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On Air with Fox 9: Blueberries!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 11, 2014
Post category:Events / Gluten-Free / Misc. / Recipes / Snacks
Post comments:11 Comments

Back in January, I had the opportunity to go back to Fox 9 for another on-air show featuring Driscoll’s blueberries. I have put off this post for a while because I was hoping that Fox 9 would post the recipes on their site and maybe even the clip from my segment, but neither was ever posted. After that never happened, it all kind of fell to the wayside and I just forgot to share it. Until today.

To read about my last visit to Fox 9 and see my video from my last show, head on over here: On Air with Fox 9: National Oatmeal Day

I arrived nice and early to the set and felt like an old pro.

It didn’t take me long to set up which gave me time to relax, look over my notes, and chat with the Fox 9 crew.

The news anchor I worked with this time was Tom Butler. He was so kind and made me feel incredibly comfortable. I was a bit nervous, but did my best to hide it and he definitely helped put me at ease.

Once the cameras were rolling, we were live.

The segment was really great. It was all about healthy snacking and how blueberries can be a super healthy and delicious snack to add to your day.

The best part though was at the end of the segment I got to take part in the Friday Dance-Off. They put on a fun song, the whole crew dances and it is shown live just as the rest of the show is. I don’t know if all of you know this, but this is right up my alley. I love to dance! I killed it with some super corny moves and I’m pretty sure I won the dance-off. 😉

I shared three Driscoll’s recipes with the viewers. On the segment, I put together the spicy trail mix. Feel free to check out the recipes.

Blueberry Cocoa Bites: think Larabar with a sweet blueberry filling.

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10152/Blueberry-Cocoa-Bites

photo source

Spicy Blueberry Trail Mix: I devoured this mix. The sweet and spicy combo really got me!

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10113/Gluten-Free-Spicy-Blueberry-Trail-Mix

photo source

Gluten-Free Blueberry Macaroons: not my fav for some reason but that’s not to say you won’t like them! You could use any flour you have on hand I am sure.

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10099/Gluten-Free-Blueberry-Macaroons

photo source

For the most part, the whole segment went very smoothly. I had a lot of fun once again!

I was incredibly honored to have had the chance to work with Driscoll’s and Fox 9 again. These are memories that I won’t soon forget! I hope they are more of these opportunities in the future!

Now, go make yourself some spicy trail mix!

Disclaimer: Driscoll’s compensated me for the segment as well as the products needed for the show however all opinions expressed are my own.

Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 6, 2014
Post category:Breakfast / Gluten-Free / Guest Post / Recipes
Post comments:6 Comments

Hi, Beautifully Nutty friends! I’m Kim from Hungry Healthy Girl, where I share my love for all things food and fitness. My recipes range from vegan to gluten-free to every once in awhile splurges. There’s something for everyone! Melanie’s blog is so much fun and I’ve been reading it ever since I met her at the Healthy Living Summit, this past September. I can honestly tell you, Melanie is just as much of a sweetheart as she comes across on her blog!

Picture from the Healthy Living Summit…. I’m in the front, second from the end on the left. Melanie’s in the middle in pink.

I was so honored and excited when Melanie asked me to guest post for her. And I’ve got a REALLY delicious recipe to share with you guys. If you’re anything like me, breakfast is your favorite meal and a warm bowl of oats is the best, especially in the winter. And what’s better than a bowl of oats? How about cheesecake oats? Yes, please! The cottage cheese gives these baked oats the most wonderful cheesecake-like taste. I’m pretty sure Greek yogurt would work just as well, if that’s your thing, but I haven’t tried this.

Baked oatmeal is such a handy breakfast too. I made this Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal on Sunday and it made enough for 6 breakfasts. Each morning, I just heated up my baked oatmeal with almond milk and added a drizzle of nut butter. I also experimented with adding in blueberries one morning and granola another morning…. both lovely choices.

Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if desired
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups milk, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup maple syrup, honey would work too
1 tablespoon vanilla extract¾ cup cottage cheese, Greek yogurt may be a good substitute
16 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced (reserve about ½ cup for topping your oats before baking)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with a natural cooking spray. If you would prefer your baked oatmeal thicker, use a smaller sized baking dish.
Combine dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt) in a large bowl. Toss in sliced strawberries (reserve about ½ cup for topping).
Beat eggs in a medium bowl and then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients (milk, vanilla, maple syrup, cottage cheese).
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Transfer oatmeal to baking dish and top with the reserved sliced strawberries.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
Serve with your favorite oatmeal toppers. I enjoyed my baked oats with added almond milk and coconut cashew butter.

