Burger Cake

My friend called the other day and said she was making a cake for her 6-year-old nephew’s birthday party. She was stumped on what kind of cake to make because she needed something fairly easy that wasn’t loaded in icing, and would WOW children and adults. I sent her my Burger Cake recipe because I knew it was the perfect cake for his party. She said she had a lot of fun making the cake and that it was the talk of the party! It was a conversation piece for the adults, and the kids thought it was so cool! If you have a party coming up definitely try the Burger Cake and be prepared for all of the praise you’ll get!

Watermelon Slush

Down in south Louisiana the heat index has been 110 degrees! It has been so hot but nothing cools me off faster than a refreshing Watermelon Slush. Full of vitamins and nutrition – this easy and quick drink will be sure to cool you down while satisfying your sweet tooth. Kids will love to jump in and help too!

Watermelon Slush

A tasty source of Vitamin C and potassium. Kids can have fun scooping and chopping up the watermelon and dropping the pieces into the blender, seeds and all!

Serves 2

1 cup ice

3 cups watermelon chunks

2 Tablespoons honey

1. Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 137, Protein (g) 2, Carbohydrate (g) 34, Fat (g) 1, Calories from Fat (%) 6, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 5

Looking for a quick snack with simple ingredients that can be prepared in a snap!  This was a recipe I created for Walmart, Mini Cheese Pizzas-a fun recipe that the kids can help, be creative and will love to eat!

Mini Cheese Pizzas

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Meal Occasion: Lunch/Snack/Dinner
Makes 10 pizzas
Serving size one biscuit
Cost Per Serving: less than $1

Ingredients
•1 (10-biscuit) can Great Value jumbo flaky refrigerated biscuits
•1/3 cup Great Value Pizza Sauce
•1/2 cup Great Value shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven 450ºF. Pat each biscuit into 4-inch circle on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2.Spoon pizza sauce on each biscuit round. Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tips:
1.Use veggies to make funny faces, green pepper slice for mouth, black olives for eyes, and mushroom for nose – kids will love this!
2.Spice your pizza up, try different marinara sauces.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

   Even though it is the end of April, St. Louis still manages to find a way to bring in 40 degree weather!  All I wanted for dinner was soup this weekend, so on Sunday I made Chicken Tortilla Soup.  Since finals are approaching around the corner and my last days as a college student are numbered (can’t believe I’m graduating from WashU), I did not have much time to prepare dinner that evening.  I decided on Chicken Tortilla Soup, because basically all you need to do is combine all the ingredients in a pot and let it cook for 15 minutes!  One shortcut I took, a rotisserie chicken.  I didn’t have to prepare the chicken for the soup, so this already simple dish became even simpler!  Check out my mom’s Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe–I like the one in Gulf Coast Favorites as it is a cross between chicken soup and chili.  Of course, I top the soup with cheese!  Sometimes, it comes up on her phone application, Mobile Rush Hour Recipes, so that’s really a step saver-have my grocery list already on my phone. 

My mom always is doing some work for Tyson Grilled and Ready Cooked Chicken Breast and she said that its a great alternative to Rotessiere, actually easier as you don’t have to remove the skin and healthier as it is all white meat-wish I talked to her before I went to the grocery!

Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese these days might be one of the most popular sides.  When you go to a restaurant, there are all kinds of specialty dishes.  I have the solution for you to make Mac and Cheese at home and you don’t have to even boil the pasta–talk about step-saving.  No pots to wash!!  When Walmart wanted a real family favorite at an affordable price-this was it and using the Great Value brand.  I always use reduced fat shredded cheese as you get the cheesy flavor with all the health benefits and not the fat. Great Value does have reduced-fat Cheddar cheese.   Try whole wheat pasta one time, for me please???  I can’t wait for you to try this simple recipe-let me know what you think!

One Step Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Meal Occasion: Lunch/Dinner
Makes 10 – 12 servings
Serving size 1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $1

Ingredients:
5 cups Great Value skim milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons Great Value sugar
1 tablespoon Great Value butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) package Great Value whole wheat elbow macaroni
Great Value salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Great Value reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. In bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and sugar.
3. In 2-quart oblong baking dish, combine remaining ingredients, reserving some cheese for later, if desired. Carefully pour milk mixture over macaroni and stir well.
4. Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes or until all liquid is almost absorbed. Uncover, add remaining cheese, and continue baking about 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts.

