Cheesy Beef Sliders

Juicy cheeseburgers are the perfect quick dinner and sliders are even faster. Perfect kid food. Perfect weekend sit around the tv cheering on some basketball playoff games. Perfect hurry home from school and sports practice, do your homework and off to church or other weeknight activities and not be late. 

These little cheesy beefy gems are also healthy. You know how I am always trying to make things a bit healthier.... these are packed with nutrients. AND even better the "healthiness" is impossible to detect. This scores high with me and the somewhat picky little smiles in my house. 

This recipe comes from the book the sneaky chef to the rescue. It rightfully boasts that it contains 101 recipes and sneaky tricks for creating healthy meals that kids will love. So far I have tried 2 recipes and both times my oldest CLEARED his plate, AND both times he was eating a vegetable I know he hates with a passion - but had no clue. Seriously amazing. So until his taste buds mature a little bit because truthfully some veggies are unfortunately an acquired taste and have a bitter edge for kids' sweeter taste buds... this little trick will be up my sleeve. This author knows her stuff... here is my adaption of her slider recipe: 

 Cheesy Beef Sliders

Makes at least 12 slider burgers 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of green puree (see recipe below)

1 Tb ketchup

1/4 cup of wheat germ

 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional - I put it in everything)  
1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 lb lean ground beef 

12 soft whole wheat dinner rolls

your favorite cheese, sliced - only need 1/2 slice per slider

optional garnishes - lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard, mayo, avocado, more ketchup, ect...

Directions (the easy part): 

1. Mix the first 6 things together in a large bowl. 

2. Grab a large plate and start forming the 12 patties as you can see I didn't grab a large enough plate lol. 

3. Pan fry with a little non cooking spray or olive oil the burgers or grill them inside or outside for about 2-3 minutes each side over medium heat. They are small. I did them inside in a pan and was able to do 5 or 6 at a time. 

4. While the sliders are cooking cut your cheese, slice the garnishes and heat the dinner rolls

5. Serve warm topped with the cheese. Goes really well with watermelon, crunchy veggies and dip, or even a frozen vegetable heated on the stove since no one will be able to tell that there are veggies in their burgers. 

The green puree

So the magic of this burger is the healthy green puree that you are thoroughly mixing into the meat. This is a green 3 vegetable mixture that you are blending together until its so super smooth. The brilliant thing about this, is that if you do have picky kiddos like me, you can make this puree ahead of time. It keeps really well in the fridge and the freezer. Thus you can make sure they don't see you, using the vegetables they think they don't like. See that. Think of these kids and perhaps husbands as overthinking it. We eat with our minds and our eyes first its a survival thing... but in this case its a disservice to getting some cancer fighting, cold butt kicking, energy delivering nutrients that they need to fuel their daily activities. Its good for you too. Us moms need a bit of help from our food too. Trust me if I could live on just coffee I would but yeah it hasn't worked yet. 

So try this:

Steam 2 cups fresh broccoli until tender takes about 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes add in 1 cup of peas. 

Add the broccoli and peas to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbs of water and 2 cups of fresh baby spinach. Blend on high. Occasionally stop and stir if needed and if necessary use 1-2 Tbs of water.

My Notes:

I used leftover broccoli from the night before to save time. I just planned it that way. Since leftovers are given the evil eye and not one of my kids or husband enjoys leftover veggies it was brilliant. I used regular spinach because thats what I had in my fridge. Whatever you have totally works. I used 2 cups of peas instead of 1. The amount of water is an estimation. Start with 3 Tbs of water in your blender with the veggies and add 1-2 Tbs at a time until your blender has gotten it so smooth there are no chunks at all. Should be absolutely smooth. This puree felt much easier to make than I thought it would be. I have used it for 2 meals so far and figure I can get 2 more out of it. Nice. 

BEST. EVER. Pork & Squash Curry Skillet

Sweet nutty butternut squash meets tender pork chunks in a slightly spicy light coconut flavored sauce. The cilantro and lime just puts it over the top. You have to make this... serve it with easy plain white rice, nutty brown rice, or naan or flatbread or all of them.

