Spaghetti Squash and Kale Casserole

We are in between Thanksgiving and Christmas and there have been lots of indulgences. Monday night seemed like a good day to skip the meat and eat a healthy veggie forward meal. I combined spaghetti squash, kale, marinara, and some cheese into a yummy lasagna type casserole. It had all the comforting flavors of a cozy winter meal without all of the excess. Definitely one we will be keeping in rotation.

What you need:

1 large spaghetti squash

1 1/2 cups of chopped kale (no stems)

2 cups of marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s Homemade)

1 cup of cottage or ricotta cheese ( I think Good Culture Cottage cheese is sooo good, almost always have it in the house)

1 cup of shredded Italian Cheese Blend (Parmesan, Fontina, Asiago, Mozzarella)

1 tbsp of Italian Seasoning

1 egg

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and slice your spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds and rub the interior with a bit of olive oil. Place flesh side down onto a baking sheet and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until you can pierce the outside really easily with a fork and it feels soft. Pull out of the oven and let cool a bit. When the squash is soft enough to handle, scoop out all of the flesh and place on a colander over top of the sink or rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze as much of the excess liquid out of it as you can. In a large bowl mix the spaghetti squash with your chopped kale and marinara sauce.

In a separate bowl mix together your cottage or ricotta cheese, one egg, 1/2 the tbsp of Italian seasoning and 1/2 the Italian cheese blend. Take a casserole dish and layer half of the squash mixture on the bottom. Spoon the cottage cheese mixture on top and spread out evenly. Place the remaining squash mixture on the top and the rest of the Italian cheese blend on top of that. Sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning on top and return to your 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown on top. I do not add any salt and pepper to this dish because I find the cheese and marinara have enough salt on their own, its not necessary. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and serve with a slotted spoon.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

This is such an easy and substantial breakfast casserole. I’m also delivering this to the new Mommy but it’s a go to when we have company, head up to the mountains with family, or around the holidays.

What you need:

-6 eggs

-3/4 cup half and half or cream

-1/2 cup of shredded cheese

-1/2 a bag of frozen hash browns

-5 strips of bacon, cooked, and crumbled

-1 tsp Dijon mustard

-salt and pepper

Start by preheating the oven to 425 and greasing a baking dish or pie pan. Layer half the hash browns on the bottom and add a few sprinkles of salt and pepper if they aren’t preseasoned. Bake for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft and starting to brown. Remove the potatoes to cool and mix your eggs, cream, Dijon, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Layer the bacon crumbles and some of the cheese on top of the hasbrowns and then pour your egg mixture over the top. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese on top. Reduce oven temperature to 400 and bake for about 25 minutes.

Apple Cake: Humble in appearance but stunning in flavor.

Everyone has their version of apple cake and this is mine. It’s taken years to perfect and lots of taste testing and I think I’ve finally nailed it. It’s perfectly crunchy on top and soft in the middle and the apples are so tender and juicy. If you love an old fashioned molasses cookie then you will love this cake. It’s not overly sweet and has a healthy dose of cinnamon. It’s really moist and flavorful and can be enjoyed for breakfast, tea, snack, or dessert. The key is to bake the apples in advance for about 15 minutes so they start to soften up and release their juices. I add 2 tbsp of molasses to the batter for a little extra moisture and flavor and it gives the cake its beautiful dark color. I think shortening keeps the cake fluffy but adding the butter streusel topping permeates throughout so you get multiple textures and flavors. This is an old fashioned cake that is never going out of style.

What you need:

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup white sugar

• ½ cup shortening

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp molasses

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ cup evaporated milk

• 2 cups apple - peeled, cored, and chopped (2-3 apples)

Streusel Topping: 1/4 cup cold salted butter , 1/2 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon (blend together with a fork or pastry cutter until forms small pebbles...like nerds candy).

To begin, heat oven to 350 and place apple pieces on a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until they are beginning to soften. While they are baking mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar. Next add in your eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract and molasses. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the shortening mixture and scrape down the sides. Blend in the evaporated milk. Remove the apples from the oven and place on bottom of greased baking pan (I like to use the paper from the shortening and use any leftovers to grease the pan). Let those cool slightly while making your streusel.

When the streusel is ready pour your batter over the top of the apples and sprinkle streusel evenly on the top. Bake at 350 for about 35-45 minutes, cooking time is depending on what type of dish you use. It is finished when a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. I’d start checking around 35 minutes because you don’t want to over cook it.

*** I have started making this cake in a pan lined with parchment paper so that I can remove it for easier slicing. The apples can be baked in the same dish as long as you cool them for a few minutes before adding the batter. Saves a ton of time on cleanup.