yoga and toning on Sunday.

2. Bake cupcakes (Vanilla Bean with Eggnog Frosting, yum!).

3. Take beautiful pictures in the sunlight of said cupcakes and the Salted Caramel Milkshakes I created (double yum!).

4. Finish my gosh-darn library books to leave my end-of-year book list at 24. Which would mean I averaged 2 books a month in 2014. A good jumping off point for 2015. 

The sunshine is making it soooooo easy to love life today :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 chicken breast

salt, pepper, garlic powder

8 oz mini shell pasta

12 oz broccoli florets

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk (I used 1%)

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

3/4 cup white cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat gas grill over high heat. When hot, turn middle burner down to medium. Place chicken on grill, grill for 4 minutes with lid closed. Flip chicken, and grill another 4 minutes. Flip chicken again, grill for 2 more minutes. Flip chicken one more time, and grill for a final 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to rest while preparing recipe.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta to water, stir. Place broccoli in a steamer basket, place over pasta water. Steam broccoli for 4 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. Continue to boil pasta for another 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain pasta, and set aside. Add a little olive oil to pasta to keep from sticking.

3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. When melted, add flour and cook down for 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk in 3-4 additions, whisking constantly. When milk/flour mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, add cheeses, salt, mustard, garlic powder, and pepper to skillet. Stir constantly until cheese is completely melted. 

4. Chop up chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Add chicken and broccoli to pan, toss to coat with cheese sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until everything is heated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Eat, Live, Run. 

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Garlicky Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers and Spinach

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday

Blue Cornbread Mix

I've got a great foodie gift idea for all you "do-it-yourself" er's out there. They are inexpensive and easy to make. Best of all, they look so very pretty!

I discovered this recipe a long time ago. A long, long time ago. Maybe 5-7 years ago. I actually made this as a Christmas gift for my parents when I first got into food. I mean, for starters, my dad loves cornbread. Secondly, I love the way the ingredients are layered in the jar, especially the blue cornmeal. It took me awhile, but I finally tracked down blue cornmeal at Whole Foods. I haven't bought blue cornmeal in quite some time now, so I'm unsure whether or not its become an easier to find item. Hopefully, if you go looking for it, you can track some down. If worst comes to worst, you could always order some off Amazon, I know they have it :)

I'm so much more into homemade gifts than I once was. It's weird how the mind evolves over time. When I was younger (ahem, childhood, teens, 20's) Christmas was very materialistic to me. It was all about what I got.  Did I get the trendiest clothes? Did I score the most presents? Did I get enough? Now that I'm in my 30's,  I'm starting to realize all this stuff means jack. It literally means nothing. Do I really care if I'm wearing the latest, coolest boots? Do I need more expensive clothes to jam into my already overstuffed closet? Do I really need to cram every square inch of my home with more and more possessions?

The answer is no. 

Now that I'm older and I'm in my 30's, I realize I've started to look at Christmas a whole new way. I feel like Christmas has become way too commercial. Every commercial on TV encourages you to buy more, buy bigger, just buy, buy, buy. It takes only a couple of seconds to buy something for someone. It takes infinitely more effort to make something for someone. When I make Christmas cookies for my friends and family, it takes me about a week to complete the task. I've come to realize that that is special.  I'm putting my heart and soul into making something for my nearest and dearest. Because I love them. Because I want them to realize that they are special to me, and I will take time out of my life to do something for them. If anything, this is what I find the meaning of Christmas to be. Showing your loved ones that you love them. That you'll take the time out of your day to remind them you love them. 

Besides, who wouldn't want those beautiful layers??

So, the older I get, the more I suspect people are going to receive handmade gifts. I encourage everyone to not look at this as being cheap (yes, I've heard that ignorant statement more than a handful of times) but to look at it as a labor of love. The older I get, the less I support stores opening on Thanksgiving. The less I support Black Friday. The less I support the shopping season in general. I wish people would focus more on being inside warm kitchens with their relatives, laughing over hot chocolate, and chowing down on snickerdoodles. Watching "Elf". Or "Christmas Vacation". Or "It's a Wonderful Life". 

