Our family strives to put mostly seasonal fruits and veggies on the table.  Not only is it more economical, but veggies that are in season tend to be more nutritious because they don’t have to travel from the other side of the globe before they reach your plate!

Seasonal produce in the spring come as such a refreshing change after the winter.  Asparagus, strawberries, and avocados are such a welcome change!!  Here is a delicious way to prepare asparagus that will tempt even the asparagusphobes in your household.  It also really captures and highlights those fresh-from-the-garden flavors that just sing out “It’s Spring!!!”

Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

1 large bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle over the cheese and the salt ad pepper. Use your hands to toss the ingredients together until the asparagus is completely coated with the oil, cheese, and seasoning.

Bake for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Here is a recipe from my Grandma – my dad’s mom.  Most of my recipes from Grandma are simple, but super-flavorful – and this one is no exception!

Grandma’s Cheese Ball

1 jar Old English Cheese
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces of bleu cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons onion, grated
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 cup chopped pecans
Parsley, for garnish

Combine the Old English cheese and the cream cheese, blending until completely combined.  Fold in the bleu cheese crumbles, the onion, and the garlic.  Place the mixture in plastic wrap, forming it roughly into a ball.  Chill for at least 1 hour, or until firm enough to handle.

Roll the cheese ball in the chopped pecans until completely coated.  Garnish with parsley.

Sometimes, making an appetizer doesn’t have to be as difficult or complicated as you think it does.  Try the delicious combination of a log of brie cheese drizzled with honey and topped with toasted walnuts.  It’s simple but incredibly elegant.  Most of all, the delicate blend of flavors is absolutely mouth-watering. . .

Brie with Walnuts and Honey

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 round (or log!) of brie
1/3 cup honey (local is best!)
Water crackers

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped walnuts.  Dry-toast the nuts for about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.  The nuts will turn lightly golden and become very fragrant when they are ready! Be careful not to burn them!

Place the brie on your cheese board or serving plate.  Drizzle with the honey.  Sprinkle the toasted walnuts on  top.  Serve with water crackers.

This is a really fun and easy appetizer that never fails to please a crowd!  The flaky crescent rolls provide a wonderfully flavorful nest for layers of zesty basil pesto.  You won’t believe how simple it is to make these beautiful little treats.

This is a recipe that you can go wild and crazy with . . . substitute your own flavorful fillings and let me know what you come up with!  Maybe some pimento cheese? Or some olive tapenade? Alfredo sauce perhaps? Sundried tomato pesto?  The possibilities are endless, so get creative!

Pesto Pinwheels

1 8-ounce package of refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking sheet.

Open the package of crescent roll dough and unroll it into a rectangle.  Gently push together the perforations of the dough so that you have one continuous rectangle of dough.  Use a spatula to spread the pesto evenly over the rectangle.  Roll the dough back up in the same direction as it was rolled up in the package.

Use a serrated knife to slice the roll into 1/2″ pieces.  Lay the pieces flat on the prepared baking sheet, about 1″ apart.

In a small  bowl, beat the egg until frothy with a fork.  Brush the egg lightly on top of each pinwheel.  Sprinkle all of them with the grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed up and lightly golden brown.  Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Fiesta Rice

2 cups white rice, cooked
1 cup fresh or canned Mexicorn
3/4 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the rice, the Mexicorn, and the shredded cheese, tossing lightly with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

The four cheeses in my lasagna are not the most traditional cheeses . . . but they sure are tasty!  I like to use turkey for the meat in this one – there are so many wonderful flavors going on that most people who taste this dish don’t even notice that it’s not beef! Plus, I think the turkey makes it seem lighter, which is a nice balance to the richness of the cheese.

Ellie’s Four-Cheese Lasagna

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mild italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast (ground beef works, too!)
1/2 cup diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley OR dry Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 9-ounce package of no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmigiano regiano cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and the ground turkey.  Brown the meat, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked through.  Remove the meat from the pan and add the onion.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Next, add the meat back to the pan, and stir in the tomato sauce and the water.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl for about 20-30 seconds.  Stir in the ricotta cheese until combined.  Add the eggs, the parsley or Italian seasoning, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, folding the mixture together.

To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/4 of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish.  Next, layer the no-boil noodles on top.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.  Spoon over the next 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  Then the noodles again.  Then the next 1/3 of the ricotta.  Then another 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  One more layer of noodles, and one more layer of ricotta.  Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Finally, sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella, topping it all off with the parmigiano regiano cheese.

** Note that at this point, you can either continue, **
** or cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days **
** or the freezer for up to 3 months. **

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until all cheese is melted and the lasagna is nice and bubbly.  Allow to set for about 5 minutes before serving.

This is a hearty one-dish dinner that I dreamed up on a cool and rainy fall evening.  The blend of flavors is wonderful, without being too overpowering.  For a lighter version, try using light soup and brown rice.  You are going to love this dish!

Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken & Rice Bake

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (white or brown)
1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can of water
1 can of milk
1 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 medium-sized chicken breasts
2 cups cheddar cheese
6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, the soup, the water, the milk, the ranch seasoning, and the diced peppers.  Stir until well combined.  Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture.  Cover the dish with tin foil and wrap tightly.

Bake for 45 minutes.  In the meantime, lightly brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a small frying pan.  When you remove the chicken and rice from the oven, check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through (I like to use a meat thermometer for this).  Then, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and the browned bacon pieces.  Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese melts and bubbles.  Serve hot.  Yield 4-6 servings

Taco Dip
from my Aunt Cathie

1 lb. ground beef
1 1.25-ounce package dry taco seasoning mix
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
1/4 cup sliced black olives
Cilantro or green onion, chopped (optional)
Tortilla chips (I like Frito Scoops for this)

Brown ground beef and drain all grease. Add the taco seasoning mix and set aside.

Beat cream cheese with sour cream. Spread mixture in a pan. Cover with the meat. Top with chopped green pepper, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar jack cheese and black olives. Garnish with cilantro or green onions. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Tip: Add a layer of refried beans, black beans, and/or guacamole for a delicious seven-layer Mexican dip!

As soon as I heard that there was such thing as a “beer dip,” I knew I was interested. Two of my favorite things in life are undeniably beer and cheese. Most dishes that bring these two heavenly ingredients together make me an extremely happy camper. After perusing several recipes for this heavenly dish, I decided upon incorporating several of my favorite ingredients into one to-die-for dip.

Beer Dip

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 5-ounce jars of Old English Cheese (or 10 ounces Cheese Whiz)
1 1-ounce package dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup beer (go ahead, you can drink the rest)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Pretzels, crackers, or chips for dipping

In your microwave, heat the cream cheese and Old English Cheese for about 40 seconds on high. This will make it easier to blend them together, using a whisk, with the ranch dressing. Add the beer gradually as you whisk the mixture together, until you reach your desired consistency for the dip. You may not use it all. If so, feel free to drink the remaining beer.

Pour into the serving bowl. Sprinkle your toasted pecans evenly over the surface of the dip. Chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve with pretzels, crackers, or chips!

These parmesan potatoes are creamy, rich, indulgent. The perfect pair to a nicely marinated steak or a juicy piece of roasted chicken.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the clean potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cool water. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Boil potatoes until fork-tender (depending on the size of your potatoes, this will probably take about 30 minutes).

Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Mash up the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. Adjust the texture to your liking using the reserved liquid. Enjoy!