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Easy Pasta Salad

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At the beginning of the year, I set three food goals for myself. 1)Cook a meal for another family once each month. 2)Buy from my local farmers market at least once per month. 3)Bake a bread recipe of one sort or another each month. Friends, COVID-19 has seriously interrupted these plans! Social distancing, businesses (and the farmers markets) closed, and difficulty finding flour in the stores. I will revisit these goals when I am able to but in the mean time, I have been focusing on simple recipes.

Fancy ingredients and complicated cooking techniques are not prerequisites to a good meal. In fact, some of my favorite dishes are made quickly with just a handful of ingredients. With this in mind, along with my yearning for farmers market produce, I’ve created my easy pasta salad. There is also some versatility in this recipe. You can use whatever small pasta you can get your hands on. Eat it as a side dish, or add your favorite protein to make it your entree. And once you can go to your farmers market again, be sure to show your support and buy your ingredients for this one from your local farmers.

Easy Pasta Salad

Sarah Baade
An easy to make pasta salad that can be used as a side dish or an entree.
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Course Dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb small pasta such as orecchiette, shells or elbow noodles
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (divided) olive oil
  • 15 oz canned chickpeas
  • 12 oz small tomatoes – mixed variety, halved
  • 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4″ slices then quartered
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: protein such as tofu, grilled bratwurst, or grilled chicken

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta then rinse with cold water until cooled.
  • Transfer pasta to a large bowl and stir together with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  • Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion then toss to combine.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, Italian herb seasoning and salt. Pour over pasta and gently stir until pasta is evenly coated. Top with protein of choice if desired.
Keyword Easy Pasta Salad, Easy Recipe, Pasta, Pasta Salad

SHEET PAN VEGGIE TACOS

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My first year of graduate school, I was blessed with a roommate who also loved spending time in the kitchen. We often weren’t home at the same time which left little room for cooking together. Instead, I might come home from class and find his homemade bread sitting on the counter. Or, he would come home to a slice of homemade cheesecake. Baking was truly the passion of the household. However, we also had a routine of taco night once a week. This was our favorite meal to share with friends and we had an entire speech that we would serve up with the food. The ingredients were routine but ample – ground beef, shredded cheese, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, etc… The speech we gave encouraged our friends to make their taco experience their own. Add what you want, skip the toppings that aren’t your favorite. Taco night never disappointed.

Fast forward a few years and taco night has become a national trend. Hello, #tacotuesday! Over the years, I have also expanded on my taco repertoire. In particular, I love changing up the fillings. Lately, I’ve been making lots of veggie tacos. This is basically a sheet pan dinner – who doesn’t love an easy sheet pan dinner?! You’ll get your veggies plus protein from chickpeas all flavored in what you’ll recognize as classic taco seasoning.

Sheet Pan Veggie Tacos

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Course Dinner, Main Course
Servings 12 Tacos

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 2 cups red cabbage, chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then cut in half length wise
  • 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 medium jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 12 flour or corn tortillas
  • Optional toppings: avocado, salsa, hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 420°F.
  • Place squash, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and jalapeno in a large bowl. Stir in olive oil and all spices until vegetables are evenly coated.
  • Spread vegetable mixture out on a sheet pan and bake for 20minutes, stirring halfway through.
  • While vegetables are cooking, wrap tortillas in foil then place in oven for the last 10 minutes of vegetable cook time.
  • Fill tortillas with vegetable mixture and toppings as desired.

