Cheesy Bacon Potatoes (slow cooker)

For years and years, I have taken the same few things to summer picnics and parties - cheesy potatoes, eclaire dessert, and strawberry salad being the most common.  But I am always looking for something new to contribute.  In May, when at the birthday party for one of my favorite little boys, his amazing mom served these amazing potatoes.  Fortunately, she was willing to share the recipe!  They were a huge hit when I took them to a July 4th party.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 lbs. golden potatoes - cubed (I used red and you can make this with peels or without)
• 1 lb. Velveeta – cubed
• 1 pint REAL Mayo
• 1 lb. bacon – cooked in pieces
• 1 large onion

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel (or scrub) and cut potatoes.  Boil them until tender.  
2. While the potatoes are cooking, cube Velveeta, cut onion, and cook bacon.  
3. Drain potatoes.  Spray Crock-pot.  Combine the ingredients.  Stir a couple times.  Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours on high.

Difficulty: pretty easy
Time: The potato scrubbing took me a while - I actually think it would have been quicker to peel and wash.  Otherwise, about 20 minutes to prepare and then 1.5 hours in the crock pot.
Source: my amazing friend, Georgeanne

Alfredo Chicken Tortellini

We love our tortellini soup in my house.  Once I found some room in my freezer, I have been purchasing the huge bag of tortellini from Costco to have on hand since it is so much more cost-effective than the smaller bags from the grocery store.  This recipe is another great use for tortellini and is one my family gobbles up every time I make it.  It is a touch more hands-on than some other recipes we've posted, but I wouldn't include it if it wasn't worth it. (And it still only takes about 30 minutes to make.)  I love the combination of the chicken and bacon, the red pepper and broccoli, and the creamy sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 bacon strips, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon adobo seasoning (I used a sprinkle each of garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano, plus salt and pepper) 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup (or more) chopped sweet red pepper
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (or more) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook and stir the chicken, bacon and seasoning over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream and cheese; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.
3. Drain tortellini; add to chicken mixture. Stir in broccoli; heat through. 

Difficulty: easy to medium - it isn't hard but it is hands-on just about the entire time

Time: about 30 min with prep

Source: adapted from a recipe of the same title from Taste of Home

Knock-off Spinach Power Salad

Despite the fact that I don't go there often, I am a huge fan of the soups and salads at Panera.  During the Christmas shopping season, we stopped in to get some gift cards and decided to grab a bite while we were there.  My husband commented that he had tried their Spinach Power Salad at lunch some time back and he got it again.  It looked delicious, so I investigated.  I don't know how well this matches the original, but what resulted from my experiments was an awesome, delicious salad that even my kids loved.  This salad can be as healthy as you want it to be by modifying the amounts of ingredients; just a touch of dressing, french fried onions, and bacon will do!  Load up on the spinach - did you know there are only 14 calories in 2 cups of spinach?

INGREDIENTS:

• Baby spinach
• Hard Boiled Egg
• Bacon (cooked)
• Mushrooms
• Butter
• French Fried Onions
• Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute the mushrooms in a small amount of butter to desired tenderness.
2. Top a bed of baby spinach with chopped egg, mushrooms, a sprinkle of bacon, and a small amount of french fried onions.  Drizzle the dressing on top.

Difficulty: easy
Time: if the hard boiled eggs are made ahead of time, prep is about 10 minutes
Source: inspired by Panera's Spinach Power Salad, made in my own kitchen

Steak House Mac and Cheese

Anyone up for some comfort food (with a healthy twist)?  When I saw this recipe in March, I knew I had to try it immediately.  I have made it several times (once, when my mother-in-law came for dinner) and I cannot say enough good about it.  Spinach.  Bacon.  Mushrooms.  Blue Cheese.  I have found those to be ingredients people either love or hate, but I happen to love them all.  Put them together with some penne, greek yogurt, panko, and garlic?  Let me tell you...This dish is amazing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta or macaroni
• 3 bacon slices (I have reserved some from Sunday morning breakfast when I make it)
• 10 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered (I have used more, depending on the package size)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
• 10 oz fresh baby spinach (I used most of two 6 oz bags)
• 1/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I don't generally have this and therefore skip it)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat 2-quart baking dish with 1 tsp oil and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and pasta.  Cook for 6 minutes or until just barely tender.  Drain pasta but reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, and crumble.  Add mushrooms to drippings (appx 2 Tbs) in pan.  Cook for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.  
4. Add pepper, garlic, and spinach (in batches) to the mushrooms; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally.
5. Combine yogurt and cheese in a large bowl, stirring until almost smooth.  Add pasta and mushroom mixture toss to combine.  Stir in 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid (or more if mixture looks dry).  Spoon pasta mixture into prepared dish.
6. Combine crumbled bacon, panko, and parsley.  Drizzle with remaining 3 teaspoons of oil; toss to combine.  Sprinkle evenly over top of pasta.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Difficulty: medium

Time: about 50 minutes total (the last 20 of which are completely hands-off)

Source:  Cooking Light magazine, March 2012, page 81