Baked Pizza Pasta

This is super easy to prepare and does well when prepped ahead of time. I made it two days ahead, stuck it in my fridge, then baked it the night we wanted it. I think it would also freeze really well. The recipe is really a no-brainer, but I wanted to be sure I have it as an idea for the future!

Link to recipe

Apple Cider Baked Donut Holes

Fall in a bite! These are really great. We couldn't keep our hands out of them. If you run out of butter or don't want to use butter, you can roll them in cinnamon and sugar without it, but be warned you won't get as much coating. We also made a pumpkin version and they're amazing as well. They're baked, so they're healthy, right? :)
Link to recipe

"Panera" mac and cheese

I have a coworker who raves about Panera mac and cheese. I've still never tried it because I'm always swayed by the turkey sandwiches and fuji apple chicken salad, so I can't compare this to theirs, but it's awesome. I should be embarrassed to say how much of this we ate in one sitting, but it was goooooood. The only thing I changed was using yellow cheddar because the white cheddar wasn't in the grocery store I was in. I've seen it in a different store, but wasn't making two trips that day. It was amazing and the best homemade stovetop mac and cheese I have had. 

Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese

1 (16-ounce) package of rigati pasta (or other small pasta shells)
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or cream) --I used skim milk
6 slices white American cheese, chopped  (this is basically white Velveeta...processed cheese)
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar (I used yellow cheddar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Serves 4 to 6

from Panera's website

Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I have noticed lately that almost all of my grocery lists contain cilantro. If I could keep a plant alive, I'd grow it myself. That's why I like the "dormant" orchid Norris bought me. I can say it's still alive because it's "dormant". I don't actually know whether it is still alive...

I made these ahead of time and froze them, then served over garlic rice, so I guess I lie when I say they're tacos. I mixed the chicken and pesto in with garlic rice and topped it with jalapenos and salsa. This dish was amazing. I'm sure they'd be amazing tacos, too. Thanks to Joelen for a great make ahead recipe.

I followed her instructions, so you can check out the recipe at  What's Cookin' Chicago!

Garlic Rice

I'm finally back (for a post, anyway) and I'm posting such a no-brainer that I probably should just keep it in my head! I just started at a new school and am coaching tennis, so this past month has been pretty wild. I absolutely love my new school and have lots of great kids. Tennis is far more fun than I imagined it to be, too! Great way to meet more kids from the school, also. Love those connections that come with working with kids outside of the classroom. Speaking of the classroom, my classes are really great and they are totally on board with the ProStart program, since this is the first year to have it there. They are excited and engaged (for the most part....working for 100%!) and doing a great job. They're learning big and small lessons and learning to work with people they don't want to work with. One thing I really love about teaching culinary classes is that so many students who don't have success in a traditional paper/pencil (or ebook, whatever) classroom find success in my kitchens. They learn math, how to follow instructions, and how to get along with other people. They listen and watch closely so they can see what happens when you don't follow instructions or don't get your math right (rather than get the problem wrong, you can see the reaction....a recipe that doesn't turn out quite right!). Definitely not knocking the math teachers, because they taught them the foundation to it, but it's so fun to see math, science, and reading "come alive".
Anyway, this was supposed to be about rice. We are using this rice in class to serve under our beef kebabs with maple coriander ketchup. Yum!!

Garlic Rice

2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic
1 cup brown or white long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat butter over medium heat in small saucepan. Saute garlic until lightly browned, then add rice and stir until it absorbs the butter. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

I'm probably getting obnoxious with talking about how much I love summer produce and how everything tastes like summer, but this is another one of those. I loved this salad and you could really customize it however you want as far as veggies and grain. Don't change the dressing--it's so good and a great balance with all of the other flavors! Enjoy summer produce while it's here!!!

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well (I used millet)

2 cups chicken broth


3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
1 cup blueberries
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped small (peeled if outside is thick and tough)
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1/2 jalapeno, minced


1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey


salt & pepper


Rinse quinoa or millet very well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Add to a saucepan with the chicken broth then bring the broth to a boil. Place a lid on top, lower the heat to medium-low, then cook until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.
For the dressing: Combine lemon zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
Combine corn, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, basil, jalapeno, and cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and mix well to combine. Serve with grilled or sauteed shrimp, chicken, or fish.


from Iowa Girl Eats

tip: freezing chipotle peppers

I love the flavor "chilpotle":) peppers add to dishes, but I have never used the whole can at once or even within a week's time. I finally decided to try freezing them instead of wasting them, and it works great! I love freezing pesto and having just a cube of it ready to go, and it works just as well with the peppers. It makes it easy to thaw out one at a time and I didn't notice any difference in texture or taste.
Just spoon a pepper and some of the adobo sauce they come in into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Pop them out of the ice cube tray and store in a freezer ziploc bag or container until you need one. It helps if you remember the night before, or you can run the bag under water and thaw it out pretty quickly.