Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

    I had never made homemade scalloped potatoes, and I figured that if I loved the boxed kind, then I'd be a huge fan of them made from scratch.

Turns out my theory was right...

It's just a great, classic comfort food, with a simple but delicious cheesy flavor and tender potatoes. It went really well with our Easter ham, too :)

        The most time consuming part of this was cutting the potatoes thin, but if you have a mandolin to cut them it will save you a lot of time. Either way, I promise you it's still worth it! 

      After that it's just making a cheese sauce, layering the potatoes with the cheese and baking. 

     I looked through a lot of recipes and used my judgement to combine all of them to make what I thought would be the best recipe. I'm not sure how it could get better than this.... Maybe if I used more expensive, fancy cheese but no college kid's got time or money for that! It's comfort food, it's not meant to break your bank :) 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8" thin

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1tsp

2 cups milk (whole milk for creamier texture)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dash cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + more to top

Directions: 

- In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

- Whisk cornstarch with a tbsp of the milk and whisk into butter

- Add the rest of the milk and stir

- Add in seasonings and stir, cooking on low until smooth and boiling slightly

- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in cheese until just melted

- Place a layer of potatoes in casserole dish and top with cheese mixture, and repeat this until its all gone then top with extra cheddar

- Wrap in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 55-60 minutes

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bites

       THESE WERE SO GOOD. I ate too many to say in public and it was very much worth it. They're creamy, dense little sweet carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting mixed right in. And I used ginger snaps as the crust.....(gluten free ones to boot - genius)

      I ate plenty of these before crushing them for the crust, and they were so good! And only 130 calories for 5 cookies which I thought was a pretty good deal. They weren't the cheapest things in the world, but it being a special occasion I wasn't too concerned about price.

     Last year I made Hummingbird Cake which kind of like the most delicious cross breed of banana bread and carrot cake I've ever tasted in my life..... But, being gluten free now, I wanted to avoid buying gluten free flours and making a cake, so I decided to fall back on one of my favorites. I figured it would be easy to find a gluten free graham cracker or cookie for the crust and the rest was naturally gluten free. (Again, thank God I found these ginger snaps!)


     I had an idea to make a carrot cake cheesecake, and I knew there had to be a trusted recipe out there. I'm super pumped I found the one I used, and I followed it directly except for using ginger snaps as the crust, so click the link below to check it out!

I recommend the ginger snap crust, even if you aren't gluten free :)
Also, I don't suggest baking the crust before baking the cheesecake. It wasn't necessary for me and actually the edges ending up nearly burning!

Here's the link!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bites

Chipotle Chicken Pizza

     Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on pizza. I have no idea why I haven't heard of this recipe yet, or why I hadn't thought of it myself already.... it's awesome.

     The chipotle peppers and adobo sauce have such a wonderful, spicy flavor that's pretty unique. It's a great way to change up the usual buffalo chicken pizza, and try something new. I promise you won't be disappointed!

       If you are gluten free, be careful of what kind of can of peppers you get, because some of them have wheat in them (why? I don't know... how frustrating!) Some brands that are listed to be gluten free are La Costena, Goya, Art of Chipotle, Roland and Empacadora San Marcos.

      Once again, I recommend the gluten free Portland Pie dough, or I have also used an Udi's precooked crust that is really really good!

(The dough in the pictures is not gluten free, sadly. I made it for my boyfriend and that's all he had!)

The recipe is very basic, and any alterations to your taste are recommended! The main point is that chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on pizza is delicious! So try it out next time you're making one :)



Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (gluten free if necessary)
1 small chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
4 chipotle chilis and 2 tbsp of adobo sauce from can, divided
3 tbsp pizza sauce (or 1-2 tbsp olive oil & garlic for "white" pizza)
Handfull chopped onion
Handful chopped bell pepper (optional)
Any other veggies you want!
1 cup mozzarella cheese
garlic powder and parmesan cheese to serve

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450
- Heat a tbsp of olive oil in pan over medium heat. Cook chicken with chopped chilies, 1 tbsp adobo sauce, onion, bell pepper and/or any other veggies you're using.
- Cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink
- Stretch dough onto prepared pan and top with pizza sauce or oil/garlic and remaining tbsp adobo sauce
- Top with majority of the cheese, then the chicken mixture, then remaining cheese
- Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden

Curry in a Hurry

    I've made this three times since the first time I made it. It is delicious, healthy and naturally gluten free.... not to mention it is super quick. There's not much more I can ask for!

Just for fun, I thought I'd share with you where the magic happens....

Glamorous, right?!

