Zamazetti

2 Comments

Zamazetti

This Michigan weather… LOVE IT!! I am on cloud 9, over the moon, etc. over this weather. Isn’t it the greatest to bundle up when you go outside? This is THE perfect weather. Side note: The only thing that is a downer….. (well now is..) is when I go running, I need to be mindful of my little running buddy and the cool crisp air. Which… don’t get me wrong, is just fine. I just push those runs a bit later in the day; but I know that those days are numbered…

BUUUUUTTTT! Casseroles, comfort foods, desserts, cookies…. it’s the baking season! It’s the, “let’s turn on the oven and heat up that kitchen.” 🙂

Whenever I tell someone that we’re having Zamazetti, they always say they same thing…what is that. Well my friends, this is one  of THE best quick, weeknight family meals. It is something that you can make the cream of mushroom soup from scratch (just an added 10 minutes to prep) or do it mega quick with canned.

This recipe comes from my dad’s mother. I believe she may have gotten it from either her camping group or… maybe another family member? Either or, this is a family favorite.

I don’t know how many times we have made this casserole… too many to count/keep track of apparently (Ha!!). But if you want to have a quick and somewhat cheap meal, this is it.

Zamazetti

Michigan Ingredients: Meijer Cheese, Meijer Butter, Spartan Tomato Soup, local ground beef

Zamazetti

Please, use a block of cheese and shred it. It’s what dreams are made of.  Plus, there is no weird powder that prevents clumping. I actually got rid of a bag of cheese because I thought it was mold. Brand new, only a week old… That’s when I made the switch…

Zamazetti

Chop your onion and garlic and set aside.

Zamazetti

Let’s start the cream of mushroom soup from scratch. If you want, you can simply use a can of cream of mushroom soup. For the full recipe and amounts, please visit Simply Scratch.  She is amazing and I love love love her site.  Chop another small onion and about 3-4 portabella mushrooms.

Zamazetti

Melt some butter in a skillet and saute your onion for a couple minutes, then add your mushrooms. Saute for a few more minutes.

Zamazetti

Add some flour. The flour and the butter are going to become friends and act like the thickening agent to the “cream of mushroom soup.”

Zamazetti

Whisk in some veggie broth and bring to a bubble.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Try not to eat the entire pan because oh my goodness!!! So good!

Now the start of the Zamazetti (you know… in case you wanted to just use a can of cream of mushroom soup). Start some water in a large pot for your egg noddles. You know, multi-task.

Brown your beef, drain, rinse and set aside and forget to take a picture… lol

Zamazetti

Saute your onion and garlic in some olive oil (you know the onion and garlic we chopped earlier and set aside?) until translucent.

Zamazetti

Add your meat back to the onions and garlic. Salt and pepper “to taste.”

Zamazetti

Zamazetti

You know how casseroles have a “sauce” slash….. cream mixture that makes it so the casserole doesn’t dry out… this is that sauce. Combine your cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, and shredded cheese. Sometimes I’ll hold some cheese to put on top before baking, but…. I apparently wasn’t feeling it, and wanted to show that it is still just as beautiful of a dish without a cheese top.

Zamazetti

By now, your water has boiled, and your noodles are done.  🙂

Zamazetti

Add your noodles and beef mixture to the sauce mixture. Go ahead and take a little nibble…

Zamazetti

Place your casserole into a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

Zamazetti

Serve this casserole with garlic bread and love.  This is a casserole that even your pickiest of picky eaters will eat. My daughter eats this like crazy. Mind you she didn’t eat the meat, but that’s a different story for a different time.

Zamazetti
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 5-6
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
A casserole dish that is comforting and perfect for any weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Ground Beef
  • 1 Onion
  • 2-3 cloves of Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 can Tomato Soup
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or from scratch*)
  • 1 Block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 cups), shredded
  • 1 package of No Yolk Egg Noddles
Instructions
  1. Start some water for your noodles.
  2. While your beef is browning, chop your onion and mince the garlic and set aside. Once the beef is browned, drain and rinse.
  3. Saute your onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add your beef back to the pan. Salt and pepper to taste.
  4. In a large bowl, combine your tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, and shredded cheese.
  5. By now, your noodles are either just being added to the water or are done. Add your noodles and beef to the "sauce" mixture.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Serve with garlic bread.
Notes
Note: You can make your cream of mushroom from scratch like in the blog post. Please go to Simply Scratch for said recipe 🙂

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Leave a Comment

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Is it me, or are casseroles not a photogenic food? Please bear with me as I was making this later and the day and I was chasing light like no ones business. BUT this is too good of a recipe not to share.