Fall is practically here. Yay! Summer is my least fav season here in southern az. Fall makes my family happy. I am not chasing them down with sunscreen nor stalking them with water bottles/sippy cups to keep them dehydrated. Skillets and one pan means are the thing right now... which totally makes sense. Fall is busy. Sports. Football. School. Football. School events. Monday night football on tv. Lol yeah we do a lot of football in our house. So in honor of fall, and the busyness that seems to accompany it every. single. year. heres a super tasty super easy one pot skillet dinner. 

Ya literally dump food into a single deep pan, stir, season, dump a few more things in, and let it cook and tah dahhh you're done. Super easy prep. Super easy ingredient list. Super delicious... and ahem if you end up with leftovers no guarantees you will but just incase it does reheat really well.  

Please note: This dish needs a bit of resting time at the end to get that sauce into that thick luscious stunning flavor bomb so it is a great make ahead dish or weekend dish when you have some extra time. Most women I know don't have an hr and half for dinner on a weekday so that's the only ity bity drawback. 

Recipe comes from a fun cookbook titled One Pot One Bowl by Kim McCosker. 

Serves 4 adults when occupied with a couple scoops of rice 

Ingredient list:

1 pound of boneless pork loin cubed (I bought a big one on sale and just had the butcher at the grocery meat counter cut off approx a pound and I threw the remaining meat in the freezer for another meal later) 

2 Tbs green mild curry paste
1 can (about 13 oz) of lite coconut milk 

1 smaller butternut squash cut and cubed - about 3 cups slightly larger than bite sized. The cubes should be the same size as the meat so it cooks evenly.

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1-2 tsp of oil (optional) 
cilantro (optional but tastes amazing)
1 lime cut into wedges (1/4 of lime per person) really adds important balance and brightness

Easy 3 Step Directions  (yeah its that easy)

1. Brown the pork, move it around until you see some color - color = more flavors and textures. I had to use 1 tsp of oil to get it started but this is not necessary. Pork should be about half way cooked. 

2. Add in curry paste and bring it to a boil. Cook for another 3-5 minutes

3. Add in everything else and cook for 35 minutes over medium or medium low heat. It looks like too much liquid but its okay. When you finish pork should be completely cooked through. and squash should be fork tender still in chunks. Taste it now, carefully, its hot and add salt and pepper to your liking. 

Then its done.... Now the sauce is thin when you finish but when it cools it thickens up which is what you want. So I highly highly recommend you making this an 45 minutes or more in advance and throw it in the fridge so it has time to cool down. After 30 minutes of letting mine rest in the fridge, the serving bowl I had put mine in was chilled, but the food was still warm so I just served it as it - not reheating it but if you need to reheat it go ahead should only take a few minutes. I had hungry kiddos so I served mine then but towards the end of the meal I noticed that the sauce thickened up even more, making me wish i had waited a few more minutes. Empty bowls all around though... 

Garnish with lime and cilantro if using

Eat and enjoy! 
Stephanie

Zucchini Hamburger Helper (from scratch)

Howdy. Its hot today. It was hot yesterday. Heating up the kitchen is not something I am fond of in the hot southern Az summer so this 20 minute family favorite is the top of my "go to" summer dinner list. Its healthy, easily flexible use whatever milk product you have, whatever cheese you want, any sort of ground meat, and it always comes out amazingly flavorful and kid friendly. Plus it helps my very sweet husband retain some of his childhood memories of eating the kind from the box because I am not buying the box stuff. 

I heart zucchini. Its my healthy favorite vegetable. Whenever I want to make something healthier I add in zucchini. In the summer, this lovable green vegetable are huge, yummy,  and super cheap. I changed this recipe up from the original by adding in zucchini, more pasta, more cheese, and switching to a whole grain pasta. Check out these meaty and cheesy pics and the recipe below for a great meal.  

Zucchini Hamburger Helper (from Scratch)

Serves 4-5 
Adapted from this really great blog: Farmgirl Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I used 85%) but ground turkey works well too
1 large zucchini or about 2 cups worth, diced into small sized cubes (for kids and husbands)
2 1/2 cups of milk (I used 2%)
2 1/2 cups of hot water
3 cups of whole grain elbow pasta
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1/4 tsp or a pinch of red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (seriously any kind of great melting cheese is good)

How to make it: 

1. In a deep pan with a lid, start cooking the meat over medium heat. Add a little oil or butter if you need it. 
2. When the meat is almost cooked all the way through add in the zucchini and sauté for a couple minutes breaking up the larger pieces of meat as you go. 
3. When the meat is caramelized and cooked all the way through and the zucchini has a bit of color on it, add in everything else except the cheese. Stir so the spices get evenly distributed.   
4. Bring the pan and contents to a boil, then reduce to the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. t will look super soupy like you added too much liquids but don't worry. It will thicken. Mine was good at 11 minutes. 

