Homemade Calzones

Calzones are at the top of my favorite Italian food list, just above lasagna and pizza. I love bread and cheese, but sometimes dislike the amount of sauce that is included in many Italian dishes. The great thing about calzones, however, is that I can control how much sauce I want, while getting double the bread and cheese! They're also more filling than pizza, so I can eat a small portion and be satisfied. 

I made them at home for the first time a few weeks ago, and I couldn't believe how easy and quick it was to prepare!

Here are the ingredients I used. I don't eat many toppings, but you can add anything you like inside your calzone!

-pizza dough

-mozzarella cheese

-pepperoni

-marinara sauce

Roll out the dough and pile on your toppings. Cut thin strips along each side. Fold over the strips, alternating sides. Bake at 350 until lightly brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

*Helpful tip: After you've rolled the dough, lay it out on a greased baking sheet before adding toppings and folding.

So easy, quick, and delicious!

Thank you for reading!

Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

Another Pinterest recipe, another keeper. 

It's hard to mess up beans, corn, spinach, cheese and spices wrapped up in a tortilla. But, if it could be done, I'd be the one to figure out how to do it. I was a little nervous about making my own enchilada sauce, and about halfway through I was convinced I'd screwed it up because it became a weird pasty dough-like mixture that I wasn't expecting. I had to whisk it awhile after adding the broth, but the chunks whisked out eventually. 

I'm thinking about doing some with cheese sauce next time! With next time being tomorrow night when our friends Will and Courtney come over. I don't think we've ever shared a meal together that wasn't Mexican. Except the time Will made deer chili and I'm ashamed to say I ate and enjoyed it. Poor Bambi. That's the great thing about these enchiladas: No animals were harmed.

Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients

{For the sauce}

3 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Salt/pepper

{For the enchiladas}

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)

6 oz. fresh baby spinach

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tsp. cumin

3 cups shredded 3 cheese blend (or pepper jack, etc.)

8 whole wheat or flour tortillas

Directions

• To make the sauce: in a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato paste, flour, 2 tsp. cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute. Whisk in broth, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened about 8 minutes. Salt/pepper to taste, and set aside.
• Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted.
• In a large bowl, combine spinach with beans, 2 cups cheese, spinach, corn, green onions, 2 tsp. cumin, and cilantro.
• Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish, and pour a small amount of the sauce to coat the bottom.
• Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, and place seam side down in dish.
• Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.
• Bake about 20 minutes at 375, and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions (optional).

Baked Spaghetti

In accordance with our recent vow to try new recipes, I am always searching Pinterest for ideas. Back in our food rut, we ate spaghetti at least once a week. It's such a quick and easy meal, not to mention inexpensive, so I admit I was happy to find a baked variation. This version includes ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses, so it's definitely not just another boring spaghetti meal. Recipe is as follows, with my adaptations in red.

Roasted Garlic Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 box of spaghetti pasta
2 regular sized jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Kroger brand's roasted red pepper)
1 16 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 bulb of roasted garlic (I used a couple teaspoons of garlic powder)
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
2 roma tomatoes sliced thin (I included two cans of diced tomatoes inside the spaghetti instead)
I didn't add any meat, but I may try that next time!

Directions:
Boil pasta. Strain and mix with sauce, ricotta, half of your parmesan, and garlic.
Pour into a large casserole dish.
Top with mozzarella cheese. Top mozzarella with remaining parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for for 20 minutes. 

Mexican Casserole

I love all kinds Mexican dishes any day of the week, sometimes multiple times. I am always looking for new recipes to mix up my usuals, and I found this one on the back of a McCormick spice pack. I love it because it's incredibly easy and quick and feeds 4-5 people, which means leftovers for Tyler and me! It doesn't freeze well, so eating the refrigerated leftovers in the next few days is crucial.

Mexican Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can rotel
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano leaves

Brown beef in large skillet; drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, rotel, and spices; mix well. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Layer two tortillas in a buttered casserole dish. They may overlap in the middle. Spread mixture over the tortillas, sprinkle cheese, and layer another pair of tortillas. Repeat with remaining mixture and tortillas. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through.


*Note: I've also seen variations that call for sour cream in place of tomato sauce. Feel free to substitute chicken for beef, add onions and/or peppers, or spread on individual tortillas to make a low(er) carb Mexican pizza!

Spinach Lasagna Rollups

Tyler and I have been in a bit of a food rut lately. Every night, we'd stare into the pantry without a clue what to make, and always ended up making some sort of chicken with sides of corn, black beans, or rice. Usually we didn't have much leftovers, so for lunch we bought lots of lean cuisines (which also get old) or ate out (which gets expensive). 

