Broccoli Grape Harvest Salad by The Big Cheese

April sort of snuck by the Divas this month. We are actually meeting on May 1st to complete April's "Color-Me-Diva" month. Each diva was given a color, and our meal has to (I guess) have that color in it? Either way, The Big Cheese was given PURPLE...I mean, come on...I thought about eggplant? A purple colored wine? However, I kept coming back to grapes. I love them, my family loves them, who doesn't love grapes? The only problem with grapes is the recipe probably can't be frozen. My bad fellow divas, my bad. You'll just have to enjoy this meal ASAP! We divas know how to NOT waste a good meal. So, I'll stop rambling and give you this fresh recipe that I found (via Pintrest) at Eat Yourself Skinny blog. Who doesn't want to EAT themselves SKINNY? For real.



Here are your ingredients:

1/2 (16 oz) box whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups seedless red grapes
6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for about 6 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Then prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems and separate into small pieces using a paring knife. In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes. Stir to coat. Cover and chill for up to 3 hours. Stir in bacon and toasted pecans just before serving, enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken & Stuffing By: The BIG Cheese

Here I, The Big Cheese, sit at a local library...trying not to think of cheese. What's the use?!

Searching around for the healthiest/cheesiest recipe I could find. I found this recipe at http://www.emilybites.com/2012/03/cheesy-chicken-stuffing.html



* I cut her recipe in half, just FYI *

Ingredients:
4 thin boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
3 slices 2% reduced fat Swiss cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 can of Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
1/2 box of chicken flavored stuffing mix (such as Stove Top)
1/4 stick of butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist your baking dish.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer across the bottom of the baking dish. Tear the cheese slices into pieces and use them to cover the breasts.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk and cream of chicken soup until combined. Pour over the tops of the chicken.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the stuffing mix and melted butter until stuffing is coated. Sprinkle the stuffing mix over the tops of the chicken.
5. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.

YummmmmmmmmmmmmmmO!

Nancy Smith's Chicken - By The Big Cheese

Talking a little stroll down memory lane with this one, folks. My absolute favorite meal growing up with Momma Big Cheese was her little number called "Nancy Smith's Chicken". Even though her maiden name is Smith, we don't have any Nancy's (that I'm aware of!). Either way, This meal is comforting to my soul and belly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have.

Warning - it's WAAAAAAAAY better when Momma Big Cheese makes it! No doubt about that one. Love you, Patti!


* Thank you google images for the pic *

What you'll need:
1 bag (10 oz) of frozen peas
4 C cooked chicken, cut up
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C miracle whip
1/2 t curry powder
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

What you'll do:
1. Spread peas into dish
2. Put chicken on top
3. In separate bowl, mix soup, mayo and curry powder. Pour over chicken.
4. Cover with cheese
5. Let stand in fridge overnight
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, uncovered

Baked Potato Soup - Slow Cooker Style by The Big Cheese

Happy Crock-tober!

I turned to one "go to" food blogs to see what she had to offer for a classic crock pot recipe. The Cheese household enjoyed this pot of creamy deliciousness this weekend. Bless you, crock pots.

p.s. I feel like I've posted something like this before...oh wait, I have!

"Go To" food blog: http://www.mamalovesfood.com/2009/06/baked-potato-soup-slow-cooker-style.html

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Ingredients:

5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
10 cloves of garlic, minced (if you use jarred, it's a 5 teaspoon equivalent)
64 ounces (8 cups) chicken stock or broth
16 oz cream cheese, softened (I use low fat)
1 tablespoon seasoned salt (I use Aunt Cora's Soulful Seasoning)
optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Directions:

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!

Yields about 10-12 servings.

Cheesy Meatloaf (by the Big Cheese!)

I used to HATE when Mom would make meatloaf. Now, I really appreciate the flavors coming together and the stick to your ribs feeling you get after eating the hunk of meat. So, for March 2012 Diva, I was given "something you bake". I couldn't resist the yummy cheesy meatloaf. Num Num Num!!!!!

Ingredients:
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
handful of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground beef chuck
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup ketchup

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet or the bottom half of a broiler pan with foil.

Combine all ingredients, minus the ketchup (this is the fun part!) together and mix with a fork or your hands until evenly blended, but don't over mix.

Damp hands with water and pat the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, the brush ketchup over the top of the meatloaf. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Let meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans and a fresh dinner roll. Yummy in my tummy!

Pintrest Inspired Pizza Casserole (by: The Big Cheese!)

Oh Pintrest, how I love you! You give me such grand ideas and allow me to waste a large amount of time. However, this recipe did not waste my time...not one bit!

This is so good, I made my family not one...but TWO batches to freeze. YummmmmmmO

Originally 'pinned' here: http://formamas.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-casserole.html

It looks scary with so many steps, but please do not be afraid. I cannot tell a lie when I say "It is A-MA-ZING".

Ingredients:
1 bag of Egg Noodles
1 extra large can of Ragu sauce {or any tamato sauce you prefer}
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese {or more depending on how much you ♥ cheese!}
1 1/2 lbs hamburger meat
1 package pepperonis

First: Preheat to 350 degrees
Second: Brown the meat, & drain. Boil noodles and drain
Next: Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Second layer is half of the noodles
3} half of the meat
4} half of the sauce
5} rest of the noodles
6} half the cheese
7} rest of the meat
8} rest of the sauce
9} rest of the cheese
10} pepperonis {I only used half the package. saved the rest for next time}

Now cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, remove the foil & bake for another 15 minutes

VOILA!

Once it's done baking, take it out & let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes. {This is to cool it off AND to let everything settle together. If you don't let it sit, it will just fall apart on your fork!}

Pasta Milano by The Big Cheese

This recipe was inspired by Macaroni Grill and found online. One word: yum!

What you'll need:
3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version)
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls - The Big Cheese

Oh how I love the Divas "ball themed" month! For this year's month of balls, I turned to Pintrest for a recipe. This proved to be very helpful and easy! Thank you, Pintrest and all those "pinners" who pinned this recipe for my viewing/tasting pleasure.

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix all ingredients until well combined.
Roll into 1-inch balls.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.

When I first tried these balls, I served with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes!

October 2011 - Cheesy Diva's Favorite Recipes

Our next baby diva (Cheesy Diva Jr) is arriving this November.


(thanks google images for the random baby cheesehead picture)

Since Cheesy will probably want to have some of her favorite meals in the freezer for when the baby arrives, we let her choose her all time favorite meals for this month's theme.

Her choices?

Wine Diva: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Gourmet Diva: Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Wraps
Dessert Diva: Pork Tenderloin Medallions in a Lemon Mustard Sauce
Saucy Diva: Island Spice Pork Tenderloin
Cheesy Diva: Alfredo Tortellini

All of the divas were very happy with her choices! If you are new to our blog this is a great month to start cooking with us.

Look below this post to find all of the recipes mentioned above (you can also click on the "October 2011" link on the right of the page).

Until next dinner...

Alfredo Tortellini - By: The Big Cheese

Original post date: 8/18/11

Pasta lovers beware! August 2011 brings the Mac-Daddy of all things good and creamy! Sweet Heaven, this diva LOVES this dish!

What You’ll Need:
1 (8 oz) pkg cheese tortellini

1 cup ham, diced

(8 oz) cream cheese

1 pkg dry Italian dressing

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 stick butter

What You’ll Do:
Add tortellini to a large pot of boiling salted water and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat. Add the cream cheese, butter, cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing, and milk and stir until smooth. Once smooth, add in ham and stir to coat.
After the tortellini finishes boiling, drain, then add to cream sauce. Stir to evenly coat and serve warm.

Chili & Cheese on Rice (By: The Big Cheese!)

If you ask me...it's officially Slow Cooker season! Praise the heavens above!!!!!! For my September Diva Meal, please enjoy this easy and yumm-o recipe that I found in my "Fix It and Forget It" Cookbook.

What you’ll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
16-oz. can light red kidney beans
15 ½ oz. can chili beans
1 pint stewed tomatoes, drained
cooked rice (whatever amount you desire)
grated cheddar cheese (whatever amount you desire)

What you do:
1. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Season with basil and oregano.
2. Combine all ingredients except rice and cheese in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
4. Serve over cooked rice.
5. Top with cheese.

Creamy Asparagus Pasta - by The Big Cheese

This month I was so excited to use asparagus as my "Iron Chef" ingredient!



Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint light cream
1 pound linguine pasta
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Stir lemon juice into asparagus mixture; pour mixture over pasta.

Until the next dinner...

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs

Quick, easy and so much fun to eat!!


What you'll need:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 cups assorted vegetable pieces, such as bell pepper, onion, corn, zucchini and mushrooms
- 1 bottle of Italian dressing (you get to choose the brand!)
- 6 skewers, soaked in water for a few hours before preparing

What you do:
1. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

2. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Alternately thread chicken cubes and vegetables onto skewers.

3. Grill over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, turning frequently.

Cheey Potato Casserole

Whatever you're in the mood for, this recipe on how to make cheesy potato casserole will always be a real hit. The divas LOVED it this month! Special thanks to Momma Carv Diva, who shared the recipe with me. LOVE YOU MOM!

