Repurpose Food & Mashed Potato Casserole

I am the queen of reusing and repurposing food. Yes, I sound smug saying this but it is only after years and years of success that I brag with such ease. Maybe it harks back to my environmentalist days, but I am not a big fan of waste (food waste, especially). And since it sounds like us Americans seem to waste more food than anyone on the planet, I figure repurposing potatoes into something yummy is my way of helping out.

Last weekend I made a batch of mashed potatoes as a side dish and ended up with WAY more than I could humanly eat. Instead of letting the plastic container sit in my fridge for the allotted week until the contents found its way into the trash, I opted to use my spuds as an example of reusing leftovers. Off the cuff, I made a mashed potato casserole (super easy). With just a couple items from my fridge and cupboard, my once plain potatoes turned into a light and fluffy casserole! This is very much a hodgepodge of whatever is readily available in your kitchen, so let your imagination run wild. And stay tuned for the repurposed mashed potato casserole into potato bacon soup (mmm, good fall eating here). Salute!

Mashed Potato Casserole 

• 2 cups or so of leftover mashed potatoes (slightly reheadted as it's easier to mix) 
• 1/2 can of seasoned lima beans
• 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Rondele spread 
• 1/2 stalk of a leek, diced 
• Handful of mushrooms, sliced
• Shredded cheese (any variety)
• 2-4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prep the casserole pan (I didn't really do anything other than take it out of the cabinet).

Saute the leek and mushrooms in a frying pan for a few minutes (until the mushrooms appear mostly cooked and the leek becomes aromatic).

In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, lima beans, heavy cream, cheese spread, leek and mushroom saute, and most of the shredded cheese. Once this looks well incorporated, transfer it to the casserole pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and a few tablespoons of bread crumbs over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the dish cool for a few minutes and serve up while still warm.

Simple Pesto Pizza

On the road again... yes, that might be my theme song this next while. With all that life has thrown at me of late, I'm finding more solace being out on the road than usual. Seeing old pals, new and familiar places, watching spring blossom across the country. The only down side to work travel is that I have so little time to cook and bake. However, being the planner I am I spent winter and early spring stashing away a few good recipes and treats to keep this little blog going. One of my favorites is this easy breezy Pesto Pizza recipe.

Ok, so maybe it is a wee bit on the easy breezy side of things but it's still food and it's still delicious. And it still gets the job done in satisfying my pizza cravings. I don't know about you, but I firmly believe that pizza making is an art form all of its own and is different for everyone.

For this pizza, it's fairly simple. I used a store-bought rosemary pizza dough from the local market, although when time allows I try to make my own. Assemble your favorite toppings and instead of tomato sauce use some fresh pesto. If you have the chance to make it homemade - go for it! Ah, homemade pesto...what a blissful creation. If you are like me and usually running out of time, most markets make or offer fairly decent fresh pesto (look in the refrigerated pasta section).

Roll out and/or hand toss your dough (I usually do both), add some pesto as a base sauce, then go to town with your toppings. This time around I added onion, artichoke hearts, a few kinds of white cheese, fresh herbs from the garden as well as some dried ones, and mushrooms. Pop that bad boy in the oven and bake until light golden brown. Enjoy!

Simple Pesto Pizza

• Pizza dough (store bought or homemade) 
• Pesto sauce (store bought or homemade)
• White cheeses - mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, chevre/goat cheese, etc. 
• 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed 
• 1/8 cup diced onion
• 1/8 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4-1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinced 
• fresh and/or dried herbs - oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil

Preheat your oven to 425 F or whatever the store-bought pizza dough requires.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a large circle. Hand tossing is also encouraged as it adds a wonderful texture to the baked pizza dough. Using a fork, prick the pizza dough throughout. Add a good layer of pesto sauce, then add a layer of the various cheeses on top. Next add the minced garlic, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and dried herbs.

Using either a pizza stone or a baking sheet, place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or as the pizza dough directions specify. Let the pizza cool on the counter for a few minutes, then slice and serve. Tastes delicious for breakfast the next day.

Warm Artichoke Spinach Dip

It is definitely still winter in Oregon! A beautiful hike today proved true of this. Just check out the snow! You can barely see the trail.

Just had to throw in the waterfall shot. :)

Day 6 of my cleanse and I want food. All the time. Lots of it, the greasier the better. Seriously, what the hell was I thinking doing this thing? Note to anyone out there contemplating a cleanse - make sure you are in the right mindset to tackle something like this; and if you are a super active person, watch your calorie intake. Enough said!

Last month for the first round of the Beer Olympics, I made a batch of one of my most favorite appetizers - Artichoke Spinach Dip! Nom, nom, nom. Wow, my stomach is growling now... This is a perfect comfort food dish for winter. If I weren't on this stupid cleanse right now, I would be shoveling this into my mouth by the chip load!

It's a fairly easy recipe, with plenty of room to make modifications. I usually make mine the night before, let things stew, then pop it in the oven to serve. It's chalk full of cheese and other deliciously bad things for you, however you can opt for the low fat route by buying low fat mayo and cheeses. At this point though, I would go full steam!

After mixing all the ingredients together, you throw it in a baking dish.

Add more cheese, and bake until bubbly and scrumptious! Notice you don't see a fully cooked picture of this dish? Yeah, that's my fault. I was so eager to get it over to the Beer Olympics that I forgot to take a final shot! Bad Panda. However, I am sure you can imagine this slightly browned, crispy on top, and chalk full of cheese bubbles. Enjoy!

Artichoke Spinach Dip

• 1-10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1-14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped
• 1/2 cup of mayo, low-fat to reduce calories if desired 
• 1/4 cup of sour cream, low-fat to reduce calories if desired 
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme 
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (more if you like extra cheesy dip)
• 1/4 cup grated romano cheese (more if you like extra cheesy dip)
• 1-3 cloves of minced or pressed garlic
• Shredded mozzarella for topping
• Red pepper flakes for topping 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish with a lid, mix together everything except the last two ingredients. Lightly sprinkle the mozzarella and red pepper flakes over the top. Lightly salt and pepper to taste (remember the cheeses are fairly salty in flavor).
3. Bake until heated through and bubbly, usually 25-30 minutes. Remove the covering the last 5-10 minutes of baking to crisp the top. Cool for a few minutes and eat while warm! Tortilla chips or crackers good well with this dish.

Swanky Gnocchi Mac N' Cheese

I call this my triumphant comeback. It is insanely delicious. Remember how I lost a few pounds recently? Well this is my attempt to regain it. Fast.

A friend of mine is a lover of mac n' cheese. Especially the more gourmet style of the dish. When I discovered this recipe from Noble Pig, I spent days planning how I would like to attempt this gem. Just talking about this recipe has me salivating. Must stay away from the leftovers in the fridge.

I made a few changes to the Noble Pig's version by swapping the fontina cheese for smoked gouda, trading regular milk for hazelnut milk, using spicy mustard, and changing the pasta to include two difference types. Seriously, go make a batch... you will thank me. Enjoy!

Swanky Gnocchi Mac n' Cheese
 
8 oz. package frozen gnocchi (garlic & basil are yummy)
8 oz. fusilli pasta
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup hazelnut milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (spicy mustard also works)
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded Smoked Gouda cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped fresh thyme, oregano, and basil
Basil leaves for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375^o F. Prepare gnocchi and fusilli pastas according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Combine gruyere and smoked gouda cheeses, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.

 

Pour sauce over pasta and sprinkle with parmigiano over the top. Sprinkle chopped herbs over the top (this is also a good time to make additions like flaked red pepper, etc.). Bake gnocchi fusilli mixture until it puffs and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.



 

Garlic Cheese Pinwheel Rolls

Always try to find the silver lining, right? The positive in a negative situation. The sweet taste amongst the bitter. This is exactly what I am trying to do with my prolonged illness - find the good point to it all. One good thing is that all this weight loss means I need to start eating, pronto!

And what better thing to eat than garlicky, cheesy bread??

I stumbled across this very easy recipe from The Hungry Mouse and figured well hell, I should get in on some of this action. My local grocery store has a really tasty pre-made rosemary pizza dough and with the few staples I constantly keep in my kitchen, this recipe was a snap. My suggestion - make lots! I ate the majority of these bad boys before I could get a picture or two in. Sorry for the poor quality pics; blame the illness. Enjoy!

Garlic Cheese Pinwheel Rolls

• 1 ball pizza dough
• 2 tbls. butter (melted) or olive oil 
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• Parmesan cheese, grated (or others, I used a 4 cheese blend)
• fresh garlic, chopped (I used 3-4 cloves) 
• fresh basil, chopped (1-3 tbsp.)
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• garlic powder

Makes about a dozen rolls.

Lightly grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass baking pan. Set it aside.

Lightly flour a large cutting board and roll out the store bought pizza dough. Remember to rotate the dough a quarter and flip it occasionally as you roll it into a large rectangle.

Pour the melted butter or olive oil into the center of the rectangle. Lightly spread it over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire area of the oiled dough. Again, I like a mixture of cheese. Another option is to use a pesto blend for some flavor (you can really get creative with these babies). Sprinkle the remainder of your toppings evenly across the dough (herbs, spices, salt, pepper, etc.).

Start to roll the dough in one long tube, beginning with the long side furthest from you. Roll it towards you, tucking the dough in on itself, as if it were a giant spring roll. You should end up with a very large, very long dough roll (with all the toppings safely nested inside, like a jelly roll).

Next, as evenly as possible, chop the dough roll into 12 pieces. Make them about an inch or so wide. If the end pieces don't quite match up in size to the rest, you can mush them together to form one roll in the pan.

Very carefully, take each dough roll and place it in your pre-oiled pan. Begin at the corner of the pan and nestle each roll in next to each other like you would with a batch of cinnamon rolls (you will want one cut side facing up). Continue doing so until all the rolls are wedged into the pan, one happy nestled family.

Cover with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise. Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Once the rolls have risen, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes or so. You will know they are done when the dough is lightly browned, and the cheese has bubbled up and formed a nice, golden brown crust.

Let them cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then scoop out and enjoy hot from the oven. My gosh, they are good!