FIF: Broccoli Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix

Preheat oven to 400. Thaw and drain broccoli. Combine first six ingredients. Stir muffin mix into first mixture with a fork. Pour into a 13" x 9"pan that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes , or until done when tested with a toothpick.

This cornbread is moist and dense, best eaten with a fork. I always make it along with some sort of creamy soup, like potato soup or corn chowder.

Check out Favorite Ingredients Friday for more great bread recipes!

Broccoli Salad

I made this broccoli salad last week and was reminded again of how something so simple can taste sooo good. To make this even easier, I sometimes use the precooked bacon.

Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer Kraft crumbles)

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 red onion, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

In a small bowl (or large measuring cup) combine the following:

1 cup mayo (I usually use fat-free)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Toss the salad with the dressing and chill until serving time.

Chicken Fingers & Potato Wedges: Frequent Repeat

Forgive the repeat, but I wanted to bring this entry from my old cooking blog to this blog for easy reference on how I make chicken fingers.

October 4, 2006

Do you have some menus in your house that you repeat over and over again? I do. As much as I LOVE to try new recipes, sometimes I just want one of my favorite meals.

One of my favorites is what I made last night: chicken fingers, baked homemade fries, and steamed broccoli. I vary the seasonings slightly, but the basic menu is the same. It's a meal I never get tired of.

Last night, I did everything with ranch. I took chicken breasts, cut them into strips, and marinated them in ranch dressing in a ziplock bag for a few hours. Then I threw in a lot of dried parsley (I use it often and buy it in bulk) and about half a tube of crushed Ritz crackers. I dumped that out into a 9x13" casserole, and topped it with the rest of the tube of crushed crackers.

Then I chopped up 4-5 potatoes, and shook them in a ziplock with olive oil and dry ranch dressing mix. I put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet that was sprayed with non-stick spray... the only problem with these potatoes is that they often stick to the pan!

I popped both pans into the oven on 375 for 45 minutes. After they were done, I steamed some broccoli in the microwave, and dinner was served!

Broccoli Nemo Soup :)

Yup, you read that right, Nemo.

Don't worry, I'm just using Nemo-shaped pasta... no adorable orange fish were harmed in the invention of this recipe. :)

Do you ever just start throwing things together in a pot and call it lunch? I do it all the time, LOL! Today was one of those days... I knew I wanted broccoli soup, but I didn't have the ingredients on hand to do my usual recipes. So, I started playing around, and came up with a recipe of my own. I'm posting it here because both kids loved it, and I might want to recreate it again one day.

Amy's Broccoli- Nemo Soup: In a large stockpot, add about 3 cups of water and one box of frozen broccoli. Turn heat to high and simmer until broccoli is broken up a bit and partially cooked. Add in two teaspoons chicken bouillon paste and half a box of Nemo-shaped pasta. Stir it all together and add a little more water if needed. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add in about 3/4 cup cream soup base and, on a whim, about 1/3 cup instant potato flakes. Stir it, decide it needs more of a cream base, then add in about a cup of milk. Keep simmering. Add in about two tablespoons dried minced onion and stir well. Taste to see if pasta is done yet. If so, add in about four slices of diced Velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted and then serve. (And in my case, place the kids' bowls in the freezer for a minute because they're both underfoot & starving, and the soup is too hot to serve.) Garnish with choice of shredded cheddar cheese (me), croutons (me) and/or CheezIt crackers (kids).

Obviously, all measurements could be adjusted to taste, and I'm pretty sure that any cartoon-shaped pasta of your choice could be used. ;)

Veggie Pizza

Yum! I hadn't made one of these in a while, so I made one for a belated family Christmas party on Sunday. I thought the purple cauliflower and yellow peppers made it quite colorful and fun. :)

VEGGIE PIZZA

2 tubes crescent roll dough

2 bricks cream cheese, softened (I would have used low-fat, but the store only had regular!)

1/4 cup mayo (I used fat-free.)

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

3 cups assorted chopped veggies (I used purple cauliflower, broccoli, yellow peppers, and shredded carrots.)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Unroll crescents onto a cookie sheet and smooth edges together. Bake according to package instructions- around 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix together the cream cheese, mayo, and ranch dressing mix. Spread mixture onto crust. Top with chopped veggies, then cheese. Refridgerate until serving time. Cut into squares for serving.

Broccoli Salad

I made this last week to go with our Flaky Chicken Wraps... yum! I might try Splenda next time to cut down on the sugar/ calories a bit more.

MARVELOUS BROCCOLI SALAD

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo (I used fat-free)

1/4 cup sugar

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

Combine the following in a large bowl:

1 bunch broccoli, washed and chopped

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used precooked)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used the mixed cheese crumbles)

1 medium purple onion, chopped

Combine all of the above, then fold in dressing and stir well.

Chill before serving.

My husband and 4 year-old daughter both liked this one... I'll definitely be making it again! :)

Hot Broccoli Dip

Here's one of my favorites, and it's quick and easy:

HOT BROCCOLI DIP
1 lb of pepper jack cheese, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 box frozen, chopped broccoli
for serving: 1 bag of Fritos scoops, or hearty crackers

Cook broccoli per directions and drain. Combine cheese, soup, and broccoli in a bowl and microwave until cheese is completely melted, stirring every minute or so. Stir dip well and serve hot (I keep mine in a mini crockpot- it will get very thick if it cools).

Leftovers are great poured over baked potatoes for lunch the next day.

One of my sisters requests that I make this any time I ask her what appetizer I should bring to any family function. :) Enjoy!