Vegetable Mash Casserole

I found this recipe in a magazine we got in the mail, and decided to give it a try. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so what I will do is provide the recipe as it was printed in the magazine and then detail what I did differently.

4 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups provolone cheese, diced
2 tablespoon parsley, freshly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

In a large saucepan, boil some salted water
Add vegetables (potatoes, carrots and cauliflower) and cook 20 minutes or until tender
Preheat oven to 400F
Drain vegetables, add onion and garlic, then mash thoroughly with a potato masher
Add butter, 1/2 cup cheese and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mash again.
Spread mixture into a 9" baking dish (round or square)
Cover with remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs
Bake 10 minutes to melt the cheese and serve

Differences: Instead of the cauliflower, I used broccoli (because Alex and I both hate cauliflower), instead of the provolone, I used old cheddar, I used dried parsley flakes instead of fresh, I used 3 cloves of garlic instead of 2, and I did not use any salt or pepper. I also didn't really measure anything: I used 4 medium/large potatoes, 3 good sized carrots and one bunch of broccoli. I also don't have a 9" baking dish, so I used our large casserole dish and it worked quite well.

Verdict: Alex hasn't tried it yet, but Charles and I absolutely loved it. It's a fantastic way to get someone who doesn't like broccoli to eat it (I'm not a huge fan, and this is now a way I will eat it willingly) and I will most definitely be making it again. It makes a lot.

ETA: Alex loved it as well. This is definitely going to be something we make again and again and again!

Easy Mexican Casserole

A few months back, one of my FB friends, Brittany (someone I know due to a mutual love of all things DTBH) said in her status that she was making "Mexican Casserole" for supper that night. I was intrigued, and asked her for the recipe. It sat on a sticky note on my desktop since that day, waiting for the time when I decided to finally make it. The other day when I was making my meal plan for the next two weeks, I decided to do it. Tonight was the night. I have to say, it is absolutely delicious and was a total hit with myself, Alex and Charlie. Alex said the only things he'd change would be to have more tortilla chips and less sour cream.

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 small can black olives, drained (optional)
1/2 cup chopped tomato (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain fat off.
Add salsa, stir, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
Stir in beans, heat through
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish
Spread crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the baking dish, then spoon the meat mixture on top of the chips.
Spread sour cream over the meat. Sprinkle with green onion, olives and tomatoes.
Top with the shredded cheese.
Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Pizza Sauce

In addition to making pizza crust from scratch, I've decided to start making the sauce from scratch as well. I just made this up and, while we haven't put it on pizza yet, it tastes awesome, so it will probably work well. This makes s fair amount of sauce, just as a warning. We're going to use it on two pizzas and maybe some homemade pizza pockets afterwards.

2 small cans tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon oregano

Mix tomato paste and water together until smooth. Add spices one at a time, mixing well after each one.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

I kind of made this one up, using different ideas from other recipes. Haven't actually eaten them yet (they just came out of the oven) but I thought I'd share the recipe now while I was thinking of it.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 of a 300 ml can of condensed milk
1 200g package of sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter in a bowl, then press into a greased 8x8 pan

Mix coconut and condensed milk thoroughly, then pour on top of graham cracker crumbs. Spread evenly to cover the entire pan. Then sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting/eating.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I needed a cream cheese icing recipe for the carrot cake I was making, because no carrot cake is complete without cream cheese frosting. I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try. It was perfect and quite possibly the best cream cheese icing I've ever had. I didn't need to make as much as the recipe calls for, so I cut the recipe in half when I made it and it still made a lot of icing. :)

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in refrigerator.

White Cake

I wanted to make a cake last night, and went looking online for a good white cake recipe. Found this and it's pretty good. Really dense, but quite yummy.

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat int he eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally, stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter in the prepared pan (or muffin tin).

Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20-25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Homemade Pizza Crust

So, Alex and I got sick of buying those packaged just-add-water pizza dough mixes. The last time we were going to make a pizza, he said "Find a pizza dough recipe." So I did. And we will NEVER use anything else again when making homemade pizza.

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour


Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.


Pat dough into pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil. If desired sprinkle basil, thyme or other seasonings on crust. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.