I really hope you get a chance to give this Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal a try. If you’re an oatmeal fan, you won’t be disappointed!

Be sure to come visit me over at Hungry Healthy Girl. I would also love to connect on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Thank you, Kim for the delicious guest post! This would be a huge hit in my house!

Then and Now: Health Views

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 2, 2014
Post category:Gluten-Free / Health
Post comments:7 Comments

Over two years ago, I submitted my first blog post on Beautifully Nutty. My intentions at the time were to share fun recipes, health tips, boasting “all things in moderation,” and sharing ways in which I try to stay balanced in my life.

I still have the same intentions, but my views on what’s healthy and the changes I’ve been through and made in my life have changed quite dramatically in the last two years.

To those of you who are new to my nutty ol’ blog, you can read up on my past journey to health update.

Time for some reflecting on my health journey with a little Then and Now…

Then…I used to have a crazy sweet tooth, and would eat and post sugar-loaded recipes on the regular paying little attention to how my body reacted to the sugar.

Now…I still have a crazy sweet tooth but try and limit my refined sugar intake because I now know my body HATES it and it causes crazy inflammation in the body.

(someecards.com)

Then…I ate plenty of gluten often followed by lots of bloating.

Now…I am careful about my gluten consumption and know that if I eat it, I may or may not experience bloating afterwards. I am more aware of what can happen, but I do still have gluten from time to time. I’m lucky to have the option to do this as I know some people cannot tolerate it AT ALL.

Then…when I first started the blog, I wasn’t in a colitis flare-up so I wasn’t needing to see doctors too often, but when I did it was only Western medicine docs.

Now…I have been dealing with some minor flare-up symptoms along with hormonal imbalances, and I have taken on a complementary approach to my health care. Besides Western medicine doctors, I now see a Chiropractor, Naturopath, and Acupuncturist. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to dive into Eastern medicine. I’m actually falling in love with it. I do still appreciate Western medicine and there is absolutely a need for that as well.

Then…I’ve always been in tune with my body but not to the extent I am today.

Now…I listen to everything my body is trying to tell me and try to “fix” any offsets naturally. This has completely changed now that I have started Essential Oils but along with the oils, I will make changes to my diet when needed to try and accommodate any shortcomings. Headache = try drinking more water. Bloating = drink more water and tea. Constipation = increase fiber and water. Etc. You get it.

Then…I would occasionally take a multi-vitamin.

Now…I take multiple supplements daily that are made from non-synthetic sources (whole food supplements are so important for absorption!).

Multi-vitamin called Catalyn from Standard Process
Folic Acid from Standard Process
Fermented Cod Liver Oil by Green Pasture
Probiotics by Garden of Life

Then…no essential oils.

Now…a Young Living Essential Oil distributor because I love the oils so much and don’t forget the light therapy from circadianoptics.com!

There are thousands of ways to use essential oils. You can use them for medical ailments, household cleaning, aromatherapy, an aid to weight loss, to reduce stress, to perk you up, to help with hormone issues, increase fertility, help with bloating, etc etc etc. Obviously the possibilities are nearly endless. I diffuse them every day depending on my needs for the day. Example; today I am fighting some type of cold/congestion so I am diffusing thieves and lemon. If we bake a highly aromatic dinner, I will diffuse purification. It is so fun!

*************

The health field is so incredibly interesting to me which is why I chose to become a dietitian. It is always changing and there are always new studies coming out about this and that. The biggest challenge as individuals is weeding through the good and the bad, and making decisions for ourselves based on the information we gather from health professionals and in our own research. I am on the road towards holistic wellness and I am not looking back! I am so excited to continue my journey.

A Clean Attempt at WIAW

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 19, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Snacks
Post comments:13 Comments

It’s Wednesday! We are halfway through the week my friends.

Let’s get right to it and talk about some of my amazing eats from this week.

A week ago, I decided to drop refined sugars for a while. I know how much inflammation refined sugar causes to my body, and I wanted to give my body a rest from that madness. Check out this post about how I kick the sugar addiction. I still enjoy sweets but in the form of fruit and natural sugars like organic honey.