This is a recipe of my grandmother’s and I remember the first time I had it and thinking…. where has this been all my life. Like I had said in a previous post, I am a comfort food cook. I absolutely love it, and casseroles are where it’s at. Before we know it, Fall will be here and the summer produce will be slowly coming to an end here in Michigan. But that’s ok!! Join me in making casseroles in the late summer with summer produce.

Michigan Ingredient

Michigan Ingredients: Zucchini and farm fresh eggs

Look at that monster of a Zucchini. When it comes to that size of Zucchini (large), I usually use it more for baking as opposed to cooking because sometimes when a Zucchini gets too big, it can become bitter. If you carve out the seedy section of the Zucchini (the middle), the bitterness goes away. SOOOOOO……

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Note that I was looking at the Zucchini after I took the above picture and realized that it just seemed like it would be bitter. So imagine that I took the “after”photo of the rounds with a hole in the middle.

 

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Chop your onion while your beef is browning. Set them aside for after you drain (and rinse) your browned beef. Saute your onions until translucent and add your beef back into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Now of course, you will want to have rice that is already cooked. I usually cook the rice earlier in the day because juggling cooking the rice, chopping veggies, steaming veggies, browning meat can become a bit much.  So word of advice, cook your rice earlier in the day.

Funny story… I was going to try and make this “quick” meal (and it’s fairly quick);  however, when you look in the cupboard and do not have cream of chicken soup like you thought (and you have lots of cream of celery soup for the other version of Zucchini casserole)… you improvise and make cream of chicken soup from scratch. Most households (or maybe just mine because I am a prepper a good pantry stocker) have the items necessary to make cream of chicken soup from scratch.  Milk, flour, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.  I did not take the photos for this portion because I was panicking quickly thinking on my feet as to what to do about a missing ingredient. Thank goodness for Google.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and add your Zucchini. Steam/boil the Zucchini for 5-7 minutes and drain. Note that the middles are missing…. 🙂  I did chop the Zucchini into smaller pieces because the rings are HUGE and should be more “bite” size.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Combine beef/onion mixture, rice, cream of chicken soup, eggs, zucchini, and sour cream. (Yes… I snuck that in there. As I stated earlier, I was doing this as a rush because it was last minute and wanted you lovely people to have this AMAZING recipe. You’re welcome). Pour contents into a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

Top the casserole with cheese. I would recommend using either sharp or extra sharp cheese. I know, I know, this recipe keeps getting better.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef

There you have it! A casserole that is healthy and satisfying. Serve this amazing dish with muffins or Zucchini bread.

Zucchini Casserole with Beef
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Casserole
Serves: 4-6
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
A delicious and healthy casserole that has all the goodness of summer; yet will help you transition to fall.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of Zucchini
  • 1 Medium Onion diced
  • 1 pound of Ground Beef
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup*
  • ½ cup Sour Cream
  • 2 cups cooked Rice**
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheese (Sharp or Extra Sharp)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.
Instructions
  1. Chop your zucchini into rounds (about ¼ inch thickness). Dice your onion, set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook Zucchini for 5 minutes and drain. Set aside.
  3. Brown your ground beef, drain and rinse the fat. Saute your onion until onion is translucent and add your beef back to the pan. Salt and pepper beef and onion mixture.
  4. Combine your cooked rice, cream of chicken soup, beef and onion, eggs, and zucchini in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
  5. Pour mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Top with 1 cup of cheese.
  6. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minute until cheese melts and mixture starts to bubble around the edges.
Notes
*Make your rice ahead of time to assist in making this a quicker meal. Usually it is ¾ of a cup of Brown Rice and 1½ cups of water.
** Recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup I used

Steak Hoagies

1 Comment

IMAG3229_edited

The Steak Hoagie: a man style sandwich that even a woman will crave. This sandwich is one of the reasons why I cannot be a vegetarian. My mom use to make this when I was younger and over the years, I have perfected it. I believe that my mom did not add green peppers to hers; but I love green peppers so…. of course this happens. I have added mushrooms before, but my favorite is the onion and green pepper version, as it is simpler and I usually have them on hand.

