Baked Lasagna Boats with Homemade Marinara Sauce and Schar Gluten-Free Baguettes

                       

Baked Lasagna Boats are easier than preparing lasagna and taste amazing. A crisp gluten free baguette is filled with the meaty sauce and cheesy layers typically found in lasagna. YUM!

I made this recipe with Schar Gluten-Free Baguettes, which crisp up in the oven. They have good flavor and texture of a real baguette.

Baked Lasagna BoatsAdapted from Taste of Home, 2014

Ingredients:
·1 gluten free baguette
·1 lb lean ground beef
·1 TBS garlic powder
·1 TBS Italian seasoning
·Salt and pepper
·1 cup homemade marinara sauce (see below)
·1 cup small curd cottage cheese
·½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
·¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated
·¾ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut baguette half lengthwise in the center to within 1-inch of the bottom. Pull baguette sides apart to make a bread boat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat; season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, breaking up until no longer pink. Drain grease. Stir in marinara sauce.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and half of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon meat sauce into baguette; top with cheese mixture. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining mozzarella cheese; bake, uncovered, 3-5 minutes longer.


Homemade Marinara Sauce (Crockpot)
                               

After making this Homemade Marinara Sauce, I am never, ever going back to jarred marinara sauce. Homemade Marinara is healthier than jarred. It's slightly sweet and tastes delicious. It's rather effortless to make, since the crockpot does most of the work, and it freezes well.

 

Click here for recipe from Budget Bytes


Happy Easter!!

Tyson Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets with Honey Lime Mustard

 

As much as I prefer to cook from scratch, I occasionally need a quick lunch or dinner that doesn’t require me to do much cooking. Tyson Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets was just that a few weeks ago for a quick weekend lunch. While the chicken nuggets were cooking, I quickly whipped up homemade Honey Lime Mustard (recipe below) and a veggie to round out this meal.

I was excited when I heard Tyson was coming out with Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Strips. It took me awhile to find them in stores, but I eventually found the nuggets at Target in the Tyson frozen food section. Like most gluten free products, the chicken nuggets are substantially more expensive than the regular, gluten nuggets. I think I paid around $5.50 for a bag.

Despite the price, the good news is that Tyson’s Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets tasted As Good As Gluten. There’s not funky gluten free aftertaste and they taste just like a chicken nugget should – tender and juicy chicken surrounded by a crispy rice/corn breading. My husband ate them with me for lunch and said he couldn’t tell that they were gluten free. I prepared the nuggets in the oven; to avoid turning them, I used this tip from when I make GF Chicken Tenders - place the nuggets on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to bake. This allows the heat to circulate so the nuggets are crisp on both sides.

The Homemade Honey Lime Mustard was a great complement to the Chicken Nuggets. It’s sweet and tangy, and literally is whisked together in a matter of minutes. The measurements in the recipe are estimates, as I put spoonfuls of the ingredients in a bowl, tasted, and revised until I got the flavor where I wanted it.

Honey Lime Mustard
Ingredients:
·2 TBS mayonnaise
·2 tsp honey
·1 TBS spicy brown mustard
·Splash of lime juice

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors accordingly.


Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. It's a product I bought, loved, and wanted to share with you!

Protein Ranch Dressing

This secretly healthy homemade ranch dressing is incredibly flavorful, with dill, parsley, and garlic and onion powders.

My husband L-O-V-E-S condiments. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressing. You name it, he covers his food with it. He's so addicted to condiments, namely ketchup, that he gave them up for Lent one year. It was hard for him. I was convinced after Lent ended that he'd let up on his condiment usage. Well, I was wrong. Mike went back into full usage of his favorite sauces.

A few years ago, I was flabbergasted when I returned home from a business trip and found a 4 pound bottle of private label ketchup in our fridge! Mike was out of ketchup and he economically bought the biggest and cheapest bottle he could at the store. He was in heaven with his 4 pound ketchup. I, on the other hand, was mourning all of the high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients he was covering his food with.

Mike always asks why I harp on him about his condiment usage. It's not uncommon for me to ask him to try his food before he "ruins it with ketchup." He humors me and does, but after one bite he covers his food with his beloved condiments. What's my problem with condiments? I do think that they are somewhat unhealthy, especially as I exaggerate Mike's high usage of them. But, you may be surprised to learn that I grew up as a picky eater. I never really started using condiments until I was an adult. That's right. I ate salad with no dressing, plain cheeseburgers, and fries with no ketchup. Now, probably thanks to my condiment addicted husband, I use condiments sparingly.

