Pie... savory, not sweet

Apple pie. Pecan pie. Pumpkin pie. Quesadilla pie? I warned you in the title of this post that we were talking savory not sweet, didn't I? 

During some internet browsing, I saw this recipe for quesadilla pie. It looked like a great addition to dinner staples that are simple, fairly fast to put together, and can fall into the "one pot wonder" category. "One pot wonders" are the best - grains/fiber, protein, veggies, dairy - brought together to create a party in your mouth! Here was what I came up with:

Quesadilla Pie

• Diced leftover grilled turkey
• Diced organic onion
• 1/2 - 3/4 can black beans (rinsed and allowed to air dry a bit)
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• 3/4 can green enchilada sauce
• 1/4 C. organic Greek yogurt (plain)
• 1 10 oz. package frozen organic spinach (thawed, water squeezed out)

Dice turkey, onion; Rinse black beans; Mix together enchilada sauce, yogurt, spinach; Butter glass pie dish; Place 1 tortilla in dish as bottom layer; Spread enchilada/spinach mixture, sprinkle turkey, onions, beans, cheese; Add tortilla; Repeat filling; Add top tortilla; Butter a bit and sprinkle with cheese. I followed the same baking instructions as the above recipe: 30 minutes covered at 350 degrees then 15 minutes uncovered at 400 degrees. 

Served with some avocado and lime juice, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a splash of salsa - definitely a pie worth remembering, even if the dollop wasn't whipped cream...

Casserole-shmasserole, with broccoli!

Casseroles, crockpot creations, soups... these dishes all fall into the "one pot wonder" category, which in my opinion equals AWESOME! Now that the temps are dropping, one pot wonders become a must in this house. You can throw together a pot of something with nearly anything that you have in the house. Not even kidding! Here's the Broccoli and Rice Casserole that we like. It's hard to find recipes for broccoli, rice, and cheese that leave out the cream of mushroom soup. I haven't found a super-healthy replacement, so this recipe is nice because it just leaves that ingredient out all together.

Broccoli and Rice Casserole (as seen in Super Baby Food):

• 2 C., or so, of cooked brown rice (using chicken broth instead of water is nice for his recipe)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C. milk
• 1/2 C. shredded cheese (with a little extra to sprinkle on top before baking)
• 1 C. chopped fresh broccoli
• Onion, mushrooms, carrots, garlic - whatever combination you have that you can chop and saute before adding
• Salt and pepper
• Mix everything together and bake covered in a buttered dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Pre-baking