Hint: Pasta can be tested to see if its done two ways. You can taste it. Or you can break or cut it open and if there is no white on the inside then it is cooked. 

5. Turn the heat off on the pan when the pasta is cooked to your liking. Stir in the huge mound of yummy cheese and as soon as its melted about 37 seconds later. Serve it up and enjoy! 

Veggie Sausage Rice Skillet

Yeah it has been awhile since I have posted new content. BUT. After 7+ long months of being absent from new recipes, I had to share this one. This one saved my evening. I made this easy skillet one pot (sort of) thing for dinner tonight, and the result was like a locust swarm descended upon my kitchen table. Usually that means:

a) I should make this again, 

b) it tastes good, 

c) my two little guys are in the middle of a growth spurt, 

d) all of the above.... 

(ding) the correct answer is D

So I have two growing boys, and a husband who doesn't really care for sandwiches. He says they aren't really filling. yada. yada. yada. Then of course it has to be somewhat toddler-friendly. Sometimes cutting things very small works for him. Sometimes it fails in a really bad... wait for it.... let-me-throw-food-at-you-and-all-over-floor... type of way. Hello parenting. Then he cries because he's hungry and I just give in to whatever he'll keep down like crackers and cheese. 

P.S. If you are wondering...I have been making my top 5 of my favorites over and over again. Repetition is one of the keys I found to surviving having a newborn and teething not sleeping adorable baby. Here are some links to my favorites. You def should try these. 

Balsamic Shredded Beef, 

Black Refried Beans (from scratch),

Quick Zucchini Asian Beef Bowl , 

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chip Oat Muffins, 

and 

Cheesy hot easy chicken bacon subs. 

After all that.... here's that previously mentioned lifesaver recipe. Super easy to follow. Super easy to make. Tons of healthy veg cleverly hid under a ton of cheese. Great for kids and tired parents :) Enjoy.

Veggie Sausage Rice Skillet 

Serves 4-6  Total time 20-25 minutes

recipe adapted from hillshire farm magazine advertisement

Ingredients: 

1/2 red pepper, diced small

1/2 onion, diced small

small can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1 zucchini, diced small

2 and half - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pkg of frozen broccoli, defrosted or not (if you forget)

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 & 1/2 pkg of beef smoked sausage, diagonally sliced

3 cups of white or brown rice cooked

Easy Directions with matching pictures: 

1. Heat the olive oil and lay sliced sausage down in a deep skillet. Over medium heat brown the sausage. If all the sausage doesn't fit no worries just push it to the side when you see color to make room for the rest. After one side is browned on most of them continue with step 2.

2. Lower the heat just a little and add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir often. 

3. Add in the red pepper. 

4. Add in the onion. 

5. Add in the defrosted broccoli

6. Sauté all the veggies together for approx 10 minutes until veggies are tender crisp. 

7. Add in the tomato sauce, seasonings, and water. Stir again. 

8. Add in the cooked rice. Stir really really good. 

Note: If you don't have any leftover rice. Just start some white rice on the stove when you start the recipe and it will be done in time to add it here. Or cheat and use the microwave stuff. I think I have heard some good things nowadays about brown rice.

9. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire skillet and serve it when the cheese is melted.   

That's all folks

Take it easy

Ginger Orange Chicken & Brown Rice

Hi there. 

I got a sweet, zesty, and easy Asian inspired dinner for you to try. Easy as in 10-20 minutes! Serious. Quicker than pizza delivery and much healthier too :) 

This is a recipe from an old cookbook but picture just looked too good to pass up. I love cookbooks with pictures. Do you? I have passed on buying perfectly good cookbooks that didn't have many pictures. I totally eat with my eyes first. 