Notes

Alternative methods for warming tortillas:
  • Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds then flip and heat for another 30 seconds. Repeat this for each tortilla.
  • If you have a gas stovetop, you can heat tortillas, one at a time, directly over the flame, flip with tongs after 15 seconds. You might need to flip them a few times in order to get them slightly toasted. ***Keep flame low and watch the tortillas closely so you don’t catch them on fire.***
Keyword Sheet Pan Dinner, Veggie Taco Recipe, Veggie Tacos

EASY VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

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A friend of mine was recently asking about recipes that use frozen vegetables. It occurred to me that I have always used fresh produce in my recipes here. Fresh is great but there are some huge advantages to using frozen veggies when you can. Frozen vegetables are actually less expensive than fresh ones. I did a quick price check at my local grocery store and a bag of fresh broccoli florets was priced at 21c per ounce. Meanwhile, the bag of frozen broccoli florets was priced at 11c per ounce. That is nearly HALF the price! If you’re on a budget, frozen veggies are a great way to get healthy foods on the cheap. Speaking of being budget friendly, frozen vegetables won’t go bad in a few days which means you’re not tossing anything out at the end of the week. You’re getting your money’s worth! Finally, frozen vegetables are already chopped. Let’s be honest, chopping vegetables sometimes takes longer than actually cooking a dish. Precut vegetables are a huge time saver! So, have I convinced you to buy frozen vegetables yes?!

Now, let’s get down to this recipe. I started making fried rice a few years ago because I was simply wanting to use up some leftovers from the fridge. I have a habit of cooking more rice than we need when using it as a side dish.  Rather than tossing out the leftovers or even eating plain rice again later in the week, I chose to repurpose it. The thing about fried rice is that it is actually easy to customize with whatever vegetables or spices are your favorites. Here, I’m giving you a super easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice. From here, feel free to get creative with what you add in. I’d love to hear how you adapt this to make it your own!

Tips

  • It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
  • This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.

Easy Vegetable Fried Rice

An easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice.
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cooked, cold brown rice
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots
  • 1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions
 

  • Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  • Add rice and vegetables to the pan and cook until tender. Mix in garlic, sesame oil, onion powder, and tamari sauce.
  • Push rice mixture to one side of the pan. Pour the egg into the other side of the pan and stir with a rubber spatula until curds form. Stir egg into the rice mixture. Add additional tamari sauce if desired.

Notes

  • 4 servings is based on using this recipe as a side dish. If you prefer to use it as your entrée, double the recipe.
  • It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
  • This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.

THREE BEAN PITA SANDWICH

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The great thing about food blogging is that inspiration comes three times per day, at a minimum. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Any time we go out to eat or have a meal at a friend’s house, I am surrounded by inspiration. My husband recently requested a bean based sandwich. My brain instantly went to the three bean salad available at the Jason’s Deli salad bar. Why not make something similar and pop it into a pita?

I love a dish that can be served more than one way. This is that kind of dish. You can easily serve this up as a pita sandwich (as described in the recipe) but you could just as easily eat it as a salad. Alternatively, I think it could also make a great topping on a baked sweet potato. Main dish or side dish. Either way, I call it delicious. I always keep chickpeas and black beans in my pantry. This recipe is a perfect example of why they are staples.

Tips

  • You can eat this right away if you want to. However, you will get better flavor if you let the bean mixture marinate in the dressing for 30 minutes before eating it.
  • If you are packing this for lunch, I recommend packing the bean mixture and the pita bread separately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Three Bean Pita Sandwich

This three bean pita sandwich turns pantry staples into a delicious meal.
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Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 small cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 4 6″ whole wheat pita breads, cut in half

For the dressing

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, mix together all of the beans, vegetables and fresh herbs. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir until evenly coated.
  • When ready to eat, use a slotted spoon to scoop bean salad into pita halves.
Keyword Beans, Pita, Sandwich, Three Bean, Three Bean Pita Sandwich

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in my curried chickpea salad sandwich or my veggie wrap with homemade jalapeno hummus.

