Homemade Hamburger Helper

 https://tasty-yummies.com/high-protein-one-pan-homemade-hamburger-helper-gluten-free/#wprm-recipe-container-19807

• Again with the use what you have. I used up my extra cottage cheese queso.
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 lb lean ground beef, ground turkey
• 3 cups low-sodium broth, chicken or beef
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, or 1 cup milk instead of cottage cheese (skip if adding cheese sauce)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, regular paprika will also work
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 oz elbow pasta, or other small pasta (I use gluten-free brown rice pasta)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, I recommend using freshly shredded cheese vs the pre-shredded cheese (skip if using cheese sauce)
• salt and pepper to taste
• milk to thin as needed

• Heat a large sauté pan (12-inch) or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil.
• Cook the diced onion until translucent and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Brown the meat for 5-8 minutes, then drain off any excess fat (depending on the meat).
• Blend the cottage cheese (1 cup), broth (3 cups), and tomato paste (2 tbs) in a blender until smooth.
• Add the broth mixture, paprika (2 tsp), oregano (1 tsp), and hot sauce (1-2 tbs, if using) to the pan and stir well to combine. 
• Add the pasta (8oz) and bring to a gentle boil, uncovered. Stir very often to avoid sticking, cooking until the pasta is tender and al dente (10-12 minutes, depending on the pasta shape and type). Most, but not all, of the liquid should be absorbed—you want some sauce.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded cheese (1 cup) until completely melted and the sauce is thickened. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Remove from the heat and serve with parsley, chives, and/or red pepper flakes, if desired. Add a lil light sprinkle of shredded cheese on top, if you want.

Harvest Apple Salad

My M-i-l made this and it was so so good! I'm a sub with what I have kinda gal but definitely add grilled chicken to this. 

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/harvest-apple-salad/

INGREDIENTS

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ¼ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt (use half for table salt)
• Pinch black pepper

Salad:

• 6 cups baby spring greens, baby arugula, baby kale or a combination
• 1 cup chopped honeycrisp or cosmic crisp apples (about 1 medium apple)
• ¾ cup sweet spicy candied pecans (see note for the recipe I use and store bought options)
• ½ cup dried cranberries (i.e. craisins)
• ½ cup lightly salted, roasted pumpkin seeds (see note)
• ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 6 strips)
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (see note)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions

INSTRUCTIONS 

• For the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The vinaigrette can be made several days ahead of time. 
• For the salad, combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly.
• Give the dressing a stir to recombine, if needed. Serve the dressing on the side or toss the salad with the dressing and serve.
  

  NOTES

  Candied Pecans: my favorite, easy recipe for homemade candied pecans is this one. When making them for this salad, I usually halve the recipe, use chopped pecans instead of whole, reduce the cinnamon to 3/4 teaspoon, and add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more, to taste). For store bought, look in the snacks/nuts aisle of the grocery store. (Trader Joe’s has sweet and spicy whole candied pecans that can easily be chopped for this salad.) If you can’t find/don’t have time for candied pecans, toasted pecans or another type of favorite nut can work. 

  Pumpkin Seeds: I’ve seen these in multiple grocery stores in the snacks/nuts aisle. If you can’t find them, shelled, lightly salted sunflower seeds are a good substitution.

  Feta Cheese: if you are looking to take this salad (and feta) up a notch, buy a block of feta cheese (pretty widely available; usually by the specialty cheeses) and crumble it yourself – it is so much creamier than already crumbled feta. 

  Apple: the chopped apples can be tossed in 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to keep from turning brown, if desired.

Not so fried chicken salad (Mendocino Farms)

 I haven't had this from Mendocino farms but I have had other salads of theirs and it's'gotta be close. It is so so good!

https://thedefineddish.com/copy-cat-not-so-fried-chicken-salad/

mustard-shallot vinaigrette:

• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup roughly chopped shallot (ha! only I just use red onion and extra garlic)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grainy dijon mustard (plain dijon too)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar)
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice

for the krispies:

• ▢ ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (can be gluten-free)
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

for the salad:

• ▢ 6 cups spring greens
• ▢ 2 cups coleslaw mix (optional)
• ▢ 1 cup pickled red onions (homemade)
• ▢ 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 2 cups cooked roughly chopped chicken (I use Rotisserie)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons BBQ Sauce

instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375℉.
• In a blender or using an immersion blender in a wide-mouth jar, combine all of the Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• On a small baking sheet, add the panko, parmesan, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix until well combined and spread into a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes, watching carefully so they do not burn. Remove from the oven to let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the greens, slaw, pickled onions, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with desired amount of the Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette and toss until well coated.
• Divide the salad among 4 plates. Top with the chopped cooked chicken and the Krispies. Drizzle with BBQ sauce and enjoy!