Cheesy Drop Biscuits + Cider Variation

I've been on the hunt for a biscuit recipe that would be similar to Red Lobster biscuits. Have you had them? I mean, I haven't been to that restaurant in many years . . . but I still remember those amazing biscuits. They're far too salty. But the texture? Yeah, that's what I wanted to find.

Then I tried this recipe from Food & Wine.

Success!

Over time, I've tweaked it to meet my tastes and what we usually have in the pantry. I've added shredded cheese and even experimented with adding different flavors, as you'll see below. This biscuit recipe is a real winner and comes together fast.

CHEESY DROP BISCUITS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance or salted butter -- cold! 
• 3/4 cup soy, almond, or cow's milk*
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* I've used the same amount of water and even APPLE CIDER for extra flair. When I used the cider, I also used a special maple cheddar in place of regular cheddar cheese. The biscuits were so delicious -- sweet and savory.

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spritz a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, Parmesan, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Drop the tablespoons of butter into the dry ingredients and then mix with your hands until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add in the shredded cheese and pour in the milk. Mix until just combined (doesn't need to be uniform).
5. Drop dough in 1/4 cup amounts onto your baking sheet.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden.

ENJOY!

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Crock Pot French Onion Soup // Video

A recipe! Better yet, a slow cooker recipe! This is a soup that we make relatively frequently. You know, when we get sick of all the Pumpkin Chili and Miso Split Pea Soup. It’s really simple. Really satisfying. Really tasty. And picky kids will give it a try if you pretend the onions are noodles. I share this tip from my own experience -- it works!

Yum.

Would make a great Super Bowl dish, don’t you think? (And I'm not trying to be cute. I genuinely, positively have NO IDEA who is playing this year. Guess I should quickly figure out my team allegiance before the kickoff.)

Here’s a video, and there’s a brief recipe below with some notes on bread baking, etc.



BTW: I am going to do a whole review on my Aroma Rice Cooker (plus it's a steamer AND slow cooker -- all in one!). I love it. I LOVE IT.

CROCK POT FRENCH ONION SOUP

What you’ll need . . . 

• 3 large onions, cut into circles
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or butter (or some oil)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup Fre alcohol-removed champagne (or cooking wine, beer, etc.)
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method . . . 

1. Combine onions with Earth Balance, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook on high for one hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Then add in the flour and garlic powder. Let soak in a few minutes.
3. Add in the champagne, stock, salt, and pepper. Then cook for 6 hours on low. More if you have the time. (Note: I cooked mine between 4 and 6 hours on my Aroma cooker’s slow cook setting, which I assume is high -- worked really well).

My soup recipe is mostly riffed off Tyler Florence's French Onion Soup. Just lazier and vegan (yeah -- the soup itself is vegan, so you can try to top it with vegan cheese if you like!). Then all you need to do is make yourself some easy French Bread (I used THIS recipe), cut into smallish pieces, and plop it into the bowl.


Top everything with Swiss or Gruyere cheese.

Broil until browned and bubbly.


Enjoy!

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Kabocha + Cider Mac and Cheese

Our family loved this meal so much, I’m making it for dinner yet again tonight. This was my first time cooking with kabocha squash. I picked up one several weeks ago and it had just been taunting me on the kitchen shelf. The flavor pairs wonderfully with the sweet apple cider.

Yes. That’s apple cider in mac and cheese. I got the idea because we were nearly out of almond milk. And you know what? It was really delicious. Something new and admittedly a little crazy. Like my purple hair, I suppose. As I note below, you can also skip this somewhat strange addition and use all milk or a standard mac and cheese experience, veggie-fied.

Never tried kabocha squash? The best I can describe is that the taste and texture remind me of sweet potato.

KABOCHA + CIDER MAC AND CHEESE

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 package noodles*
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup kabocha squash puree**
• 2/3 cup almond milk, milk, or other substitute
• 1/3 cup apple cider***
• 1 to 2 tablespoons flour
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and monteray jack)
• Pinch salt, pepper, and paprika
• Bread crumbs

* I used these quinoa elbows from Ancient Harvest.
** You’ll need to roast your kabocha squash, scoop out the flesh, and then puree it with a bit of water. Or sub canned pumpkin or other squash puree to your liking.
*** Not adventurous? It’s OK. You can use all milk. The apple cider tastes really fun, though!