PARMESAN ASPARAGUS & TOMATOES

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As some of you may know, I followed a pretty strict vegetarian diet for about a year in 2017-2018. I’ve loved vegetables for as long as I can remember so it wasn’t too far of a stretch for me to jump in completely. When I took the time to truly plan my meals, it was a relatively easy diet for me to follow and I truly enjoyed it. When I didn’t take that time to plan and prep though, it was rough. Every Wednesday night my husband and I join two other couples for what we call small group. Fellowship is probably a better word to describe these evenings. We share a meal, talk about Jesus and talk about life. I love our Wednesday nights and these friends are really more like family. However, cooking on those nights became stressful. I would make a dish for the non-vegetarian group of friends. Cook something for my daughter (who wasn’t eating with us or I would have served her the same thing). And after each of those, I was still cooking a vegetarian dinner for myself. It was too much. Too much to accomplish within a small window of time after work and before getting our group together. Ultimately, the diet wasn’t worth the cooking chaos and I started reincorporating meats into my routine. Perhaps down the road I will give it another go but right now it isn’t the right option for me.

I still enjoy cooking vegetarian based dishes at home when life isn’t too crazy though. This is why I have kept the blog as primarily vegetarian. I love the challenge and health benefits of keeping more plants on my plate than meats. Even when we go out to dinner I often choose a vegetarian option. One of my favorite things to do is to order a few different side dishes or appetizers and eat those as my dinner rather than ordering an entrée. I feel like I have more options that way. Plus, I feel like I get to try a wider variety of what the restaurant has to offer. With this in mind, I also enjoy making side dishes at home and claiming them as my main course. I discovered last week that I can eat about a pound of asparagus on my own. Sorry to my husband for not sharing, haha! This recipe is a new one for us but is so easy and tasty that it might very well make it to the usual rotation of favorite recipes.

Tips:

  • Feel free to swap out the grape tomatoes for whatever small sweet tomatoes you can find at your local store.
  • I highly recommend sticking with fresh herbs on this one. Dried herbs will not give the same fresh flavor.
Sauteed asparagus and tomatoes with parmesan.

Parmesan Asparagus & Tomatoes

A flavorful, savory side dish that is quick and easy to make.
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Course Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 3 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stir frequently. Add asparagus, stirring occasionally, and cook until slightly tender and starting to get char markings, about 5 minutes. Stir in oregano and thyme. Push asparagus to one side of the pan, place tomatoes on other side. Cook tomatoes until they soften slightly and start to get char markings, about 3 minutes. Add parmesan and salt, stir all ingredients together in the pan until well combined.
Keyword Asparagus, Easy Recipe, Side Dish, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Recipe

BROCCOLI CHEESE QUICHE & SWEET POTATO HASH

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Broccoli Cheese Quiche & Sweet Potato Hash - Slice Of Honey

I’ve mentioned before that breakfast isn’t typically my thing, but brunch? Brunch is my jam! On the weekends, my husband and I each take a day to sleep in while the other one gets up early with our toddler. First of all, I love this sleep plan because we both end up feeling rested and rejuvenated. Second of all, by the time we are both up for the day it is the perfect time to hit up a restaurant for brunch. Our local favorites tend to give large servings which means leftovers. Leftovers that are absolutely delicious and all of us are eager to dive into during the week. There’s just something about breakfast foods for lunch or dinner that really hits the spot! I’m not alone on this line of thinking, am I?     

Broccoli Cheese Quiche & Sweet Potato Hash - Slice Of Honey

A typical work day isn’t exactly conducive to brunch. Or is it? Hello meal planning! I was challenged by my friend, Nicolas, over at Blogtastic Food to create a dish that would work well for meal planning. I came up with two recipes to create a mini-brunch that I can take to work. These recipes reheat well which is ideal for this challenge but they are also easy to make. You can cook the sweet potato hash while the quiche is baking so everything is finished at the same time. Once it has all cooled off, pack individual servings into containers so you can grab and go as you head out the door for work during the week.

Broccoli Cheese Quiche & Sweet Potato Hash - Slice Of Honey

Tips:

  • Blind baking means you are going to partially bake the pie crust before you add the filling. It is worth the extra little bit of effort to blind bake your crust so you don’t end up with a soggy bottom on your quiche.
  • One of the great things about quiche is that you can take the egg base and change out the fillings. You could add ½ cup chopped ham cooked ham or bacon. If broccoli isn’t your thing, toss in some chopped bell peppers instead. Get creative!

