Corn Salsa

• 2 large ears corn
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeds slightly removed and diced
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• juice of one lime
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. To grill corn (preferably over charcoal for best flavor), leave the husk on and grill it first until charred. Then remove the husk and strings and put it back on the grill for a little color – 2-3 minutes – rolling to heat all sides.
2. Once grilled, slice corn off of the cob and add to bowl with remaining ingredients and stir.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, or lime juice for added flavor.
4. Serve immediately. Will keep covered in the fridge for several days, but is best when fresh.

Grandma May's Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli
1 lb. fried bacon or 1-3 oz. pack of real bacon bits
4-8 oz. shredded cheese
Onion to taste

Dressing
1 C. mayo or Miracle Whip
2 T. vinegar
1/4 C. sugar

Chop broccoli and add the bacon, cheese, and onion. Mix the ingredients to the dressing and put over the top of the broccoli mixture. Stir until blended.

Green Bean Casserole

For beans and sauce:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Doritos Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground Beef, cooked with 1/2 a small onion
• 1 Pkg. Taco Seasoning
• 16 oz. pkg. Rotini
• 12 oz. pkg. Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 2-3 cups Shredded Lettuce
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1-1 1/2 cups Creamy French Dressing
• 1 Bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (lightly crushed)

Instructions

1. Cook rotini noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large bowl, mix the noodles, cooked beef & onion mix, taco seasoning, lettuce, cheese, green pepper, tomatoes and dressing.
3. Add the crushed Dorito chips over the top.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve then mix in the Doritos. (If not serving right away, this will allow the Doritos from getting soggy).

Spaghetti Pie

6 oz spaghetti
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 and 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Toss pasta with egg and 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. Press the spaghetti mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

Brown Italian sausage. Drain fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and basil.

Combine cottage cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Spread over spaghetti. Top cottage cheese with meat sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. (It will be runny and fall apart if you serve it immediately)

6 Servings 10 points

8 Servings 7 points

Mexican Stuffed Shells

• Mexican Stuffed Shells
• 
  
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 TBS taco seasoning
• 4 oz cream cheese
• about 16 jumbo pasta shells 
• 10 oz enchilada sauce
• 1 cup salsa
• 1¼ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Boil your pasta shells for about 10 minutes until cooked al dente. Rinse shells when done cooking.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, cook up your ground beef and onions over medium high heat until cooked thoroughly.
5. Drain the excess grease from the pan.
6. Add in taco seasoning and stir to mix.
7. Add in cream cheese and cook over medium heat until cheese is mixed in and melty throughout. Set aside.
8. Combine your enchilada sauce and salsa in a small bowl.
9. Pour about half of your enchilada sauce salsa mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread around.
10. Fill each jumbo shell with a heaping 1 TBS of meat mixture and place into pan with sauce.
11. Repeat until all shells or meat mixture is gone.
12. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce salsa mixture over the tops of the shells.
13. Wrap pan in aluminum foil.
14. Bake for 30 minutes.
15. Remove foil and top with cheeses.
16. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Points Plus: 9

SmartPoints: 9

Serving size: 6 Calories: 323 Fat: 11.21g Saturated fat: 4.8 Carbohydrates: 32.27gSugar: 3.5 Fiber: 2.4g Protein: 23.36g

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients

• 24 white dinner rolls
• 24 pieces honey ham
• 24 small slices Swiss cheese
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
• 1½ Tablespoons yellow mustard
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time. I don't like to do it more than a day ahead because they can get soggy from the mayo mixture.