{ ranch potato casserole }

This is one of our very favorite recipes of all time! It’s definitely not low-calorie, but it’s easy to lighten it up a little with light sour cream, etc. A great comfort food, it’s also really good to freeze and reheat later if you wind up with an extra pan full like I did this week!

6 to 8 medium red potatoes (about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup prepared ranch-style dressing
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 tablespoons fresh or freeze-dried chives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup butter, melted

Cook the potatoes until tender; quarter (leaving skins on if desired) and set aside.
Combine the sour cream, dressing, bacon, chives and 1 cup cheese. Place potatoes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour sour cream mixture over potatoes and gently toss. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Combine cornflakes and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 329 calories, 23 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 53 mg cholesterol, 481 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 9 g protein. (Weight Watchers = 9 Points Plus)

{ bruschetta chicken bake }

I got this recipe from over at Mennonite Girls Can Cook (a great site with a nod to my ethnic background!) and I couldn’t resist because Bruschetta is one of my absolute favourite foods EVER!

Photo Source

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
1 19 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (120 g) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp basil leaves
1 cup Tex/Mex shredded cheese

Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, garlic and basil.
(I used fresh basil...it adds a wonderful flavour.)
Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and spread in 13x9-inch pan.
Cover with stuffing mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes at 375F...or until chicken is cooked through.
Enjoy now...or cover and refrigerate to serve later.

{ cobb salad }

I got this recipe from Skinny Taste and it’s a great one for weight loss, but my hubby and kids loved it as well…

Cobb Salad -- 3.5 WW points

1/2 head of romaine, coarsely chopped
1/2 head of Boston lettuce (or Iceberg), coarsely chopped
2 hard-boiled large eggs, separated, whites and yolks finely chopped
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 oz chicken breast, cooked and diced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup blue cheese

Dressing -- 2 WW points per Tbsp
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
Combine chopped lettuce in a large salad bowl.
Arrange the chicken, bacon, tomato, egg and avocado in neat rows over the greens.
Whisk vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until it is emulsified. Serve separately.

chunky monkey pancakes

I’m a huge fan of Our Best Bites… they have great recipes with pretty ordinary ingredients. Tradition in our house is pancakes for Saturday brunch and I was delighted to find this recipe, which was an instant hit with the boys! It’s great for using up those slightly over-ripe bananas your kids keep avoiding…

1 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk *
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs canola oil
1 large or extra large egg
2 small-med ripe bananas
1/4 cups mini chocolate chips tossed with 2 tsp flour
Cooking Spray or butter for pan
1 cups maple syrup
1/2 cups peanut butter

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined. Place bananas in a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Fold into batter. Add the chocolate chips that have been tossed with flour and stir.
For syrup, heat peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add maple syrup and gently whisk to combine. Heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds, whisk, and then set aside.

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat. Coat pan with a little butter and then pour on pancake batter. Use 1/4 cup batter for large pancakes (4-6") and 2 Tbsp for kid-sized ones (2-3"). Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.
Reheat syrup if necessary and pour over warm pancakes.
Yield:
28-30 2-3" pancakes (using 1/8 cup batter measure)
14-15 4-6" pancakes (using 1/4 cup batter measure)
Freezer Instructions: Let cooked pancakes cool to room temperature. Place in a single layer in the freezer until frozen and then place pancakes in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Reheat in a microwave or toaster until heated through.

*As a substitute for buttermilk, place 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 1/2 cup measuring cup and then fill the remainder with milk.

Photo courtesy of Our Best Bites.