Hot, Spicy, and Loaded With Cheese

Game Night! We loved playing games when I was growing up. Whether is was card games, board games, or party games. Raise your hand if you remember when Pictionary came out! Okay, now raise your hand if you still own an original box of Pictionary. Our kids have loved it when my parents would come over or we would visit them because every night we would play a game. When you are playing games, you have to have good snack food.  It is amazing how much of an appetite you get just shuffling and dealing cards or rolling dice. This is one of those super easy appetizers that you can make ahead so all you have to do is pop in the oven in between rounds of whatever you are playing.

If you are out at a bbq, or camping, you can even put a cast iron skillet and set on the grill. Now that would make anyone a happy camper. Leftovers? Just toss into your scrambled eggs first thing in the morning and see how that spices things up!

This is what Sara of Dinner at the Zoo has to say about her fantastic recipe.

“If I’m making this dip for a special occasion, I often prepare the cream cheese mixture in advance, then add the topping right before I’m ready to bake it. Be sure to double the recipe for a crowd because there will be no leftovers!”

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Quick Tip: Instead of just one pan of this dip I usually divide it into two or three smaller ramekins so we can have one dip at each end of the table.

Recipe and image courtesy of Sara and Dinner At the Zoo.com

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The Taste Of a Classic, Only In A Soup

I love making and eating soups. I think that on a brisk day nothing beats a big bowl with some fresh breadstick to just warm you up from the inside out. We lived in MN for nine years and believe me, there were lots and lots of soup days.

When we moved back to Northern California we lived in the Sierra Mountains. It was a wonderful feeling to have a big pot of soup or stew on the stove when snowflakes started to fall.  The perfect meal after a day of sledding or shoveling the walkway!

Then we made the move to San Diego area. I have to admit I miss the seasons. Not only is it hard to think of fall or winter when you are still wearing flip flops and short sleeves, we don’t eat soup very often. At least not as often as I would like, but thankfully I hear temperatures are going to be dropping soon. We might even have a few mornings where you will be able to see your breath when you walk outside. If there is a dusting of frost, well down in SoCal they refer to that as a weather event.

This is what Jen of Yummy Healthy Easy has to say about her recipe.

“If you’re like me and struggling to find new meals to make during the week, you MUST try this lasagna soup! My boys absolutely loved it and it’s now a new soup on the menu rotation.”

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Quick Tip: You can substitute chicken sausage for ground beef if you prefer. I LOVE a chicken sausage I just tried with basil. Yummo. It would be great in this and good for those watching their calories as well.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Jen and Yummy Healthy Easy

The post Take The Chill Off With A Bowl Of This Hearty Dish appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Do Not Try To Make These Without Learning The Secret Ingredient In This Recipe.

I don’t know about you but if I could pick a food that I have learned to love as an adult I would have to say it would be sweet potatoes.  There is a little bit of a difference between sweet potatoes and tams. I actually thought they were the same thing but they are different plants. I think the sweet potato is a little sweeter and it also has more of a consistency of Yukon gold as far as fibrous texture goes.

As far back as I can remember my mom used to make a sweet potato dish by starting with canned yams. You know the ones. They show up on the end caps at grocery stores around Thanksgiving. Usually there is also tall stack of mini marshmallows right next to them along with brown sugar. Yep, that is the casserole I am talking about and while Thanksgiving might not feel complete without it, kind of like the multi layer Jello Salad recipe that has been around for ages, sometimes a little change is a good thing.

Using fresh ingredients is such a game changer. When I first made recipes that called for sweet potatoes and began cooking with them I had no idea how delicious they really were. When I found out they were good for you, well let’s just say a happy dance might have happened right in my kitchen!

This is what Karina of Café Delights has to say about this yummy recipe.

“Also, I always make these with breadcrumbs. The times I’ve tried these with flour, they come out gooey in the centre. Very, very soft and almost like a cake batter.”

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Quick Tip; Try making these in a non-stick pan since they are a little fragile when turning.

Recipe and image courtesy of Karina at Café Delights

The post I Never Thought Sweet Potatoes Could Taste So Amazing appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Colorful and full of flavor, make a double batch to you can enjoy the LEFTOVERS tomorrow.

I love using fresh ingredients. Whether I buy them at a local Farmer’s Market, grow them ourselves, or are given produce from someone elses bounty, being able to eat things that are picked at their peak makes all the difference in the world when it comes to flavor.

You can taste the difference between homegrown tomatoes and ones that have been picked green for the stores.

My husband is our family green thumb and he usually plants more tomatoes than we can use which means I am always on the look out for new recipes that include some of our garden bounty.

I love caprese toast on think slices of crusty sourdough French bread but I can never get enough tomatoe and basil!