I've been wanting to make homemade ranch dressing and homemade ketchup for a few years, but Mike hasn't been too receptive to the idea. When I went grocery shopping last weekend, Mike asked for salad and ranch dressing. I told him I'd try making homemade ranch this time with a secret protein-packed ingredient. He rolled his eyes, as I think he's sick of his "hippie and frugal" wife that wants to make everything homemade these days (thanks Pinterest, I for sure enjoy my homemade all-purpose cleaner, teeth whitener, face toner, and a billion other things). :)

I quickly assembled the homemade protein ranch with a few ingredients: cottage cheese, water, and homemade ranch seasoning. I tasted it and immediately made myself a salad, which I covered in dressing! This homemade ranch is incredibly flavorful, with dill, parsley, and garlic and onion powders, and secretly healthy. It tastes better than ranch dressing, and I'm encouraging my husband to cover his salad with it since it's healthy and packed full of protein.

Mike surprised himself and actually likes it. So, this will be my go-to salad dressing, as long as I can keep reminding Mike that it's better (and healthier) than the store bought bottles. Up next, homemade ketchup!

Protein Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:

·1 – 16oz. container cottage cheese
·½ cup water
·2 TBS dried parsley
·1 tsp garlic powder
·1 tsp onion powder
·½ tsp dried dill
·½ tsp dried basil
·½ tsp pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Make Your Own Gluten Free Flour

I had a genius idea a few weeks ago to start making my own gluten free flour. It was easy to make and has reduced my grocery bill.

Over the past year, I've become comfortable enough using my own flour blends instead of relying on store bought gluten free flour blends. I've been using brown rice flour because it has a good nutrition value (something not all gluten free flour or flour blends have) and it doesn't have a gluten free aftertaste. When cooking, I replace regular flour with an equal amount brown rice flour. When baking, I typically make my own all-purpose blend by using a 2:1 ratio of brown rice flour and starch (potato or corn). Oats don't bother me, so I've also just recently started using oat flour the same way I use brown rice flour.

To make your own gluten free flour, grind brown rice (or oats if making oat flour) in a Magic Bullet or grinder until fine. Sift flour through a fine mesh strainer to remove large pieces. Bag and store in the fridge.


I've also shared this post on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts. My favorite seasonal flavor this time of year is Peppermint, which is best enjoyed with homemade hot fudge sauce. Store bought hot fudge sauce, with the long list of unrecognizable ingredients, doesn't cut it for this ice cream lover. My recipe for Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce is a 10 minute recipe to prepare that tastes incredibly rich and indulgent!

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients:
·¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
·¼ cup butter
·⅓ cup sugar
·1 tsp vanilla
·⅔ cup evaporated milk

Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat. Add sugar. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Once milk is incorporated, stir in vanilla. Bring mixture to boiling, then reduce heat to medium-low. Boil gently, stirring very frequently for 6-8 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream. Store in the fridge and reheat in microwave before serving again.

Homemade Blackberry Jam

This is the simplest 2 ingredient jam recipe. It's purely delicious!

Last year, I made freezer jam for the first time. It was simply amazing and the best strawberry jam I'd ever had. I vowed never to go back to store-bought jam again. A few weeks ago, I ran out of homemade strawberry freezer jam and needed to quickly make more jam. I had a few containers of blackberries on hand and sugar, but no pectin. I came across this recipe from Savory Sweet Life and it was perfect for me. It's so simple that it only requires 2 ingredients, neither of which are pectin or canning equipment! For simplicity, I chose to keep all of the seeds in the jam. I also only used equal parts of crushed blackberries and sugar.


 Click here for the Blackberry Jam recipe from Savory Sweet Life

Apple Butter (Crockpot)

My apple butter recipe is dangerous. It's so delicious that it could very easily be eaten by the spoonful. I promise you would never find me spooning shoveling it into my mouth by the spoonful! :)

Each time my husband has some of my apple butter, he reminds me of how seriously awesome it is. I completely agree! Just a few simple ingredients combine together into the best apple butter I've ever had. My only regret is that I didn't make a bigger batch. Not only does this apple butter recipe taste A-MAZ-ING, but it fills your house with fall scents as it cooks all day in the crockpot!

Apple Butter (Crockpot)
Ingredients:
·4 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (I used my favorite apples - Honeycrisp)
·½ cup brown sugar
·¾ tsp cinnamon
·1/8 tsp each - nutmeg, cloves, allspice

Directions:
Place apples into the bottom of a 2.5 quart crockpot. Combine remaining spices, then stir together spices and apples. Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally. When apples are tender, blend in a mixer until desired consistency is achieved.

