Quiche Anyway

Made with Colby Jack cheese, spinach plus sauteed onions & green bell peppers

Made with Cheddar cheese, ham lunch meat and broccoli

* This quiche can be made any number of different ways depending on the meat and vegetables you have on hand and your family's personal preferences. 

Serves: 5-6 (Makes 2 quiches)

12 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheese (any variety)
1/2 - 1 c. cooked meat of your choice (optional)
2-4 additional 1/2 cups of your choice of veggies (fresh or frozen)
2 pre-made pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, break eggs then add milk and whisk until well combined. Stir in salt & pepper. In 2 pie pans, lay out one pie crust in each pan. Put 1/2 cup of cheese on the bottom of each crust. Spread vegetables and meat, 1/2 cup each on top of cheese, placing the heaviest filling on top. Pour half of egg mixture into each pie crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle.

Notes: There are so many ways to make quiche and that is the beauty of this dish. Some of our favorite veggies to put in quiche are spinach, broccoli, onions, bell peppers (any color) and potatoes (they must be cooked first). I have found that vegetables with a strong flavor (onions, bell peppers, etc.) can be toned down by sauteing them in a small amount of butter. Spinach is also best torn into smaller pieces and spread in the crust before the cheese.

Any variety of meat can be used such as ham, sausage, bacon or even left out altogether if you prefer your quiche to be meatless. Even without meat, there is still plenty of protein from the eggs. Also, any variety of cheese can be used as well. Cheddar, Colby Jack, Swiss and Pepper Jack are favorites of ours. We often make two different quiches for the same dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe from Stacy.

Split Pea Soup

Serves: 6-8

2 c. dried split peas
8 c. water
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. marjoram
Seasoned salt & pepper to taste

Rinse dried peas in a colander. Combine all ingredients in cooking vessel of choice. Cook for required amount of time. When cooking time is finished, remove & discard bay leaf. Using a ladle, scoop about half the soup into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour soup from blender back into cooking vessel trying to keep it to one side. Scoop out additional soup and blend on high again. Return blended soup to the pot. If soup still seems thin, allow it to continue cooking until its desired consistency. (You can also use an immersion blender and blend the soup directly in the cooking pot.)

Cooking Methods
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker - Cook on beans setting for 15-17 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then manually release remaining pressure. (Note: even after the 10 minutes for natural depressurization, there is still A LOT of pressure and your pressure release valve will "spit" a lot of water and steam out.)

Stovetop - Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 1 hour or until split peas are soft. Stir every 15 minutes to keep peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Crockpot/slow cooker - Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until split peas are soft. Stir after adding water to make sure the peas don't stick to the bottom of the crock pot.

Serve with Baking Soda Biscuits.

Notes: This recipe has been around in my family since I was a kid. It is such a simple, meatless, vegetarian & vegan meal. Plus split peas are low in fat, high in iron and have a ton of great fiber and protein. And most people don't realize all the other great vegetables that are in this soup too! Don't be afraid to give this a try with your kids (my kids love it!). If you have to, give it a fun name like Shrek Soup or Green Goo Stew.

Recipe from my mom, Kay.

Beans & Cornbread

Serves: 6-8

3 c. dry pinto beans
12 c. water
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Salsa (optional)

Rinse and sort dry beans. Combine all ingredients except salt & salsa in cooking vessel. Cook for prescribed amount of time depending on cooking method below. When cooking is finished, stir in salt. Serve beans with "bean juice" in a bowl and top with salsa if desired.

Cooking methods
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker - Cook beans on beans setting for 25-35 minutes or according to your instant pot's manufacturer's directions and beans are soft. Let steam release naturally for 10 minutes then manually release remaining pressure.

Slow Cooker - Cook beans on high for 6-8 hours.

Stovetop - Cook beans at a low boil for about 4 hours, keeping an eye that you don't boil off too much liquid.

