Mama Parker's healthy Mac-n-cheese

Mama Parker's Mac-n-cheese

Have you ever had that homemade Mac-n-Cheese that just melts in your mouth and leaves you saying "Blue box who"!  This recipe will!  Plus it is loaded with fresh veggies, so it is good for you (kind of) too! 

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons salted butter
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk ( I use almond milk, but you can use regular milk)
• 2 cups shredded Velvetta Sharp Cheddar cheese (we don't like regular Velvetta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup cauliflower puree
• 1/2 carrot puree
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut, and steamed
• 1 box elbow noodles

Directions:
1. Boil pasta according to box directions and drain water off.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, and stir in flour over medium heat.  Stir in milk until mixed well.  Bring to a slow boil and simmer until thick. 
3. Stir in cheese and continue to stir for 4 minutes, remove from heat.
4.  Stir in Vegetable purees, and pour over pasta. once mixed thoroughly,   stir in Broccoli and serve!

You may not use all the cheese sauce, but, if you like it dripping with cheesy-goodness, go ahead, we won't judge!

My kids LOVE this, and ask for it EVERY meatless Monday dinner!  Its great for even picky eaters!
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Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I have a habit of not following recipes well!  I always stray and do my own thing!  However, I found this gem on Pinterest, and loved it from the beginning! 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Recipe and picture from Lulu the Baker blog.  Original post here.

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 celery stick, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Enjoy!

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Man Pleasing Chicken

Man pleasing chicken

What do you need:
8-10 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp honey

Directions:
1. Mix all seasonings and brown sugar in a bowl until throughly mixed.
2. Roll chicken in the seasoning mixture.  Put chicken down in Crockpot.
3. Mix together vinegar and honey in a small bowl and pour over top of chilcken. 
4. Cook on low for 8 hours, turning chicken every 2-3 hours.
5. Serve and Enjoy!

~Mommy of 6 <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

 

Tuna Dinner

Not your average tuna dinner!

What you need:

1 Box Farfalle (Bow tie) pasta
1 handful of Kale (Chopped into bite size pieces)
2 cans of Chunk white Tuna
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
2 cloves fresh garlic, diced finely
chopped onion
fresh green beans chopped into bite size pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Boil pasta as directed to on box.
2. In large saute pan, add a little butter and melt.  Add the diced onions, green beans, and fresh garlic.  Saute' on medium low until onions are translucent. 
3. Turn down to low, and add pasta, tuna, heavy cream, chicken stock, and kale.  Stir well to make sure everything is covered.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and cover.  Cook on medium low until kale is wilted (about 20 minutes).

When serving, top with fresh parmesan or mozzerella cheese.

Freezer Meals - Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Red Potatoes
Ingredients:

12 small red potatoes
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup 1% milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Scrub and quarter potatoes. Do not peel. Cook in salted, boiling water until tender.
2. Cut bacon in 1-inch pieces and cook until almost crisp.
3. Drain potatoes and leave in pan.  
4. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Beat on medium speed until throughly mixed and slightly lumpy. Stir in bacon.
Makes 6 servings.
Too freeze, put into freezer gallon bag ( I love Ziplock brand, they don't melt, off brands will start to deform and melt when microwaved), squeeze all the air out, and seal.  Put it freezer and when ready to use, microwave on 50% power until warmed, kneading bag every few minutes.  Be careful, bag will be HOT, and watch so it doesn't melt! 

Oven stew tops this dish perfectly, and makes for one complete meal!

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Fruit Salsa
ingredients:
1 apple (granny smith are great but really any variety will do!)
2 bananas
2 kiwi
1-2 cups strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, mandarin oranges (frozen will even do!)
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
1. Peel and dice your apple, bananas and kiwi and place in a medium size bowl.
2. Mix with lime juice. Then add your additional fruit (dicing up the bigger ones into salsa-sized pieces), sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.
3. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the juices mix. Serve with cinnamon chips and ENJOY!

Cinnamon Chips
Ingredients:
1 package of flour tortillas
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
2. Cut your tortillas in to chip-sized pieces (I use a pizza cutter to cut them, this way they don't tear).
3. Melt butter and brush both sides of the tortilla chips and then dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
4. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Cool and serve with fruit salsa!!

*A little side note from me to you...instead of using butter, you can just spray your tortillas with cooking spray and then dip them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. They come out just as tasty although I will say that the butter adds a little something extra, call it a buttery-cinnamon gooey-ness if you will :)
*for a gluten free version use corn tortillas.

My kids love these, I know you will too!
~Mommy of 6 <3

Gluten Free Chewy Granola Bars

Gluten free chewy granola bars

1 3/4 cup gluten-free quick-cooking oatmeal
1 1/4 cup gluten-free crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup miniature gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey

Ingredients:
1. Mix oatmeal and rice cereal together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix together brown sugar, oil, and honey.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and pour over oatmeal and rice cereal. Stir until well-coated. Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray, and pour mixture into an 8x8 pan; lightly pat into pan. Sprinkle chips and fruit on top and press down into pan. Let bars to completely cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

~Mommy of 6 <3

Morning Berry Parfait

This is somethign I can make and dash out the door!  Easy, Healthy, and Tasty!!!  All the good traits of a great breakfast!

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free blueberry yogurt

1/2 cup reduced-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup blueberries and/or sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons fat-free granola
1 teaspoon crushed walnuts or almonds
2 teaspoons grated dark chocolate
Directions

1. In individual cups or a large bowl, combine the yogurt, cottage cheese, berries, granola, and nuts. Grate the chocolate over the top.
Enjoy
Mommy of 6 <3