Method . . .

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch baking dish and set aside.
• Cook your noodles to the package’s directions for al dente. You want them done but not mushy.
• While they are draining, melt your Earth Balance (or butter, etc.) in your cooking pot. Then whisk in some flour and cook for a minute or so. Whisk in your milk and apple cider until uniform. Then add the puree.
• Once that’s all smooth, start to whisk in the cheese. Keep stirring over low to medium heat until fully blended. Season with the salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
• Fold in the noodles with a spatula. Then pour into your baking pan and top with bread crumbs.
• Bake for 30 minutes -- uncovered -- until golden brown.
• Serve with sriracha!

Enjoy!

// RELATED RECIPES

Curried Mac + Cheese with Delicata Squash
Spinach Mac + Cheese
Pumpkin Mac + Cheese

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Homesteading // Spring Is Near

We had over two feet of snow on the ground just a few days ago. It’s melted to less than six inches, and I’m starting to see brown blades of grass peeking out. Along with the earth’s thawing, my own body and mind are warming up to the idea of being outdoors again. After the winter we’ve had, it doesn’t even seem real that we’ll soon be able to walk around without all the bulk. And I certainly have a lot I want to do with our “land” (errr, backyard) and there are tons of other projects that extend indoors as well.

I plan to share some of our spring goals soon, but I thought I’d first give you an update on how we did with our winter homesteading goals . . .

Research Chickens: I did some good reading about chickens and feel like I have a handle on the things that are involved with finding them, making a place for them to live, caring for them, etc. That being said, I think this year isn’t the time to get started with the endeavor because our attention is definitely sucked in too many other places. My conclusion is that raising backyard chickens isn’t something to take lightly, so I think we’re going to push out the timeline a couple years.

Make Soap: Instead of making soap, I opted to get friendly with beeswax, making candles and ornaments, and all different types of lip balms and salves (like Natural Vapor Rub). I’m even considering making the ornaments for sale next year because I had so much fun and friends + family seemed to really like them. Since I had spent a chunk of money on getting supplies for these projects, I figured I’d wait on the soap stuff -- maybe I’ll add this one to my spring list.

Make Cheese: I did make cheese! Just not mozzarella. We love Indian food, so in an effort to stop eating out as often, I tried making paneer at home using this recipe. It worked out pretty well, but didn’t hold together quite as I had hoped. It kind of reminded me of when I tried making it a few years ago except it was in more solid form. Overall, I’m excited to try some different cheeses.

Plan Garden: This year I’m going to stick to the confines of our current raised bed garden which is about 6 feet by 10 feet. I found a nice garden layout guide that I’m going to loosely follow. Right now I’m starting my seeds indoors versus buying plants like we’ve done in the past. I’ll be honest, I’m worried nothing will grow indoors or that the cats will eat any sprigs that do pop up. Only time will tell! At least the seeds were all 50% off.

Knitting, Etc.: I had a lot of fun knitting with my Martha Stewart Loom Kit this winter. I made two hats for myself, one for Stephen, and a hat and cowl set that Ada wore to school most every day. It was sort of amazing that we all actually wore the stuff I made because I’ve knitted in the past but just never finished anything. I think I’ll probably slow on the knitting when we’re outdoors more, but I’d like to extend my skills next year into some more intricate stitches and projects.

And don’t miss . . .

Related Posts

Cleaning With Baking Soda Basics
Cleaning With Vinegar Basics
Homesteading Stuff You Can Buy at the $1 Store
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
10 Smart Ways to Use Epsom Salts
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

* Here’s the image source for the 1800s garden above.

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10-Minute (GF + Freezable) Lasagna

OK. This recipe doesn’t take ten minutes total with bake time included -- but to prepare? Not even ten active minutes. I always have stuff to make lasagna on hand. It’s one of those quick pantry meals we make when we’re low on groceries. Plus, that’s the beauty of this recipe -- there are no rules. Use what you have, leave out what you don’t, substitute where you can.

Assemble, store, and bake when you need it.

