No-Cook Overnight Oatmeal with Chia

I love oatmeal but I'm not very fond of the instant packs so I find that I don't have it as often as I'd like since the mornings are always so rushed and usually involve me yelling at one child or another at some point (or many points).  So when I came across this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and saw that it was a make ahead, I HAD to try it. Plus, it  contained my then-new obsession, chia seeds AND was no cook! Practically perfect in every way!

I was a little leery of the no-cook part in all honesty...I thought, "How could uncooked oatmeal taste good? And not be all chewy and hard and gross?".  Well, it works.

The possibilities for this small but mighty recipe are ENDLESS...I tried out a few versions and I'll list them within the recipe but truly it can go as far as your imagination, and palate will take you. If you try some of your own variations, please share in the comments. We'd love to hear them!

~Leah

No-Cook Overnight Oatmeal with Chia

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Leah (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Prep time: 8 mins

Cook time: 8 hours

Total time: 8 hours 8 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Base Recipe


• 1/4 c old fashioned oats


• 1 tsp chia seeds


• 6 oz. yogurt (any flavor, see below for suggestions)


• Cranberry Almond


• vanilla yogurt


• 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract


• dried cranberries


• slivered almonds


• Apple Crisp


• vanilla or apple pie/apple crisp yogurt


• chopped Granny Smith apples


• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


• chopped walnuts


• Pina Colada


• vanilla, coconut, or pineapple yogurt


• pineapple tidbits


• shaved coconut

Instructions

1. Stir oats and chia together then yogurt (or yogurt and milk if using Greek yogurt -- see notes) in half-pint canning jar (or other resealable container).


2. Cover; refrigerate about 8 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with toppings.

Notes

Feel free to use greek yogurt also, but bear in mind that it makes it a lot thicker... so use 1/4 cup greek yogurt and 1/3 cup milk or almond or coconut milk to thin it.

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Creamy Baked Spaghetti

If you are like most homes with small children in residence, spaghetti is a popular menu item. It's quick, easy, and photo ops abound. Who doesn't have a collection of pictures of toddlers with upside-down bowls on their heads?

In an effort to change up our pasta routine, I tried out this recipe, found through the wonderful world of Pinterest. I loved the "make ahead" nature of this dish and the ability to throw it together with ingredients on hand. The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I have used turkey Italian sausage (which was very good), and chopped up turkey pepperoni (which was delicious and the clear winner). My kids love it and it's earned a permanent spot in our meal rotation. Enjoy!

~Erin

Creamy Baked Spaghetti

Author: Erin (adapted from Plain Chicken)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti


• 1 28 oz. jar of your favorite prepared pasta sauce


• 1 lb cooked, drained Italian sausage OR 1 c. of roughly chopped pepperoni


• 1 tsp Italian seasoning


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed


• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated


• 1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Stir your choice of meat into pasta sauce.


2. Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain cooking water and return hot pasta to pot. Immediately stir cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic in to pasta until noodles are coated.


3. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Spread a small amount of sauce mixture on bottom of pan. Spread spaghetti in pan, then top with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.


4. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Notes

Save yourself a lot of frustration and make sure your cream cheese is thoroughly softened and cut into small chunks before stirring into noodles. Even after following these steps myself, I was a little surprised how "melt resistant" my full fat cream cheese could be. Putting the lid on the pot and letting it sit for a few minutes usually helps. Definitely avoid using a fat free cream cheese as it's melting capabilities are severely limited. :)

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Bread Dippin' Cilantro Salsa

Here I go again with another recipe whose main ingredient people either tend to love or hate. I happen to love cilantro but I know plenty of people who don't care for it as much. I found this recipe many many years ago in a magazine and tore it out, but of course, it does not say anywhere on the half sheet what magazine it is -- I'm sure it was Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens or something along those lines. The recipe was in the magazine as a result of a reader writing in about it after having had it at East Bay Crab and Grille in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. I'm not quite sure why it's called "salsa" because it resembles a good oil bread dip more than a true salsa, but the former journalist in me is thinking it was simply a way to not use the word "dip" twice in the recipe title. Bread Dippin' Cilantro Dip would have been a no-no in the editorial world! :)

I first made it years ago for a get-together I was hosting for my mother-in-law's birthday because she LOVES cilantro. I remember wondering if I should make it since no one else in the family (besides her and me) are very fond of it. I decided that it was for HER birthday and that she'd probably love it so the rest of them could just not eat it.

Turns out, everybody liked it! Even the cilantro haters! I have no idea why because it is mostly all cilantro but I guess that fresh lemon juice, and olive oil and hint of a kick from the hot sauce are enough to change it for people's palates. And, seriously, you could put practically anything on fresh, warm, bread and people would like it.