Broccoli Cheese Quiche & Sweet Potato Hash - Slice Of Honey

Broccoli Cheese Quiche

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Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 1 premade pie crust
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Arrange pie crust in a 9.5” pie dish. Line top of pie crust with parchment paper and then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust for 20 minutes.
  • While crust is baking, beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in cheeses, cream, salt and pepper. Stir in broccoli. 
  • Once blind bake is finished, pull the crust out of the oven then remove beans/weights and parchment paper. Pour egg mixture into pie crust and return to the oven and bake 40-50 minutes or until egg mixture has set.

Sweet Potato Hash

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and sauté 5 more minutes or until onions start to become transparent. Add bell peppers and spices, sauté an additional 2 minute.

 

For more meal prep ideas, check out the following recipes from the other “meal prep challenge” collaborators. 

 

THAI CHICKEN GREEN CURRY MEAL PREP
https://www.blogtasticfood.com/thai-chicken-green-curry-meal-prep/

MUSHROOM RISOTTO MEAL PREP
https://juliarecipes.com/2019/04/30/mushroom-risotto-meal-prep/comment-page-1/#comment-806

VEGAN MEAL PREP CHILI
https://holistichormonehelp.com/2019/04/24/vegan-meal-prep-chili/

RED LENTIL, TAMARIND & TOMATO SOUP
https://cuisinedeli.com/2019/04/30/red-lentil-tamarind-tomato-soup/

PUMPKIN, RICOTTA AND SAGE PASTA SHELLS
https://itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com/pumpkin-ricotta-and-sage-pasta-shells/

INSTANT POT ROPA VIEJA FOR MEAL PREP
https://www.hangrywhitemale.com/instant-pot-ropa-vieja-for-meal-prep/

MEAL PREP: GARLIC SHRIMPS SKILLET WITH BULGUR
https://healthylaura.com/dairy-free/meal-prep-garlic-shrimps-skillet-with-bulgur/

EASY MEXICAN LASAGNA
https://realfoodhappyhome.com/easy-mexican-lasagna/

MAKE AHEAD MEAL PREP MINI FRITTATAS IN MUFFIN TINS
https://www.31daily.com/make-ahead-meal-prep-mini-frittatas-in-muffin-tins/

INSTANT POT STUFFED PEPPERS {WITH TURKEY AND QUINOA}
https://www.mealswithmaggie.com/instant-pot-stuffed-peppers/

SWEET TURMERIC ROASTED VEGETABLES

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Sweet Turmeric Roasted Vegetables - Slice Of Honey Blog

Throughout college I spent my summers working at YMCA residential summer camps. While working at Camp Cosby, we would have snacks for the staff who had a little time off in the evenings. Leftover desserts from dinner, potato chips, I even learned to love cheesy toast (literally just sandwich bread with a slice of cheese on it, toasted up in the oven). Since my specialty in the kitchen was baking, I made a blackberry cobbler one evening – made from fresh blackberries we had picked that week. It was such a treat to have a made from scratch dessert but it wasn’t the most impressive snack we had that summer. There were two staff members from New Orleans who whipped up some fried chicken for us like it was no big deal. I watched them gathering spices and I was amazed by how they knew exactly what they needed and/or knew which spices would go well together. I had never seen someone my own age put a dish together like that without a recipe. Not only that, it was some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

Sweet Turmeric Roasted Vegetables - Slice Of Honey Blog

Fast forward 15+ years and I’ve become more confident in exploring spices and using my pantry to the best of my ability. I love roasting vegetables but I’ve been needing to get out of a flavor rut with them. I’ve been wanting to try and incorporate turmeric so I just went for it, adding some additional spices and a little bit of honey. Guys, I shamelessly ate the ENTIRE pan of vegetables!!! Sure, these experiments don’t always turn out on a first go or even a fifth go but when they do it totally makes up for the frustrating moments that can happen in the kitchen. I hope you are encouraged by this recipe to explore your pantry or spice rack and try something new.

