Busy Moms Helper

Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

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 I know mushrooms are one of those love or hate relationship type foods, but I’m one of the lovers. Whether it’s in casseroles, salads, pasta, with steak or even by themselves and a few ingredients, they’re fantastic! I got a bunch on sale at the store last week, and decided to make a nice little snack for us – these delish Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms! They turned out really good, and possibly more healthy than other options!

Ingredients
14 oz. Fresh mushrooms (I used basic white ones)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Spinach
4 slices Bacon, chopped
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 cup Bread crumbs
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Mince.

In a medium skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until it begins to wilt. Remove and chop.

Cook the bacon (same skillet is fine) over low heat until done. Remove and chop.

Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet. Saute about 2 minutes, or until turning gold. Add mushroom stems and cook another 2 minutes.

Remove mushrooms and garlic from skillet and mix with the spinach, bacon, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.

Fill each mushroom top with the cheese mixture, filling slightly above the top edge. Set mushrooms on sprayed baking sheet, then lightly spray the mushrooms with cooking spray.

Bake about 20 minutes, or until tops are starting to turn gold.

Baked Zucchini Sticks with Sweet Onion Dip

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Baked Zucchini Sticks with Sweet Onion Dip / Busy Mom's Helper

As I’ve mentioned before, my family isn’t great about eating our veggies, so I like to find ways to ‘play them up’. This recipe made the zucchini so flavorful and delicious, we ate it all in one sitting (even though I had planned to have enough to include in my hubby’s lunch the next two days)! The sweet onion dip could be used for so many things, also!

Zucchini Sticks:
3 medium Zucchini, skins on, cut into 3″ long sticks
Sprinkling of salt
1 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 large Eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees.

Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Put the eggs in a separate bowl.

Dip the sticks in the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture, covering completely. Place on a sprayed or lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, turn over, and continue another 5-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the coating is nicely browned.

Sweet Onion Dip
1 tbsp. Butter
1 medium Sweet Onion, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. Cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Mustard
1 cup Mayo (or Miracle Whip)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, stirring occasionally. Cook about 10-15 minutes, or until the onion has softened and caramelized. Remove from the heat and add the cider vinegar.

Place the onions with vinegar, honey and mustard into a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in the mayo, salt and pepper until combined. Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.


 Notes: This makes about 3 dozen zucchini sticks and 1 1/2 cups of the sweet onion dip.

Pasta with Vegetables and Herbs

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Pasta with grilled vegetables and herbs / Busy Mom's Helper

Ingredients
2 Zucchini, cut into fourths lengthwise
1 Red bell pepper, cut into fourths
1 Green bell pepper, cut into fourths
1 Yellow bell pepper, cut into fourths
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ lb. Penne pasta
4 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. Mixed herbs: basil, oregano, marjoram
½ cup Olives, chopped
¼ cup Walnut, chopped
½ cup Feta Cheese, chopped

Brush vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on charcoal or gas grill on high heat, cover and cook until tender and slightly brown. While vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot ¾ way full of salted water to a boil. Add a tiny bit of oil, to keep pasta from sticking together. Add the pasta and cook until preferred tenderness.

When vegetables are done, remove from the grill and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Drain pasta and put in mixing bowl. Add the vegetables, olive oil, herbs, olives and walnuts. Mix until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta cheese and toss lightly to combine.

Notes: Some people prefer more seasonings, some less, so pour the herbs in slowly to get what meets your family’s preferences. We added a Roasted Garlic Balsamic Dipping Oil over our dish, and it was absolutely wonderful, if you like balsamic.