You will need:
- 8 potatoes, cubed and boiled
- 1 handful of cooked bacon bits
- Half of an onion, roughly chopped
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 2 or 3 heaping spoonfuls of light mayo
- 1 cup (or more, if you're feeling cheesy!) Cheddar cheese

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 350°F

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Boil cubed potatoes, rinse and let cool
Step 3: In a 9 x 13 dish, add cooled potatoes and all other ingredients. Mix well, and cook in oven for 40 - 45 minutes!

So easy, and soooooooo cheesy!

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken (by Cheesy Diva)

*Pic from the blog of choice*

Helloooooooo Diva Followers! Long time, no see! I'm back in action, I swear!
This month, my recipe is coming to you straight from the blog of Kevin & Amanda. I randomly found them through my endless blog stalking that takes place...daily.

Super easy, and SUPER delicious. I have made a few of the measurements smaller due to all diva families being so small. However, feel free to follow Kevin and Amanda's recipe for the true measurements if need be.

1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp butter
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, split
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ lb bacon (or bacon bits)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat oil & butter over medium-high heat.
Add chicken breasts, and sauté 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
Place browned chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Cover with teriyaki sauce and ranch dressing.
Sprinkle with cheese and top with bacon bits.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Chicken Goodness (By Cheesy Diva)

This is a recipe that comes from a "back in the day" friend. It is delicious, cheesy and OH SO good!

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can size sour cream

¼ cup sherry cooking wine

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooked Shredded chicken

Crumbled ritz crackers on top with a stick of butter (yes, a whole stick!) poured over the crackers

Cook 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes or until its bubbly

I usually double the recipe and use 2 cans of soup, 2 cans sour cream, and ½ cup of sherry wine, however much chicken you want, and then add more mozzarella (about 2-3 cups – depending on how cheesy you want it…so for me maybe 4 cups of cheese...KIDDING....kinda!
If you add the ritz crackers at the beginning cover the pan with foil for the first 10 – 15 minutes so the crackers don’t burn. Then take the foil off so they can get just a little crispy.

I cannot tell a lie, this meal is not the healthiest recipe on the blog - however, it's so worth every.single.calorie!

Momma Carver's French Toast Casserole (by Cheesy Diva)

This is Dessert Diva. I'm posting this recipe for the Big Cheese. This was her contribution to our December Supper Club. The theme was Breakfasts and Appetizers.

Ingredients
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
6 slices of bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 c milk

Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Halve the slices of bread diagonally. Place in pan on top of brown sugar mixture in a double layer.

Beat eggs; add milk and whisk together. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy! This makes a delicious breakfast!

Cheesy Appetizer Loaf (by the BIG cheese)

I made this dish while hosting the divas this evening! I heard great reviews, so I thought I'd share. I got the recipe from www.kraftfoods.com - so easy and SO GOOD!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Italian Cheese Crumbles
3 Tbsp. Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chopped Spanish olives
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 loaf French bread (24 inch), cut lengthwise in half
Paprika

How do you make it? It's easy...

Heat broiler. Mix first 4 ingredients.
Spread onto cut sides of bread; sprinkle lightly with paprika.
Broil, 6 inches from heat, 1 min. or until cheese is melted.
Serve warm

Beef and Corn Enchiladas

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup nonfat sour cream
1 - 15 ounce dice tomatoes drained
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 - 7 ounce diced mild green chilies
8 - 5 inch corn tortillas
2 cups low fat shredded cheese
3 green onions, diced

1. Cook beef until browned
2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, garlic, sour cream, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and green chilies and stir until incorporated. Set aside
3. Arrange 4 corn tortillas on top of the sauce.
4. Spred half of the ground beef over the tortillas.
5. Top with half of sour cream mixture.
6. Cover the sour cream mixture with 4 more tortillas.
7. Spread shredded cheese and green onions over the tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and back for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and back for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Garlic Green Beans (by Cheesy Diva)

Truth be told, this dish is better when you make it, then eat it right away. For the DTD BBQ, I made the dish then traveled about 45-50 minutes before warming it up and serving. In the past, I have served it right away, and enjoyed it 100% more.



AND - I never thought the day would come where these words come out of my mouth...but...you can use too much cheese (don't hate me!). Follow the amounts listed below! Believe me, a fellow cheese lover, that you do NOT want to over-do it!

So, if you need a new twist on a classic green bean, this is the dish for you!

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium head garlic - peeled and sliced
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, drained
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil; add garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.