Well inside that pot is delicious curry flavors simmering and that's all that really matters. All you need to do is cook some chicken with onions and spices, add in canned tomatoes and chickpeas, a little sour cream and viola!

Behold the glorious final product:

(One day I will have a better camera to do these meals justice...)


This dish will definitely remain a staple in my weekly/monthly recipes. It is just so simple, but deliciously flavorful and it's easy to change the ingredients to whatever you have on hand.

Too bad I don't have any more leftovers, this is making me hungry!!

You can add extra cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to add extra heat if that's what you're in the mood for!

Serve it with rice or quinoa, or just eat it by itself! That's why I do, and it is plenty satisfying :)




Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 large onion, sliced
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp + 1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp + 1 tsp garam masala
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
- Heat oil in pot over medium high heat. Add in chicken, garlic and onions and season with curry and garam masala
- Cook, stirring, until chicken is nearly fully cooked, about 5 minutes
- Add in remaining ingredients, simmer for about a minute then cover and cook for another 7-10 minutes
- Serve alone or with rice

Gluten Free, Low Carb "Lo Mein"

  My mom has been making this awesome healthy cabbage dish, and I really love it so I decided to make my own, quick college version. Instead of using fresh cut cabbage, I used cole slaw mix and I was extremely happy with how it came out. Because they are such fine shreds, they end up cooking sort of like crunchier noodles - hence the name "Gluten Free, Low Carb Lo Mein"

  The onions and peppers are nice and soft, but the cabbage brings a great crunch. It goes great as a side dish to any protein (add some chicken, pork or shrimp to the mix!) or its a great kind of salad for lunch.



Let's just say I cooked a nice big pan and it was gone within two days....


   It's a great substitute for fried rice or lo mein because it is just straight vegetables. There's nothing to weigh you down, but you won't feel any lack of substance or flavor. Plus the face that is it SO EASY makes this recipe something to keep in the back of your mind for busy days!


If you are not gluten free, add a tablespoon of hoisin sauce to the mixture. This is what my mom does and it adds some great flavor. You can look for a gluten free substitute, and also feel free to add any Asian flavored sauces to the recipe. Make it your own!




Gluten Free, Low Carb "Lo Mein"

Ingredients:
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 cups cole slaw mix
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
Red pepper flakes to taste - optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat oil in large pan over medium- high heat
- Add garlic and stir, then add in onion and pepper. Cook and stir until they've started to soften then add in slaw mix.
- Mix the veggies then add in soy sauce (hoisin sauce too for extra flavor if not gluten free) and red pepper flakes
- Cook until peppers and onions are soft, and cabbage will remain slightly crunchy.

Chili Pulled Pork Tacos w/ Mango Salsa

      I've decided the best way to spend a lazy Sunday is to get the crock pot going with a slow cooked meal and watch multiple episodes of Game of Thrones. It makes me pretty sad writing this, because it's Monday now so I actually have to be productive.

Can I go back in time to yesterday? Or fast forward to next weekend?


I actually just want more tacos.....

      The chipotle chili flavor of the pork goes great with the sweet and spicy kick of the mango salsa, and we all know guacamole just makes everything better. It was such a delicious meal! The 3+ pound pork butt was just about six dollars, and the mango and avocados were a little over a dollar each. It's a little more than I usually spend on a meal just because it was a bunch of different fresh ingredients, but it wasn't too bad and it was definitely worth it. Plus we've got plenty of leftovers!

     I love the type of meals that you make yourself, filling your plate (or taco shell) with whichever ratio of ingredients you prefer. It makes dinner a bit more fun, especially when it's so colorful and flavorful!
Plus the leftovers would make amazzzzzzing nachos.....

My plan is to make "build your own" type meals a theme for Sunday dinners now :)

       Though this meal was basically all homemade, it wasn't too time consuming. I stuck the pork in the crock pot around noon and pretty much forgot about it until around 6. I made the guacamole and salsa early in the day as well, so the flavors would set, and that took just about a half hour. (I also made a cole slaw, which was sooooo delicious, but it isn't completely necessary as an ingredient inside the taco, so I will post that recipe another time.)

       When dinner time came around, I grabbed everything out of the fridge and it was all set to go! I ate mine with hard shells because those were way easier to find gluten free, but I think soft shells would be best. Either way though, you can't go wrong! If you are gluten free, make sure the taco shells, worchestershire sauce and BBQ sauce are gluten free.

       To make the tacos, stack it all in a hard or shoft taco shell with a scoop of sour cream and some cheddar cheese if you'd like, and dinner is served!