Southwest Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest and IT WAS DELICIOUS! My kids gobbled it up, and didn't even realize it was squash. I called it "Mexican Spaghetti" to appease their questioning stares. They fell for it. Ha. Give this recipe a try, you will NOT be disappointed.

You could probably even omit the beef, and just add more beans (kidney?! ooh ya!) for a vegetarian dish!

Southwest Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients

4 cups spaghetti squash, cooked & shredded

1 lb extra lean ground beef (I used elk meat! mmm!)

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (or more, for extra flavour)

1/2 cup refried beans (I just used a whole can!)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup salsa

3/4 cup light mozzarella/cheddar cheese mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9 X 13 oven safe dish with cooking spray. 

Take cooked spaghetti squash and layer it in the bottom of prepared dish. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the beef, onions, garlic, and Taco seasoning until beef is no longer pink. Stir in the refried beans until well mixed in. Stir in the black beans. Cook and stir another minute and then remove from heat.

Layer the beef mixture over the squash.

Spoon the salsa over the top of the beef and use a spoon to spread it evenly over the casserole.

Bake at 350 for approximately 30 - 40 minutes; until bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese.

Bake another 10 or so minutes - until cheese is melty and casserole is very bubbly.

Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy tomato spinach pasta

This is a random recipe I tried that is really yummy. Its great for when you don't have time to defrost meat and was really quick to throw together. Sorry there is no picture, Im not that tech savvy :)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 15oz can diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 lb bowtie or penne pasta
1 1/2 cups of fresh spinach (I left this out and just did a spinach salad on the side)
*I also added a cup or so of sliced mushrooms

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Add olive oil, minced garlic and diced onion (and mushrooms if desired) to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for a few minutes, until softened and transparent. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil,  red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and water and stir well. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and add them to the skillet, whisking them into the sauce until melted. Add the Parmesan and whisk until melted in. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir into the sauces until it has wilted. Add the pasta and stir until well coated in the sauce. Serve warm.

Healthy whole wheat oatmeal pancakes

I found this recipe on pinterest because I had some greek yogurt to use up and they were dang good. Most of the time whole wheat pancakes are dense and gross but these were light and fluffy and the kids gobbled them up. If you have hungry kids I would suggest doubling the recipe, we were all fighting over the last ones. It made about 12 small pancakes for me. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (123g) whole wheat flour (or white whole-wheat)
• 1/2 cup (40g) quick oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1 cup (240ml) milk*
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar (or light brown)
• 1/4 cup (63g) Greek yogurt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips or fruit, optional

Directions:

Toss the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Whisk in the brown sugar and yogurt until no lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla until combined.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or your pancakes will be tough and very dense. Add any mix-ins you prefer, but again - do not overmix the batter.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with cooking spray, oil, or butter.  Once hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the center or sides, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet again with nonstick spray for each pancake or batch of pancakes.

Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200F degree oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately. Pancakes taste best right after they are made. Pancakes freeze well, up to 2 months.