The recipe turned out great! The thick sweet tangy slightly zippy sauce was perfect on the nutty brown rice and moist lean chicken. I think this would go great with pork or chicken. 

The original recipe was easy to follow and and I was immediately impressed of the short list of ingredients. Short list = easy on the wallet :) Short list also means, in most cases, an easier recipe. The only change I made was more than doubling the fresh ginger. To me, the orange flavor was too sweet, and it needed more zest to balance it out. The thick almost sticky orange sauce kept the lean chicken breast halves really moist and delicious. You could totally make the sauce ahead of time, but it came together within 5 minutes, so it didn't feel like a chore. I chose nutty brown rice to complement the tang of the oj and again balance some of that sweet flavor from the juice. Plus, it used up leftover brown rice I already had in the fridge. So with my leftover rice, put a quick cook on a frozen vegetable, and the entire meal came together in 10 minutes. LOVE! Even though I love cooking, when my husband is working late, and I am home with the kids at dinner time, I love anything that's healthy and fast. This was a huge win for me. 

Totally going to make this again adding in some sautéed or steamed broccoli and maybe some toasted almond slivers or sesame seeds, and egg rolls for a complete Asian style family meal (and hopefully get some better pictures using my camera and not cell phone). I hope you like it too. :) 

Ginger Orange Chicken & Brown Rice

recipe adapted from: Robin Miller's cookbook, Robin to the Rescue

Serves 2 but easily doubled (enough sauce for 3 or 4) 

Ingredients:
Salt 
Pepper
1 tsp oil ( I used veg oil but the original recipe calls for toasted sesame oil) 
2 chicken breast halves
optional: toasted sesame seeds (I didn't use them but wished I did for some crunch)
1 cup oj
2 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce (I used organic)
1 Tbs brown sugar (I will halve this next time - sauce was really sweet)
1 Tbs corn starch
1 Tbs finely grated fresh ginger (I used organic from the produce section)

Helpful hint: If you buy a knob of ginger, peel it with the back of a spoon, and then throw it in a freezer bag for an hr and its much easier to grate. You don't even need to defrost it. Keep the remaining chunk in the freezer and it won't go bad for months!


Directions:
1. Cook your brown rice. I used a 2 to 1 ratio on my mine. 1 cup of rice for 2 cups of water. Takes about 45 minutes and i put about 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In the place of water I used homemade chicken stock. But water works well too. I have done it both ways.

2. When the rice is more than half way finished start everything else. Salt and pepper your chicken breast halves on both sides about a pinch of each. I used one chicken breast and just butterflied it, pounded it even, and sliced it into two separate pieces. Pan fry them in a skillet with tsp of any kind of oil for about 3-4 minutes each side over medium heat. For thicker pieces of chicken, not pounded thin, you'll need to add an additional minute but no more than that.  

3. While chicken is cooking, start your sauce in a small pot. Combine soy sauce, juice, sugar, corn starch and ginger with a whisk. Bring it to a boil and then turn it to low until everything else is ready. Sauce should thicken in about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

3. When chicken is almost cooked through, pour the sauce into the skillet right over the top of the chicken and everything. Turn the chicken over in the sauce once to coat and finish cooking in the flavorful sauce.  I pulled my son's chicken out of the pan at that point, and sliced it and carefully set it back into the sauce to soak up some of that great flavor and to stay moist. Let the chicken finish cooking in the sauce for about a minute or two. 

4. When rice is cooked. Serve up the chicken and ginger orange sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. 

Enjoy this quick family meal
from my Az Kitchen

BBQ Cheese Stuffed Bacon Burgers

I heart summer bbq food. My last few burger recipes have focused on being light, tasty, and healthy. I have put avocado in burgers, zucchini, and even broccoli rabe. Now here is a burger all about decadence, indulgence, and tantalizing flavors. 

Lets start with some crisp crunchy bacon that tops a mouthwatering juicy bbq-ed beef burger stuffed with cheese. To make it extra indulgent we aren't using any regular common cheese, but super creamy, smooth, decadent brie that oozes out so beautifully as you bite in a few bites towards the center. This will completely impress anyone you know AND is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. That is what I call a win win. 

BBQ Cheese Stuffed Bacon Burgers

Serves 4 
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray magazine. 