~Leah

Bread Dippin' Cilantro Salsa

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Leah (from East Bay Crab and Grille)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch (about 4 oz) cilantro, tough stems trimmed


• 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces


• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or malt vinegar


• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce


• 1/8 tsp. salt


• 2 Tbsp. water


• 1 loaf French or Italian bread, warmed

Instructions

1. Rinse cilantro. Drain, but do not spin dry. In food processor with knife blade attachment, pulse cilantro and green onions until coarsely chopped. Transfer mixture to small bowl.


2. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, hot pepper sauce, salt, and water. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.


3. Serve with warmed, sliced bread.

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Spinach Gratin

In my mind, some dishes are definitely "special occasion" dishes. All sorts of factors can make a dish qualify under such category, but I would say the two main ones in my mind are that it's either A. difficult or time-consuming to prepare or B. is so:

• rich


• decadent


• sweet


• buttery


• fatty


• bad for you


• all of the above

 

that I can only allow myself to make it on a special occasion or I'd weigh  5,000 pounds and need to get an angioplasty bi-weekly.

This definitely falls under "special occasion" cooking...not for the difficulty (it's actually quite easy) but for the pure, decadent, moan-inducing richness it embodies.

Did I just say moan-inducing? About spinach?

I did. And I mean it.

You will seriously get asked for this recipe and/or to bring it to special dinners. And DO NOT shy away from it if you don't like creamed spinach. I am one of those odd people that prefer spinach WITHOUT the cream and such and like it very simply dressed with just a bit of butter and salt (maybe a little garlic). But this dish...I could eat the whole pan (and then have to go for that angioplasty).
~Leah

(Note: this calls for buying frozen spinach, but then using it THAWED so give yourself time)

Spinach Gratin

Recipe Type: Side

Author: Leah (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 8

Creamy on the inside, browned cheesy and melty on the outside, decadent spinach dish.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)


• 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions


• 1/4 cup flour


• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 cups milk


• About 3 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted (5 10-oz packages)


• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt


• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (you can usually find it already grated at larger grocery stores)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


2. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan (needs to be large enough to eventually fit all of your ingredients in) over medium heat.


3. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.


4. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.


5. Spray a baking dish with some nonstick spray. Transfer the mixture to the dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make this dish a few days ahead of time and then just bake it when you're ready to serve. Adjust the baking time if it's cold, though or get it to room temperature before baking.

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Peppered Beef

Today's been a rough day.

While it does look beautiful outside with all of the snow we had fall on us today, inside our house it was a different story. My little munchkin was not in the best of moods (that's putting it VERRRY nicely) and she also woke me up early on the day I decided I was going back to my strict,  low-carb, low-cal way of life which made mommy not in the best of moods either. (Not to mention I'm at that wonderful week where I want to eat everything in sight -- you ladies know what I'm talkin' about -- maybe not the best planning on my part). So....today...rough.

I am proud to say that I did make it through today eating very well (I know the day's not completely over yet, but I think I'm good) but looking at the awesome photo Erin took of my yummy beef on delicious, soft bread and those potato chips is NOT helping matters! :)

This is one of those recipes that has been around my whole life. I have NO IDEA where it originally came from, all I know is it's darn good! It definitely has a kick to it so you can be the judge as far as if it's "kid appropriate" or not. It's too spicy for my 7 year old who does tolerate some heat, but my nieces and nephew who are 9, 10, and 13 gobble it up.

~Leah

Peppered Beef

Recipe Type: Dinner

Author: Leah

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 6 hours

Total time: 6 hours 5 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 lb. chuck roast


• 1/2 tsp.- 1 tsp. each of garlic salt and oregano


• 1 12-16 oz. jar sliced pepperoncini peppers


• 1 can beer


• 1 can beef consomme


• Provolone or mozzarella cheese (optional)


• buns/rolls

Instructions

1. Place the roast in crock pot. Sprinkle each side with garlic salt and oregano (to your taste).


2. Drain jar of peppers and pour peppers, beer, and consomme over roast.


3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6.


4. Remove beef from crock pot and trim off any fat and shred the meat. Return meat to crock and stir into juices.


5. Serve on rolls with provolone or mozzarella cheese.

Notes

The original recipe does NOT call for draining the juice from the peppers. I would recommend draining the first time you make it and then going from there. Also, the recipe as written here is actually halved so if you want to make more for a bigger crowd, it doubles well. If you do want to make this for a get together but don't want to have to shred the meat during the event, you can make it the day before and refrigerate then simply return it to the crock pot or oven to reheat. If you do refrigerate it, you will probably see some hardened fat at the top. It is up to you if you want to leave that in or spoon it out before reheating to reduce some fat and calories. This can also be made in the oven. Simply put everything in a big pot with a lid and cook at 350 for 4 hours.

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