Yield: approximately 2 jars


I've also shared this recipe on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Southwestern Sausage Casserole (Crockpot)

 

The southwestern-inspired flavors in this dish are phenomenal! After having two heaping portions, I had to pull myself away from the crockpot so I could ensure I would be able to enjoy the leftovers the next day.

It's not the easiest dish to photograph, but I promise you won't be disappointed in the flavor. The contrasting textures of the sausage, beans and peas, and cornmeal casserole are wonderful!

Southwestern Sausage Casserole (Crockpot)
Ingredients:
·1 lb. ground pork sausage, browned
·1½ cups milk
·½ cup water
·1 egg
·¾ cup cornmeal
·1 small red onion, diced
·1 cayenne or hot pepper, diced
·1 – 10oz. bag frozen peas
·1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
·1 – 10.5oz. can diced tomatoes and chilies, drained and rinsed
·½ batch of homemade taco seasoning (recipe below)
·Toppings: Mexican style shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions

Directions:
Place browned sausage in the bottom of the crockpot. In a small bowl, combine milk, water, egg, and cornmeal. Dump liquid mixture over the sausage and add remaining ingredients from onion to taco seasoning. Stir together and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
*Note: I only used half of the seasoning batch below for my Southwestern Sausage Casserole crockpot recipe. I often make a double or triple batch and store it in the spice drawer to be easily used for tacos or other Mexican-inspired recipes.
Ingredients:
·1 TBS dried onion
·2 TBS paprika
·1 tsp ground cumin
·1 tsp dried oregano
·½ tsp cocoa powder
·½ tsp sugar
·½ tsp chili powder
·¼ red pepper
·½ tsp sea salt
·1 tsp cornstarch
·1 tsp garlic powder
·1 tsp onion powder
·½ black pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use as needed in desired recipes.


I've also shared this recipe on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, This Week's Cravings

GF Soy Sauce Substitute

One pantry staple we never have is GF soy sauce. Even in our pre-GF days, we rarely had a use for soy sauce. Lately, Mike and I have been wanting to try more Asian-inspired recipes. So, I searched for a soy sauce substitute and took tips I saw in different recipes to create this GF Soy Sauce Substitute. What I like about this recipe is that I always have the ingredients at home and it was easy to quickly prepare. I used some of this GF Soy Sauce Substitute in an delicious Orange Chicken Stir-Fry recipe, which I'll be posting tomorrow.

Ingredients:
·1 cup beef broth
·½ cup water
·1 TBS plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
·2 teaspoons brown sugar
·¼ teaspoon ground ginger
·½ teaspoon pepper
·½ teaspoon garlic powder
·1 tsp sea salt

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir all ingredients. Boil gently until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 cup

Dried Basil Pesto

I put together this pesto recipe to use in a Pesto Spinach Lasagna (Crockpot) dish. What I like most about this pesto recipe is that it uses dried basil (a staple I already have on hand), it only makes a single-serving, and it's super easy to prepare. The flavor profile is standard of a pesto and I typically use whatever chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts) I have in the pantry.

·¼ cup EVOO
·¼ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts
·3 TBS dried basil
·¼ cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
·½ tsp minced garlic
·Dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Cover and process until nearly smooth, stopping and scraping sides as necessary.

Makes about 1 cup of Pesto.

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sunday

GF Banana Biscuits and Pumpkin Butter

Fresh out of the oven! We made gf banana biscuits and homemade pumpkin butter tonight, and they both taste amazing (and my house smells like fall - my favorite season)! I found both recipes online today when I was searching some blogs and food articles. I modified the recipes slightly, but didn't keep the sources (sorry). I dropped the biscuit dough onto a greased cookie sheet, but once they started cooking in the oven the dough spread out like cookies. I think they turned out more like crumpets, not biscuits. But they are delicious, nonetheless. Next time, I might try baking them in a muffin tin, or adding more flour to my recipe.

GF Banana Biscuits

·1 ¼ cup GF all purpose flour

·½ tsp xanthan gum

·1 tsp baking soda

·2 tsp baking powder

·3 ½ TBS sugar

·1 cup mashed banana

Preheat oven to 400˚. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add mashed banana and stir until dough is slightly non-sticky (may need to add additional flour). Drop onto a greased cookie sheet or in a muffin tin and bake for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter

·1 15 oz. can pumpkin purée

·½ cup Simply apple juice (or apple cider)

·¼ cup maple syrup

·¼ cup brown sugar

·2 tsp ground cinnamon

·¾ tsp ground ginger

·1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

·Dash ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin butter is thick and spreadable, about 20 minutes.

Allow the pumpkin butter to cool to room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays