Sweet Onion Pie

1 1/2 cups buttery round crackers, crumbled
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
2 cloves, garlic minced
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pinch paprika

Preheat oven to 350
In a mixing bowl, combine crackers and 4 tablespoons of the butter until well blended. Press into bottom and one inch up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form a shell. Refrigerate until needed.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic slowly until tender, about 12 minutes. Arrange onions in cracker crust.
Beat eggs, milk, chives, and salt in a bowl until blended. Pour mixture over onions. Sprinkle with cheddar and paprika. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Great for brunch in place of a quiche or for dinner with salad.

recipe from allrecipes

Cauliflower Mash

4 1/2 cup cauliflower florets, baby gold potatoes and peeled carrots, chopped
2 ounces semi soft cheese with garlic and fine herbs (I used onion and chives cream cheese)
Fresh Dill

Place vegetables in a large pot. Add 1/2 tsp salt and enough water to cover. Cover and bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain vegetables, reserving some of the cooking water. Using a *potato masher , mash vegetables to desired consistency. Adding reserved water as needed. Season with salt and pepper and dill.

*After draining I put the vegetables into my kitchen aid mixer to mash and whip the vegetables.

I served this with fish, placing the fillet on top of a spoonful of mash. It was a big hit.

A way to use leftover chicken

 I use this when I need a quick dinner by shredding leftover chicken or getting a rotisserie chicken from the market. Mix the chicken with lemon juice and a bit of mayo. Toss with halved cherry tomatoes,  sliced cucumber, diced green onions. Complete the dish with some fresh basil or mint. I usually throw a little dill in there as well. Finish with seasoning of your choice. I leave the chicken in big chunks serve in a bowl with some bread on the side.

Easy Cheesy Tortellini

1 pound store bought cheese tortellini
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup plus more for topping, grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil

 Cook Tortellini according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. In pot simmer pasta, cream and zest, stirring. Off heat, stir in tomatoes, cheese and basil. Toss, adding pasta water as needed to thin sauce.
Top with additional Parmesan cheese (optional)

I get the cheese and spinach tortellini that is in a bag in the dry pasta section.  This is a quick and easy meal!

Broccoli Salad

8 slices bacon
2 heads fresh broccoli chopped and steamed
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place bacon in large, deep skillet. Cook over medium- high heat until cooked. Drain and crumble.
In a large bowl combine broccoli, cheddar, onion and bacon. Prepare dressing in a small bowl whisking together red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayo and lemon juice. Combine dressing with salad. Cover and refrigerate up to two hours and serve.

To make this easier, I use pre-cooked bacon and frozen broccoli florets I steamed in the microwave. The original recipe did not have the broccoli cooked but the broccoli was too hard to eat especially for little ones. This is a great pot luck dish and is even better as leftovers!

Enlightened Pasta Salad

10 oz short multi-grain pasta (rigatoni or penne)
1/2 cup lightly packed whole fresh basil leaves, plus 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/3 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic
2 cups grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
1 orange bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch pieces about 1 cup
1/3 cup halved pimiento-stuff green olives ( I used a mixture of green and Kalamata)
Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to serving bowl. In food processor puree the whole basil leaves, yogurt, mayonnaise, cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour the mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives and torn basil. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. We like cheese so we garnish with a little more Parmesan.



Recipe from July/August Rachael Ray Magazine

Wisconsin Five-Cheese Bake

1 16 oz package elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender 6-8 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl toss together mozzarella, Swiss, Parmesan, and provolone. Remove about 1/2 cup for topping and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, and heavy cream. Season with parsley, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.
Pour ricotta mixture and drained macaroni into bowl with cheeses and toss lightly. Do not mix too thoroughly, it's better if left messy. Pour into prepared baking dish,sprinkle reserved cheese on top.
Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes to brown the top.
Serves 12

Recipe from Allrecipes magazine Summer 2013 issue