Start by mixing the filling:

In the mix:

• Ricotta cheese (part-skim), one small tub
• Sliced olives
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup or so pumpkin puree
• Couple handfuls chopped spinach
• Salt + pepper

I set that aside and got some no-boil noodles. I decided to try a gluten-free variety made from brown rice, and they were quite good. Any no-boil noodles -- GF or standard -- should do for this recipe, though, a standard package usually includes enough to make a 9 x 13 pan of lasagna.

Just spread the uncooked noodles with the filling.


You’ll want to spread a small amount of sauce at the bottom of your pan. From there, layer your first row of noodles. Top with more sauce and spread to cover. Layer another row. More sauce + spread. Another row, etc. until you’ve used all the noodles. Top with more sauce, mozzarella cheese, and some Parmesan, if you feel so inclined.

I ended up using more than one jar of sauce, just FYI.


That whole part you just did should only take around 10 minutes! From there, you can stick this guy -- covered with foil -- in your fridge until you’re ready to bake (the passive part). Oven temperatures and cook times vary by the type of noodle. I cooked ours at 375 degrees F for around 45 minutes -- taking off the foil in the end stage of cooking to get that mozzarella browned.

We never eat an entire dish of lasagna, so I serve dinner and then refrigerate the leftovers overnight. The next morning I slice the cooled lasagna into squares and individually wrap in plastic wrap and then place the single serve portions in a freezer bag. To serve again, just thaw and bake in your oven (or in your microwave -- just be careful of hot spots!).

What’s your favorite quick pantry meal?

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Our Weekend + Laughing Cow (Review)

Our weekend was out of this world. We rarely have babysitting, so we took full advantage of the time my in-laws gave us to get out and do things adults do around town. And we were lucky to have our weekend extended by a snow day on Monday. There are certainly tough parts of living on a teacher + tenuous freelance salary, but family time isn’t one of them.

Friday night Stephen and I ran 3 miles together in negative wind chills and snow drifts. We had hoped to go farther, but the wind was seriously brutal, so it was just nice to get out for a bit. Then we dressed up as much as we could (brrrr) and went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. I indulged in a girly martini, a brie platter appetizer, a huge veggie burger with sweet potato fries, and -- of course -- dessert, which was a delicious vegan peanut butter pie.

Saturday I had plans with my friend Elisabeth. We headed to this local antique market to look for home decor and other random items. I think we found more weird stuff than we had imagined. I ended up finding a nice spring coverlet for our bed . . . and this stuff:


Then Stephen and I went to see American Sniper. I get there’s criticism about this movie. That it left out a lot and presented the “enemy” as one-dimensional, etc. At the same time, I also don’t know if the time allowed for deeper development since the focus was more on Chris Kyle versus the war itself. I’m conflicted. Anyway, I thought it was quite good, albeit upsetting at many points. (What did you think?) We also checked out a local brewery and ate our favorite grilled pizza.

Then Sunday we both got in some running before the big storm. Afterward, I suggested we try out the cross-country skis our friends gave us over the summer. It was so much fun! My in-laws had to leave before the storm hit, so we cooked during Ada’s nap so we could have treats for the Super Bowl. The end of that game was sort of nuts, right?

Monday = snow day. We bundled up early and pulled Ada around on the sled for a few miles (I clipped on the skis again). Then we mostly organized and cleaned to get ready for the week. And here we are today with a 2-hour delay. Only problem this time is that Ada’s preschool is closed. Grr.

LAUGHING COW

Laughing Cow sent me some of their cheese wedges to try in exchange for a review + healthy recipe, and I was happy to oblige. I used to buy their original Swiss cheese wedges when I worked my desk job because I’d keep crackers at my desk. They spread so easily! Being familiar with the product already, I was excited to try the new flavor -- Spicy Pepper Jack -- as well as one I hadn’t had before -- Garlic + Herb.

Here’s how I reinvented one of my favorite snacks using the cheese, which has less than half the calories of the mayo I’d usually use in this recipe. The finished deviled eggs are incredible. They have a HUGE kick to them -- and you guys know how much I loved my hardboiled eggs for quick, portable protein!

// SPICY DEVILED EGGS

You need:

• 2 hardboiled eggs
• 1 Pepper Jack wedge
• Teaspoon water
• Paprika

Method:

1. Slice eggs in half, gently remove the yolks and place in a bowl.
2. Add the cheese wedge to the bowl and blend with a fork.
3. Add a couple teaspoons of water and keep blending until you reach a creamy consistency.
4. Scoop filling back into eggs.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.

