Thoughtless Thursday: Office Party Favorites

Since I’m still playing catch up, I decided to do a quick round up of crock pot recipes I’ve featured here that work well for office parties.

By far the number one favorite is Taco Soup.  I even got this recipe from an office party years ago.  I made it today for MY office party!

My hubby’s favorite to take to his office parties is our Cream Cheese Sausage Dip.  It can be done in a small crock pot or in a baking dish in the microwave.

Also a popular dip is my lightened up Sausage Dip.  Again, you see it here in a baking dish, but it can be done in the crock pot.

And while this is not a crock pot dish, it’s a big party fave: 7 Layer Dip.

Cheddar, Chicken & Rice Casserole

I’ve been gone for ages!  I’ve been out of town for a week and playing catch up since I got back.  But for my inaugural post back, I decided to do my own take on a a Stauffer’s casserole I had recently.  It had a decent flavor, but not enough chicken and vegetables.  So in my version, I decided to swap out the white rice with brown, up the chicken, and more veggies so that it was actually a full meal.  The end results weren’t bad, but I think it still needs a bit of tweaking.  Something to give it a little more zing.  At 480.5 calories and 14.7 calories per serving (serves 6), it’s worth playing around with some more.

Ingredients:

• meat from a rotisserie chicken, diced
• 4 cups of brown rice
• 2 cans cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced, garlic
• 4 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 tsp parsley
• ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, rice, mushrooms, soup, stock, parsley, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until tender crisp.
4. Add the peas and saute until warm.
5. Add to the chicken and rice mixture.
6. Stir until well combined.
7. Add to a 9×13 baking dish (be sure to spray with cooking spray first!).
8. Top with panko bread crumbs.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is slightly golden brown.

Herb and Cheddar Beer Bread Muffins

I decided I had to have fresh bread with the Beef, Barley, and Porcini Soup.  As there was a lone beer hanging out in the back of the fridge that my man overlooked, I decided to confiscate it in the name of bread.  Beer bread is one of my favorite things because it’s fast, easy, and delicious.  I strayed from my usual straight up beer bread by adding a few additional ingredients with the sharp cheddar and herbs.  The results were outstanding. This made 15 muffins/rolls for me at 117 calories and 1 gram of fat per muffin.

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz. bottle of beer (I used Michelob Honey Lager)
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 oz. finely grated sharp cheddar
• 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine the sugar, baking powder, salt, flours, cheddar and herbs.
3. Add the beer and mix until just combined.
4. Spray 3 muffin tins with cooking spray.
5. Using well floured hands, pinch off 1 inch sections of dough and form into a ball.  Each muffin cup should hold 3 balls of dough.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Thoughtless Thursday: Beef Barley Porcini Soup

A cold front is passing through and that’s got me craving soup.  Because we are in an anti poultry mood post Thanksgiving, I opted for a beef based soup.  Ordinarily I would use beef stock for this soup, but as I was out and I really hate cooking with just plain water (as it tends to result in flavorless, bland, boring soup), I opted to break out the reserved dried porcinis and steep those.  There is very little I love more than the flavor of porcini mushrooms.  And since Kroger has actually started carrying them (color me shocked), I can have them more than once or twice a year.  Who knew?  The rest of this soup was an effort to use up assorted odds and ends in the vegetable drawer.  It’s very healthful at 276 calories and 4.8 grams of fat per serving (serves 5).  I’m offering this up to Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 red potatoes, skin on, diced
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pound beef, your choice (I used a couple of New York strips, trimmed of fat), cubed

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl (or actually, I guess you could use your crock), add the dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces, and cover with very hot water (at least 4 cups).  Allow to steep for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop all your assorted other ingredients.
3. After the mushrooms have steeped (your liquid should look like a sort of brownish tea), add all other ingredients.
4. If necessary, add more liquid (water, chicken or beef stock).
5. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
6. Serve with a good crusty bread.

Mozzarella and Roasted Garlic Sausage Spaghetti

We’re back to the Sam’s gourmet chicken sausages tonight.  I was in the mood for spaghetti since it’s cold, but I didn’t want to actually thaw out any beef, so sausage it was.  The results were quite tasty, though I think I’d prefer a different pasta than spaghetti because I had a hard time getting pasta in every bite because it kept slithering off the fork.  This makes 3 servings at 504 calories and 10.2 grams of fat.   So I offer it up for this week’s Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Kevin of Closet Cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 jar/can your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup rough chopped mushrooms
• 1 pound mozzarella and roasted garlic sausages, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 oz. dried whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

1. Add the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, sausage, basil, and garlic and mix well.
2. Simmer on low for at least thirty minutes.
3. Prepare your pasta water (salt and bring to a boil).
4. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
5. Drain pasta and plate up with sauce.
6. Serve with garlic bread.