Being able to use all the ingredients and toss with orzo is a huge win! I mean you could make a big bowl of this the day before you need to serve and seriously? I would eat this for lunch! It has everything. And can be served warm or cold.

Of course I always put in extra tomato!

This is what Samantha of Five Heart Home has to say about this perfect flavor packed summer time salad.

Let’s be honest here. Caprese anything is a pretty equal opportunity-type recipe. Bottom line? This pasta salad recipe is so yummy, y’all. Like, happily-eat-it-for-lunch-every-day-until-it’s-gone yummy.

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Quick Tip: If you are trying to shy away from pasta you could substitute this out for rice or quinoa.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Samantha at Five Heart Home

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/farmers-market-run-dont-walk-get-hand-fresh-ingredients/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/six-ingredients-nailed-first-try/ http://urbanretrorecipes.com/six-ingredients-nailed-first-try/#respond Sat, 22 Jul 2017 23:37:41 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=1398 Pasta Salad is one of my favorite dishes because you can serve it cold! And it goes with anything you pull off the BBQ! I adore pasta salad and I think I have made it different almost every time. Why? Because it is the best way to use up extra diced bell peppers or olives […]

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Pasta Salad is one of my favorite dishes because you can serve it cold! And it goes with anything you pull off the BBQ!

I adore pasta salad and I think I have made it different almost every time. Why? Because it is the best way to use up extra diced bell peppers or olives that you have in the fridge.
I love that you can serve it as is, or add diced chicken or ham in it.

If you are rushed for time and just realized you don’t have anything planned for dinner, swing into Costco. You can pick up all the ingredients, including my favorite basil pesto, french bread, and even a rotisserie chicken to cut up. Really, this can be a side dish or actually star as the main course.

Really, this can be a side dish or actually star as the main course. I am leaning toward the main course! It is so easy to make and clean-up so why not?

If you have any left over trust me it will taste even better the following day. The flavors just meld together in a way that makes you want to hum a happy tune while cleaning up.
Since there isn’t any heavy sauce added, this is a great lighter fare.

For Farmer’s Market enthusiasts, this is also a great recipe to think of and if you are super ambitious to feel free to make your own pesto- see recipe below.

This is what Lauren from Tastes Beter From Scratch has to say about this summer salad classic.

I love adding homemade basil pesto to this recipe but it’s delicious with a high-quality store-bought pesto too. If you’re looking for a super fast and easy summer side dish that’s packed with flavor, this one is for you!

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Quick Tip: Want to make your own Pesto? No problemo! If you are already going to the farmer’s market or if you happen to have a healthy basil plant you might as well whip this up.  Just put all the below ingredients into your food processor and puree.

 

1. 3 cups fresh basil leaves.
2. 3 cloves garlic.
3. ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated.
4. Splash of fresh lemon juice, more or less according to your taste buds.
5. About ½ cup olive oil (or oil of your choice)
6. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Laren of Tastes Better From Scratch

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/six-ingredients-nailed-first-try/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/everything-need-dinner-bowl/ http://urbanretrorecipes.com/everything-need-dinner-bowl/#respond Wed, 24 May 2017 19:24:51 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=818 So Amazing, My Family Won’t Know It is Good For Them! When I saw that this was a healthy option for some of my favorite ingredients I had to check it out. I am always trying to cut back on calories, but it seemed that the lower calorie options just didn’t have the same “wow” […]

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So Amazing, My Family Won’t Know It is Good For Them!

When I saw that this was a healthy option for some of my favorite ingredients I had to check it out.

I am always trying to cut back on calories, but it seemed that the lower calorie options just didn’t have the same “wow” factor as the traditional sauce ingredients, I mean really, how can you improve on real butter?

This recipe has really brought together several awesome elements such as broccoli, pesto, and pasta to create a one dish meal! And you know what a one dish meal means? Less clean-up!

If you are trying to keep up with all the activities your family is involved in, having one less thing to stress over is enough to do the happy dance right there. In fact, go ahead. In your kitchen do the Electric Slide, Hustle, or a Jig. No judgment here

The best part is that this can be served hot or cold, so if you are planning a picnic in the park..try this out and see what others think.

This is what Heidi has to say about this recipe.

This is definitely one of those recipes where impulse vegetable ingredient additions or substitutions are welcome. Zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, peas, corn, different styles or colors of peppers, and butternut squash would all make this recipe sing for our supper.

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Quick Tip: You can also bar-b-que the chicken before adding it to the pasta. So think about cooking enough chicken for more than one meal and putting some aside for later. Cook once, eat twice saves you time and money.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Heidi and Foodie Crush.

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