How was your weekend? 

And have you tried Laughing Cow?

The Laughing Cow® provided me with product and a $50 gift card for this review. However, thoughts and opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the brand.

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Biscuit Waffles, Two Ways

Throughout the last couple years, I’ve seen people making all sorts of things in the waffle maker. Brownies. Cake. Pizza. Eggs. Falafel. S’mores. The list goes on (and on). So, slowly I’ve started to try out some of these recipes, and I’m definitely hooked. Baking stuff in my waffle maker is both easy and completely, amazingly satisfying.

I’ve now made several savory waffle recipes using this exact biscuit crust as my base. And if you eat dairy, I highly recommend using real butter and real milk. The flavor and texture -- oh, the texture -- are out of this world. That being said, Earth Balance and soy or almond or coconut milk make a wonderful waffle as well. Maybe just not as flaky.

Crunch.

(Sorry! Sometimes I’d rather eat than take gorgeous photos.)

BASIC BISCUITS

You can also make this recipe and use as drop biscuits!

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 stick cold butter (or 1/2 cup Earth Balance)
• 1-1/4 cups milk (or substitute)
• pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Then toss in the butter -- but in pieces throughout.
2. Mix with your hands until the “dough” resembles a coarse meal texture. You might need to pinch and crumble the flour and butter together a little. 
3. Preheat your waffle maker. Lightly grease with more butter or Earth Balance.
4. Then pour in the milk and stir until everything is just moistened. Spoon out in portions that make sense for your waffle maker. For ours, 1/2 cup fills it up.
5. Bake until done, then set on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess.
6. If you want to make these guys as drop biscuits, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Then drop dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 14 minutes, until golden.

BRUNCH GRAVY BISCUITS

For this deliciousness, you’ll want to whisk up some Mushroom Gravy. Then just make your waffles, poach (here’s how) or soft boil (here’s how) or fry a few eggs, and assemble with a little spinach or other greens. Very easy, but it’s an amazingly tasty breakfast for those of you who don’t like to start the day on the sweet side.

PIZZA WAFFLES

I mentioned these guys (thanks, Ashley!) the other day in my Weekend Things post, and since then . . . we’ve made them twice more. I originally just used Pumpkin Pizza Dough in my waffle maker, but there wasn’t as much taste. When I used this biscuit waffle as a base, the resulting “pizza” reminded me of some of the great pan pizzas I’ve had. Thick, buttery crust. I broiled Pepper Jack cheese onto the tops until bubbly and chose to leave the sauce off and dunk instead.

So, there you go. Biscuit waffles, two ways!

I have already asked Stephen for a new, round waffle maker as one of my Christmas gifts. Our current one was a $10 find, and it’s done quite well but seems to be a little over-loved these days. We’ll see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a s’mores waffle recipe to drool over.

MORE WAFFLES!

Peanut Butter + Banana Waffles
CSA Market Waffles
Green Waffles, Two Ways
Zucchini + Carrot Waffles
Homemade Freezer Waffles

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30-Minute Mushroom + Kale Frittata

Eggs.

Veggies.


Combined with cheese.


And baked.

MUSHROOM + BABY KALE FRITTATA

What you’ll need . . . 

• 6 eggs
• 4 large white mushrooms, chopped
• Gigantic handful baby kale (or other greens), chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons mayo or milk*
• 3/4 - 1 cup shredded cheddar 
• Black pepper to taste
• Pinch salt

* I know lots of you guys don’t like mayo, and I don’t use it often. But when you’re scrambling eggs or making bakes like these -- the texture is amazing. We use mayo that’s made with olive oil that contains half the fat and calories of a traditional blend.

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish and set aside.
2. Chop your veggies, then sauté them on the stove, starting with the garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, until softened. Then add the greens and wilt. You don’t want the mushrooms super soft just yet. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk your eggs with the mayo or milk, then toss in the shredded cheese and cooked veggies. Mix until combined. Then pour into your prepared casserole dish.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the middle is set. Let cool a while before slathering on the hot sauce. 

Yum!


