Pesto Orzo with Crispy Beans and Brussels Sprouts

 Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, shredded (*can buy pre-shredded Brussels sprouts)
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannelloni beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 cups orzo pasta
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup pesto sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the Brussels sprouts and beans. You may need to use two baking sheets for this if you don't have a large one, as the more crowded the vegetables are, the less they crisp up. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sprouts are fork-tender and some leaves have crisped.

Meanwhile prepare the orzo. Combine the orzo and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let it cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Toss the cooked Brussels sprouts, beans, orzo and pesto in a large mixing bowl. Divide among plates or bowls and serve.

Enjoy! 

Feeding Littles & Beyond (pg. 80-81)

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal Bake

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 3/4 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil, cooled slightly (butter may be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 finely chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degreed F. Grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet or an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. 

Place the zucchini in the middle of a cheesecloth or paper towel, wrap it up, and squeeze any excess moisture out. Place the zucchini in a large mixing bowl with the milk, maple syrup, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. 

Combine the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine. 

Pour the dry oat mixture into the prepared skillet. Pour the wet ingredients and gently pat down any remaining dry oats on top to submerge in the wet ingredients. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is firm and the edges are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Slice into 6 large or 12 small triangles. Serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

Feeding Littles and Beyond (pg. 41)

Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Pesto

 Ingredients

• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1inch pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder 
• Salt and pepper
• 1 box casarecce pasta (or rigatoni, fusilli, ziti, etc.)
• 1/3 cup pesto sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, toss the broccoli, carrots, onion, and pepper with olive oil. Season with the garlic powder and salt and pepper, and toss again. Roast for 35 or until all the vegetables are fork-tender, tossing every 10 minutes. Once roasted, roughly chop the broccoli, carrots, and pepper. 

Ten minutes into cooking the vegetables, bring a pot filled halfway full with water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir, and let it cook according to package instructions. 

Drain the pasta into a colander and place it back in the pot, along with the roasted vegetables and pesto. Toss thoroughly to combine. 

Enjoy!

*Feeding Little & Beyond (pg. 98-99)

Sheet Pan Eggs

Ingredients

• 16 eggs
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly grease a large sheet pan by brushing with olive oil. 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and then add your desired fillings: 

     Broccoli and Cheddar: Heat a Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the broccoli until bright green, about 3 minutes, then add to the eggs. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, making sure the eggs are distributed evenly. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Remove from the oven and slice into 8 squares. 

Enjoy! 

Other suggested filling combos in Feeding Littles & Beyond (pg. 47-48) 

-Southwestern: 1/2 diced ham + 1/2 cup diced green and red bell peppers

-Pesto Zucchini: 1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds + 3 Tablespoons pesto sauce

-Pizza: 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni + 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes + 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Spicy Party Pretzels

 Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. bag mini pretzel twists
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. 

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, cayenne, garlic, and ranch. 

Spread the pretzels in a single layer on a baking sheet. (You'll probably need two sheets.)

Pour oil mixture over the pretzels and stir well to coat. 

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for at least 1 week. 

Enjoy! 

Pepper Jack Pesto Pasta

 Ingredients 

• 1 lb. cooked pasta
• 1 4 oz jar pesto
• 1.5 cups Greek yogurt (3 individual containers)
• 2 small blocks Pepper Jack cheese, grated (1/4 mixed in and 3/4 on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix together ingredients. 

Pour in 9 x 13 baking dish and top with cheese. 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. 

*Shrimp or chicken make great add-ins* 

Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

 Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Nutella spread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottoms of a muffin tin with a non-stick baking spray. 

Add the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and sugar to a large bowl and mix together. 

Stir together the flour, baking powered, sale, and cinnamon. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the pumpkin mixture until everything is mixed in. 

Spoon the muffin batter evenly into 18 muffin cavities. 

Place the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds. Stir until creamy. Drop the warm Nutella in the center of each muffin. Use a toothpick to swirl the chocolate gently on top. 

Bake the muffins for 22 minutes. Remove and cool in the pan for 2 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container. 

Enjoy! 

Saucy Tuscan Butter Shrimp

 Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lbs. shrimp (peeled and deveined, tails removed)
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup basil, thinly sliced
• *Serve over linguine

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season shrimp all over with salt and pepper. When oil is simmering but not smoking, add shrimp and sear until underside is golden, about 2 minutes, then flip until opaque. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

Reduce heat to medium and add butter. When butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst then add spinach and cook until spinach is beginning to wilt. 

Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan and basil and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. 

Return shrimp to skillet and stir to combine. Cook until shrimp is heated through, garnish with more basil. 

Enjoy!

Grilled Lamb Chops/ Pork Chops

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 6 lamb loin/ pork chops

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. 

Poke holes in meat with fork. Add lamb/ park chops. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes. 

Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium-hot heat for 7 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (meat thermometer reads medium 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F). 

Enjoy! 

Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 precooked frozen hash brown patties
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups diced ham (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 scallions, diced
• 9 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish

Arrange frozen hash brown patties in the dish, in a single layer, and sprinkle with the cheeses, ham, and scallions evenly over the top. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, mustard, and garlic powder; pour evenly over the ham mixture. 

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into portions and serve. 

Enjoy! 

*When making ahead of time, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. Remove from the fridge when the oven is preheating and add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total baking time. 

Kelly O's Baked Oatmeal

 Ingredients

• 3 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup blueberries/ raspberries
• 1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, oil and vanilla. 

Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes. 

Stir in berries. 

Pour into 11x7 inch dish coated with cooking spray (Use 9x13 inch dish when recipe is doubled). 

Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. 

Serve with milk and brown sugar or maple syrup. 

Enjoy! 

Pesto Chicken Pasta Casserole

 Ingredients

• 16 oz penne pasta
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 15 oz jar alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. 

In a LARGE mixing bowl, combine pasta, chicken, milk, mozzarella cheese, baby spinach, diced tomatoes, Alfredo sauce and pesto. Mix until well combined. 

Spread mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a small mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. 

Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of casserole. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crumb topping is golden brown and casserole is heated through. 

Enjoy!

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

 Ingredients

• 8 count refrigerated Grands biscuit dough
• 1 lbs. bulk sausage
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• One 2 3/4 ounce package peppered gravy mix (makes 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until completely browned. Drain off the fat and set the sausage aside. 

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and spread over the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. 

Add the cooked sausage over the biscuit dough, then sprinkle the cheese over the sausage. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk; add salt and pepper to taste, then pour the mixture over the casserole. 

Make gravy according to the package instructions. Pour the prepared gravy over the whole casserole. 

Bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes until pupped up and golden brown on top. 

Enjoy!

Avocado, Spinach, and Fruit Smoothie

 Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado
• Vanilla Greek yogurt cup
• Handful spinach
• 1 cup frozen fruit/berries
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup oats

Blend ingredients together. Enjoy!