Barbecue Stuffed Corn Muffins is what’s for lunch today. Served with a side salad or melon slices these quick and easy muffins make a complete light meal. If you are looking for a more hearty meal, add baked beans. Or slow cooker Calico Beans. The cave hieroglyphs on top are a few shreds of cheese that vaporized in the hot oven. Didn’t add a cheesy topping, but created an imaginative lunch conversation. Is the upper left muffin depicting a charging elephant? A kangaroo? A water buffalo? Or a longhorn? Several weeks ago, while we were still doing in person grocery shopping – wait! has it really been that long!?! Anyway, I picked up a tray of pulled pork on sale at the grocery and popped it in the home freezer. I was glad I did! We had three meals from it. Meal #1 was pulled ... [Read More]
cheese
Baked Spaghetti
What’s for lunch? A big pan of baked spaghetti. Or Pasketti as Bytes’ Big Brother used to say. The whole family will love it! Layers of pasta, meat sauce, sour cream and cheese – comfort food of the highest order! The number of servings will depend on the appetites at your house. It makes 8 large servings, which will serve the three of us with two man-sized servings (and one regular serving for me) for TWO meals. Two littles usually ate the equivalent of one of the 8 servings. Which means enough for the man sized eater, two littles and one regular serving. The point? You may very easily get TWO meals for the effort in making one! And that’s a bonus in my book. If your cooking tends to be based on last minute decisions, you’ll find no judgment here because there are a lot ... [Read More]
Tuna Melt — Air Fryer
Tuna Melts were the first thing I made in my new air fryer. I wasn’t expecting to buy one last Saturday – especially at the Kiwanis Garage Sale. But there it was on the Silent Auction table, reserved for brand new products from members or sponsors. I picked a random number and three hours later the air fryer was mine. The Tuna Melts I made for lunch today were delicious. I hope that is a good omen for my ownership!! Start with a good tuna. Usually that means a little more expensive – unless you can find a store brand that is just right. Another random find one day when the store had run out of the national brand that was on sale. Serendipitous because the substitute is so much better and actually costs less! I used mounding tablespoons of mayonnaise because I didn’t want the ... [Read More]
Macaroni and Cheese Bites
Macaroni and Cheese Bites are a hearty appetizer for any occasion. Bake them in tart pans for Bitty Bites. Bake them in a regular muffin tin for a big guy appertizer or a light meal. Serve them for a prom after-party, an informal wedding reception, a couples potluck, the Big Game Food Table. I’ve mentioned before that we like hearty appetizers for a light meal that is different and out of the ordinary for us. It takes 20 minutes to prepare the big macaroni muffins. If you do the prep as directed and multi task while the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, you’ll feel less hurried during assembly. I used a small ladle to fill each muffin cup to the top. The recipe makes exactly 12. Serve hot. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and chopped parsley. If you ... [Read More]
Slow Cooker Sausage and Egg Casserole
Slow cooker Breakfast and Eggs Casserole is great for a crowd. And if you don't have a crowd, the leftovers for lunch the next day are great, too! I like to have casseroles for breakfast when we have guests. Usually we have some kind of activity planned and hearty breakfast keeps us going till lunch. This easy to make casserole fills the bill nicely. It is high in protein at 23 grams per serving for active people and just high enough in carbs at 18 grams to stick to the ribs. The eggs, well whisked, help keep this dish light. I use turkey sausage, but you can use your choice of sausage or even diced ham if you prefer. Precooked sausage crumbles speeds up preparation. In a time pinch, use frozen diced onions. The bell peppers add nutrition and color. Use any color. I had ... [Read More]
Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
This hearty Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup is like a warm hug by the fire on a cold day. Loaded with potatoes, veggies and ham -- pure comfort food. It’s also quick and easy to prepare and is ready to eat in about half an hour. I buy ham after major holidays at a reduced price just for delicious treats like this throughout the year. I slice, dice and cube chunks of the ham and freeze them in quart sized zipper bags in 2 cup portions. It only takes a quick trip to the freezer when the mood strikes for a super hearty – omlet, casserole or whatever. An unexpected early – early – fall snow was the inspiration for this wonderful soup. Thaw the ham before cooking, either by setting it in the refrigerator overnight, putting it in a pan of hot water for a couple of hours, or a 1-2 minutes in ... [Read More]