All right, I'm climbing off my commercialism soap box now. You happen to have found a topic that  gets me frothy at the mouth :)

Here is a great article on other homemade jarred foodie gifts you can make at home. It's actually where I found this recipe. For all the foodies in your life :)

Ingredients (makes 16 squares):

1 L glass jar

1 cup blue cornmeal

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup dried blueberries

4 dried pineapple rings, chopped

Directions:

1. To assemble jar- pour blue cornmeal into jar. Layer yellow cornmeal on top. In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Layer flour mixture on top of yellow cornmeal. Top with blueberries. Layer pineapple at the very top.

2. Either print out a recipe label or make up one of your own to attach to the jar. Click here to print out recipe labels pre-made by the Food Network. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Food Network.

Looking for other Mason jar recipes? Try these!

Christmas Pirouettes

Layered Strawberry Parfaits

Refrigerator Pickles

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

It's just another Manic Monday...

No, not really. It's an absolutely peaceful Monday morning around here. The hubby worked the night shift last night and as such, is tranquilly snoring in the bedroom. Miraculously, the dogs let me sleep until the hubby got home, so I didn't even have to drag my sleepy butt out of bed, into my winter coat, and out into the harsh, biting morning air. It's a rare day when I rise from bed to simply grab a cup of coffee and sit down to watch the news. Yes indeed, it's a blissfully slow morning around these parts.

Now, I know Thanksgiving is over and some people have packed the pumpkin away until next year. I am not one of those people. December is still a pumpkin month for me. As a child, there never failed to be a pumpkin pie at Christmas. And pumpkin pie is my favorite. Therefore, I still love that big, round, orange squash all through the Christmas season. One of my favorite pairings in the world is pumpkin and chocolate. When I was in high school, my mom started making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and I became addicted. It was always a good day when I came home from school to find the house smelling like chocolate and pumpkin. They are a perfect match. If it's good in a cookie, why wouldn't it be good in a quick bread?

You want to hear something funny? I didn't really like quick breads when I was growing up. I wasn't especially fond of banana or zucchini bread. I think for me, it's in the name. Anything with "banana" or "zucchini" in the title couldn't really be dessert, could it? I can still hear the word "healthy" rattling around my teenage brain whenever I came face to face with zucchini bread. 

That being said, this bread is not particularly healthy. Due to the sheer amount of pumpkin, I'm sure there is plenty of fiber in the bread. However, there is quite a bit of chocolate to offset that fiber. And plenty of spicy cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to make the bread taste like spice cake. It's the perfect bread for curling up with a blanket on the couch on a cold winter's day.

Something exciting happened over the weekend. And it has to do with these pictures. Some of these photos were taken in natural light, but I wasn't entirely happy with all the photos I'd chosen for this post. So, on Saturday night after the hubby left for work, I got out my photography light. This happens periodically as I'm still learning how to use it. It's been a mostly frustrating process, but any process where you are learning as you go can be infuriating. Something clicked on Saturday though. I was fresh off reading a Pinch of Yum's post about using artificial light in food photography, and I was bound and determined to get good results. And...

I did!

Most of these photos were taken in artificial light! This is a first for me, and I'm so darn excited. This opens up so many possibilities for me. It's true, I've had the light for quite a while. Due to my inexperience with it, I haven't considered it a weapon in my arsenal until now. I've now opened up hours and hours of usable photography time thanks to conquering that technique. And I'm thrilled. Ecstatic. On Cloud 9, if you will. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend, probably working on Christmas shopping. I know whenever I left the house this weekend, there were wall-to-wall people everywhere. Tis' the holiday season! :)

Have a great day everyone!

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf):

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour though salt. Whisk to combine.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree through almond milk. Whisk thoroughly to combine, until there are no lumps. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, folding until just barely mixed. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50 min to 70 min. If top of loaf gets too brown, cover with aluminum foil. I covered mine at 45 minutes and let it cook for 70 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes. Turn bread out, and allow to cool completely before storage. Store in an airtight container.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Mini Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaves

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday

Christmas Pirouettes

This is not a recipe.

Well, it kind of is. It's more of a Christmas craft, I'd say. Here's why:

I keep a couple of different sized glass jars on my island counter in the kitchen. Most of the year they have fruit in them. However, at Christmas time, I fill them with candy, christmas ornaments, and in general, red and green decor. In one of the glass jars last year, I put these Christmas decorated pretzel sticks-

I bought these decorated pretzel rods at the craft store last year. My favorite part of those sticks was that they were individually wrapped. Not so good for the environment, but definitely good for whoever wanted to stick a grubby hand in the jar for a treat. I really wanted to do the same thing this year, but they were no where to be found. I was disappointed. My first thought was to fill my jar with Christmas M&M's or other Christmas candy. Luckily, I had my problem-solving hubby with me while I was at the store. He suggested buying what he called "those long, thin wafer cookies" and decorating those. I had no idea what he meant by "long, thin wafer cookies" when he said it, but I immediately recognized the cookie upon seeing it on the shelf. All I would have to do is buy some vanilla melting candy and sprinkles. I loved this idea way more than Christmas M&M's, so I went for it. 

