Croque Monsieur Bake

Croque Monsieur Bake. Delicious and Simple Make Ahead Breakfast {The Mommy Games}

I love the start of a new school year. Fresh notebooks and pencils. Backpacks and lunchboxes that haven’t been ripped and dirtied. A whole new set of classes and teachers. It’s my inner nerd that really gets excited about these sorts of things. I have a whole set of goals that I’m working to implement that will keep our family running smoothly with the start of school. This will be the first year that Brandon goes to school every single day (though just in the mornings), and I’m thinking that having to have everyone up and ready 5 days a week is going to be an interesting challenge.

One of the things I’m focused on is revamping our breakfast routine. My kids aren’t huge breakfast eaters. They just aren’t super interested in eating as soon as they wake-up, and are usually content with just some cereal and fruit. I’m not great about breakfast either, since I usually run around 9 am, which means I can only handle a small snack when I wake-up.  I generally wait until lunch to have a real meal (for all you interested runners – I do have a recovery shake right after my runs so I’m not totally going without). Since Brandon will be at school all morning, I want to make sure that he has something more filling in his stomach, so I’ve been experimenting with different hardy breakfast options. And I LOVE the idea of breakfasts that can be made the night before.

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Tri-Color Orzo Salad

Tri-Color Orzo Salad

In need of an awesome side dish to serve for the 4th? This is the perfect pasta salad for any barbecue or party. I’ve been making it for years and am continually asked for the recipe. It’s barely even a recipe, since all you have to do is cook some pasta and stir in a few other ingredients. It’s more refined than your classic pasta salad, and is equally good served chilled or slightly warmed (so it’s great even if it’s been sitting on a table outside for an hour). The dried cherries offer a refreshing burst of flavor that is complemented nicely by the spicy arugula and salty cheese. You can find a bowl of this in our refrigerator practically all summer long.

We are down in the south celebrating the 4th with family and taking a little time to relax. I love NYC, but it’s nice not to get looked at sideways every time I let a “y’all” slip (usually after too many Makers Mark and ginger ales). It’s also entirely possible that I might have to buy a whole new wardrobe when we get back because all we seem to do down here is eat. Not to mention I’ve probably drunk my weight in sweet tea. Does everyone indulge like this when they go back to home?? Dangerous stuff.

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Cheese and Bean Enchiladas

Cheese & Bean Enchiladas by The Mommy Games

Mexican is my default “I’ve had a rough day” cuisine choice. Cheesy, hot goodness without any fuss is exactly what I need on days when things just aren’t going right. A good margarita (with extra salt!) or michelada doesn’t hurt either. Sometimes we do tacos, but what I really love are these been and cheese enchiladas. They’re originally adapted from something I saw in Cooking Light (don’t get too excited, they lost their “light” status as soon as I got my hands on them), and you can tell how often they frequent our table my the many markings and splattered blots all over the now very altered recipe. What makes this recipe extra grand is that the ingredients are basic pantry staples, so these could easily be dinner tonight. Just the thing to cure the Monday blues. Tequila is also strongly encouraged.

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Copycat Alice Springs Chicken

Copycat Alice Springs Chicken by The Mommy Games

Living in NYC, we have a plethora of delivery food options. Ranging from fancy steak & lobster to greasy Mexican, practically anything you want can be delivered right to your door in this fabulous city. In one of our old apartments, we lived just blocks from an Outback Steakhouse and would have that delivered at least a couple of times a month. I’m slightly obsessed with their Alice Springs Chicken dish. Chicken, cheese, bacon, mushrooms – what’s not to love? This recipe is darn near identical to what you get in the restaurant and it’s simple to boot. I always serve it along with a pile of spiced fries and extra honey mustard sauce. De-freakin-licious.

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Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole by The Mommy Games

I have a heck of a recipe to share with you! This hash brown casserole is pure comfort food. I mean seriously, I could not stop eating it. It’s cheesy and smooth, with just the right amount of crunch from the buttery cracker topping. YUM! When I was at the grocery store loading a few bags of these frozen shredded potatoes in my cart, some well meaning woman stopped me and told me that I really should buy something else. She claimed that she had bought them for her kids and they were awful and totally tasteless. I asked what she had added to them and she said “nothing.” I told her not to worry, that I would be adding  more than enough goodness to them to make them tasty. I think this woman (who possibly would have blown away with a strong breeze) was more than a little taken aback when I described what I was making. :) All things in moderation, my friends. These are definitely not diet friendly, but I think they are more than worth the splurge every once in a while. You could serve these up for breakfast (they would be amazing for a brunch) or as a side with dinner. Or you could be like me, and reheat the leftovers for every single meal for the next 2 days. Just don’t tell your trainer.

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Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Casseroles get a bad rap. It’s such a shame, because they are a great meal option for the whole family. Most are easy to prepare, freeze and reheat well, and are pretty  portable. This recipe is one of our all-time favorites. I’ve seriously made this more times than I can count. It’s so simple and yummy. The kind of meal that gets addicting and you end up craving on random Tuesday nights. If you made a resolution to cook more at home this year, I would definitely recommend adding this one to your repertoire.  It’s cheesy and homey without being too heavy. It’s also a one-stop-shop for veggie, protein, and carb. Win for mom and fam!

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The Wifesaver

The Wifesaver

 Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

Need the perfect dish to serve Christmas morning? Look no further than the Wifesaver! This recipe is courtesy of my lovely mother-in-law, Terri. It is aptly named the Wifesaver because it can be conveniently prepared the night before, then baked up in the morning. It takes about an hour to bake – just enough time to open a few presents before you dig in. The casserole is hearty but not overly heavy. It has almost a quiche-like texture, combined with salty ham, sharp cheddar cheese and a crunchy cereal topping (the Special-K topping, though weird sounding, is awesome). Really delicious, and it makes Christmas morning a snap. Hope your family enjoys this as much as ours!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Craving something cheesy, salty and carb-coma inducing? Well, look no further! This dish is like restaurant style mac and cheese taken to the extreme. It has pretty much anything you could ask for at the end of a long day – bacon, cheese, pasta, ham and even a little chicken for good measure. You will eat it, your kids will eat it, then you’ll all eat it again for lunch the next day because it’s just darn addicting (isn’t all mac & cheese?).

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Adapted from Chef in Training —-> head on over and check her out!

12 oz penne pasta, cooked
2 cups heavy cream
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese (separated)
3 chicken cutlets, cooked & cubed
4 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 cup ham, diced
bread crumbs

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Over medium low, heat cream cheese until melted, then stir in heavy cream, onion salt and garlic powder. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted and smooth.
  • In a 9×13 in. baking dish, combine pasta, cheese sauce, chicken, bacon and ham. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, until hot and cheese has melted.
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