Tips: If you are from the South or Southwest part of the US, you probably grew up eating Beans & Cornbread. My husband's grandmother was originally from Texas so this was a staple in his house growing up. It is such a simple meal but full of protein and a great meatless, vegetarian, vegan dinner. This recipe does make a lot of beans but you can easily cut the recipe in half or you can use the leftovers in burritos, soups, etc.
Typically my family uses pinto beans in this recipe but we were recently given a large bag of Anasazi beans so that's what you see in the picture. This recipe also works well with white beans or great northern beans if you prefer a slightly smaller bean. We ALWAYS serve these beans with our family favorite, Yogurt Cornbread. Be sure to add the salt after the cooking is finished otherwise the salt can keep the beans from softening properly.

Recipe from Elsie, my husband's grandma.

Homemade Pizza & Dough

Makes: 1 - 15" Pizza Crusts
*This recipe can be doubled in most bread makers to make 2 pizza crusts.

Pizza Dough *See notes for high altitude changes
3/4 c. (6 oz.) warm water, 80-90 degrees
2 T. vegetable oil
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. active dry yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. bread machine/fast rise yeast

Cornmeal (to sprinkle on pizza pan)

Pizza
1/3-1/2 c. pizza or pasta sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Mozzarella cheese
Your choice of pizza toppings (pepperoni, sausage, black olives, onions, peppers, etc.)

Select the "Dough" setting for your bread maker. Add the warm water and oil to the bread pan. Add flour, sugar and salt to pan. Tap pan to settle dry ingredients, then level ingredients, pushing some of the mixture into the corners. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add yeast. With bread pan locked into bread maker, begin dough cycle. When dough cycle is completed, remove dough from bread pan and place onto floured surface. Knead about 1 minute.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush pizza pan with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll out dough onto pizza pan and set aside to rise for 10 minutes. Par-bake the crust for 7 minutes and remove from oven. Spread crust with pizza sauce, more or less depending on personal preference. Top with cheese and pizza toppings. Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut with pizza cutter & enjoy homemade pizza for a fraction of the price of the pizza parlor!

Notes: Homemade pizza is one of my family's go-to recipes almost weekly. We make it a family movie night and let the kids sit on the floor in the living room to eat. Most weeks we can find a movie that we all agree on (most weeks, but some times it's fight!). Plus we don't usually have soda in the house so this is our one night to indulge.

One reason I love this meal so much is because it's a family favorite (no complaints!), it's sooo much cheaper to make your own dough that to buy a fresh pizza from the pizza parlor, we can easily customize the pizza to each person's preferences, plus I there's no dough conditioners or preservatives in my crust!

Here are a couple ideas to keep your pizza on the healthier side (since pizza always gets such a bad rap): first, use turkey pepperoni or sausage to cut down on fat. Second, grate your own cheese. It melts better and doesn't have the additive that pre-grated cheese does to keep it from sticking together. Third, we like to use Ragu Simply Traditional style sauce for our pizza. It has no sugar added and very simple ingredients plus it's very smooth which is what my family prefers. Fourth, try a new veggie on your pizza once and awhile. You might be surprised what the kids will try!

I always bake my pizzas on a Pampered Chef pizza stone and we love the results. If you don't have a pizza stone or even a round pizza pan, you can still use this amount of dough on a regular size cookie sheet.

High Altitude Modifications (we live at 6800 ft. and these work great for us)

We always make 2 pizza doughs so these are the measurements I go by:
12 oz. warm water
4 T. oil
4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. fast rise yeast

Let me know in the comments how your pizza turned out! Tag me on Instagram at @recipes.for.moms with a picture of your pizza.

Recipe from my WestBend bread maker instruction manual.

Ranchero Macaroni Bake

Serves: 4

1 can (14.5 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
1/2 c. tortilla chips, coarsely crushed

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine soup and milk in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, salsa and cooked macaroni. Spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with crushed chips. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

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Tips: I love simple casseroles like this that (as I always say) use ingredients that you can probably find in your pantry. The kids love it because of the macaroni and cheese flavors but for us grown-ups we get the salsa twist too! I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe from Pasta Recipes Cookbook (Gooseberry Patch)

Tortilla Casserole

Serves: 6-8

1 c. long grain rice, uncooked
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 can refried beans
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. taco sauce
6 (12-inch) flour tortillas
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream, if desired

Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in tomatoes and green chilies. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and taco sauce. Mix well. Pour a very small amount of sour cream/taco sauce mixture on the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Move dish around to coat bottom. Place 2 tortillas on bottom of dish. Spread 1/2 can of refried beans on top of tortillas. Top with 1/2 rice/tomato mixture, then 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers ending with tortillas on top. Pour remaining sour cream/taco sauce mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until heated through. Top with sour cream.