Cashew Chicken

We wanted to try something totally different in the wake of Thanksgiving and cashew chicken was just the ticket.  This recipe is adapted from this one over at Simply Recipes.   I wanted to try to lighten things up a bit so that the dish would actually fit into my daily calorie allotment.  I upped the veggies tremendously and axed the onions since hubby isn’t a fan.  This works out to 3 servings at 524 calories and 32.3 grams of fat without the rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
• .375 cup (half of 3/4ths cup) vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 cup frozen stir fry veggies, thawed
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup shelled edamame
• 1 1/2 cup mushrooms, rough chopped
• 1 cup roasted cashews
• 1/2 cup green onions, minced

Directions:

1. Mix the oil, soy sauce, ginger, chili powder, and honey.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes, the longer the better.
3. Meanwhile, chop your veggies and start your rice.
4. Heat a skillet over high heat and toast the cashews, moving frequently, 2-3 minutes.
5. Heat a wok over medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the pan.  You may have to cook in batches so as not to crowd the pan.  Saute until just cooked through.
6. Remove the chicken to a bowl.
7. Pour the remaining marinade into the pan and simmer for several minutes in order to kill off any bacteria.
8. Pour all but one tablespoon of the marinade into a separate bowl.
9. Add the zucchini and saute until almost tender.
10. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender.
11. Pour the zucchini and mushrooms in with the chicken.
12. Add another tablespoon of marinade to the pan and saute the edamame and stir fry vegetables until tender crisp.
13. Add the chicken, zucchini, and mushrooms back to the pan.  (you should wind up with approximately 1/2 a cup of marinade remaining to toss–you could use it if you want more sauce on the stir fry, but it has a lot of fat and calories).
14. Add the cashews and green onions.  Stir well.
15. Serve over white rice.

Grandma’s Cornbread Dressin’ Revisited

As I do not have room in the fridge to do a pre-run test on roasting the perfect turkey in time for YOUR Thanksgiving (hope to have one for Christmas), I thought I would repost what I consider to be the OTHER most important dish at Thanksgiving–my grandmother’s cornbread dressin’.  Note, there is no “g”.  This is real southern.  No cheating.  This uses real, homemade cornbread.  There is no sage.  And for the love of God, you don’t put chicken or turkey IN the dressin’.  This is not a church potluck casserole that is supposed to include everything.  It’s a well balanced side that complements the turkey.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 cup of diced celery
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (also 98% fat free)
• 5-6 slices of white bread, torn into pieces
• 2 pans good, homemade cornbread [I highly recommend this recipe] (if you go with a mix, do NOT under any circumstances buy sweet cornbread–it DOES NOT WORK for this recipe–STEP AWAY FROM THE JIFFY MIX–find a mix that says buttermilk cornbread–and for heaven’s sake, use a cast iron skillet to cook it. You only do this once a year, so do it right.)
• 1 pinch (1/8th tsp) poultry seasoning
• good chicken stock (either roast your own chicken and boil the skin and bones, or buy a rotisserie one at the grocery, have a couple meals off of it, and boil the skin and bones of that–see my post about batch cooking for how to make your own chicken stock).
• 3 eggs
• 3/4ths cup Egg Beaters (or just use 6 whole eggs if you don’t care about fat and calories)

Directions

1. This works best if you bake the cornbread the day before and allow it to dry out overnight.
2. Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl. Add the 2 cans of soup and mix well.
3. Add the onions and celery and the eggs/Egg Beaters. Mix well.
4. Add the white bread. Mix well.
5. Add enough chicken stock to make the consistency just on the soupy side of moist.
6. Add poultry seasoning. Mix well. Please note there is NO SAGE in this recipe. It overpowers the other flavors. Don’t use it.
7. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.
8. You may freeze the dressin at this point if you’re making it ahead of time. Just be sure to thaw completely before popping it in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. The edges should be golden brown.
9. If you like moister dressin’, drizzle more chicken stock over the dressin’ before baking. If you like it dryer, don’t add as much.
10. Serve with turkey and giblet gravy (if you’re into giblet gravy…I’m not…the rest of my family is).

Whole Grain Sweet Potato Muffins

Hubby is out of muffins.  The usual is the whole grain banana muffins, but we’re out of bananas, and I didn’t remember to buy any on my last trip to the grocery.  This close to Thanksgiving, no way in hell am I braving the crowds if I don’t have to.  So, given that necessity is the mother of invention, I decided to try to do something with the baby food sweet potatoes in the pantry.  I don’t have kids, so you may wonder why I had baby food sweet potatoes.  I think I had some notion of using it in brownies, but it turned out that applesauce was lower calorie, I think.  Anyway, my friend Jackie makes these pumpkin muffins that hubby loves–they’re loaded with fall flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg–not my thing, but a popular flavor combo.  I decided they’d go well with sweet potatoes.  So I took my base banana muffin recipe and adapted it.  The original recipe calls for 2 eggs, which I just flat forgot about, but it didn’t seem to be detrimental.  Things were plenty moist enough.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup milled flax
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmet
• 3 tsps baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 6 oz. jars of baby food sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 sugar
• 1/2 cup oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray the muffin tins with cooking spray
3. In a large bowl combine flour, flax, oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, and oil.
5. Add wet mixture all at once to the dry.
6. Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy)
7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, about 2/3rds full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool on rack.

Makes 18 muffins.

Corn Dog Muffins

This is a recipe I picked up from my mother in law.  It’s one of my husband’s favorites and is everything good about corndogs without the irritation of a stick and with the addition of being able to control the fat and calories.  Baked not fried and all that.  Very kid friendly.  Sometimes we’ll make this as a meal on its own, sometimes we serve it with other things (tonight, that would be chili). Either way, they’re lovely and moist and tasty.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Jiffy mix cornbread
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 package of hot dogs, cut into bite sized pieces (here’s where you can really adjust for fat, calories, allergies, vegetarian, whatever)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the Jiffy mix, creamed corn, eggs, and milk until well combined.
3. Spray your muffin tins (you will need 3 6-cup tins) with cooking spray.
4. Spoon the cornbread batter into each cup (about halfway full).
5. Press hot dog bites into each muffin cup.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Presto Pasta Nights #140: Spinach and Asiago Sausage Penne

Hola folks!  I’m thrilled to be hosting Presto Pasta Nights for the second time here at Pots and Plots.  We’ve got an amazing batch of recipes this week.

To kick things off, I offer up my spinach and asiago sausage penne.  As I have rhapsodized in the past about the gourmet chicken sausages from Sam’s Club, of course I had to try all the flavors. On deck today is the spinach and asiago sausage.  Combined with whole grain penne and a big pile o’ veggies, I came up with this, hearty, healthful dish.  Serves 4 at 468.5 calories, 20.8 grams of fat per serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spinach and asiago sausage, diced
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups whole grain penne
• 1 cup grated parmesean cheese

Directions:

1. Salt your water and set it to boil.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
3. Add the zucchini and sausage and saute until the zucchini is tender crisp, about 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add your pasta to the boiling water and boil per package directions.
5. Remove the zucchini and sausage to a big bowl.
6. Add the second tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat.
7. Add the peppers, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach.
8. Saute until the spinach is wilted, then add the zucchini and sausage back to the pan.
9. Reserving about half a cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it to the big skillet.
10. Add the cheese and a little of the pasta water and stir well.

Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe (love that name!) has gifted us with not one, not two, but THREE recipes this week!  We have Cheesy Pasta with Sausage and Veggies (pictured), Vegan Cheesy Pasta with Sausage and Veggies, and Pasta with Sausage and Lentils.  Hey Johanna, can I come to dinner at your house?

Juliette from A Little Foodie offers up a beautiful Pesto, Salmon and Roasted Veggie Pasta that’s sure to please the seafood lovers among us.

Radha from Urban Bites offers up Pasta del piennulo, an amazing pasta dish with cherry tomatoes that I’m totally saving for next summer when my crop comes in.

Ferdzy from Seasonal Ontario Food, joins us with a Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagna. Major props for creativity!  I would never have thought to use butternut squash OR hazelnuts in lasagna, but the results look lovely.

Ann from Pig Pig’s Corner joins us with a recipe for Spiced Pasta with Sausages.  The spices sound great, but what the heck are tomberries?  I’ve never heard of them before.

Joanne from Eats Well With Others joins us this week with an amazing Orzotto with Spinach.   I have a bag of orzo in my pantry that’s just begging me to make this with it.  What a great idea!  What did I do with the last of my parm block…

Bellini from More Than Burnt Toast offers up this gorgeous Ricotta and Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells With Pesto.  What’s that?  Dinner’s at 7?  I’ll bring the bread.

Ben from What’s Cooking presents this Pasta and Butternut Squash Soup.  I have to say, I may have to go pick up some butternut squash after this week’s roundup.  I’ve never known what to do with it, but these are some really great ideas.

Our fabulous PPN creator Ruth of Once Upon A Feast joins in with Farfalle With Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, which just might be the recipe that gets me over my fear of trying the things that remind me of little cabbages.

The Sweet Kitchen joins in with a lovely Pasta al Forno. Nothing says pot luck.   like a baked pasta, and I know what I’m taking to my next one!  She had me at bechamel.

And finally, Dhanggit of Dhanggit’s Kitchen presents us with Ricotta Jambon Parma Ravioli in Tomato Basil Sauce.  Wow that’s a mouthful in more ways than one!

Wow, what a great roundup!  I know exactly where I’m turning for inspiration following the gluttony of Thanksgiving next week.  Thanks for dropping by!