Spaghetti Squash Gratin

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and was immediately intrigued.  Don't let my poor picture taking fool you.  It is delicious!  The description says it tastes just like hashbrown casserole.  If you are trying to watch your carbs, then it is a great alternative with the flavors and textures of hashbrown casserole and we will definitely make it again.  If I was entertaining, I would stick with the real deal Hashbrown Casserole.  You can share those calories with others, afterall.

Speaking of Pinterest and similar sites like Foodgawker...aren't those pictures always so good looking?  I'm convinced that you could take a good looking picture of something really disgusting, and as long as it looked pretty, folks would be interested in the "recipe."  Just be warned that some things may not taste as good as they look in those pretty photos.  :)

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 medium to large spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cut the squash in half (these suckers are TOUGH) and scrape out all of the seeds.  Place in shallow dish with 1/4 inch water and cover.  Microwave for 10-12 minutes until spaghetti squash flesh is tender.      (Microwaves vary and I had to cook mine longer than the 10-12 but let that be a good starting point.)  In a saute pan, heat olive oil.  Cook onion and red pepper flakes on low-medium until onion is tender.  Carefully, remove flesh of spaghetti squash with a fork.  (It will look like spaghetti when shredded...hence the name.  If it doesn't come out easy, it isn't done.)  Combine squash, onions, sour cream and 1/2 c. cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Place in prepared square baking dish.  Cover with remaining 1/2 c. cheese.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

Earlier this week, I made this Broccoli Salad.  Aren't they all about the same?  It is a pretty classic salad recipe, but I thought a good one to add to our recipe index when we are looking for yummy recipes on here.

Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli, chopped small
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped or grated
1/2 c. raisins
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. mayo
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar, and cider vinegar to form dressing.  In a larger bowl, combine broccoli, onion, raisins and crumbled bacon.  Pour dressing over mixture and mix to coat.  Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

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The version pictured above was made with Miracle Whip for mayo and Splenda for sugar.  I left the bacon out, although if company was coming I'd make the REAL thing.  Just trying to keep things somewhat healthy around here and those substitutions really worked out well for us for everyday.

Crockpot Jambalaya

"Goodbye Joe, me gotta go..."  Do you always think of Steel Magnolias when you hear that song?  It is my very most favorite movie and I always do.  I thought this turned out pretty good and SUPER easy.  I've learned this is a Creole jambalaya since it uses tomatoes.  I read where the other jambalaya version is Cajun and seems a little more dry than this soupy-er variety.  The Dish Washer said it wasn't spicy enough for him, but I don't like too spicy so it was just right for me.  We compromised by giving him a bottle of hot sauce to dump on his until he got it where he liked it.  I've really been trying to use the crockpot more, especially for Sunday lunch after church.  Such a smart invention!

Crockpot Jambalaya

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (good size), diced
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. creole seasoning (Tony Chachere)
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 bay leaves
2 c. cooked rice

In crockpot, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery, broth, oregano, creole seasoning, hot sauce and bay leaves.  Stir all together.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Stir in cooked rice just before serving to warm through.  Or spoon over rice, whichever you prefer.

Had we not eaten King's Hawaiian French Toast this morning, I would have served some bread alongside.

**Also, my jambalaya is shrimp-less since I don't care for shrimp.  If you'd like to include shrimp, add 1 lb. of peeled and cooked shrimp with the rice at the end to warm through.

King's Hawaiian Famous French Toast

Man, oh, man was this a treat this morning.  We are celebrating our inner (non-existent) Cajun today for Mardi Gras and began our day with this recipe for King's Hawaiian Famous French Toast.  The recipe for the French toast is pretty basic, but may I suggest you use King's Hawaiian bread next time you make it?  I've always enjoyed their dinner rolls.  It was a delicious change.  I used half of a round loaf and got 8 thick slices of bread.  The other half of bread I put in the freezer for later.  This morning when I first got up (at 6:00), I went ahead and sliced the bread and allowed it to sit and dry out on the counter a little bit.  We ate breakfast at 8:00, so it had good time to dry just enough to really soak up the custard mixture.

King's Hawaiian Famous French Toast

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I've got an easy crock pot Jambalaya going for supper tonight.  If it turns out any good, I will try to share that.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

Mall Cookie Cake Knockoff

Somebody has a birthday in our house tomorrow and I can hardly believe he is already 2 years old!  I wanted to get him a cookie cake for his birthday, but I didn't love the $30+ price tag that came with it.  So weeks ago I began searching for a good cookie cake recipe I could make that would be similar to those yummy mall cakes!  I found the perfect one to try from one of my favorite websites, Southern Plate.  You can find her original post about the cake here.  Here's what she suggests:

Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough (16.5 oz. each)
Karo syrup (1/4 cup per 16.5 oz. dough)
Chocolate icing
White icing

I used canned icings just to make life much easier and even used the chocolate she suggested, but I promise that while it is good, it tastes NOTHING like GACC's icing.  Just know you will barely use much of either.

I didn't need a big cookie, so I opted to just use one roll of dough and baked it in a 10 inch tart pan because that is all I had that was round and a little bigger than regular round cake pans.  It surprised me how much it puffed up while baking and I thought it was going to be all wrong, but when the buzzer finally went off, it had flattened down just fine.

Mall Cookie Cake Knockoff

1 (16.5 oz.) roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 can chocolate icing
1 can white icing

In a mixing bowl, combine cookie dough and corn syrup until well incorporated.  Place in a greased baking pan and use damp hands to pat down until flat.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-35 minutes depending on your pan size and how much cookie dough you use.  Allow to cool completely before icing.

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It is definitely homemade looking and I will update on how it tastes once we cut into that bad boy.  I'm sure for much less than $10 it will taste GREAT!!  :)

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Update:  It turned out great!  A little greasy feeling on the bottom, but hits the spot.  I used Betty Crocker whipped fluffy white.