For an easy variation, make this mac ‘n’ ham ‘n’ cheese recipe with broccoli and cheddar. Simply sub in 8 oz. of frozen broccoli florets (thawed, drained, patted dry) for the ham. Then, Sub in the cheddar for the fontina. And for some helpful tips, learn how to reheat mac and cheese so It’s creamy again and how to make it on a stovetop.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups finely shredded fontina cheese (6 oz.)
• ½ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• 6 oz. ziti pasta or elbow macaroni
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ of (8 oz.) boneless ham steak, cut into 1"x1⁄4" strips
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. In bowl, combine ½ cup fontina and breadcrumbs; reserve. In large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain well.

In large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, Parmesan, garlic and cayenne; stir in remaining 1 cup fontina, then pasta and ham. Transfer to baking dish.

Sprinkle with reserved breadcrumb mixture. Coat with cooking spray. Bake until hot, bubbly and golden, 30–35 min. Let stand 10 min. Top with parsley.

Nutrition

• Calories: 540
• Fat: 37 gram
• Saturated Fat: 22 gram
• Protein: 21 gram
• Carbohydrate: 32 gram
• Fiber: 0 gram
• Cholesterol: 180 mg
• Sugar: 4 gram
• Sodium: 690 mg

Tags:

• Casserole recipes,
• Main Dish,
• Dinner,
• Pasta,
• Pork

But sweet potato casserole is easy to customize and make your own. We gave our version a twist by adding a surprising ingredient: apples. The combination of the fruit, potatoes and seasonal spices, plus the caramelized marshmallow topping, is guaranteed to have guests coming back for seconds.

What’s your favorite way to whip up sweet potato casserole? Comment below to let us know.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 4 Tbs. butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. pepper
• ¾ cup half-and-half, warmed
• 3 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Coat 11⁄2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with cooking spray. Prick potatoes 2–3 times; transfer to baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 11⁄2 hrs. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes.

In pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until softened, 5 min. Add apple; cook until tender, 5–7 min. Add potatoes, cinnamon, salt and pepper; mash until almost smooth. Stir in half-and-half. Spread in baking dish. Top with marshmallows; bake until golden, 10 min.

Nutrition

• Calories: 370
• Fat: 8 gram
• Saturated Fat: 5 gram
• Protein: 5 gram
• Carbohydrate: 76 gram
• Cholesterol: 25 mg
• Sugar: 27 gram
• Sodium: 180 mg

Tags:

• Casserole recipes,
• sweet potato casserole,
• sweet potato dishes,
• sweet potato mash,
• thanksgiving side dishes,
• Main Dish,
• Dinner,
• Thanksgiving,
• Fruit,
• Vegetables,
• Baking

Ingredients

• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1½ lbs. ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 cup Alfredo pasta sauce, from 15-oz. jar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups cooked rice
• ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 2 oz

Instructions

1. Coat 4-qt. slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together tomato paste and ¼ cup water. Stir in beef, onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper until combined. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 2–2½  hrs., until cooked through.
2. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to baking dish. In bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce and eggs; stir in rice. Spoon over beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until topping is set, 20 min. Broil until lightly browned, 3–4 min.

For another tasty Greek recipe, click through to learn how to make Greek Beef Couscous with Hidden Veggies!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (15.5 oz.) jar chunky salsa
• 1 (8.5 oz.) pkg. corn muffin mix
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg
• 3 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
• 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, 1 cup
• Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. Place chicken and half of salsa in bottom of 6-qt. slow cooker. Cover; cook on high until chicken is tender, 2–3 hrs. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken.
2. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, using spoon or rubber spatula, stir together muffin mix, milk and egg until blended, but not smooth. Spread in baking dish. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 12–14 min.
3. Spread remaining salsa over cornbread in baking dish. Top with spinach, then chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until spinach is wilted, chicken is heated through and cheese is melted, 5 min. Heat broiler. Broil until cheese is golden brown, 2–3 min. If desired, serve sprinkled with cilantro leaves.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 oz.) sweet potato, peeled, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes, crushed
• 5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 4 oz. spaghetti, broken
• ⅓ cup chopped mint

Instructions

1. Season chicken with ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper; place in bottom of 6-qt. slow cooker. Add sweet potato, onion, then tomatoes with juice. In bowl, stir together chicken broth, tomato paste and curry powder. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover; cook on low until chicken is tender, about 5 hrs.
2. Remove chicken; add chickpeas and pasta to slow cooker. Cover; cook on low until pasta is al dente, 15–20 min. Shred chicken; add back to slow cooker with mint.