This meal’s a good one to modify using whatever odds and ends you might find in your fridge. You can pretty much toss any vegetables or cheese in the mix. Frittatas tend to keep well for around 5 days when stored in an airtight container. You can eat it cold or heat up again for several minutes at 350 degrees F.

And my favorite way to enjoy this egg bake? Between two slices of crusty bread.

Enjoy!

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Hatch Chile Grilled Cheese

Fancy grilled cheese is quickly becoming my new favorite meal. I can't get enough of the Blueberry + Brie Grilled Sandwich -- I've made it with a variety of fruits, including the 10-Minute Ground Cherry Jam I made last week. And I'm sure you guys know after yesterday's homesteading post that I've started using homemade bread for most of my recipes, too.

Delicious times a gazillion.

So, I'm a pepper lover, but I have never head of Hatch chiles until this year. There was this huge sign at Wegmans, so of course they piqued my interest. I looked them up and discovered that this uniquely tasty pepper was originally grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. People have entire Pinterest boards devoted to them. I picked up a bag (great marketing, Wegmans, right?) . . . and then couldn't figure out what to do.

After asking a few friends, roasting was the universal suggestion. I set my oven to broil, put them in whole and roasted on all sides until they were slightly charred. Then I placed them in a bowl, covered with a plate (you can use plastic wrap, etc.) until they were cool enough to slice, remove seeds, and peel the skins. If you plan to do all of this, too, just wear gloves or something. Big mistake on my part -- burning on my hands all day!

After that:


This sandwich is far from being local fare. (And I didn't even make the bread -- it was leftover from a dinner out the night before.) Still, it was certainly delicious and worth the effort. I slapped on a good helping of the roasted chiles. Used some tasty Colby cheese. Sliced avocado for good measure. I think I even tossed in a couple of Stephen's Homemade Pickles after that.

Oh: You can easily make this same type of sandwich using roasted red peppers, etc.

Anyway, I placed the rest of my roasted Hatch chiles in an airtight container and used them in soups, Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas, hummus, etc. Mine were gone pretty quickly, but I've heard they freeze well. Here are some specific instructions for freezing them whole and otherwise.

Have you tried Hatch chiles? What's your favorite recipe?

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Some Assembly Required

Continuing with a sandwich theme this week, I thought I'd share my most recent bagel shop re-creation: The Mexican Bagel. There's been a variation of this "recipe" at almost every lunch spot with bagels I've ever been to. So, I figured making it at home would be easy and less expensive. Especially now that our house sale/purchase is actually moving forward!

YAY!

Anyway, I posted a poorly lit photo of this sandwich last night on Instagram. I had all the right ingredients to make it again today for lunch.

THE MEXICAN BAGEL

What you'll need . . .

• Your favorite type of bagel
• Your favorite type of cream cheese
• Your favorite sliced cheese (cheddar, Jack, Colby-Jack, etc.)
• Your favorite salsa
• Avocado
• Your Favorite hot sauce

Method . . .

1. Slice the bagel and toast until lightly brown. 
2. Spread a layer of cream cheese on both halves.
3. Top with your sliced cheese and then broil until melted.
4. Scoop on a couple spoonfuls of salsa. Then top with avocado slices.
5. Dash liberally with the hot sauce + enjoy!

*     *     *     *     *

Tonight's plans include going to our mortgage bank and signing some papers. Then we're taking Ada to the park + both going to try to fit in a brief run.  (I'll share more of my marathon training plans next week.) Then we're making these sandwiches for dinner and drinking some trail mix beer from Saranac. I think we'll also indulge in renting the movie Her because I've been dying to see it.

Do you have any fun weekend plans? I'd love to fit in a yard sale one of these weeks!

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Weeknight Pizza Tricks

As you guys know, one of our weeknight staples is pizza. I'd say we eat pizza at least twice or three times a week. So, I guess you could say somewhere in those 130 or so pies we make at home each year, we've picked up a few tricks.

Here are the top 5 for busy weeknights.

#1. Use Cornmeal

We usually make our pumpkin garlic knots crust or substitute all water for the pumpkin puree, depending on what we have in the pantry. But a trick we picked up over the years is to always roll out our dough with cornmeal. Not only does it help with transferring the dough to the pizza stone (another necessity!), but it always give the crust a nice crunch.

