Cheesy Spinach Bake

Photo from mealmakeovermoms.com.

Found this recipe on http://mealmakeovermoms.com. Looks good to me. Haven't tried it yet, but I love cheese and spinach recipes.

Cheesy Spinach Bake

Makes 8 Servings

• One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed*
• 2 large eggs*
• ½ cup 1% low-fat milk*
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
• ½ cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)*
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Drain the spinach very well by pressing in a colander with the back of a large spoon and using paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil until combined. Whisk in the bread crumbs and baking powder. Stir in the spinach, Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese until well combined.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until the mixture is set and the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Slice into 2 x 4-inch rectangles and serve. Sprinkle the tops with a few pinches of salt to taste

Homemade Cheesy Rice

Found this recipe on a new blog I started reading. Uses a lot of good wic foods. It may be a site you want to check out. Bulk cooking is a good way to use up any perishable items like milk or cheese you get in abundance.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Broccoli florets (2 cups steamed)*
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Milk*
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded*
• 4 cups Rice, cooked (2 cups uncooked)*

Directions:

Steam the broccoli in the microwave, steamer or double boiler. Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside broccoli and rice. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, being sure to combine it with the butter very well. Let cook, stirring the mixture constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not let it darken. Gradually add the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking or stirring vigorously. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened and just starting to boil, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add in cooked broccoli and rice. Serve.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare as above but instead of serving, scoop into 8 oz freezer containers and freeze. To serve: Warm in microwave until heated through, approximately 1-2 minutes.

Hummus

Trying to figure out what to do with the cans of beans that are piling up in our pantry. I get a little sick of beans and rice, and trying to find a good recipe. Found a hummus recipe and ate it with crackers. It was simple, and good...and the best part, the kids LOVED it. I forgot I was going to add garlic to it, but it was good without. You could also eat it with raw veggies like carrots or celery, which you can get with your fruit and veggie vouchers.

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas*
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoon lemon juice*
1 teaspoon cumin
garlic powder to taste (optional)

Raw veggies for dipping*, crackers, or pita bread

Reserving liquid, dump garbanzo beans in food processor. Add rest of ingredients and process until smooth, adding reserved liquid to desired consistency. Serve with pita bread, raw veggies or crackers.

Wic Food Recipe Link

Found this website this morning, with a few recipes and ideas for using WIC Foods. Thought I'd pass it along for those interested.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Money Saving Mom has a smoothie recipe that is real good. It uses all WIC ingredients and is easy to prepare. My kids love them and it is high in protein.

Peanut Butter Smoothie
3/4 - 1 Cup Frozen Bananas, Sliced*
1 Cup Milk*
1 Tab. Peanut Butter*

Blend in the blender until smooth. The above makes about 13-15 oz.

Orange Banana Julius / Smoothies

My husband and I love to make smoothies. Once you get a basic recipe, you can make any kind of smoothie you want.

Orange Banana Julius
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk*
1 Cup Orange Juice*
1/4 Cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 frozen banana, sliced*

Add ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.

Tip- You can make this with any juice you desire. When adding fruit, you can add any fruits that sound good to you, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. The trick is to make sure they are frozen. These are used in place of ice, and give you the smoothie texture and taste much better.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

A good, healthy, hearty breakfast that uses mostly WIC ingredients. Make this overnight and bake in the morning. This lasted my family of 2 adults and 2 small children and an extra teen two breakfasts.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole
6 slices bread, cubed*
1 pound sausage, cooked, drained
1/4 C Green pepper, cooked* (optional) tip...frozen works great
1/4 C Onion, cooked* (optional)
4 ounces fresh mushrooms*
1 C. Cheddar cheese, grated*
2 C. Milk*
6 Eggs*
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Layer in order the bread, sausage, green pepper, onions, mushrooms, and cheese in a 9x13 casserole dish. Beat together milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour over layered ingredients in pan. cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or when knife inserted in casserole comes out clean. (not wet)