The tasty duo comes from The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook (Available on Amazon). Written by Lisa Steele, the book features “over 100 fabulous recipes to use eggs in unexpected ways.” Steele’s charming Maine farm, which became her happy place after “trading a Wall Street life for rural living,” is home to a flock of chickens, so she drew inspiration from her never-ending supply of farm-fresh eggs. “I highly recommend always cooking with and eating the freshest eggs possible,” she writes. “It does make a difference.” (Of course, we don’t all have a farm full of healthy hens — so Steele recommends finding fresh eggs at local farms and farmers markets instead.) Ready to try her delicious Butternut Squash and Egg recipe yourself? Read on for the nutrition facts, cooking tips, and recipe instructions.

Nutrition Facts for a Butternut Squash and Egg Breakfast

What makes Steele’s recipe such a nutritious breakfast? About ½ a cup of squash (which is equal to one round slice, if the squash is 2 pounds) contains 90 calories. It also supplies:

• 10.75 grams of carbohydrates
• 3.28 grams of fiber
• Less than 1 gram of fat
• Nearly 1 gram of protein
• 2.02 grams of sugar

In addition, that ½ cup contains a decent amount of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C, and an impressive amount of potassium (291 mg, or 11.19 percent of your daily value). One large egg adds 77.5 calories, 0.56 grams of carbohydrates, 6.3 grams of protein, 25 milligrams of calcium, 5 milligrams of magnesium, and 63 milligrams of potassium.

Bonus: Save those squash seeds for an extra boost of nutrition. While there isn’t much data on butternut squash seeds in particular, they are likely very similar to pumpkin seeds in terms of nutritional content. One ounce of unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (with the shell) contain 126 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, and 5.5 grams of unsaturated fat.

Cooking Tips

Here’s the big question: Once you crack an egg into the center of a squash round how can you stop it from leaking all over the baking sheet? The answer is to slice the rounds as flat as you possibly can. Once you have all your slices, lay them flat on the baking sheet and inspect them for curves and openings where egg can seep out. Trim those curves where possible. And if you’re really worried about presentation, trim any overflow once it’s done cooking.

To cook the seeds: Once you’ve scooped them out of the squash, lay them flat on a paper towel, on top of a plate. Don’t worry about pulling off the stringy bits. Rather, let the seeds and fibers dry for at least an hour. By that time, the stringy flesh will shrivel away, leaving cleaner and dryer seeds that are now ready for roasting.

Baked Eggs in Butternut Squash Recipe

Says Lisa Steele: “These baked eggs are such a fun way to use squash. I am partial to butternut, but acorn or spaghetti squash would work equally as well. Roasting the squash before adding the egg ensures that the squash is tender and slightly caramelized, while the egg is cooked to perfection in the center.”

Ingredients

• 2 cups prepared green bean casserole
• ¼ cup frozen corn
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup turkey stock
• 2 cups shredded roast turkey
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In bowl, toss green bean casserole with next 6 ingredients. Divide mixture evenly among 6 greased 4″ ramekins. 
2. With pizza cutter, slice puff pastry sheet into six 6″ squares. Lightly press one square on top of each ramekin. Brush tops with beaten egg. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake 30 min. or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. 

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs. oil
• 1 onion, chopped (1½ cups)
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey
• 1¾ cups enchilada sauce, from 28-oz. can
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked rice
• ½ cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (7”) flour tortillas, warmed
• Pepitas (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat 13″x9″ baking dish with cooking spray. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and chili powder; cook until onion starts to soften, 3 min. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 10 min. Stir in turkey, ¾ cup sauce, beans, rice and corn; heat through, 5 min. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup cheese and cilantro. 
2. Divide mixture evenly among tortillas; roll up. Place, seam side down, in dish; pour remaining sauce over. Bake until hot, 20 min. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese melts, 5 min. If desired, sprinkle with pepitas.

Ingredients

• 1 (19 oz.) jar green enchilada sauce
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 3 Tbs. grapeseed oil
• 12 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups corn
• ½ cup sliced scallions
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 cup turkey gravy
• 6 (8”) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Instructions

1. In bowl, combine enchilada sauce and sour cream. Spread ¹⁄₂ cup sauce mixture in greased 4 qt. casserole.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and cook 10 min. until browned and pan is dry, stirring often. Add corn, scallions and jalapeño; cook 5 min. or until corn is lightly browned. Add turkey, beans and gravy; heat through.
3. Heat oven to 400°F. Cook tortillas one at a time in dry skillet until charred, 30 sec. per side. Divide filling among tortillas. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in casserole. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 30 min. or until bubbly. Serve with sour cream, cilantro and diced tomato, if desired.