Recipe: Irish inspired Potato Nachos

We were invited to not one but TWO Thanksgivings last Thursday, so we decided to watch the first football game at the one house and then see the second game (and have real dinner) at the second house. The second hostess insisted we didn't need to bring anything, so I just brought some mini pies from Crumbl (which are so cute and yummy!). But for the first house, I wanted to bring some good football-watching food. I found this recipe on the Clean Food Crush blog, and I had never heard of healthy nachos before. I thought this was a cool alternative, and it didn't seem too difficult.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 Tbsps avocado oil, or olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 slices nitrate-free bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 vine tomato, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro, scallions, or parsley leaves

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400˚ F. Rinse and scrub potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. Pat excess moisture with a paper towel or allow to air dry.
2. Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch thick, even, rounds and place them in a large bowl (may want to use a mandoline for even slicing.)
3. Season your potatoes with oregano, thyme, sea salt and black pepper, drizzle oil on top.
4. Gently rub and toss to get them coated evenly.
5. Place the potatoes onto a large baking sheet (or 2) in a SINGLE layer and roast for 20 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping once during roasting.
6. Once the potatoes are done, carefully remove from the oven and transfer to a skillet or oven-safe dish. I covered mine with parchment for easy clean up!
7. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for additional 6-8 minutes until cheese is nice and melty. To assemble your nachos, add a generous dollop of yogurt in the middle.
8. Crumble crispy bacon on top, then sprinkle with tomatoes and onions as shown.
9. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, scallions, and/or parsley and serve immediately.

I didn't follow the recipe to a T, and I didn't use all the ingredients. I don't eat bacon, and I used sour cream instead of yogurt. I also just topped my "nachos" with cheese, sauteed yellow onion and bell pepper, and sprinkled in a little green onion. I did season the potatoes with LOTS of cumin so that they would taste more like real nachos. And even though it was a little tedious flipping the little potato slices one by one, they turned out to be really good (although they got cold very quickly, so microwaving was necessary later). This could be good for a Superbowl party, I think!

Recipe: Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Image found here

Get ready because I'm going to be posting LOTS of recipes this week! It's that time of year when you're hunkered down at home because the nights are chilly, it's the holiday season, and you've got LOTS of leftovers (and lots of football to watch, too!).

I made this casserole recipe from the Seasoned Mom blog, less to do with the reasons listed above and more because I think casseroles are great for meal prep. I have to go into the office five days a week with my new job, which means I eat the majority of my lunches (and actually my breakfasts as well) at work. So I have to prepare ten meals a week just for that! And casseroles make it easy. And this recipe is easy, too, with only three steps!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
• 22 oz jar Alfredo sauce (about 1 very large 22-ounce jar or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars) (~ 2 ½ cups total)
• 3 cups chicken stock (or substitute with chicken broth)
• 2 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or Italian blend cheese)
• Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, or parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken stock, chicken and garlic. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Uncover; give the pasta a good stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but with a tender bite). I have had good luck with the 30-minute cook time; however, some readers have noted that it required about 10 or 15 minutes longer. If it’s still too hard after 30 minutes, just cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 8-10 more minutes, or until the cheese melts. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or fresh chopped herbs if desired.

I love that not only could I just throw everything together, but I didn't even have to cook the pasta first! I did not bother with the herbs, but I did realize later that this recipe has ZERO vegetables in it. It's already not healthy because of the alfredo sauce, but no veggies?! So when I've been eating a portion, I top it with a third of a bell pepper (diced) before microwaving it. I guess you could also make a side salad, but that's too much work (the opposite of this recipe!).