Smashed Potatoes

Pin It I try to avoid packaged pasta and potato dishes because of the ridiculous amount of salt and preservatives in them, but cooking potatoes as a side dish can get kind of boring.  You can only eat so many baked, mashed or roasted potatoes.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it.  Besides being creative this side dish will not heat up your kitchen because you do not have to bake these at all.  Just a short trip to the broiler and you are done.  This is more of a method than a recipe.  Feel free to use any seasonings or toppings that you want.

Smashed Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
6-8 small Yukon gold potatoes (depending on the size of your crowd)
olive oil
shredded parmesan cheese
garlic salt

1. Place your potatoes in a large pot, covered with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
2. Drain potatoes and place them on a foil covered broiler pan.  Smash potatoes down with a potato masher so they become flat and spread out.
3. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt (or any seasonings you want).
4. Place potatoes under the broiler on low for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower

Pin It I'm always looking for new ways to cook vegetables.  I saw a recipe for a cauliflower gratin, but it was super unhealthy and totally defeated the whole purpose of eating veggies.  So this is my healthier spin on that recipe.  We had this as a side dish with steak and baked potatoes.  It really would go well with any meal: chicken, pork, pasta...

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower
* 2 servings
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
5 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp panko break crumbs
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower in a saucepan with water.  Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes, until tender.  ***you can skip this step if  you want to bake the dish for about double the time.  I did this to save a little time.
3. Drain cauliflower and toss with olive oil, garlic and 2 Tbsp cheese. 
4. Place in an oven safe dish.  Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spray top with cooking spray to aid in browing.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown.

Parmesan Garlic Bread

Pin It I really don't like store bought garlic cheese bread.  I just think it is too greasy and salty.  This recipe can be whipped together in about 10 minutes, start to finish, while you are boiling pasta or preparing the rest of your meal.  This bread has a warm, crispy crust and a soft, chewy center.  Bread perfection :)

Parmesan Garlic Bread
1 loaf "take and bake"  french bread
1 stick butter, melted
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter.  Stir in garlic and parmesan cheese.
2. Place bread on a sheet of foil.  Smooth butter mixture over the top of the bread. Curl up ends of foil so the butter doesn't escape, but don't cover the top of the bread.
3. Place bread under a broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
4. Slice and enjoy with your favorite meal.

Jalepeno Popper Dip

Pin It This week you will get a sampling of our Super Bowl party treats.  It's all about the food for the girls.  I could personally care less about the game.  The guys care about drinking and the game, but they did appreciate the food too.  This dip is definitely a crowd pleaser.  Warm, gooey, creamy, crunchy with a bit of a kick.  Not as spicy as it sounds and goes great with an ice cold beer.

Jalepeno Popper Dip
2 packages cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
1 4 oz. can chopped jalepenos or 1/4 cup chopped fresh jalepenos
1/2 cup shredded colby jack or Mexican cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a large bowl mix cream cheese, mayo, chiles, jalepenos and shredded cheese until well combined.
3. Pour the  mixture into a greased 9 x 9 oven safe dish.
4. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
5. Spray the top of the crumbs with cooking spray to aid in browning in the oven.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
7. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, crackers or pretzels.

Roasted Cauliflour with Parmesan and Raisins

Pin It I have recently developed a love for cauliflour.  I always thought it was a boring vegetable that was part of the California Blend frozen vegetables, but beyond that I didn't really deal with it.  That is until I learned to prepare it correctly.  Roasting is exactly what this boring vegetable needs.  Juicy raisins and salty parmesan create a great flavor balance.

Roasted Cauliflour  with Parmesan and Raisins
1 head cauliflour, chopped
1-2 T roasted garlic grapeseed oil (or olive oil and up the amount of garlic)
1/4 c raisins
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss cauliflour and raisins with garlic oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper until well coated.
3. Place in a shallow baking dish and top with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.