Cheesy potato skins

I started actually making some of my Pinned Pintrest recipes

Cook 4 large potatoes, and cut in half

       

Scoop out insides and place on a cookie sheet. set aside insides in a separate bowl

       

Add tomato sauce, I used that instead of pizza sauce, I added garlic salt, basil and oregano.

Use more than one spoonful! I wish I added more

       

I filled mine with turkey sausage and mushrooms

       

Then added a bunch of mozzarella and some Parmesan on top and baked on 350 for 20 minutes. I left in for another 2-4 minutes until the tops got brown.

       

Turned out really good, but needed more sauce and heat up really well for lunches!!!

       

A Better Mac n Cheese

So this is something I made last week, that also heats up nicely. I tried to half it, but ended up making the same amount of noodles, and only halving the sauce..so it was a little bland and needed salt. But overall, will definitely make again. (Again, I halved so I had supper, plus 3 Pyrex dishes to take for lunch)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound (20 oz) whole wheat elbow macaroni (or any other kind of pasta)
• 2 small sweet potatoes, microwaved or baked until soft (or sub 1 1/2 cups cooked carrots)
• 2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 3/4 cup pasta water
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt (Greek-style works)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups grated cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray

2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but still a bit firm. Reserve 3/4 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta in strainer/colander and set aside. Toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.

3) Meanwhile, place the sweet potato flesh (orange part), milk, pasta water, yogurt, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth (this hides the vegs from keen eyes!).

4) Then pour the milk mixture into the same pot you cooked the pasta in. Stir frequently over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture is almost simmering. Turn to low and slowly whisk in the cheese a little bit at a time. Stir until mostly melted and smooth. Cooking Note: The cheese sauce will seem runny/soupy but it thickens up in the oven.

5) Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

6) Combine bread crumbs, olive oil, and dried parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

7) Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

       

If you follow me on Pintrest you can find them there too

xo A