Ingredients:
4 Slices of thick bacon
1 lb lean ground beef
3-4 oz brie cut into 4 pieces
Veg oil
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns
Optional toppings: Tomato, lettuce or kale, ketchup, mustard, mayo, ect.

Directions:
1. If cooking everything outside, preheat your grill with one part being low heat and the other medium heat. 
2. Grill the bacon over low heat, use lid or cover, turn the bacon over halfway through, until crisp approx 10 minutes. *
3. Divide the beef into 4 burger patties and insert each chunk of brie into the center each burger.
4. Give each burger a brush of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
5. Grill/bbq each burger, oil side down to start, over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Turn once. 
6. Toast the hamburger buns over low heat. 
7. Assemble burgers with bacon and any additional toppings you prefer. 

*Side note: Its 107 degrees at my house so I did the bacon inside in my oven where I could relax in the air conditioning. But if the sun is not scorching your feel free to cook everything outside on the grill. 

Enjoy another great burger recipe
From my Az Kitchen
Stephanie

How to add a new vegetable to your life - Italian BBQ Sausage Patty Melt with Broccoli Rabe

Summer to me means bbq. Yes I think in terms of pictures and or food. Its a gift or a curse depending on how far I am away from the kitchen. So as the smell of the bbq fills the weekend air, its the perfect time for a cheeseburger. But...summer also has that conflict between eating lots of grilled foods and still being able to look good in a pair of shorts. Its over 105 degrees at my house... shorts and t-shirts are a must. So let me show you an easy way to add a new veggie into your life with a cheeseburger instead of a salad.

Who doesn't love a good cheeseburger? 

Cheeseburgers are familiar, easy to bbq, great for company and kids. Lets imagine what if our juicy everyday cheeseburger met up with a cheesy patty melt, went on vacation to Italy, and had a burger baby.... that would be the perfect place to put a new vegetable. Not crazy but had two cups of coffee and was up twice with a baby - not exactly running on a ton of sleep but stick with me. I promise real good eats... Think about all those great Italian flavors: onion, garlic, paprika, provolone cheese wrapped up between two of your favorite hamburger buns or lettuce leaves*. 

*P.S. Lettuce wraps in the place of a bun wouldn't work here without some major modifications but if you grilled some romaine it could work and you really could get that great summer bbq smokiness. Just grill the lettuce separately from the meat and the cheese and skip the patty melt part.

What new vegetable are we talking about here? 

This week my family had broccoli rabe for the first time. This veggie may be old hat for those well versed in the produce department but I was pretty excited. I was even more excited when my family ate it without even blinking an eye - maybe the super melted cheese and yummy Italian cheeses and meat helped. I didn't even have to ask the people at the store to help me find it because I googled pictures of it on the way there! Yeah some people google people, I google food. I know I am a little obsessed.  

You should try this this new to me veggie because it is fun and tastes great. Broccoli rabe is a leafy veggie with little tiny broccoli crowns about the size of a small bouncy ball or a 3d quarter hidden around the leaves. It does taste similar broccoli thus its name. But a milder broccoli taste with a sassy surprising edge that reminded me of the difference between parsnips and carrots. It is loaded with nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins A, B-6, B-12, C, iron, calcium, and magnesium. So skip the multi-vitamin and try a burger recipe and a new vegetable into your diet. 

I found this patty melt recipe in an old Rachael Ray cooking magazine 3 years ago. Like most Rachael Ray recipes it has a long list of ingredients. While I am sure this Italian beaut is worth all the effort, I have a sick little guy, and a household to run, so I simplified it, creating a fun twist with a bbq that uses less ingredients, less time, and less dishes than the original recipe. This amazing burger creation, my really really good Italian bbq Sausage Patty Melt with broccoli rabe took less than 25 minutes. Your taste buds will love it, and your body will love another dose of healthy. 

Who says comfort food can't be healthy? Lets slice up some watermelon, grill up or boil some corn on the cob, and lets get this summer weekend food started! 

