Quick + Easy Rice, Sausage & Veggie Bowl

Have you ever had one of those long days where  you just can't wait to get home and get in the bed. I have those from time to time but with the little one here I can't quite do that. As a mommy I have to of course make sure she is taken care of and fed. When I have days like that I like to put together quick and easy meals. 

I learned that October 15 is International Cook with your kids day and I thought that was so sweet. Since my daughter is usually glued to my hip I thought it would be a great way to incorporate her into celebrating this day. I wanted this meal to be easy and healthy, I'm trying to teach my daughter (and myself) to eat a bit healthier and us cooking together has always been fun for us.

We put together a Rice, Sausage and Veggie Bowl. You'll need the following ingredients to put this together:

2 Packs Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Brown Rice)

Beef Sausage

1LB Broccoli

1 Green Pepper

1 Red Pepper

1 pack Mushroom

2 TBS Olive Oil

1/2 TBS Minced Garlic

Seasonings (Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Seasonings)

We first started by washing the veggies. My daughter loves doing this part. We dump all the veggies in a bowl and give them a good wash.

Next I prep my meat and veggies by cutting up the green peppers and beef sausage. We placed everything on our cutting board to have everything in one spot to get ready to cook.

In pan add the olive oil and minced garlic and heat over medium heat. Once the olive oil is hot add meat and veggies to pan. Add seasonings to taste. I generally sprinkle even layers of each seasoning on top and then stir well. Cover and let cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While that was cooking I helped my daughter with warming up the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. Following the direction on the package we vented both side and popped the rice in the microwave for 90 seconds.

With the cool touch sides we were able to easily take it out of the microwave and pour it into a serving bowl. Once the mixture was done cooking we also added that to a serving bowl.

Lastly, I let my daughter fix our plates and we enjoyed! She was so proud of the meal that we cooked.

This meal was super easy, try this at home or if you want to try some other idea check out Ben's Beginner's Site for some great recipe ideas!

Mom's Sweet Potato Souffle

Hey family, we've made it through most of the year, and now some of the best (in my opinion) holidays are fast approaching: Thanksgiving and Christmas! I love this time of the year because not only is the eating just wonderful, it's also a time that most people typically spend with their close family and friends.

Today I want to share with you my mom's most requested dish: Sweet Potato Soufflé. We worked on making this together and she gave me all the basics and special tips on how to make it perfect!

Ingredients:

Mixture

2-3 Sweet Potatoes (3 cups cooked)

1/2 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 1/2 Tablespoon Melted Butter

Topping

2 Tablespoon Flour

2 Tablespoon Melted Butter

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Package of Pecan Halves

Garnish

Whipped Cream

Directions:

Place potatoes in pot and boil for 30 mins. The water will boil off so check every 10 minutes or so to see if more water needs to be added to the pot. Add water as necessary. To check if they are complete stick a fork in the potato. If it goes through easily then it is done. Drain the hot water and leave potatoes in the pot. Add cold water. Cold water will help with peeling the potatoes. The skin will practically fall off. Peel potatoes and mash into bowl.

Once you have the potatoes mashed you will begin to add the ingredients for the soufflé. Add the ingredients one by one, blending with a hand mixer in between. Start with the milk and then add the remaining soufflé ingredients in any order that you choose. Blend until the mixture is nice and creamy, and then transfer to baking dish. For the topping, combine ingredients in a separate bowl. First add the butter then the brown sugar, the mixture will be like a paste. Next add the flour, the flour will make the paste turn into little crumbles. Spread the crumble on the soufflé mixture and then layer with the pecan halves.   

Bake at 350 degree for 40 minutes. Test that the dish is complete by sticking a knife in it. If the knife comes out clean then you know you are done! Lastly, plop a spoonful of whipped cream on top of your finished dish and you are all complete!

Homemade Bow Tie Chicken Noodle Soup

Fall is just about here and there is nothing that says Fall like soup. Today I'm sharing Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

My co-worker is a mini chef and so I talk to him about how I would go about making chicken noodle soup... I'm very much in learning mode as far as cooking goes. He gave me the basics and I put it to the test in my own way. It turned out great!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast
1/2 Box Bow Tie Pasta
32oz Chicken Broth
3 Cups Water
4 Carrots
1 Onion, small
4 Celery Sticks
2 Tablespoons Parsley
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Seasoning Salt

Directions:

Combine broth and water in a pot with chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium for 30-40 mins. Remove chicken from broth and shred. While shredding add veggies, seasonings, and pasta to the pot and return to a boil. After 5 mins add return chicken to the pot. Allow to cook for an additional 5-7 mins

This was fairly simple to make. I was very nervous going in because I am very much in learning mode. I made this before and my mom was my taste tester and she told me it was pretty good! Now, add some whole grain crackers and you are good to go!! Yuuuuuummmmmm!