#2. Fold It Up

From there, transferring the dough to the pizza stone is made easy -- even without a pizza peel -- by gently folding the rolled out dough in half and then in half again. We simply place the quarter down on the stone and then unfold and reposition quickly.

#3: Get Saucy 

Since it's not tomato season, I usually cook up some type of homemade sauce using canned tomatoes. On busy weeknights when I just don't have the time, I improvise. My favorite makeshift sauce these days? A mix of half salsa and half barbecue sauce. Certainly has a nice zing to it!

#4. Top Heavily

Along with a generous heap of roasted veggies, we like topping all our homemade pizzas with cold avocado slices. Not only do the vegetables and avocado add lots of good-for-you nutrients, but they also help us justify eating pizza more often. This particular example isn't teeming with as many toppings as we usually enjoy, so if you'd like to see a better example of a loaded pizza, check out this lightened up recipe.

#5. Garnish Wisely

And with all those toppings, you need more sauce. We always have a bottle of hot sauce nearby, whether it's standard Frank's Red Hot (have you guys tried our Vegan Tofu Wings?) or spicy Sriracha.  I also like ranch dressing or even a quick side of this 5-minute tomato sauce.

// MORE TIPS + RECIPES

Brie-Stuffed Pumpkin Garlic Rolls
Pumpkin Deep Dish Pizza
Pesto Pizza Dough
Veggie-Topped Pizza, Lightened Up
Cornmeal + Flax GF Pizza Crust
Pumpkin Pesto Rolls

Pesto Garlic Knots
Ring-O-Fire Garlic Knots
Baked Flatbread w/ Sweet Onions, Collards, and Brie
Garbanzo Garlic Knots
Chickpea-Carrot Pizza Crust*
Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza
Veggie Stromboli
Pizza Rustica
BEETza Pizza
Pumpkin Garlic Knots
Gluten-Free Pizza Experiment
Deep Dish Veggie Tart/Pizza
Grilled Pizza Basics

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Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas

One of my favorite things to do at the start of a busy week is to roast a big batch of veggies to toss into soups, burgers, and other recipes throughout the week. With my fridge full of inexpensive Aldi eats (see my month of groceries for under $300 -- $72/week!), this usually means I'll roast cauliflower, green peppers, onions, and sometimes mushrooms.

// BASIC ROASTING

Just preheat oven to 375 degrees F, chop veggies, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt + pepper, and then bake in 15-20 minute intervals until browned and delicious.

Then I scoop into containers for fridge storage.

And to toss in recipes like this one!



// VEGGIE-LOADED QUESADILLAS
Makes 4, serves two hungry runners.

What you'll need . . .

• 4 medium flour tortillas
• 1 cup (or more) black or pinto beans, drained + rinsed
• 1 cup roasted veggies, chopped small
• Shredded cheese*, as much or as little as you'd like
• Olive oil
• salsa
• Greek yogurt
• sliced avocado
• hot sauce

Method . . .

1. Get all of you ingredients out and in front of you. This part is important for fast, efficient assembly.
2. Drizzle olive oil into a medium pan over medium-high heat and place your first tortilla on to cook for 15-30 seconds (lightly browned). 
3. Then flip and immediately spread a thin layer of cheese, then some beans, then veggie mixture and use a spatula to fold in half + press down to cook bottom side until golden.
4. Carefully flip to cook on other side, until golden and cheese is wonderful with melty goodness.
5. If your pan gets too hot, lower heat a bit and wait a couple minutes. It happens between cooking sessions.
6. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillers -- then slice in half or quarters.
7. Scoop a couple tablespoons of the yogurt and salsa on the side, dribble with hot sauce, and top with avocado slices.

* I shred blocks of Colby-Jack, Pepper-Jack, Cheddar, etc.

And did I mention this entire recipe -- soup to nuts -- was made with Aldi ingredients? Believe it! It's a new favorite of ours because it's got a lot of flavor AND nutrition. We use the organic salsa in medium spice . . . and you seriously can't beat their prices on avocados. That used to be a luxury item, and now we're buying them every week.

Pure joy right there.

What great meals have you made with inexpensive ingredients lately?

More #unsponsored ALDI recipes:

Fresh Orange Wakeup Smoothie -- 19 grams of protein!
Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup -- lots of hidden veggies!

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