Not only did they turn out super-cute, but these are way more tasty than the pretzel sticks I bought last year. And they are super-easy to make. After melting the vanilla candy, simply dip one half of the pirouette in the candy, place on a piece of parchment paper (this is an important step!), and sprinkle at will.

A jar of these would make a very pretty hostess gift this holiday season. Or maybe a gift for a foodie, or for kids. All I know is, these are not going to make it the whole month that I keep Christmas decorations out :)

These are only the first of Christmas sweets to come. Next week I start baking, and then you all will be inundated with cookie goodness. I can't wait! I have yet to perfect my pie crust and pies, so you can expect pie postings soon as well. It's going to be a very sweet month on the blog, so you can expect to discover a January full of salads, fruit, and vegetables. As for tomorrow, it's still a toss up between another pumpkin recipe or a jarred foodie gift. I guess you'll have to tune in tomorrow to see what I pick :)

Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (makes 22-24 pirouette's):

1 (13.5 oz) tin of Pepperidge Farms Pirouette cookies

1 (16 oz) package of vanilla melting candy

Christmas sprinkles

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove cookies from tin, place on an empty plate.

2. Melt candy according to package directions.

3. Dip one end of cookie into melted candy. Let excess drip off, then place cookie on parchment paper. You can dip about 4 cookies before you need to put sprinkles on the cookies. If you wait too long, however, the candy will dry and the sprinkles won't stick. So sprinkle while the candy is still wet. 

4. Allow cookies to set for about 30 minutes before removing from parchment paper. Store in an airtight container. 

Printable Recipe

If you like this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Iced Sugar Cookies

Christmas Crunch Popcorn

Dipped S'mores

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Oh, heyyyyy!

My, my, this week has gotten away from me. Isn't that how it always is during the holiday season? Between family time and the extra time required for running errands due to sheer mass of people out and about this time of year, I haven't found the time to blog. The hubby and I spent all weekend with family, while I spent no quality time with my camera. Or creativity, for that matter. Eh, it happens. I feel like I've been recovering from the weekend all week. This also happens occasionally :)

Let's talk chili. While my absolute favorite chili is my Dad's, this doesn't mean I shun all other chilies (chilis? chili's?). I like tomato-based chili, white chili, chicken chili, quinoa chili, turkey chili, etc. Well, go ahead and add Turkey Pumpkin Chili to the list. 

This is a really healthy chili, filled with vegetables and good-for-you fiber. The chili is thickened by 2 cups of pumpkin puree. I know a lot of Americans only think of pumpkin in terms of pie crust, condensed milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg... you know, dessert-y.  But pumpkin is really a vegetable, and in the squash family. It has a very mild flavor that doesn't take over the chili so you'd never know your eating a bowl full of pumpkin, veggies, and beans. The hubby gave me an awfully strange look when I first told him I was making this, as he too shares the American mentality of pumpkin as dessert. He came around at first bite, though.

By the way, here's a great article on why you should eat more pumpkin :)

I can't believe it's December already! Seriously, I feel like I was just making Christmas cookies and now I'm about to make another round. The hubby and I hit up the craft store yesterday to pick up some Christmas items. As relatively new homeowners, our strategy has to been to take small steps each year in the decoration department. So, we went a picked up a few more Christmas decorations to add to our collection this year. I also picked up my cookie tins and treat bags that family and friends will be receiving soon.

The hubby and I realized another "first" this year. It's our first year of putting up Christmas lights! We were oh-so excited about this one as we realized, in 8 years together, we've never put up Christmas lights. Well, done and done. Not only did we put up lights, we put red bows on the porch and even bought a wreath. We are 100% in the Christmas spirit this year!

Don't worry, I'll post some pictures soon!

Now, go forth and make this chili. It's perfect for the cold, miserable weather we've all been having lately. Especially if you have to go out in said cold :)

Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup darker beer (I used an IPA)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 (15.5 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, minced red onion, chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. When warm, add ground turkey. Sauté, stirring to crumble, for 2-3 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink. Add onion and red pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add garlic to the pot, and sauté for 30 seconds. 