Italian BBQ Sausage Melt with Broccoli Rabe

Recipe adapted from: Rachael Ray Magazine 

Serves 3 adults

Ingredients

2 handfuls of Broccoli Rabe

1 lb of sweet Italian ground sausage

1/3 cup of grated good quality parmesan cheese

softened butter (for spreading on bread)

6 slices of provolone cheese 

6 slices of thick bread like texas toast 

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and drop in the leaf parts of the broccoli rabe

2. Sprinkle it with salt and cook for approx 3 minutes over medium heat

3. Drain thoroughly, you don't want wet cheeseburgers, and set aside to cool. It will look similar to cooked spinach. 

4. While the cooked veggie is cooling, in a bowl, mix together the meat, cheese, another sprinkle of salt, pepper, and start preheating your grill. 

5. Going back to the vegetable, use your fingers to pull any tough stem pieces out of the cooked green mass of broccoli rabe and chop up the rest. 

6. Add the cooled veggie to the meat mixture and form into 3 large patties. 

7. Grill the patties until they are done. I used a combo of high heat to get a great crust and then lowered it to finish off the burger with less direct heat. Do not flip them more than once. Remember this is sausage and not beef and it is safer to cook pork all the way through. As of 2011 there are new USDA guidelines for pork cooking temperature to help keep it juicy and not cardboard - you can pull it off once it hits 145 as long as you do a 3 minute rest period so it can continue cooking a bit more off the heat. You can read about that here. I prefer to stick with what I know and thats 155-160 but thats just me. 

(I did this last steps inside my house on a cast iron grill pan. My little guy was fussing and I wanted to hold him while my hubby helped.) 

8. Lets build the patty melt! On a grill pan or flat plan make the patty melt part. Heat the pan. Butter one side of 3 pieces of bread. Put the butter side down on the pan. Put one piece of cheese down on each slice of bread. Put one cooked Italian sausage burger patty on each slice of cheese. Top the meat with another slice of cheese and the remaining bread. Carefully spread a bit more butter on the top slice of bread. 

9. Grill until the cheese is melted on the bottom and the bottom bread is golden and toasted. Carefully flip. I had to hand my little fussy one to my husband for this part, because it called for two hands. I tried it with one and the bread tore and I had to redo one sandwich. So don't be like me. Use two hands, a good spatula, and go slowly. 

10. Once all the cheese is melted, and the bread is toasted and wonderful, you are done. And since you are trying a new veggie you don't have to worry about making sure you family gets another veggie on their plate. If they do its just another bonus. Summer is a great time to add crunchy cold veggies with or without dip to any burger meal. 

Golden, creamy, crunchy, meaty, and huge - this Italian BBQ Sausage Patty Melt with Broccoli Rabe will make your taste buds feel like that they have visited Italy. Enjoy. 

From my Az Kitchen to yours,

Stephanie

One Pot Lasagna

So being real here.... my little one is sick with an ear infection and a cold, had multiple doctors appointments recently, and gotten a helmet to help with his head shape. He's hot, uncomfortable, doesn't feel well and thus not sleeping through the night, which means I am exhausted. I need a break bad. But life doesn't stop when we are tired. Right? So as I work on a thankful attitude, I have been taking a few short cuts whenever possible... Short cuts in the kitchen can be disastrous but this was delicious. Let me tell you about the most delicious short cut you'll find all year. 

It starts with crisp bacon, handfuls of super melted, creamy and mild mozzarella cheese, and salty parmesan cheese. There are great summer veggies throughout to give it a nice sweet fragrant smell, and some nutrients to make this easy lasagna dish a tiny bit lighter. With three kinds of meat, and three kinds of cheese, all cooked in one pot, this is one decadent comfort meal you don't want to miss. I can't wait to make it again! 

This meal wasn't just good for a "one pot meal". It was the best lasagna meal I have had since I was a kid and my mom was making it. My mom has the record for a lot of dishes - she is an amazing cook that lives entirely too far away. hint hint hint. But back to this lasagna..... And yes it is truly a one pot meal, you don't have to brown the meat in a pan and then dump it into something else. I have ran across those meals before where it says its a one pot meal but you end up using another pan or blender or something else. Trust me with a sick baby near by crying for attention, food, and loves at all hours of the day and night I wouldn't mess around with anything complicated right now..... even if someone was just tempting me with a homemade pickle recipe. 

