This yummy breakfast bake is very creamy and cheesy—I guess you could call it breakfast comfort food! I like to think that the broccoli helps balance out all the cheese! 🙂 In addition to broccoli, there’s also some chopped onion, green pepper, and sliced mushrooms added in, so it’s great for veggie lovers! If you do want to add some meat, cooked and crumbled bacon or pre-made, packaged bacon pieces are good in this. Make it for breakfast or for a weekend brunch!
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I have to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of certain raw veggies. Sugar snap peas are my favorite veggies to eat raw, but there’s one way I love to eat all veggies, and that is when they are roasted! There’s something about the taste of roasted veggies that I never get tired of!
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Even though it’s spring, we’re still having some chilly days. We’re having summer-like days too. Last weekend we actually got a light amount of snow and the temperature was Continue reading
Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. Unfortunately, my big outdoor rosemary plant did not make it through the winter, so I have a new small one growing inside right now. I’ll put it outside soon, hoping it will grow into another big plant! I used some of the rosemary from this little plant in this Creamy Navy Bean Soup recipe.
I made this soup several weeks ago on a chilly day. Even though the weather has warmed up, this is still a great recipe for any time of year if you are a soup-lover! Creamy soups usually call for heavy cream as an ingredient, but I used plain Greek yogurt in this soup–I thought the tangy yogurt would give the soup a nice flavor, and it really did! The rosemary gives it a great flavor, too. You’ll want to use fresh rosemary if you have it, but dried rosemary also works.
CREAMY NAVY BEAN SOUP by NancyC
Makes about four servings
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- dash of salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Additional fresh or dried rosemary for garnish
In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, add olive oil and heat for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and onions; cook until onions start to get tender and a little translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add in the broth and beans, heat to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Place half of the soup mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into a large bowl, then blend the remaining soup mixture and add to the large bowl.
Stir the plain Greek yogurt into the pureed soup mixture, blending well (if the yogurt is lumpy, use a hand better or immersion blender to smooth the mixture). Pour the soup mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for 5 additional minutes.
Pour into 4 serving bowls and top with a garnish of fresh or dried rosemary, if desired, and serve.
In addition to rosemary, I also like to grow basil in a pot every summer–that’s another favorite herb of mine. Do you grow your own herbs, too, and what are your favorites?
Sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday. Weekend Potluck, Full Plate Thursday, Meal Plan Monday, Inspire Me Monday.
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to make some Irish Stew. I don’t make stew very often, but I love a bowl of good, thick, chunky stew, and that’s exactly what this is! You might be wondering where those chunks of stew meat are–well, I improvised a little and used ground beef instead, since that’s what I had on hand. But you can use either–ground beef or chunks of beef. There are plenty of other chunky ingredients in this recipe too–onions, potatoes, and carrots. And it’s seasoned with a little dried thyme and basil. Comfort food in a bowl–that’s what this is!
IRISH STEW by NancyC, adapted from Midwest Living Makes 6 servings
- 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3/4″ pieces, or 1 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 medium potatoes (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks (about 4 1/2 cups)
- 3 cups sliced carrots (about 6 medium, sliced 1/2″ thick)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, plus a little more for garnish if desired
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine beef, beef broth, onions, and pepper. bring to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off the fat. Add the potatoes, carrots, thyme, and basil. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Stir the cold water and flour together, blending well. Stir this mixture into the stew and cook and stir until stew is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional dried thyme, if desired, and serve.
If St. Patrick’s Day will be chilly where you live, this would be the perfect thing to make to warm everyone up! Are you planning on making any special Irish dishes that day?
Linked to Sunday Showcase, Inspire Me Monday.
NancyC 