Besides the sugar thing, I have really cleaned up my diet again. I’m limiting my processed food intake, going crazy on the fruits and veggies, becoming more aware of my protein intake, and overall just trying to keep my food intake very balanced. It’s amazing what even a week of good clean eating can do for a person! I am feeling great and less bloated.

My EATS:

Those banana almond bars that I made for Valentine’s day are already gone! They were definitely enjoyed if you cannot tell. This is why I can’t keep any type of sweet in the house! At least they were healthier than a pan of Special K bars (oh how I love Special K bars–-Katie).

This random stir-fry I threw together last night turned out AMAZING! It was sautéed onions, red bell pepper, and mushrooms with a cooked veggie burger and quinoa thrown in the mix. I topped the dish with hummus and was one happy girl.

Greek yogurt bowl with honey, banana, almonds, cinnamon and raisins; photo taken after half demolished.

This salad that looked a lot prettier than it tasted. You win some, you lose some. I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t taste good because I’ve made a nearly identical salad before and absolutely loved it. I guess I wasn’t in the right mood.

Thai lettuce cups with peanut sauce and mom’s homemade chicken wings!

I went through three napkins and really did a number on this dinner. So good!

Homemade almond crackers. I made two different kinds: salt and pepper and rosemary and garlic. They both turned out great!

As always, smoothies are still my go-to breakfast choice. I’ve been going through quite a few brown rice tortilla and peanut (or almond) butter wraps. Organic raw carrots. Cashews. Raisins. Dates.

LOTSA good food!

What have YOU been eating my nutty friends?

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting WIAW!

My Valentine’s Day Menu Inspiration

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 13, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / holidays / Sweet Treats
Post comments:18 Comments

This year, Dana and I have decided to stay in for Valentine’s Day. Come to think of it, that is what we usually do. I prefer to make dinner especially when I know the restaurants will be swamped. I prefer the quiet comfort of home. Don’t get me wrong though because I enjoy going out to eat too!

Check out Valentine’s Day from last year: Valentine’s Day 2013. Last year we had grilled chicken with artichoke salsa and it was TASTY!

I have a tantalizing menu planned for tomorrow evening but I still have some final decisions to make. Maybe you all could help me decide?

Menu Inspiration

I know for sure that I am making some version of a gluten-free baked coconut shrimp. Skinny Taste’s photo is my inspiration! Num!!

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I know for sure I will be making clean and simple steamed artichokes. We bought four at Costco and they look fab! I hope they taste as good as they look.

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I haven’t decided whether or not to make potatoes or cilantro lime brown rice. I realize the rice goes well with the shrimp, but I thought it might be fun to have the whole dinner be finger food friendly in which case I would go with the potatoes.

I could do baked potato wedges…

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Or these oven-baked parmesan french fries (OMG!)!

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Or cilantro-lime brown rice which is always good.

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Dessert

Since I decided to steer clear of refined sugars for a little while, I searched for a couple of dessert recipes that would fit my needs.

The first one is a no-bake chocolate banana almond square that is sweetened using dates, bananas and honey.

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The second one is a clean eating brownie that is sweetened using maple syrup.

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I need your votes!

Potatoes or rice?

Chocolate almond square or brownie?

Or maybe you have an even better recipe I should try? Let me know!

___________________

New Grocery Store Gift Card WINNER!

I only heard from one of my winners (Congrats, Laura!) from the grocery store gift card giveaway but never heard from winner #2, so I am selecting a new winner.

So…..Congrats to Laura and TANYA!! Please send me your addresses and I will get your $20 (originally I said $10 but it’s actually $20—whoop whoop!) in gift cards mailed to you asap!

Thanks!

Weekly Eats: Fruit and Veggie Love

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 12, 2014
Post category:Breakfast / Dinners / Gluten-Free / Lunch / Sweet Treats
Post comments:6 Comments

Happy Hump Day!

I’m getting in on the WIAW action today and am linking up with Jenn! As always, I am recapping some of my eats from the whole week and looking back, I packed in lotsa fruits and veggies. Love it!

This colorful salad: mixed dark greens, broccoli, zucchini, pinto beans, shredded cheddar, red bell pepper, sliced almonds, and cottage cheese. SO GOOD! One of the best salads I’ve made in a while.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers have been my go-to veggie this week. They are so crunchy and sweet and amazing.

Banana and peanut butter wrap in a brown rice tortilla with a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of honey. Always a winner.

Organic cottage cheese with blackberries and sliced almonds.

Lots of smoothies as always.

Gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust!

Asian chicken slaw!

My go-to fruit this week: Driscoll’s raspberries.

My contribution to a work potluck: turkey bacon wrapped pineapple with a sprinkle of brown sugar on top!

My potluck plate: roasted red pepper soup, pb and j, tuna noodle salad, red velvet cookie, and strawberries. We had a Valentine’s red and pink themed potluck! So many delicious treats. We don’t mess around with food at our work meetings.

The sugar intake has gotten out of hand once again so I am planning to stay clear of refined sugar for two weeks starting now!

Have a happy day!

Food Network’s Cupcake Wars & Asian Chicken Slaw

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 11, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Friends / Gluten-Free / Home Life / Recipes / Sweet Treats
Post comments:17 Comments

It’s time for Treat Yourself Tuesday hosted by the one and only Becky!

1. I’ve had one too many sweet treats this past week, and it all started last Thursday. I mentioned last Friday briefly that I went to a pastry shop called “Cupcake” to celebrate a co-worker’s retirement. The shop splits is split up into two areas: the Cupcake side and the restaurant side which is called “The Mason Jar.”

When we arrived to celebrate, my co-worker (and friend) Mary, had bought a bunch of cupcakes for each table to enjoy.

My table had the brilliant idea to split all of them into sevenths so that we could all get a taste of all of them!

There was lemon, raspberry, mocha, vanilla, peanut butter, german chocolate, red velvet, and some type of marshmallow one. After we tasted all of these, we actually got to try a few more still! Talk about sugar-load, but seriously how much fun to sit around eating cupcakes with your girlfriends?!

As we ~~mowed~~ chatted over our cupcakes, the owner and winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Kevin VanDeraa came by our table and greeted us! He was incredibly humble and just wanted to see how we were enjoying our time at Cupcake. Very cool!

I didn’t love every single cupcake I tried but I did enjoy a lot of them! I especially liked the lemon-filled one which is definitely not like me. The peanut butter one was pretty awesome too (duh, right?)!

I think that Cupcake would be a perfect place to go for a date or to meet up with friends and I will more than likely be making my way back there at some point. The cupcakes range from about $2.75-$4.25 a piece (don’t quote me on that).

2. I’ve been treating myself to caramel coffee at home as well as lots of veggie and fruit loaded smoothies!

3. On Sunday morning, I treated myself to a relaxing morning: reading the newspaper (and my new favorite section!), looking through weekly ads, watching Olympics and sipping on my café con crema!

4. On Sunday I made an amazing dish I found on Pinterest for Asian Chicken Slaw. Link: Asian Chicken Slaw. I cut down on the peanut butter, omitted the basil, and only used 3/4 head of cabbage, but other than that I followed the recipe and holy cow…so good! Make this.

5. The Valentine’s decor is finally up! I totally forgot about it until yesterday when I was organizing some ~~crap~~ gift bags in the basement and stumbled upon them! They make the house look so much more fun and festive! They may have to stay up past Valentine’s Day.
Side note: when you get married you get loads of gift bags. Keep all of them and you will never have to buy a gift bag again! Win!

I am really starting to feel the lovey in the air. How about you?

Questions of the day:

Any good Pinterest recipe finds lately that you’ve tried?
If you were to order any flavor of cupcake, what would you choose?

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 10, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:14 Comments

On Saturday night I had some serious motivation out of nowhere to make something creative. I perused through my fridge and kitchen, noticing that I had a sweet potato on its last leg as well as some frozen grated zucchini in the freezer. We had spaghetti sauce and cheese, plenty of veggies…

sweet potato + zucchini + cheese = pizza?!

In my world, YES!

In a large bowl I mixed together grated sweet potato, grated zucchini, almond flour, egg, parmesan cheese, ground flaxseed, water, a touch of olive oil, and spices. Then I smoothed the dough onto a well-greased baking pan and let it bake for 50 minutes.

Next, I removed the crust from the oven, added sauce, cheese and toppings and let it bake for another fifteen minutes.

For toppings I used: banana peppers, olives, tomatoes, and onion.
For cheese: I used monterey jack because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use mozzarella. I used cheddar cheese as well. I love cheese.

To finish it off, I turned the oven to broil and let the top crisp up to perfection.

Dana and I finished this pizza with no problem.

It was seriously delicious! I was wondering if the sweet potato would make for a sweet crust, but I think all of the cheese counteracted any possibility of that! I loved how it made the house smell too; like a quaint little pizza shop!

I will warn you though, I had to use a fork to eat it because it fell apart in my hands a bit.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

basil
oregano
black pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp flax seed
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp parmesan, grated
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp olive oil
garlic powder
¼ cup zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release water
1 heaping cup sweet potato, shredded
favorite pizza toppings
no-sugar added spaghetti sauce
monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella)
cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 9 x 13 cookie sheet with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Spread onto prepared pan until diameter is ¼-1/2 inch thick.
Spray the top of the crust with olive oil.
Bake for 50 minutes. Add as much sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you like and bake 15 more minutes. I finished it off under the broiler to crisp up the top too.

Happy Monday and happy eating!

Friday Favorites: Run, Eat, Live

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 7, 2014
Post category:Events / Fitness / Gluten-Free / Sweet Treats
Post comments:18 Comments

Happy Friday! Today’s date is kind of neat: 2/7/14 because 2 x 7 = 14. #nerd

I’m linking up with my darling Katie for another episode of Friday Favorites! Heeeeeere we go.

1. Eggs. I go through ups and downs with eggs but always remember the considerable nutritional value of the golden beauts SO, I am bringing them back baby.

2. Van’s Cinnamon Heaven gluten-free cereal. I was looking for a gluten-free cereal that actually had some fiber, and this is my answer. Five grams of fiber per serving. It’s not an every night snack (the box was nearly $5), but it’s a treat from time to time.

3. Moose. Moose earns a spot on Friday favorites because poor dog, he is just cooped up inside so often and he must be going crazy. Sure he drives me loco sometimes when he whines, but I know he’s bored so it’s okay. Dana takes him on some runs during the week but ideally he should be getting out every day of course.

4. I registered for a 7k next month. I haven’t really been running due to some health stuff these past few months, and the last actual race I was a part of was on Thanksgiving, so running and getting back into some shorter races will feel GREAT!

Let’s hope the weather will be like how it was two years ago: in the 60’s! I ran in a tank top!

5. Cupcakes at Cupcake in Eagan. We were celebrating a retirement party for a co-worker of mine and she so graciously bought a bunch of the cupcakes for all of us.My table decided to split them all so I got to try a ton of different flavors.

My favorite was no surprise the peanut butter chocolate, but what did surprise me is I truly enjoyed a lemon cupcake. Lemon is not always on my radar and I definitely wouldn’t have gotten it for myself so I’m glad that Mary did, and I had a chance to try it! Some time I may have to go back and get a caramel cupcake. Those sounded really good, too!

6. This quote: “We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way.” -Gloria Gaither

I actually saw a rainbow yesterday morning on the way to meet a girlfriend for coffee. I do believe in symbolism and so seeing the rainbow was an amazing way to start my day.

Have a great weekend my friends!

Thanks again, Katie for hosting!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 5, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:10 Comments

Healthy comfort food. Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? Well it’s not, and I’m here to prove it to you.

Winter time screams warm and hearty casseroles and I’m not talking tater tot hotdish (although there’s nothing wrong with that every once in a while!). Instead of the cream soup casseroles, how about diving into something a little less processed. I’m talking about a cheesy, protein-rich gluten-free dish.

It doesn’t involve dirtying up ten pans. It’s easy. It’s belly-warming. It’s delightful.

It’s a Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake!

There were no cream of soup cans involved in this recipe, only good wholesome foods.

Chicken, broccoli, quinoa, natural cheddar cheese, fresh parmesan, chicken broth, almond milk, garlic, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Umm…yea. Simple ingredients and an incredibly delicious end result.

Bake this up for yourself tonight! You could substitute brown rice for quinoa, cow’s milk for almond milk, whatever hard cheese you have on hand, peas or cauliflower for broccoli. See, no excuse not to make it tonight!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup almond milk
½ cup onion, finely diced
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 small chicken breasts
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan (grated would be fine too)
dash of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 9 x 9 oven-safe baking dish, combine quinoa, broth, milk, onion, broccoli, and cheddar.
Set chicken breasts in the middle of the pan, pressed down into the mixture.
Season breasts with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Top the whole dish with almond flour and parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the center of chicken reads 165 degrees F. ***note baking times will vary!***
Optional: finish under broiler to crisp up the top of the dish.
Serve warm!

Enjoy the comfort foods without interrupting your waistline! Simply delicious.