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Tips: I came up with this casserole for a church potluck by using ingredients I already had on hand. You can experiment with the flavor by using different flavors of refried beans and red or green taco sauce. I used mild Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies to keep it from being to spicy for my kiddos. I also shared this recipe at Simply Sweet Home's Friday Favorites.

Recipe from Stacy

Grilled Potato "Chips"

Serves: 4-5

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled
Canola oil
Seasoned salt
Pepper

Place whole potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from pot and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Spread out potatoes slices on plate or baking sheet. Brush with oil and season with pepper and seasoned salt. Turn potatoes and oil, salt & pepper the opposite side. Grill on barbecue over medium heat until golden brown on each side. Serve warm.

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Tips: This was a great way to make a potato side dish to go with our steak that required a lot less clean-up than baked potatoes. Since you prep them before dinner, you can have the pot and cutting board cleaned up before dinner is ready. Plus if your husband happens to be the one that does the grilling, there's less work for mom. Yeah! The potatoes will not be fully cooked when you slice them but they were perfectly soft when finished on the barbecue. I also shared this recipe at Crazy Daisy's Tuesday Tastes, Our Homeschool Home's On the Grill & Trendy Treehouse's Creative Share.

Recipe adapted from Parade Magazine (May 23, 2010)

Guacamole

Makes: 2 cups

2 ripe avocados
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry minced onion
Garnish with chopped onion or cilantro, if desired

Cut avocados in half, remove pit and scoop out fruit. In a bowl, mash avocados with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in additional ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips or spread on burgers or sandwiches.

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Tips: Oddly enough, even though I grew up in Southern California (where they grow tons of avocados) I never really liked them until I was an adult and took a trip to Mexico City. Some of the food there was so spicy that guacamole was the only thing that cooled it down. Now I love it! I know that in some areas of the country avocados are super expensive so this might be a recipe you have to save for a special occasion. But if you love avocados give our recipe a try and tell me what you think. Do you have a secret ingredient in your guacamole that you're willing to share with the rest of us? I also shared this recipe at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday & Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe from my husband. (Thanks hon!)

Cheesy Penne with Broccoli

Serves: 4

12 oz. penne pasta
1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
1/4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/4 c. 2% milk
1/4 t. Italian seasoning
3/4 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T. breadcrumbs

Cook penne pasta according to package directions. During last 5 minutes of cooking, add cut-up broccoli; drain. Toss the pasta and broccoli with Parmesan, garlic and oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour into greased 2-quart baking dish; sprinkle with Mozzarella. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and slowly add milk. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Stir in Italian seasoning. Pour white sauce into baking dish to cover cheese and pasta. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Bake 20-25 minute or until heated through.


Tips: This pasta/broccoli combo was a nice pairing for a casserole and of course cheese goes with these two items wonderfully. The original recipe called for several "fancy" items that are not found in my pantry so I adapted it. It also called for whole milk and heavy cream which would really pack on the fat & calories. If you keep either one of these regularly, feel free to substitute. I used the Kraft Romano cheese (the one that comes in the canister) so if you keep this or the Parmesan on hand either one can be used. Be sure to watch your baking time so the pasta around the edges doesn't get over-baked. I also shared this recipe at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday, Crazy Daisy's Tuesday Tastes & Breastfeeding Moms Unite's Vegetarian Foodie Friday.

