Parmesan

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Leah Short — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 14:41:43 +0000

What’s comfort food for you? A hearty stew? A brothy soup? For me, it’s macaroni and cheese and I had no idea how good it could be until I stumbled on this recipe for Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese! Yeah, it sounds a little weird, but trust me. Roasted butternut squash adds such a depth of flavor, slightly sweet, but complements the Parmesan and sharp Cheddar beautifully. Once blended, it makes this mac and cheese some of the creamiest mac and cheese on the planet.

Cube your butternut squash and roast in the oven. I can’t say enough about roasted veggies. It really brings out the best of their flavor and those crispy bits…

Blend it! Here’s where the magic happens. Greek yogurt and nonfat milk help keep the calories low, but the creamy texture high.

It may be a tinge healthy, but we’re not leaving out the cheese! Salty Parmesan and sharp Cheddar, yes please and thank you!

If it’s cold where you are (and if it isn’t, where are you? can I come? ), a big bowl of this is all you need to get through winter. Cold weather dinner luxury. You won’t be able to get over the creamy, cheesiness of the sauce. I never want to have regular mac and cheese again!

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Farro and Shrimp with Parmesan and Feta

Leah Short — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 14:46:03 +0000

Are y’all in love with the Instant Pot as much as I am? When anyone asks me if they should buy one, my answer is always yes! And, if you use it for nothing else other than to make risotto, it’s worth the money. So, why am I talking about risotto? Well, this Farro and Shrimp with Parmesan and Feta reminds me of risotto so much. It’s creamy, decadent, and super fast and easy to make in the Instant Pot. The big difference is that instead of rice, it’s farro.

Farro is a grain that’s really hearty. I was introduced to it a few years ago back when I made this Cheesy Baked Farro (move over mac & cheese!) and one of my all-time favorite dishes on the blog is Farro with Brie and Squash. If you haven’t had farro, start with those recipes and you’ll love it! So, with the combination of hearty farro and basically being like a risotto, I couldn’t get enough of this!

The Old Bay seasoning mixed with just a bit of butter makes the sauce ever so decadent. And, it was my first time cooking and eating Swiss chard! If you haven’t had it, it’s a little more earthier than spinach, but not as delicate. It wilted down, but holds up a bit more. Finally, the saltiness from the Parmesan and feta put this over the top. If you saw me make this on my Instagram stories, you’ll hear me say how this dish could be something served in a restaurant. It’s THAT good!

Yield: 4 servings

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Farro and Shrimp with Parmesan and Feta

Ingredients:

14.5 oz. can chicken broth, reduced sodium
1 cup pearled farro, rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 lb. medium frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, no tail
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. butter
8 oz. bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

In your Instant Pot, combine the first five ingredients (through pepper). Stir. Lock lid in place. Set Instant Pot to cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Use a quick release.
Carefully open lid. Stir in Old Bay and frozen shrimp. Stir. Lock lid in place. Set Instant Pot to cook for 1 minute on high pressure. Use a quick release.
Carefully open lid. Add Parmesan, butter, and Swiss chard. Stir until chard is wilted. Add lemon juice and feta. Stir and serve.

per serving: 364 calories, 8g fat (4g sat fat), 203 mg cholesterol, 1,351 mg sodium, 41g carbs, 6g fiber, 2g sugars, 35g protein

Better Homes & Gardens, Fast or Slow

This post contains affiliate links.

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Rosemary Parmesan Polenta

Leah Short — Wed, 20 May 2015 13:21:32 +0000

Look at that simple bowl of polenta. Unassuming, nothing fancy, but oh how your eyes can deceive you! This Rosemary Parmesan Polenta is one of those dishes that I want to faceplant in and eat my way out. Yes, to all zee carbzzz! I served this with the Sausage, Cannellini, and Tomato Ragout and together…sweet, sweet harmony. Plus they don’t blow our your calorie budget. You can have both!

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Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Leah Short — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:07:53 +0000

Oh mashed potatoes how I love thee! I’ve eaten a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and called it dinner on many a night. Not because I was too lazy to make something or there was nothing in the house, but because they are delicious and versatile. Add any kind of cheese, herbs, even ranch dressing and it’s pretty much the best thing ever. I made these Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving and they were the star of the show. You know why? Because they are the exact opposite of anything healthy. Goat cheese, butter, sour cream, and milk. You could use half-and-half or cream for the milk, but I had to draw the line somewhere!

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Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Leah Short — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:36:55 +0000

A few days ago I got back from visiting my friends Carol and Mike, who just had a baby girl! I couldn’t wait to meet her! You may remember my visit to their house last year. I knew with a 2-month-old in the house that we’d be hanging out at home mostly. This was ok with me because I knew Carol would be down with making some goodies in the kitchen. We found these Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms in the latest issue of Food Network magazine. There were several variations, but these sounded so good with all the cheese and fennel. These hearty appetizers would also be great for watching the game later that night!

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Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto

Leah Short — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:38:41 +0000

Runny egg. Cheesy polenta. Salty olives. I should just end this post after those six words. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to photograph this Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto without drooling all over it or my camera. I mean it was painful. Food bloggers always joke about never being able to eat a hot meal and gosh if it isn’t so true! Watching that yellow yolk ooze out over the creamy polenta almost did me in. You better believe I set my camera down (after a bajillion pics, amiright?!) and instantly grabbed a spoon. Heaven. Salty, creamy, cheesy, eggy heaven.

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Spaghetti with Creamy Basil Pesto

Leah Short — Thu, 22 May 2014 14:25:49 +0000

I’m continuing to eat low calorie as much as I can, but I really don’t want to miss out on some of my favorite foods like pasta and cheese! Enter Spaghetti with Creamy Basil Pesto. I had a feeling this dish would be awesome because the method reminded me of my Pasta with Mint Pesto recipe where the sauce gets thinned out with the pasta cooking water and somehow becomes creamy. It’s a simple pasta dish, but I loved the flavors from the basil pesto. One serving is huge and comes in at 360 calories.

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Stuffed Shells

Leah Short — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:06:20 +0000

A few weekends ago I was at my mom’s house and I wanted to cook something figure-friendly, but it had to be something we’d both enjoy. Sometimes low calorie versions of your favorite foods don’t quite taste as good as the original. Since my mom isn’t concerned with calories like I am, it had to taste good for her, too. We found this awesome recipe for vegetarian Stuffed Shells that was full of cheese and yummy veggies, and under 400 calories per serving. I’d say we both came out winners with this one!

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Roasted Tomato-Corn Chowder with Cilantro Pesto

Leah Short — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:08:05 +0000

I love a good soup. Even when it’s hot outside, I’ll still crave a good bowl of soup. They’re easy, comforting, and a great source for bread-dipping. This Roasted Tomato-Corn Chowder with Cilantro Pesto certainly meets all those requirements. It takes no time to make, is low calorie (which hello, room for more bread!), and only makes four servings so you’re not stuck eating soup for weeks. A tasty bonus is the cilantro pesto swirled on top with pepitas!

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Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin

Leah Short — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 15:34:29 +0000

This Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin is a great way to eat your veggies! Although it may not be the healthiest with all that delicious heavy cream! For a special occasion, it’s perfectly acceptable. This was also part of our Christmas dinner along with the world’s best Roasted Pork Tenderloin. I like zucchini and yellow squash a lot, but usually overlook them as a side for special dinners. This gratin changes everything! I like the color of the two squash, but if you don’t like zucchini you can use all yellow squash and vice versa.

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