SWEET TURMERIC ROASTED VEGETABLES

Lightly sweetened with spices and honey, you'll love these roasted vegetables!
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
    Place cauliflower and carrots in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Stir until vegetables are evenly coated with oil.
    In a small bowl, mix turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and black pepper. Add spices to vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Spread vegetable mixture onto a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until vegetables are for tender, stirring halfway through cooking.
    Drizzle vegetables with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

CAULIFLOWER TACOS

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Cauliflower Tacos - Slice Of Honey Blog

I know it might seem a little cliché to be making tacos when I’m based out of Texas but seriously, guys… TACOS!!! Who cares about clichés when a dish this delicious is on the line?!? Plus, it’s not like tacos are exclusive to this part of the country. During my first year of graduate school, my roommate and I would make tacos every week and any time we had guests over for dinner. I would always give our guests the same speech. “Tacos are a personal experience. We are providing you with options for your toppings but, please, create your tacos to your own liking.” I was always fascinated to see which toppings people would pile and which toppings would get skipped over.

Cauliflower Tacos - Slice Of Honey Blog

I’ve come across several delicious cauliflower taco recipes out there but all of them are made with florets which don’t give me that traditional taco texture I’m looking for. By using finely chopped cauliflower, I was able to achieve a texture and appearance that is more similar to ground meat. Honestly, even when I brought this to work as leftovers, my colleagues commented that it looked like meat. While I still think taco toppings are a personal experience, I would encourage you to add some black beans or pinto beans for added protein into this dish.

Cauliflower Tacos - Slice Of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • This taco filling has a bit of heat to it. To reduce the heat, leave out the cayenne pepper.
  • If you plan to top your tacos with the creamy avocado sauce, you can make it the day before and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cauliflower Tacos

A new take on cauliflower tacos - your family won't even notice these tacos are vegetarian.
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Servings 8 tacos

Ingredients
  

For the Tacos

  • 8 corn or flour tortillas
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 14 oz bag finely chopped cauliflower
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Optional toppings:lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, black beans, red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, salsa, creamy avocado sauce (see recipe below)

Creamy Avocado Sauce

  • 2 small avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

For the Tacos

  • Heat oven to lowest temperature possible. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm while cooking the cauliflower mixture.
    In a large pan over, medium heat, add cauliflower and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in spices. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.

Creamy Avocado Sauce

  • Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined.

Cauliflower Tacos - Slice Of Honey Blog

24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

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24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE - Slice Of Honey Blog

Every year it seems like the holiday season comes and goes at a faster pace than it did the year before. This year we traveled to the Dallas, TX area to celebrate Christmas with family. We had an amazing visit with lots of food, plenty of gifts and we made beautiful new memories. As my siblings and I have gotten older, we have started creating traditions with our own families. My husband and I generally keep things simple; Santa fills our stockings but no other gifts are exchanged between us. Our daughter is still too young to fully understand what is happening with gifts under the tree but her older cousins gave her a full introduction to it this year.  For New Year’s Eve, we go to bed at our usual time. However, on New Year’s Day, we have friends come over for board games and sandwiches. This is a new tradition but one that I really enjoy. The day is filled with so much laughter and I really can’t think of a better way to start a new year.

As I think about traditions I can’t help but think of family favorite recipes. The first one that comes to mind is my grandmother’s egg casserole. The cheese sauce alone will have you begging for more! Unfortunately, the recipe is time consuming enough that I rarely make it. Maybe this is why our family typically only ate it for holidays or special occasions. As I was going through my grandmother’s recipe box I came across the “24 Hour Omelet.” Cheese? Check. Bread? Check. Eggs? Check. Easier than the traditional egg casserole? CHECK! So, I put this recipe together with some modifications (nobody needs their breakfast to swim in butter). I also changed the name because it honestly did not remind me of an omelet at all but more of a casserole that borders on being a savory bread pudding. This 24-hour breakfast casserole is not like the old family favorite but it is definitely delicious, easy to make, easy to customize and gets put together the night before.