In order to make this hoagie amazing, you have to top it with Velveeta cheese. Something about sliced Velveeta cheese makes it even more amazing. ANNNND I discovered (most recently) that they have a sharp version, so that was a must.

When my husband and I were dating, this (along with other manly type meals) was one of the first dinners I made for him solo. I mean come on; a way to a man’s heart is through his chest stomach.

Michigan Ingredient

Michigan Ingredient: Beef Sizzlers

I have never lived in another state so I can’t tell you if this is only available in Michigan or not. But if you want to make these beauties, you have to have this type of meat.   It’s very thin, already seasoned, and cooks quickly.

Steak Hoagies

If you can see, they are separated with wax paper as they are very thin.

Steak Hoagies

Cut the meat into strips. Seriously look at that “marbling.”

Steak Hoagies

Look at that…. I don’t even have words to describe it.

Steak Hoagies

Chop your green pepper and onion into thin  strips (almost like strips for chicken fajitas).

Steak Hoagies

Drizzle some olive oil into a large skillet and pour in your meat. Add some salt and pepper.

Steak Hoagie

Brown the meat until it is almost completely browned. Use a slotted spoon and place your meat onto a glass (don’t use a foam or paper plate because it will not end well) plate and set aside. You will want to keep the fat in the pan so that you can saute your onions and green peppers. (Now I know that this sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen, but keep in mind that this is not labeled as a “diet” dish or low fat. This is a mega splurge and usually something that you don’t eat too often. Moderation is KEY).

Steak Hoagie

Steak Hoagie

Saute your veggies until the onion is translucent and the green peppers have softened.

Steak Hoagies

Add your meat to the veggies and finish browning the meat. Salt and pepper to taste. This steak hoagie is so simple, it hurts. Again, you don’t need fancy seasonings with this meat because it comes already seasoned.

Main

Spoon the mixture onto a super sub/hoagie bun and top with 2 slices of Velveeta Cheese. The cheese will melt from the heat of the meat. Serve with steak fries.

IF (key word if) you have leftovers, this is great with eggs…. just saying… 🙂

Steak Hoagies
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sandwich
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
A classic steak hoagie that melts in your mouth!
Ingredients
  • 2 packages of Premium Beef Sizzlers (6 count each)
  • 1 Green Pepper
  • 1 Onion
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • 6 Super Subs/Hoagie Buns
  • 12 slices of Velveeta Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cut your beef into strips.
  2. Chop your green pepper and onion into thin strips (like you would for chicken fajitas).
  3. Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and add your meat. Add salt and pepper.
  4. Brown your meat until it is almost done and use a slotted spoon and spoon the meat onto a glass plate.
  5. Use the fat from the meat and saute your green pepper and onion until the onion is translucent and the green pepper is softened.
  6. Add the meat back and brown the rest of the way. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Spoon the mixture onto a Super Sub/Hoagie Bun and top with 2 slices of Velveeta cheese per hoagie.
  8. Serve with steak fries.

 

Simple Cherry Wine Marinade for Chicken

Leave a Comment

Main

Have you heard the Pure Michigan ad for Coldwater, Michigan yet? It is seriously heart warming, as is all of them. I’m the weirdo that you see at the light with her windows down listening to the Pure Michigan ads on full blast. I love them; something about Tim Allen’s voice.

I have been experimenting with wine lately and lucky for you, some recipes are good (ha)! There will be plenty more recipes with Michigan wine as I am a snob and will not drink a wine that is not Michigan. Now maybe I am missing out on something amazing…. BUUUT….. I am quite content with drinking/baking/cooking with Michigan wine.

Michigan Wine

Michigan Ingredient: Cherry Riesling Wine.

This is a sweeter blush type of wine that is made with Michigan cherries.  The Riesling portion of the wine (white)  is always good for making a “marinade” if you will for the chicken.

You can use this chicken for anything. You can eat it by itself (with sides of course) or you can chop it and put it in a nice summer-y salad with fruit and a nice vinaigrette.  The wine flavor is not overpowering, but you can tell that you definitely used wine in the marinade.

Chicken wine

Place your chicken breast in a bowl and use the zest of one lemon. I love the freshness that lemon gives chicken.  Roll the lemon (to release the juices) and cut said lemon in half and use the juice of half a lemon.