After talking with my friend and co-worker, Ellen, about planning meals and adding diversity, I decided that's exactly what we're going to do. I began pinning recipes on Pinterest and stalking cooking blogs. That next weekend, Tyler and I sat down and planned 5 meals for the coming week and made a grocery list. Because we went with a plan, we actually spent less at the grocery store than normal (what were we buying?!) and lunch equaled $0 thanks to leftovers! This was Wednesday night's meal: Spinach Lasagna Rollups. I'd seen several versions on Pinterest but I decided to combine aspects of different recipes. Here's what I came up with:

Spinach Lasagna Rollups:

Ingredients:

About 10 strips of lasagna pasta

1 package of frozen chopped spinach

A couple cups of mozzarella cheese

A few heaping spoonfuls of ricotta cheese

1 egg

Sprinkle of oregano

Sprinkle of basil

1 can of marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. 

2. Simultaneously, microwave the spinach until completely thawed, cook the pasta in boiling water, and heat the marinara sauce (in a small saucepan) on low-medium heat.

3. Squeeze the spinach with paper towels to soak up all moisture.

4. Combine the spinach, cheeses, and egg in a medium sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle in a little basil and oregano.

5. Spread the mixture on top of the cooked lasagna and roll up.

6. Place in a casserole dish with a little marinara sauce spread on the bottom. 

7. After all the lasagna pasta are rolled up, spoon a little sauce on each one, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

8. To serve, top with more marinara and mozzarella. 

It's such an easy recipe with only a few ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes! It's a keeper for us! Now I actually look forward to supper each night, and since we're not going out during the week anymore, eating out on the weekends is even more of a treat! And the best part: spending less on food means spending more on shopping. It's a win-win :)  I'd also like to incorporate couponing. I'd love to hear your tips!

Blueberry Muffins

via Instagram. Follow me here!

On Sunday morning I wasn't feeling well so Tyler and I lounged in bed an extra hour and decided on these muffins for brunch. Actually, they were supposed to be for breakfast, but they took so long that they became "brunch." They were so delicious and I had one too many, so I didn't need to eat lunch anyway! I used this recipe from my friend and culinary genius, Sara. She writes a cooking blog called Breakfast in Bread. Go check it out!

A few helpful tips:
1. Use muffin/cupcake liners. They will make your life much easier.
2. Don't fill them with too much batter, or they will be HUGE. I always have a hard time with the whole 3/4 thing.
3. Wait until they're entirely cooled to store in an airtight container. Otherwise they'll become soggy. Oops.
4. Clear about an hour and a half from your schedule. Can you say time consuming?!

{Award Winning} Chicken Taco Chili

Image via Pinterest

If you're like me, it's easy to feel depressed during the months of January, February and March because a) It's cold and all you want to wear are sweats and UGGs, b) Spring is still 3 months away, c) There's only ONE holiday off work in THREE months, and d) Despite all the new year's resolutions you made, the last thing you want to do is cook healthy meals and work out. (See how I turned it around on you? ;))

On days when this is you, slip into your comfiest pajamas and remedy the cold with this delicious (and healthy!) crockpot chili (and spend hours looking at spring fashion while its cooking). Trust me, it's amazing! You can also freeze the leftovers for a super quick meal :)

Chicken Taco Chili (recipe from Skinny Taste)

1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce (I use a 16 oz can and a splash of tomato juice to make it a little more soupy)
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (I use 2 small cans of corn kernels)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies 

1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder 

 24 oz (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped (I actually forgot this recipe calls for an onion. I've never used one)
chili peppers, chopped (optional, I don't include this)
chopped fresh cilantro
 
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro, low fat shredded cheese and/or sour cream.  

Enjoy!

Note: This chili is "award winning" because it beat 7 other entries at the Island Community Church Annual Chili Cook-off this past Sunday. I even have the trophy to prove it.

^ via Instagram. Follow me @thesequinedspaniel :)

Happy Friday!

Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

I am a huge fan of soup on especially cold days, and this past Monday was the coldest day of the year so far, with temperatures around 28 degrees for most of the day. When I came home for lunch, I decided to throw some things into the crockpot for supper, without a specific recipe in mind. I ended up creating my own version of a vegetable stew, with a tomato sauce base and ground beef. It was just what I needed to warm up!

Vegetable Beef Soup

2 cans corn, drained
2 cans green beans, drained
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 large can & 1 regular can tomato sauce (+ tomato juice to create desired juiciness)
1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups of carrots, rinsed and cut into bite-sized pieces (I bought the baby carrots in the refrigerated produce section)
1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped
1 lb of lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worcheshire sauce
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients into crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours.

I put cheese on everything! 

Bella was dying to try it!

I was tempted to make Tyler's delicious cheesy cornbread, but we decided not to ruin an otherwise healthy meal. Feel free to add or subtract vegetables to suit your taste (and pantry inventory!).  Enjoy!