Tips:
• All in one dish with no boiling pasta—toss together, cover and bake.
• Make this recipe your own by using different Great Value cheeses, adding ground turkey, or chopped veggies.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pizza Rice

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Makes 4-6 servings

Serving size one cup  1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $1

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, with juice
1 teaspoon dried Great Value oregano leaves
4 cups cooked Great Value brown rice
1 cup Great Value shredded mozzarella cheese
 
1.In large nonstick skillet, heat tomatoes with oregano over low heat. 
2.Stir in cooked rice (follow recommended directions on bag or box), and cheese. Cook over low heat until well heated and cheese is melted, stirring, about 3- 5 minutes. Serve.

Tips:
Using Great Value brown rice makes this dish just a little healthier because it adds fiber.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Louisiana Dirty Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes (brown rice takes about an hour to cook)

Makes 4-6 servings

Serving size 1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $2

1 pound ground sirloin
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon of Great Value minced garlic
1 tablespoon Great Value Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Great Value pepper
1 cup uncooked Great Value brown rice
1 3/4 cups Great Value beef broth

In large nonstick skillet, cook beef, garlic, celery, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is done and vegetables are tender.
Add Worcestershire sauce and pepper, stirring well. Add broth and rice, mixing well. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and cook about an hour or until rice is done.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wholesome Veggie Soup

 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Meal Occasion: Lunch/Dinner

Makes 8 servings   Makes eight (1-cup) servings

Serving size one cup or I would say 1 cup

Cost Per Serving: less than $1

 Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Great Value minced garlic
• 1 (15-ounce) can Great Value tomato sauce
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Great Value diced tomatoes
• 4 cups Great Value chicken broth
• Great Value salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Great Value Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (16-ounce) package Great Value mixed frozen vegetables   (I used mixed vegetables, not stir-fry)
• 1/3 cup Great Value long grain rice, uncooked

 Instructions:

1. In large pot coated with Great Value nonstick cooking spray, cook onion, and garlic, 5–7 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and vegetables. Bring to boil.  Add rice and reduce heat.
3. Continue cooking over medium heat until rice is done, about 15-20 minutes. Add more water if too thick.

 Tips:

• Frozen vegetables give you vegetable variety without chopping.
• For a heartier version, add lean ground beef and call Burger Soup-kid’s love it.

Shrimp Cheese Grits Casserole

I am exhausted! I had 30 wonderful kids with me all weekend as we all went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  My daughter, Haley, invited 30 of her friends from Wash U in St. Louis to come experience Mardi Gras for the first time.  Many had never even been to the South so of course I had to have lots of food!! We had 5 king cakes and I cooked our classic Louisiana dishes that feed a crowd. I made Shrimp and Cheese Grits from Freezer Friendly Meals, ahead of time and froze so I didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen when everyone got there.  I also had to make our favorite appetizers kids love to dig into – Hamburger Dip and Super Salsa…both with only a few ingredients and so easy. Of course they were gobbled up! It was a whirl-wind weekend full of fun but good to be back in my routine too!

Strawberry Heart Cake from The New Holly Clegg Trim & TERRIFIC Cookbook

This awesome cake is too good to save for only Valentine’s Day. Turn into a round layered cake year-round with 9-inch round pans. It begins with a cake mix and is easy to make.

Makes 16 servings

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin

1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries (1/2 cup) (reserve extra for frosting)

1/2 cup skim milk

Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat one 9 x 9 x 2-inch square pan and one 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, egg whites, strawberry gelatin, 1/2 cup strawberries, milk, mixing until well blended. Divide batter, pour into prepared pans. Bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, cool completely.

3. To form heart: Place square cake on large platter. Cut round cake in half, place each half with cut side next to square side. You may need to trim corners. This now makes a heart. Turn cakes so square cake’s pointed end is down and round halves are at top. Frost heart cake with Strawberry Frosting (see recipe below).

Strawberry Frosting

3 tablespoons butter

1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar

1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries (1/2 cup)

1. In medium mixing bowl, mix together butter, confectioners’ sugar, remaining strawberries until well blended.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 336, Protein (g) 3, Carbohydrate (g) 60, Fat (g) 9, Calories from Fat (%) 25, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 27, Sodium (mg) 262 Diabetic Exchanges: 4 other carbohydrate, 2 fat