Retake Homemade: Mexican Corn Muffins

After last week’s meh Mexican spoon bread, I opted to try a jazzed up version of my mother’s Mexican cornbread.  Since we were taking it to a party, I thought muffins would be best (and it fits with my obsession for mini these days).  Results were moist and flavorful, a nice side to a Mexican themed dinner (these are being paired up with tamales and chili).  Makes 18 muffins that work out to 110 calories and 4.9 grams of fat apiece.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can mexicorn, drained
• 1 box Jiffy mix cornbread
• 1 egg
• 1 packet Sazon
• 1 pound ground beef, browned and rinsed
• 1 poblano pepper, finely minced
• 1/2 cup fiesta blend cheese, 2%

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the beef, then drain and rinse.
3. In a large bowl, mix the corn, cream corn, egg, sazon, and poblano pepper.
4. Add the beef and stir until well incorporated.
5. Add the cheese and stir until well incorporated.
6. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.
8. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes in the pans, before removing to a wire rack to cool until touchable.

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Meatball Sliders

I don’t know why, but I’ve been totally into mini food the last week or so.  Since we usually have issues with the bun falling apart when we make meatball subs, it seemed like meatball sliders would be a great idea.  And they were.  Cute, tiny, dippable.  And healthy.  These would make a great appetizer for parties.  Makes 16.  I consider a serving 3-4 sliders.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tsps garlic
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• fresh ground pepper
• 16 whole wheat dinner rolls
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler.  Cook’s note: The first time I made these I left the broiler on for AGES waiting for the preheat light to come on.  A broiler usually doesn’t do that.  FYI.
2. Toss everything in a food processor and blend until well combined.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Spray with cooking spray.
5. Using a melon baller or 1/8 cup measuring cup, scoop out mixture and roll into balls.  I got about 16.
6. Cook under the broiler for 15 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
7. Meanwhile, split your sub rolls.
8. Spritz with buttery spray and sprinkle with garlic powder.
9. Toast to desired crispiness.
10. Load each roll with a meatball and a slice of mozzarella.
11. Top with marinara.

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Quick Roasted Asparagus

One of the best summer veggies is baby asparagus.  That lovely, thin as a pencil variety, tender green and sweet.  Asparagus is one of those foods I thought I hated.  It turned out I just hate how my mom fixes it.  She uses the canned stuff that’s slimy and thick and noxious.  :shudder:  That shouldn’t be considered a food.  And the few times she’s had fresh asparagus she didn’t know you’re supposed to snap off the bottom woody part.  But I know.  And now you know (if you didn’t already), and you’re going to enjoy the end result.

Ingredients:

• fresh summer asparagus
• olive oil
• seasoning of choice (I like Emeril’s Essence)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Snap each piece of asparagus to wherever it naturally breaks.
3. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Toss to coat.
5. Sprinkle with seasoning.
6. Toss to coat.
7. Roast for 5 minutes.

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Sausage and Squash Casserole

I’m not sure how I haven’t actually posted this before.  It’s a classic in our household.  It’s a recipe I adapted from my friend who tends to cook like Paula Deen so I’ve lightened it up by using turkey sausage, reduced fat cheese, neufchatel cheese, and light sour cream.  It’s a delicious meal all in one, though we usually pair it with a side veggie of some kind.  This makes 4 whopping servings at 599 calories and 27 grams of fat apiece.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
• 2 pounds squash (I often buy the already sliced yellow squash in the freezer section as a time saver)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 pan Jiffy mix cornbread, prepared according to package directions
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 4 oz. neufchatel cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup reduced fat fiesta blend cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the cornbread according to package directions.
2. Dump the squash in a large pot of boiling water (obviously slice it if you’re using fresh).
3. Dice the onion.
4. Brown the sausage and onion over medium high heat.
5. Crumble up the cornbread in a large bowl.
6. Once the sausage is browned, dump the sausage and onions in with the cornbread.  Stir.
7. Add the sour cream and cream cheese and stir until well combined.
8. Drain the squash well.  Add to the bowl.
9. Stir until well combined.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
11. In a 2.5 to 3 quart baking dish coated with Pam, dump the casserole mixture.
12. Top with the cheese.
13. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

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Mini Stuffed Sweet Peppers

I have no idea why I’m so into the mini versions of stuff this week  I was really enamored after buying the new mini muffin pan, I guess.  In any event, I had a package of sweet peppers in the fridge, plus a few from the garden that were close to the same size that I decided to stuff.  But with what?  I had leftover rice from another night, and wanted to do something cheesy and kind of Mexi-themed.  Add in some cream cheese, sazon, and a few other things, and we have a tasty, bite sized snack at only 33.5 calories and .8 grams of fat per pepper.  Makes 20 peppers.

Ingredients:

• 20 mini sweet peppers
• 1 cup pre-cooked rice
• 2 oz. neufchatel cheese
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 packet sazon
• 1/2 teaspoon cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat the stock over medium low.
2. Add in the neufchatel cheese in cubes and stir occasionally until melted.
3. Meanwhile, using a small knife, cut the tops out of all the peppers so as to remove the seeds and such.
4. Add in the tomato paste, sazon, salt, and cilantro.
5. Add in the rice and stir until well coated.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Using a small spoon, stuff the peppers with the rice.  I found it helpful to use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke the filling into the bottom of the pepper so that it was properly full.
8. If you can find a small dish to arrange them all filling side to the top, that’s great, but it’s so thick you probably wouldn’t lose any if you had to bake them on their sides.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.

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Retake Homemade: Mini Pizza Puffs

The inspiration for this recipe hails from the April 2010 issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray (pg. 83).  I offer this up as a homemade alternative to stuff like Totinos pizza roles.  They’re fresh, light, easy as can be, and a WHOLE lot healthier.  I made a few substitutions to the original recipe to lighten things up.  These are a fantastic appetizer for parties or snack to keep around the house.  Freeze on a cookie sheet and pop into a freezer bag then reheat at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 24 puffs at 47 calories and 1.8 grams of fat apiece (not counting the pizza sauce for dipping).

Variations: You can change up the fillings to any of your favorite pizza toppings so long as you chop them small.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup skim milk (original recipe called for whole)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 5 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (original called for 4 oz.)
• 3.5 oz. turkey pepperoni, diced (original called for 4 oz.)
• 3.5 oz. baby bella mushrooms, finely diced (my addition)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (my addition)
• 1/2 cup store bought or homemade pizza sauce (I actually like Ragu Light Tomato and Basil marinara for this)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and egg.
4. Add the flour and baking powder and whisk until there are no clumps.
5. Add the Italian seasoning.
6. Stir in the mozzarella, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
7. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
8. Stir batter well and divide among the mini muffin cups.
9. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20-25 minutes.
10. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.

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Don’t forget to check out these other great Retake Homemade recipes.  Follow the linky!

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Mexican Spoon Bread

Continuing in the theme of recipes from Simple and Delicious, this one comes from the Jan/Feb 2010 issue (pg. 47).  It’s one where their test kitchen cut down the fat and calories.  According to them, it makes 6 3/4 cup servings at 329 calories and 16 grams of fat.  The end results were…well, I’m sorry to say, incredibly bland.  I used mild cheddar, as that’s what I had on hand, and you couldn’t taste it at all.  I think this could be vastly improved by the addition of some sauteed poblano peppers, and definitely the sharp cheddar cheese, or perhaps pepper jack.   The concept is not bad, but I think I prefer the classic Mexican cornbread my mom makes with the blue box mix and a can of rotel.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (8 oz.) reduced fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup fat free milk
• 1 11 oz. can of Mexicorn, drained
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream and milk until smooth.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish, coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Serve immediately.

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Thoughtless Thursday: Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

I haven’t done a Thoughtless Thursday post in a while.  Frankly, I just don’t use my crock pot as much in the summer except for routine things like batch cooking beans or making chicken stock.  But our grocery store overbought on baby back ribs for the 4th and had a huge sale at $2 a pound, so I brought home 3 racks of ribs.  This is round 1.  My husband was totally skeptical about doing ribs in the crock pot, but since it was highly doubtful we had enough gas for the grill to cook on low for 3 or 4 hours, I employed both it and my crock pot to produce succulent, fall-off-the-bone, finger licking ribs that hubby declared a total win.  Go me.

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of baby back ribs, cut in half
• garlic powder
• kosher salt
• coarse ground peppers
• paprika
• onion powder
• 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Directions:

1. Fire up your grill.  This would probably be a total waste if you are a charcoal person, but we use gas.  So flip it on and preheat to about 350 degrees.
2. Season up the ribs with all the dry seasonings…just a light sprinkle of each on both sides, to taste.
3. Sear the ribs on the grill, about 5 minutes a side.  Just enough to get a bit of caramelization and grill marks.
4. Pop the ribs in the crock pot.
5. Add the liquid smoke and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
6. After 4-5 hours, baste both sides of the ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce and crank the crock pot up to high for 1 more hour.
7. Enjoy!  You probably will want a bib.

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Sour Cream Chicken

This one was on the same page of the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Simple and Delicious as the Mexican spoon bread.  Hubby immediately wanted to try it.  I used 4 skinless chicken thighs instead of the cut up broiler/fryer, mainly because that’s what I had on hand.  According to S and D, this makes 4 servings at 365 calories and 15 grams of fat, but I am inclined to think that what I made was less, as half the breadcrumbs went in the garbage and so did half the sour cream mixture.  The end results was unique and tangy, though a bit more Worchestershire sauce than I prefer.  Definitely something different.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp minced chives
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp celery salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2-3 pounds chicken
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.
2. Put breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Coat chicken with sour cream mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs.
4. Arrange chicken on a rack in a foil lined baking pan. (I neglected to notice this instruction and cooked mine on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
6. Drizzle with butter.
7. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

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Cheeseburger Pie Lightened

It’s not what you’d call gourmet.  It’s definitely not really pretty.   This is more along the lines of a classic Mom meal, ranking up there with tuna casserole and spaghetti.  Easy and basic, this classic was introduced by Bisquick forever ago (I remember seeing the recipe on the original yellow box when I was a kid).  I found the original recipe over at Betty Crocker and made some adaptations to lighten up this family favorite.  The end result was dinner that came together in about 40 minutes (most of which was bake time) on a night I definitely didn’t want to cook.  Serves 6 at 268 calories and 12.2 grams of fat per serving (as compared to 325 calories and 25 grams of fat per slice).  Add a side salad or a couple of veggie sides to round out the meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz. 2% cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (replacing the whole onion, sauteed in the original recipe since my hubs is anti-onion)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Brown the ground beef.
3. Drain and rinse with VERY hot water and allowed to drain further.
4. Mix the milk, eggs, Bisquick and spices together, being sure to break up any lumps in the batter.
5. Spray a 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray.
6. Add the ground beef.
7. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
8. Pour the batter over the beef and cheese.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

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