2. Add tomatoes through pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir in beans, and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. 

3. Ladle into bowls, and serve with desired toppings. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from All You. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

My Dad's Famous Chili

Creamy Chicken, White Bean, and Green Chile Soup

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party

Creamy Chicken, White Bean, and Green Chile Soup

Today, I'm sharing one of my most favorite of soups with you guys. This recipe has been hanging around my kitchen for years. Since right around Day 1 of my food obsession. I've told y'all the story before- how I became super unhealthy in college, gaining 70 lbs from the day I graduated high school. Eating, and eating, and eating until I reached my rock bottom. Either go up another size in clothes or change my life. I chose to change my life and "Cooking Light" was where I started. In the beginning, I created a username at myrecipes.com and began to save recipes under my username. I would spend hours trolling the website, looking for new recipes to add to my bucket list. This soup just happened to be one of the first recipes I tried in the those days. 

You can find this recipe on Cooking Light's website under the name "Witches Brew Chicken Soup". However, since it's long past Halloween, I decided to call this soup what it is rather than stick to the themed name. Besides, this soup is good all winter, not just in the fall. It's creamy. Flavorful. Delicious. And customizable with your choice of toppings!

One of my favorite parts about this soup is that it's made creamy by mashing a can of beans and mixing it with a little bit of milk and flour. You know, rather than thickening with a larger volume of flour, and then adding heavy cream. This soup is so creamy, you'd never know it was made that way by a healthy trick. 

I suggest serving the soup with a nice crusty bread. You'll want to sop up every last drop of this soup. 

Choosing this soup to feature today actually brought about a really fantastic blogging idea for me. There are so many wonderful recipes I've got hidden in my Cooking Light archives. I think it would be fun to dig out some of my most favorite recipes I haven't made in years and feature them on the blog. Of course, I think this may be a project of the new year. We'll see. I've got Pumpkin and Pecan pies to make this week, Pumpkin Brownie Bread and Cinnamon and Toffee Chip Cookies in the pipeline, and then... dun, dun, dun... It'll be time to feature Christmas Cookies. I held off pretty long on choosing this years cookie menu, mainly because I get so darn excited I want to start at that moment. And cookies get stale, so they aren't anything you can make early. So I waited, and waited. Until yesterday. Temptation took over, and I was on Pinterest like white on rice. It only took about 10 minutes before I'd picked out what I was going to make this year. Above all else, I make Snickerdoodles every year. They are tradition, and everyone looks forward to them. I'll also be repeating my Christmas Crunch Popcorn. Mainly because the hubby's family is addicted to it. The rest of my lineup will be as follows: Cake Batter Christmas Cookies, Peppermint Truffles, Peanut Butter Cup Bark, and Homemade Turtles. 

And there I go. All excited again. And there's still a couple of weeks before I get to start! Argh, the humanity!

Ok, I'm going to try to get excited to bake my pies. I'm making my first-ever pumpkin pie! I freshly roasted another pumpkin yesterday, and I have big plans. Big, BIG plans. Pumpkin Pie, Turkey Pumpkin Chili, and as I mentioned before, Pumpkin Brownie Bread. 

Yep. Excited again :)

You know what I'll be doing this weekend. I hope everyone else has a fantastic and safe weekend!

Ingredients (serves 6-7):

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 (16 oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (divided)

1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup almond milk

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I used leftover meat from a chicken I roasted)

1/4 cup cilantro

toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:

1. Add bacon to a large stockpot while cold. Place over medium high heat. Sauté bacon until crispy. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Set aside, reserving the bacon grease. You only need about a tbsp, so you may want to discard some grease if you have more. 

2. Add onion and carrot to the bacon grease. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic to pan, sauté for 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken broth, cumin, and ground red pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 can of beans and green chiles.

4. In a small bowl, mash remaining can of beans. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk. Add milk mixture to the mashed beans. Stir to combine. Slowly, and stirring the soup continuously, add bean/milk mixture to the soup. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens. Add chicken and cilantro, and heat until chicken is hot (about 2-3 minutes).

5. Ladle soup into bowls and top with desired toppings, including reserved crumbled bacon. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup

Lentil Soup with Spicy Sausage and Kale

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Treasure Box Tuesdays