I may never layer lasagna ever again 

Without depriving you any longer of the most delicious lasagna, and before my little teething cutie wakes up, here is the recipe: 

One Pot Lasagna

Serves 4-6 people

adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

4 slices of thick bacon, cut into pieces
2 shallots, minced 
3 carrots minced
1 medium zucchini, small diced
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper
4 oz of cream cheese
half of a package of lasagna noodles (I used 6)
6 oz of shredded mozzarella 
1 jar of good quality tomato basil pasta sauce (I happily found one without added sugar)
parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees
2. In a oven proof skillet, I used my trusty dutch oven, cook the bacon until its crispy. 
3. Then add in the carrots, shallot, and zucchini. Saute them for 5 minutes until soft. 
4. Add in the meat in the same pot and fully cook everything together. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
5. Once the meat is cooked drain off half of the grease. I had 1-2 Tbs I drained off. This is important since it will make the sauce greasy. 
6. Add in the tomato sauce and water. Use a spatula to scrape some of the yummy meat bits that may have gotten stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes so its barely bubbling and getting thick. 
7. Break the lasagna noodles into 3 or 4 pieces and stir them into the meat sauce so they are completely covered. Lay them flat if possible. 
8. Use a spoon to lift up and tuck some of the noodles and sauce to drop small handfuls of mozzarella cheese underneath. To create a layering effect. Cover the top of everything with the remaining cheese. 

9. Bake for 25 minutes. 
10. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes and then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese 
11. Eat and enjoy!

Juiciest (Zucchini) Cheeseburgers Ever

The sun is out, the baseball game is on, my family is home, and burgers are on the grill. Perfection my friend, let me take a moment to tell you about these amazing burgers. You have to try them! They are loaded with flavor and a surprise. What surprise? You ask. A vegetable, I reply. You know me. I am always looking for a better, healthier way to eat something I love. If I can figure out how to get double the amount of veggies into pizza and burgers - that means I get to eat them more often. Heck yeah. See its not really a mom thing, its a I-love-pizza-and-cheeseburgers-thing. Super scientific. 

I know everyone isn't vegetable-centric like me (even adding zucchini and carrots into chocolate chip cookies - truth), but by adding this mild tasting vegetable, once cooked you can't tell its there, AND gives the lean meat some much need moisture - you'll end up with the juiciest burgers in the world! 

My cheeseburger with sliced juicy tomatoes, fresh crunchy spinach, lots of mayo and mustard 

So I have this thing with eating rare ground beef. Its not the trendy or even what is happening on tv with cooking shows. But I just can't. Steak is another subject entirely. So in my house I always cook ground meat well or well done. It seems safer to me. So that being said, sometimes we ummm have some pretty dry burgers. I hate admitting to real life stuff like this but I can picture how many times ketchup is poured onto burgers to help make them juicier. Sigh. But, alas, this burger I made tonight needed no such help. And yes it was cooked well done. Zucchini is the star secret vegetable that no one will be able to guess, but will make even a well done burger seem like a million bucks. 

Other reasons to make this burger include the idea that you get 5 huge burgers from only 1 lb of meat, which should save $, it will save you some calories, and increase your intake of vitamin c, vitamin a, calcium, vitamin b-6, iron, fiber, and magnesium - all things found in zucchini. Sounds tastier than that mineral-y tasting multi vitamin.... So so make it already. 

Juiciest (Zucchini) Cheeseburgers Ever

Recipe adapted from: Skinny Taste

Makes 5 Burgers 9 (4-5 oz each)

Prep time + cook time : 10 minutes

Ingredients: 

1 zucchini grated on a fine grater into a clean kitchen towel 
(so you can wring out the water)

1 lb lean ground beef (also good with ground turkey)

1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp ground garlic

1 Tbs red onion also grated on a fine grater

5 slices of cheese, I used colby jack - but use your favorite

5 whole wheat buns

Additional condiments: ketchup, mustard, lettuce, fresh spinach, sliced tomato......

Olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix everything together in a mixing bowl

2. Form 5 patties

3. I put a few drops of olive oil on the formed patties to help them not stick on the grill/bbq

4. Cook them for approx 7 minutes over medium. 

5 Once you flip them once put the cheese on top to give it time to melt. 

6. Put the buns on the grill soon after that to toast them up. 

Serve with watermelon, chips, potato salad, corn on the cob or any 

other summer time favorites

From my delicious Az bbq to yours!