24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE - Slice Of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • Have fun with this! You can change this recipe up by using any variety of vegetables or you could even add ham or cooked sausage for the meat lovers in your life.
  • You could also make this into a sweet version by skipping the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses and adding berries of your choosing. If you go this route, consider serving with syrup.

24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Delicious, easy to make and easy to customize breakfast
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 loaf sourdough bread
  • 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh baby spinach (optional)
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon chives, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Tear bread into chunks and place evenly into a greased 9×13” casserole dish (this will be approximately 9 cups of bread chunks). Sprinkle half of the shredded cheeses over the bread. Spread vegetables evenly over bread then cover with remaining shredded cheeses and cream cheese. Beat eggs with milk, ground mustard, salt, chives and cayenne pepper. Pour egg mixture over cheeses. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 
    Preheat oven to 350F. Bake dish, covered with foil, for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE - Slice Of Honey Blog

ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

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Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

Lately I’ve been realizing just how busy my weekdays are. A typical day means I’m up at 5:45am to get ready and help our daughter get ready for the day. After working a full day at the office, I pick our daughter up from school then head home. We have just a little time to play before needing to get dinner going. Soon after dinner, we put our daughter to bed and then I rush out the door to get a workout in. Around 8:00pm I am finally able to relax and catch up with my husband on how our day was. I know my schedule isn’t all that unusual, lots of families have a similar (or crazier) routine. To be honest, I also have TONS of help from my husband, he is my ultimate teammate in life! However, reflecting on my schedule has emphasized the importance of easy meals in our household. I do prefer to cook homemade meals but I definitely have days when those chicken nuggets in the freezer are all I can muster. On the days when I am cooking, I try to fix healthy meals and expose my daughter to a variety of foods and flavors (with an emphasis on vegetables).

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

My daughter has been really eager to help in the kitchen lately which provides an opportunity to share a wider variety of foods with her. She might not end up eating what we fix (she is only two years old, after all, and I’m realistic) but the exposure is still there. If she sees us prepping and eating healthy foods, those options won’t be strange to her as she gets older. This bisque recipe is actually a perfect one for her to help with. I chop vegetables and then let her put them into a bowl, season them and pour them out onto a sheet pan for roasting. We have also been finding ways to incorporate other lessons into our cooking routines. “How many eggs did we put in the bowl?” “What colors do you see on the pan?” Not to mention she is learning how to follow directions. All of this learning is happening while helping to get dinner on the table. This is what we call a Win-Win situation, my friends!

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • You can absolutely roast these vegetables the night before you plan to serve the bisque and then blend everything together when you’re ready to eat it. Store those veggies in a sealed container in the fridge. However, since the vegetables will be cold rather than hot from the oven, you might need to pour the blended bisque into a pot and warm it over the stovetop or in a crockpot before serving it.
  • If you’re making this for a bigger crowd, double the ingredients. You can still roast all the vegetables at the same time but it won’t all fit in the blender at once. Blend what you can then pour it into a large pot and repeat this until everything is in the pot. Stir it all together with a large spoon or whisk until fully incorporated.

ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

The perfect dish to warm you up on a cold evening.
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Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Raw cashews
  • 1 large head Cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 4 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 Medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 Large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons Red miso paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
  • 2 cups Vegetable broth (more if you want to thin the bisque out a bit)
  • Croutons & chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Place cashews in a bowl of water and let soak. While cashews are soaking, put cauliflower, garlic and carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle bowl of vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a sheet pan. Place onion and peppers in the bowl used for vegetables then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a second sheet pan. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast vegetables 20-30 minutes or until they are tender and edges start to brown. Note that the onion and peppers are likely to be done earlier than the other vegetables.
    Drain and rinse cashews then place them in a high-powered blender. Peel roasted garlic cloves add them to the blender along with all of the vegetables. Add miso, cumin, sriracha and vegetable broth to blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Garnish with croutons and parsley.

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog