Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake

Great news!  The wedding planning is going great...which means a little time has cleared up in my schedule to return to blogging.  Phew!  I was missing it!  But planning the most epic wedding Cleveland's ever seen takes a lot of time!  Anyway, now I'm getting back into the groove of my normal food-obsessed self and doing things like making risotto on weeknights and hosting fancy brunches on weekends - my favorite things!  Last Sunday, Howie's parents were staying with us and I made them a Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake that my family has been making for years!  This isn't just any old ho-hum egg bake.  It's my favorite egg bake!  It's just so tasty and different from the breakfast dishes you're probably used to making because you crush Corn flakes over the top and drizzle it with melted butter before you bake it in the oven.  It sounds strange, but it's an explosion of flavors and textures!  Try making it for your sweetie on Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Panko-Crusted Mac and Cheese

With Mother's Day only a day away, I'm sure all sorts of people are going out today to buy a bouquet of flowers and ingredients for a cute little breakfast in bed.  Props for the effort, but the holiday routine is getting a little tired, don't you think?  I mean...why have eggs and toast in bed when you can have homemade Panko-Crusted Mac and Cheese for dinner??  Filled with garlic, bacon, green onions and a gooey, amazingly delicious cheese sauce, the flavor profile of this dish cannot be beat!  Oh, well, except when you go ahead and top it with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping for a little crunch!  Treat your mom right this Mother's Day and give her what she really wants, (hint, hint) Mac and Cheese!

Grilled Cheese and 10-Minute Homemade Tomato Soup

Even though I cook all sorts of extravagant dinners, fancy desserts, and appetizers to please a crowd, there is nothing I like more than grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup.  I'm like a kindergartner!  Ask Howie, I even order it from any restaurant that has it on it's menu!  My record is having it 4 times in a 5 day period (if that isn't true love than I don't know what is)!  One of my favorite things about grilled cheese and tomato soup is how fast you can whip it up after a long day.  You know those days I'm talking about right?  The days when you wanted dinner a half hour ago and your stomach is eating itself on the drive home.  Good news!  You can forever ditch the crummy canned tomato soup that's loaded with sodium and preservatives and make my homemade version instead.  I promise, 10 minutes.  Well, maybe 15 if you include making the grilled cheese too!

Greek Mac & Cheese

A couple of summers ago, Howie's mom made the most delicious cheesy pasta bake I've ever had.  It was hearty, but not overly rich, filled with cherry tomatoes, olives, baby spinach and noodles that baked together in the oven with a cheesy feta and gouda garlic sauce.  All of this creamy goodness was topped off with Italian croutons that softened in the sauce and infused some of their seasonings into the dish.  Needless to say, it's an absolutely delicious dinner that can feed about 10 people.  I never asked for the recipe, and actually almost forgot about it until New Years Day 2015, when his mom told me she was making Greek Mac & Cheese for dinner.  I definitely didn't forget to ask for the recipe this time around!  It totally hit the spot, you have to try it!  Best of all, it's very versatile.  You can easily double the recipe for a large crowd, or make it for a couple of people and have leftovers throughout the week.  YUM!

Roasted Cheesy Potato Soup

I love Sundays!  It's my hands-down favorite day of the week for cooking or baking because I have the entire afternoon to relax and move at my own pace...a.k.a. experiment with new recipes and do things like bake focaccia bread for the second time in a month!  Howie and I have been testing out soup recipes all fall, and were really in the mood for a creamy, hearty potato soup to get us through the cold day.  It may not be our healthiest creation, but it was definitely one of the most delicious!  Actually, it was so delicious that I felt the need to box twice in 24 hours and consume green smoothies and kale salad for the majority of the next day.  Worth it?  Duh.

A Healthy Spin on Italian

Great Lakes Christmas Ale has 225 calories per bottle.  There, I said it.  I know how you feel, I wallowed for a minute too when I found out; however, we can't continue to dwell on our ghosts of Christmas past, we have to move on.  Lucky for us, I've had to make myself marketable as a potential Food Network star, which has led to the creation of some delicious, figure-friendly recipes that cater to those of us trying to get back on track (at least until Christmas Ale 2014 is released).  Last night I made a delicious pasta dish with tomato sauce, chicken, veggies, garlic, and parmesan cheese.  The best part, besides the taste of course, is that it's only 320 calories per serving!  The secret?  Substituting yellow squash for the spaghetti.  I swear you won't even taste the difference!