Wine chicken

Pour one cup *gasp* of wine over the chicken. Take a look around to make sure no one is looking, and take a sip. Seriously, how great is wine while you are cooking? At this point, you are going to want to pour the chicken and the liquids into a plastic ziplock bag (or if you want you can cover your bowl with clear plastic wrap) to place the chicken in the fridge. IT IS THAT EASY! <– sorry for shouting 🙂

IMAG3187

Chicken in a plastic ziplock bag is not very photogenic; sorry. But I wanted you to see that the chicken is submerged in the liquid in the plastic bag. To be safe, I would place the plastic ziplock bag in a bowl in the fridge just to be safe.

Grilled Chicken

After you have waited 2-3 hours, fire up your grill and remove the chicken breast from the plastic ziplock bag.

Again, this is such a simple marinade, you can add some salt and pepper (if you wish at this point) to the chicken while it is on the grill. Since the wine is not a super sweet/dessert wine (i.e. liquid candy), I opted to not add cherries to the marinade this time and wanted to go with something a bit more simple.  But in the very near future, I will be creating a syrup that will almost be used like BBQ sauce.  Stay tuned for that!!

Simple Cherry Wine Marinade for Chicken
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
A simple marinade, that is delicate and not overpowering.
Ingredients
  • 1.5-2 pounds of chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 cup Cherry Riesling Wine
  • Salt and Pepper
Instructions
  1. Place your chicken breasts into a bowl.
  2. Zest one lemon over the chicken breasts.
  3. Roll your lemon to release the juices and use the juice of half of the lemon over the chicken.
  4. Pour 1 cup of Cherry Riesling wine over the chicken and pour the contents into a ziplock bag or cover your bowl with clear plastic. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
  5. Fire up your grill and grill the chicken breasts until the juices run clear. Serve with sides or onto of a summery salad
Notes
Note: Grilling/cooking times will vary due to the size of the chicken breast and your grill.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 Comment

Macaroni and Cheese

My beautiful cousin requested that I put my macaroni and cheese recipe on the blog because she wants/needs a simple, yet deeee-lish… AND can be healthified (apparently not a word, but will be now ha ha). The one thing that I have to say, is try both ways (using either whole everything or 2%) and see which is best. Unfortunately, in order for your roux to set up perfectly, I would recommend using no lower than 2% milk. I have tried with 1/2% and it did not set nicely. It was like I should have not put forth the effort and just melted the cheese into the milk (true story).

I had a little bit of time off from my day job and took a little break from the blog so I could clear my head, come up with some creative ideas and try to get into a rhythm of doing things. It’s not like my old way was not proper, I just need to find the perfect balance between being a mom, wife, an admin, and blogger. The only thing that I learned during my vacation is that I work too much (don’t we all), and that I need to be able to run on a daily basis. During those runs, I was able to think more clearly and of course not feel as stressed; I mean, how can you feel stress when this is where you run…… (below)

IMAG3072

This was at about…. 7:45 a.m. This is what makes me love where I live and of course, and is one of the many things great about Michigan. Maybe other states have wild flowers on a man-made trail, BUUUUUTTTTTTTT, Michigan has that nostalgia about it. I mean, haven’t you heard the Pure Michigan ads?

ANYWAYS…. Back to the dish.

This is a two part post. First, the macaroni recipe, then on Thursday, I will post the recipe for the Blueberry Muffins. When you eat mac and cheese in my family, you have to have green beans and a muffin of some sort. Trust me, you will not go  back after you have had this combination.

Michigan Item

Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Cheese

First things first, put some water into a pot and start the boiling process for your noodles while you are working on your roux. Again… multi-task!

IMAG3019

Melt your butter and sprinkle your flour into same while whisking. Whisking is very important when it comes to making a roux (which some people call it a white sauce – but roux sounds so fancy 🙂 ). After the butter and flour starts to bubble (but before it turns brown), drizzle in your milk while you are continuously whisking.  Some say that it might have a “nutty” smell; maybe my sniffer is off, but I never smell the “nutty” smell, so don’t worry about that.

TTT

Continuously whisk the mixture until the consistency becomes a thinned out cake batter. (A good test is to drag your whisk and if it takes a while to fill the line, it’s more than likely done.)

TTTTT

Add your shredded cheese to the mixture and remove off the heat.  Try to refrain yourself from taking multiple tastes. Again, no Judgment here if you do, I don’t blame you. This cheese sauce is amazing. Add salt and pepper to taste at this point (thus the speckles in the picture above).

IUY

IIII

Once your noodles are done, add them to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole dish.

IMAG3041

Melt your 1 tablespoon of butter and add the bread crumbs. This will be the topping of the mac and cheese.  Once you top it in a casserole dish, you can eat it at that point; or you can put it the the oven to “reheat” your cheese sauce and thicken your cheese sauce even more (not too much more).

Macaroni and Cheese

This is a meal that you can add to your weekly rotation, as it is filling and an American classic. This is a very kid friendly recipe and you won’t feel as bad that your child is eating macaroni and cheese as it is homemade without crazy preservatives.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Macaroni and Cheese
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
Classic comfort food that can be in your weekly rotation.
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
  • 2 tablespoons of Flour
  • 1½ cups of Milk (whole or 2%)
  • 1 block of Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (whole or 2%) - shredded
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 cups of dry Elbow noodles
Topping
  • 1 tablespoon of Unsalted Butter
  • ⅓ cup Breadcrumbs
Instructions
  1. Start a pan of water and bring same to a boil while you make your roux.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add flour. Whisk like crazy to prevent sticking/gumming
  3. Once it is bubbling a little (before it turns brown), add your milk while you are whisking; and continue to whisk until the roux becomes thick like a thinned out cake batter (usually takes about 5-8 minutes depending on your stove).
  4. Once your roux has become glorious, add cheese and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until noodles are done.
  5. Once your noodles are done cooking, drain, and combine with the cheese. Stir.
  6. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, add breadcrumbs. Brown.
  7. Pour your mac and cheese into a 3 quart casserole dish and top with browned crumbs. You can eat now OR...
  8. Turn oven onto 375 degrees and place your mac and cheese into the oven while it is still cold. Usually by the time the oven is preheated, your mac and cheese will bubble along the edges.
  9. Enjoy with green beans and a muffin of your choice

 

Sloppy Joe’s

2 Comments

Sloppy Joe's

This is the version of Sloppy Joe’s that I grew up with. My dad would make this in a jiffy, and it was always amazing to have with either plain potato chips or my favorite, tater tots.

My husband great up with Manwich, so when we started living together, it was a bit of a shocker to him of making it from scratch. It’s not the same comfort that he grew up with, but he knows it is just as good. We usually will rotate so that the other can have their memories of childhood come flooding back.

Michigan Item

Michigan Ingredient: Hamburger and Meijer Brown Sugar

I prefer to get beef from a local butcher and also in bulk. It makes more sense to me to purchase your meat in bulk, separate it to the amounts you need, and freeze until you are ready to use. I know that some prefer not to freeze their meat, but for my family, that mainly only applies to steak.

Now I bet you are a bit shocked to see that brown sugar is even an ingredient for this recipe. How else are you suppose to get that sweetness?

Sloppy Joe's

Brown your meat ( I used beef for this time, but sometimes I use turkey or chicken. Both are just as good.)

Meanwhile, chop your onion and mince your garlic while your meat is browning. It’s all about multitasking in the kitchen. That’s how things can get done quickly. Once your meat is browned, drain the fat (rinse with hot water to remove excess fat). Leave in the colander. Sloppy Joe's

Saute your onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.  If you notice, I actually use a bit of salt and pepper when I saute my onion and garlic so that it will saute a smidgen faster.

What is it with the smell of onion and garlic sauteing that makes it smell like home? Every time I do it, I think of home with my parents or my grandparents. It’s amazing what a smell can do for you.

Sloppy Joe's

Add your meat. Add a little bit more salt and pepper if you like. NOW for the sauce. It’s very simple… ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. That’s it. Sloppy Joe's

Sloppy Joe's

It takes some adjusting, but I learned what the exact amounts of each are that I need in order to get the flavor of deliciousness.

You can adjust the flavor that will suite your family’s taste buds. Sometimes you may want a tangier taste, which means a little a bit more yellow mustard, or calm the tangy with more ketchup. Of course you don’t want to add too much brown sugar, because it is a bit harder to “mask” the sweetness.

Sloppy Joe's

Serve with chips (or tater tots) and a veggie. Enjoy!!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Sloppy Joe's
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
A childhood comfort food that is perfect for a quick and east meal!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of Beef, Chicken, or Turkey
  • 1 medium Onion - chopped
  • 1-2 cloves of Garlic - minced
  • Olive Oil
  • ¾ cup of Ketchup
  • ¼ cup of Yellow Mustard
  • 2 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Buns
Instructions
  1. Brown your meat. While your meat is browning, chop your onion and mince your onion.
  2. Drain the fat (and rinse any excess fat with hot water if you wish)
  3. Saute your onion and garlic in olive oil until your onions are translucent. (You can add salt and pepper at this stage if you wish.)
  4. Add your meat to the onions.
  5. Ad the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar and stir until thoroughly combined. Adjust to suite your family's taste buds if need be. Spoon onto buns (or if need be, bread) and serve!

 

Colorful Vegetable Medley

Leave a Comment

IMAG2866

Have you ever had that “I need to eat more veggies,” feeling; and all you can think about is if you can make a meal out of mostly vegetables that fill you up? This is that recipe. I love making this recipe when my husband is working crazy shifts because it makes a lot and the leftovers are AHHH-MAAAZZZING!

Michigan Item

Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Cheese

Surprisingly, this cheese has a “richer” flavor and is actually cheaper and goes on sale more. Ever since the little one starting eating solid foods (about 1.5 years ago), we started getting full fat dairy products. We are at the point where we can switch back to 2%; it’s just hard when cheese tastes as amazing as this.

Celery Carrots Onions

Of course there is a little bit of prep work when it comes to making this dish and if you have certain appliances and/or tools such as a food processor, mandolin, etc. it is real simple. I use to use the food processor to chop my carrots and celery… and one thing led to another and yada yada yada, I chop them by hand now.

Broccoli Caulflower

When I prep vegetables such as celery, carrots, onions, green peppers, tomatoes; I like using paper plates to help make clean up a snap. Unfortunately, for the broccoli and cauliflower, I have to use a bowl.

Colorful Vegetable Medley

Once your veggies are chopped (and ham too – or you can cheat like I did and buy pre-diced ham), melt your butter and add your oil to a dutch oven pan. There is a reason why the vegetables are separated the way that they are in the pics above (yes, a method to my madness); you add the broccoli and cauliflower first, then add the celery, carrots, onions, and ham. It’s like a little bit of a layer effect because you want the hearty more towards the bottom and the not so hearty toward the top. Now I know you are thinking that carrots could pass as a heartier vegetable; but when you have it sliced thin, it will soften quickly.

Give it a bit of a stir(not too much), cover, and cook for 25 minutes. This is usually when I prep my rice because I try to always multi-task in the kitchen. Bring your water to a quick boil and add your Âľ cups of rice (brown or white, whichever is your preference) and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Colorful Vegetable Medley

Once your veggies are soft, yet crisp; add your cooked rice. Now this is where your preference comes in- you can either add your cheese to the top of your veggies while they are in the pot or add it to each individual serving. It all depends on if you want to look fancy OR if you are trying to make your cheese stretch (I know that not everyone has almost an entire cheese aisle in their fridge).

Colorful Vegetable Medley

Now I know that you are thinking… there is no seasonings, no flavor… OH MY GOODNESS!!! The ham adds a great deal of flavor and you can salt and pepper to taste. This is truly a simple dish that my family eats as a meal, but you could easily bring it to a potluck as a side dish if you wanted.

 

Colorful Vegetable Medley
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 4-5
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Save Print
 
Light and Healthy Main Dish!
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 1 cup ham
  • 3 carrots sliced thin
  • 2 celery sliced thin
  • Small onion – diced small
  • Half head of cauliflower - chopped
  • 3 cups broccoli chopped
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheese of your choice
  • salt and pepper to taste
Rice
  • Âľ cup dry rice
  • 1 ½ cups of water
Instructions
  1. Slice your carrots and celery thin. Dice your onion small. Set these 3 vegetables aside.
  2. Chop your broccoli and half a head of cauliflower; combine in a bowl.
  3. Melt your butter in a dutch oven and add your oil over medium heat.
  4. Add your broccoli and cauliflower mix to the pot first; then add your celery, carrots, and onion. Add your diced ham.
  5. Cover your pot and cook for about 25 minutes until the veggies are soft and crisp. Stir semi-often to ensure even cooking/so your veggies do not stick to the bottom.
  6. Prep your rice while the vegetables are cooking. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
  7. Once your vegetables and rice are cooked, combine and stir.
  8. Add your shredded cheese to either each individual serving or on top of the mixture in the pot until melted. Serve.