Broccoli Cheese {Casserole} Bites (+our family basement picnic and homemade dips!)
I think a better name for these is Little Bites of Heaven, and if you love broccoli cheese casserole as much as I do, you'll understand why. Even my super picky hubby looked at me with that big-eyed suprised "MMmmm" look as he took a bite.
Sunday night we decided to have a 'picnic' dinner downstairs, as we told Elle she could watch a movie, but we wanted to start it earlier so the kids could get baths and and get to bed at a decent time. I made my homemade chicken nuggets with these little guys, and it was D-LISH. Perfect little finger foods with little mess.
We were going to put the tablecloth on the floor for a true picnic feel, but decided with little man still in his high chair this would be WAY less chaotic and save food being transported to every corner of the basement. So we agreed to begin the movie and eat in the nook then move to the big screen after dinner. (Plus, this meant Chad having to utilize more of his 'geekery'... so of course he agreed).
I love our themed dinners/weekend dates with family, especially when we are able to spend them at our favorite place in the world: Home. I'm such a homebody, and this makes me so happy and keeps things fun for sure.
Here's what our spread looked like:
I had homemade honey mustard sauce to go with the nuggets and dip to go with the veggies (recipes below).
As you can see... nothing fancy. