Make It Monday! Baked Asparagus!

Do you like asparagus?

We LOVE it! And surprisingly enough Delaney is the one who likes it most! We like it almost anyway but my sister decided to make me dinner not that long ago and she made the best asparagus I've ever had! Its super simple and super yummy too!

All you do need is asparagus, olive oil, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 and drizzle your asparagus with olive oil, then shake a little salt, pepper and parmesan. Bake for about 5 minutes and then flip and bake for another 5 minutes and serve!

The greatest thing about this simple side is that it goes with anything! Steak, salmon (which is what we had), chicken really it goes with anything!

Do you have a simple side that is BEYOND simple and BEYOND easy!? Share away in the comments and maybe I can give your recipe a try!

Make It Monday! Scalloped Potatoes!

I am such a lover of scalloped potatoes...
Its another one of those foods that I have only eaten since I have been an adult. I had never really tried them until I had them at Robyn's parents house, I didn't want to try them (I am not a fan of cream sauces... or I wasn't) but I gave it a try...

AND I fell in love...

I was trying to find a quick and easier way to make them and enjoy them without all the fuss. I found a few recipes but if you have been reading for a while you will know that I NEVER and I mean NEVER have everything needed for a recipe... so I made it my own with a few tricks found in those recipes...

Its a pretty easy recipe so here you go!

Momma's Super Quick Scalloped Potatoes!

1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Flour
1 cup Milk
1 Can Cream Soup (of your choice)
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
4 Potatoes (sliced thinly)
Additional Cheese

Place potatoes in a large bowl, pour a full kettle of boiling water over the potatoes. (if necessary weigh them down with a plate or small bowl so that the water covers all the potatoes you may need more or less water) wait until the water gets to room temperature before removing. Meanwhile make a rue with your flour and butter (melt the butter and add the flour, cook the mix for about 4-5 mins to cook the flour) add the milk (which is best at room temp.) when the milk thickens (think béchamel) add the entire can of cream soup. When the sauce and soup are well mixed add the cheese and stir until melted. Mix 1/2 of the sauce with the potatoes gently then put into an oven safe dish top with additional cheese and bake at 350 degrees until the potatoes are cooked and are no longer hard. (about 20 minutes)

Put the remaining sauce into a container or freezer bag pop it in the freezer and save it for the next time you want scalloped potatoes on the fly!

I totally stole the hot water on the potatoes thing from my mother in law... It slightly cooks the potatoes so that they don't take as long in the oven plus a lot of the starch from the potatoes comes out in the water so that when the potatoes cook they don't gum up together like you get sometimes with scalloped potatoes... Its a simple trick which saves you time and makes them yummier... totally worth the extra step!

Have you adjusted a favorite recipe to make it quicker or easier than the original but keep up on taste? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Make it Monday! Garlic Twist Bread!

When we had spaghetti for supper when we were kids my mom would always put a bit of butter, garlic salt and cheese on a few slices of bread and pop it in the oven to warm while the sauce cooked... the result a toasty warm cheesy piece of garlic bread to enjoy with your pasta!

I loved it and I have done it in the past as well to kind of feel like a kid again or just to feel like I was still home with mom... 

But this past week I wanted to try something a bit different!

I have had garlic twist bread at restaurants and I have seen recipes online and even in cook books and I have always like it of at least the idea of it so while my spaghetti sauce was simmering away I gave it a try! 

With my own Momma Made it spin of course!

I made it easy first of all!

I started with a package of pre-mixed Pizza dough... Just add water and away you go! (you could however if you were so inclined make your own dough... )

Then I let it rise a little and when it was ready I rolled it out as you would for a pizza!

I then brushed it with about a tablespoon of melted butter, grated a clove of garlic or two over that and finally grated some parmigiano cheese over it as well! 

 Then I cut it into strips

 Then rolled it over its self! 

 Popped it into a 350 oven and away we went about 15 minutes later with garlic twist bread as a side!

(they kinda look like ribs.... he-he a good Halloween project/snack too!)

It was simple and easy and Delaney even helped me out with it... and not just the eating part! 

I would make this any night to go with pizza or pasta or even salad! And It only takes about 20 minutes prep (including letting it rise) and 15 minutes to bake so really you could even make it on a school night or a work night!

Hope you enjoy it!

Do you have an update to an old recipe that your parents used to make? Or just one that you loved but have put a new spin on? Share a link or two in the comments I'd love to see and try a few new updates to old favorites!

Make it Monday! Mashed Potato Bake!

If you know me (and if you read this blog frequently you can pretty well say that you do...) you likely know that I like a good KRAFT recipe...  but since they usually use brand name products or items that I usually don't buy when I make their recipes I am typically 

"inspired by" 

them not really making them... 

So here is another "inspired by" recipe that I found through Kraft.

This is a super simple recipe that you can make ahead or make on the spot. The original recipe can be found here. 

However this is how I made them...

6 potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)

1/3 cup ranch dressing

1/2 to 3/4 cup of cheese shredded 

(I used cheddar but you could mix it up with your favorite cheese)

Bacon bits (optional)

Chives (optional)

Boil potatoes, mash with ranch dressing, press cooled mashed potatoes in an oven safe dish and top with cheese, bacon bits and chives if using. 

Chill in the fridge over night or bake "on the spot". 

Bake at 350 for 30 mins until heated through if made ahead 

or

at 350 for 20 mins if made "on the spot".

This makes for an easy side or a great pot luck dish that you just warm up once you reach the party!

And its super yummy too!

Happy Monday!