Recipe adapted from Bake until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook

Lentil-Mashed Potato Bake

Serves: 6

1/2 c. lentils
6 large potatoes
2 T. butter
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils. Return to a boil and cook the lentils 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain excess water. Meanwhile, peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in a large saucepan for 10-15 minutes, until tender, and drain. In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes; add butter, milk, sour cream, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Fold in cooked lentils. Spread into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes

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Tips: I had never made anything with lentils before and was intrigued to give them a try after seeing this recipe. Lentils are high in fiber and low in fat so they are the perfect addition to a meatless meal. My lentils took quite a while to cook but that might have been because I cook at high altitude. I also used 1 cup of Cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Jack cheese to give this a little more flavor but I left it as one cheese in the ingredients to make it less difficult. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook

Tuscan Soup

Serves: 4

1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, sliced
1 T. oil
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth
1 c. water
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 c. uncooked small pasta
3 c. thinly sliced spinach

In a large saucepan, saute onion and carrot in oil over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in beans and pasta; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until past is cooked, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; heat through.

Tips: I loved this soup with the combination of beans, pasta and spinach. I used large shell pasta but any small pasta will work. Although this soup is meatless, if you want to make it vegetarian try using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. I also shared this recipe at Our Krazy Kitchen, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and I Heart Naptime's Sundae Scoop.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Bean 'n Rice Burritos

Serves: 4-6

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Flour tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa

In a large skillet, combine the beans, tomatoes, garlic powder and cumin; heat through. Stir in the rice. Spoon about 1/3-1/2 cupful into the center of the tortilla. Top with cheese, sour cream and salsa. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up.

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Tips: This was a nice, easy meatless dinner and the clean up was easy too. For a little extra flavor, try using the pre-seasoned diced tomatoes. (I can't remember exactly what the flavor combo is but you can usually find one that has a Mexican twist.) If your kids have trouble picking up and eating burritos, give them the option to eat the filling out of a bowl. Then butter a tortilla, warm it up and they still get both parts. Use whatever size flour tortillas your family usually keeps on hand or whatever is on sale that week. If you prefer to make burritos in the oven, try Black Bean Burrito Bake. I also shared this recipe at Blessed with Grace's Tempt my Tummy Tuesday.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home's 2004 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Garlic Angel Hair Pasta

Serves: 4

5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. butter
8 oz. angel hair pasta
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over low heat, melt butter and stir in oil. Saute garlic in oil and butter until golden. Drain pasta and pour garlic butter mixture over pasta; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Mix well; cover and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

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Tips: This was a delightfully easy pasta dish to put together and tasty as well. Even with the oil and butter it was not too greasy because of the added breadcrumbs which was nice for highchair feeding with my little guy. If you don't have seasoned breadcrumbs on hand, you can always used regular breadcrumbs and add in a generous spoonful of Italian seasoning. I do this so I only have to keep one type of breadcrumbs in the pantry but I can use them whether a recipe calls for regular or seasoned. I also shared this recipe at The Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe adapted from Pasta Recipes Cookbook (Gooseberry Patch)

Rice & Bean Pot Pie

Serves: 5-6

1 T. oil
1 c. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 pkg. (5.6 oz.) Spanish rice mix
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (11 oz.) refrigerated breadsticks
1/2 c. sour cream

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion, cook about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and jalapeno; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes; cook until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Once rice is cooked, add cheese and stir until combined. In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, spread the rice mixture in the bottom and up the sides. Spread beans evenly on top of rice; cover beans with tomato mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, unroll breadsticks and separate into 12 strips. Remove casserole from oven and place 10 twisted breadsticks in a single layer over the top. Stretch and twist the 2 remaining breadsticks on top of the first layer in the opposite direction. Bake 20 minutes longer or until breadsticks are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream.


Tips: This was a fun twist (pun intended) on a traditional pot pie. For the rice mix, I used Knorr Fiesta Sides Spanish Rice. If your family enjoys beans or you are trying to stretch this meal, you can easily use a second can of beans. I think I will try it this way the next time I make it and add in kidney beans.

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles Magazine

Butternut Squash Gratin

Serves: 4-6

1 butternut squash
1/4 c. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Peel squash, halve lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange slices in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish (preferably glass), overlapping slices slightly. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Reduce heat to low; add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of garlic-butter mixture. Brush squash slices with remaining garlic-butter mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until squash is tender. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake for an additional 5-10 or until lightly browned.

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Tips: This was a delicious side dish that was so tasty and filling. Everyone in my family loved it. Progresso came out with panko bread crumbs that are a crispy lighter bread crumb than the original. My only wish was that I had been able to make this with homegrown squash.

Recipe from Progresso Soups & More Magazine

Cheesy Chili Soup

Serves: 4

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) beef broth
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 t. chili powder
1 c. shredded Mexican style cheese

Bring all ingredients except cheese to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer on low for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese. Serve into bowls; top with remaining cheese.

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Tips: This was a delicious, meatless soup that was quick to put together. If you prefer it to be completely vegetarian, I'm sure it would be just as tasty with vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. I also crumbled whole wheat Ritz crackers into the soup when I served it to make it a bit thicker. I also shared this recipe on Kitchen Stewardship's Carnival of Super Foods.

Recipe adapted from Kraft Food & Family (Fall'09)

Veggie Lovers' Pot Pie

Serves: 6

2 T. butter
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 t. thyme
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. flour
1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen carrots, broccoli & cauliflower, thawed
1/4 c. milk
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 rolls) garlic butter crescent rolls

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add potatoes, onion, thyme, salt and pepper; cook 10-12 minutes until potatoes are lightly brown. Sprinkle flour over potato mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in thawed vegetables, milk and cheese; mix well. Pour mixture into a greased deep-dish pie plate. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Roll each short side over twice and arrange over vegetables with tips towards center (will look like a pinwheel). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is brown.

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Tips: This was a delicious meatless pot pie and not too much work to put together. I thought it had a lot of flavor. Its always nice to do some work for dinner on the stove then be able to put it in the oven for awhile to get a salad or other side dish ready. I actually used the original crescent rolls because I accidentally grabbed the wrong one at the store. They still tasted great on top but I would think that the garlic butter rolls would have been awesome.

Recipe from Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles Magazine

Rice 'n Black Bean Bake

Serves: 6

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 jar (8 oz.) picante sauce or salsa
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and picante sauce. Stir in the rice, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips: This is a very tasty, meatless meal that was easy to put together and uses inexpensive ingredients. If you have your favorite picante sauce or salsa already in the fridge try using that instead of buying a new jar since you only need 1 cup of salsa. You can also use reduced fat sour cream and/or cheese to make this recipe a little healthier. You can serve the bean bake over the tortilla chips like nachos or crumble the chips and sprinkle them on the top. My family enjoys this as a main dish but it would also work well as a side dish or appetizer for a party or potluck. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap, Our Krazy Kitchen & Breastfeeding Moms Unite's Vegetarian Foodie Friday.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2001 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Black Bean Burrito Bake

Serves: 4 (1 burrito each)

1/2 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/2 c. sour cream
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
4 flour tortillas
3/4 c. salsa
1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 can of green chilies and sour cream. Let stand for 10 minutes. Place 1/2 the can of beans in a food processor or blender; process until finely pureed. Add pureed beans, remaining beans and corn to sour cream mixture. Spoon 1/2 cup of bean mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, with ends tucked in; place seam side down in a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Pour salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.

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Tips: My whole family enjoyed this burrito bake and it was easy to put together. To cut down on the fat, use part reduced-fat sour cream and part fat free plain yogurt. I did this since my husband is trying to lose weight and it tasted great. I used 8-inch tortillas so they fit fine in a square pan. If you prefer to use burrito size tortillas, use a 11 x 7 or 13 x 9 pan instead. Make a Mexican rice mix as a side dish and add a salad to complete your meal. I shared this recipe on Kitchen Stewardship's Carnival of Super Foods.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Italian Bowtie Bake

Serves: 4

8 oz. bow tie pasta, uncooked
2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 envelope (minus 2 teaspoons) Italian salad dressing mix
2 c. (8 oz.) Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce and salad dressing mix; add pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 5 minutes more or until heated through.

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Tips: This bowtie casserole is quick and easy to put together and uses ingredients you probably have already. I do suggest using less than the whole envelope of Italian dressing mix. The whole package was a bit overwhelming the first time I made it. If this isn't quite what you're looking for check out the Cheesy Bowtie Bake instead.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home's 2004 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes