corn – The Pajama Chef

Mexican Lasagna

August 7, 2017 Sarah

Mexican Lasagna… this epic (vegetarian) meal is weeknight-friendly, pantry-friendly, and oh so tasty! I definitely need to make this dish more often. Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna... this epic (vegetarian) meal is weeknight-friendly, pantry-friendly, and oh so tasty! I definitely need to make this dish more often. Enjoy!

Lasagna… one of my favorite dinners of all times. I don’t get people who say it’s complicated. Sure, it’s a little more involved than tossing together sauce and noodles, but all it takes is a little layering and baking and then you have an amazing cheesy comfort dish that pretty much everyone loves. Right?? Right.

Normally, I’m a regular lasagna girl. I have several lasagna recipes on my site but my go-to is my Mom’s (and Grandma’s) lasagna. I made it on Friday, actually, with a fussy baby (who didn’t sleep the night before) attached to my leg. Fun times. But sometimes you want something a little different. You still want the lasagna experience, but with a new palate of flavors. (Yes, I totally think in those terms. Please let me know I’m not alone.) Enter… MEXICAN Lasagna. All the goodness of lasagna mixed with all the goodness of taco night!

Mexican Lasagna... this epic (vegetarian) meal is weeknight-friendly, pantry-friendly, and oh so tasty! I definitely need to make this dish more often. Enjoy!

This is an epic fusion dish that I do not make often enough. The recipe, as is written, is vegetarian–but if that’s not your thing, add some meat. Chicken, beef, chorizo… they’d all work I think! I usually have most of the ingredients in the pantry and fridge, so even though it’s (gasp) lasagna, it’s totally possible as a weeknight “what do I make for dinner” recipe. Busy weeknight WIN! Enjoy!

one year ago: Awesome Kale Salad
two years ago: Cheesy Veggie Pasta
three years ago: Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcakes
four years ago: Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
five years ago: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
six years ago: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
seven years ago: Potato Soup

Mexican Lasagna

Servings: 6
Time: 60 minutes, includes baking
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from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:

1 – 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed — I usually cook my black beans from scratch and use 1 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups corn kernels — fresh (usually about 3 ears) or frozen
4-5 green onions, green and white parts sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro + more to serve
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
black pepper
1 – 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 ounce shredded Mexican blend cheese — I’ve also used sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or monterey jack

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss together black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper.

Spread 1/4 of the crushed tomatoes on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. If necessary, break them to fit the pan. Spoon 1/3 of the black bean mixture over noodles, then spread with tomatoes and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat to use up remaining ingredients: noodles, beans, tomatoes, cheese, noodles, beans, tomatoes, cheese.

Cover pan with foil, then bake for 35-45 minutes until noodles are fully cooked. Remove foil and bake for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melty and golden brown.

Allow lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Note: I’ve also used 12 lasagna noodles and made this in a large oval serving dish. I’m sure a 9×13 dish would work as well.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Chili

January 20, 2016January 15, 2016 Sarah

Quinoa meets chicken tortilla soup for a kicked up crockpot meal that is filling, delicious, and perfectly spiced. Plus, you can top it with everything from tortilla chips to cheese to avocado so it’s a customized dinner that your whole family will love!

It’s another chilly week! Ben and I are certainly learning about good insulation versus bad insulation throughout this first winter in our house. Fortunately, winter in Nashville isn’t that intense. But unfortunately, when it is cold, I don’t want to spend a gazillion dollars in heating costs. So I do the next best thing–warm up from the cold with a hot ‘n hearty dinner! One of my long-time favorites that I somehow haven’t shared on the blog is this wonderful Chicken Quinoa Chili! It is so full of flavor, so simple, and so tasty. Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you–this dish can be made in the crockpot so all you basically have to do stir together, live your life, and come back for a tasty dinner. 🙂

This easy crockpot meal basically combines all the good stuff–chicken, spices, quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, corn, green pepper, onion, and garlic–with a little chicken broth to make an incredible Chicken Quinoa Chili. It’s seriously a Mexican-style soup/chili on steroids! And each bite is made better by the mass quantities of toppings. You can basically add any sort of taco, chili, or soup topping you like… but my necessary Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Chili toppings include: cilantro, cheese, and sour cream. If I have some diced avocado too, even better! #goodstuff The toppings just take this chili to the next level… but it’s still fabulously filling and delightful.

Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Chili: Quinoa meets chicken tortilla soup for a kicked up crockpot meal that is filling, delicious, and perfectly spiced. Plus, you can top it with everything from tortilla chips to cheese to avocado so it's a customized dinner that your whole family will love! Before we go, can I let you in on a secret? Even though this chili is made what it is by the quinoa, I’m a little quinoa-ed out. For a long time, I was convincing Ben that it was the BEST-THING-EVER and I put it in everything. I think the rest of the internet did too. 🙂 But now… I don’t use it very often so when I do, I want to make it count. And this is the type of dish where it really does count. Adding quinoa to what’s basically a chicken tortilla soup kicks it up a notch into a fabulous chili. Mmmm, tasty stuff! Hope you enjoy this awesome meal as much as we do. 🙂

one year ago: Homemade Turkey Sausage Patties
two years ago: Quick ‘n Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice
three years ago: Buffalo Pretzels
four years ago: Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal
five years ago: Pork Chops with Red Wine Sauce

Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Chili

Servings: 6-8
Time: 8 hours
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slightly adapted from Boys Ahoy

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts [about 1 1/2 pounds]
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
1 – 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed [or 2 – 15 ounce cans]
1 – 16 ounce package frozen corn
1 green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
shredded cheese, for serving
sour cream, for serving
avocado, for serving
green onions, for serving
crushed tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

Place chicken at the bottom of a large crockpot. Sprinkle with cumin, crushed red pepper, and chili powder. Season with pepper. Top with quinoa and pour chicken broth on top. Then add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low.

When finished cooking, remove chicken and shred with a fork, then return to crockpot and stir to combine. Serve with cheese, sour cream, avocado, green onions, and tortilla chips as desired.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Cheesy Veggie Pasta

August 10, 2015August 9, 2015 Sarah

This pasta is creamy and cheesy, and full of lots of summer veggies. What’s not to love?!?

Ahhh, pasta. If you’re like me, you probably have it at least once a week in some form or another. No matter how you fix it, pasta is always a vehicle for something delicious. Though baked pastas are my FAVE, in the summer, sometimes that’s too much. So this time, I threw in everything from my local farmer’s market and called it a day. I think the combo of mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, and corn was perfect. I thought about just tossing the veggies with an olive oil or butter-based sauce, but instead decided to try for a lighter creamy sauce. After cooking the veggies, I tossed in some flour and added some milk. After letting it cook down, I added cheese and herbs. I truly wasn’t sure how it would go, and was so happy with the results! In a word, or three… Flavorful, refreshing, and satisfying. Mmm!

I absolutely inhaled this colorful and light pasta! It’s cheesy and creamy and super wonderful. Unlike some saucy pasta dishes, this one reheated well which was a pleasant surprise. You better believe I hoarded the leftovers and will be making this again soon. 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcakes
two years ago: Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
three years ago: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
four years ago: Salmon with Lemon, Tarragon, and Garlic Sauce

Cheesy Veggie Pasta

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup corn, cut off the cob
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup fresh herbs – I used dill, basil, lemon thyme, and a tiny bit of mint
3 ounces shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, and corn. Season with pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir to coat. Pour in milk and stir. Constantly stir, cooking until thick–about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

When pasta is cooked, fold pasta into sauce. Sprinkle with herbs and mozzarella. Stir until cheese melts, then season with pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, or toss in an oven safe baking dish and cook until cheese on top crisps up. I think some bread crumbs mixed with butter and lemon zest on top could be magnificent too!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Baked Bacon-Blueberry Ricotta Pasta

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 Sarah

A luscious, creamy baked pasta with crisp bacon, succulent fresh corn, a pop of sweet blueberries, and a crunchy topping made out of a surprise ingredient. Intrigued now?

At my house, you can’t go wrong with baked pasta. Ben and I can eat an embarrassingly large portion of baked pasta at a single meal. Then after it’s wrapped up for the fridge, we are constantly opening it up and using a fork [or our fingers, sorry Mom] for another bite. There’s just something about baked pasta. From looking at the title of this recipe, Baked Bacon-Blueberry Ricotta Pasta, you’ve probably surmised that there’s at least something a little unusual with this pasta dish. Bacon and ricotta… pretty standard fare for Italian food. Blueberries? Now that’s a little odd, but it’s summer so sometimes berries creep into weird places. But then you look at that photo and you’re like, wait… is that oats? On pasta? Ummm, what’s going on? Well, that my friends, is granola. Granola?!?! Well, yes. That’s what my husband said too. Ha!

I developed this recipe as my entry in the Golden Girl Granola Blogger Recipe Challenge. When I first received the package of Bluesberry Granola I planned to use it in a breakfast dish, such as french toast or breakfast quesadillas, or the like. But it’s a contest, and I figured everyone would do that. So I did something different! And guess what? It worked!

The sweetness of the blueberry, almond, and coconut granola [which is SO delicious, btw] is cut by the salty bacon, creamy ricotta, and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese mixed into the topping. I also mixed in some fresh sweet corn since I can’t get enough of that in the summertime, and a handful of herbs from my garden. Perfection on a plate! This isn’t your average pasta dish… it’s even better! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

one year ago: Coffee Blondies
two years ago: Pineapple Cream Pie
three years ago: Grandma’s Blueberry Muffins
four years ago: Linda’s Caramel Ritz Bits Crackers

Baked Bacon-Blueberry Ricotta Pasta

Servings: 6
Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

8 ounces pasta* [I used Trottole, a curly, thick, corkscrew shape but any small pasta would do]
*1 cup reserved pasta water
4 strips of bacon
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup corn [frozen or fresh]
1 cup blueberries
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
a small handful of fresh basil, minced
a small handful of fresh lemon thyme
white pepper
sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Bluesberry Granola – from Golden Girl Granola
5-6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10 inch round casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Chop when cool.

Then, stir together ricotta cheese, corn, blueberries, rosemary, basil, and lemon thyme until combined. [If you don’t have these herbs, substitute about 1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice, or ~1 teaspoon dried herbs.] Season with white pepper and sea salt, then taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Then add egg and bacon and stir again.

When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. Fold pasta into ricotta mixture, adding reserved pasta water in 1/4 cup increments until sauce evenly coats pasta. Spoon pasta into prepared casserole dish.

In a small bowl, gently crush granola with the back of a wooden spoon until just broken down. Mix in Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until heated through. Serve immediately.

Disclosure: Golden Girl Granola sent me one bag of granola of my choice for the purposes of participation in this recipe challenge. I received no further compensation and was not asked or paid to publish positive comments. Please check them out on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find their products in various stores on the east coast. Thank you for the chance to try your granola!

Guest Post Links, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Corn and Blueberry Salad

July 15, 2015July 14, 2015 Sarah

This simple corn salad has a pop of sweetness, a little cheese, and lots of yum. One bite and you’ll be hooked!

You’re going to LOVE this amazingly flavorful Corn and Blueberry Salad. The best of summer, right here! This salad is a guaranteed hit… and it takes just a few minutes to throw together and uses ONLY seven ingredients! What’s not to love?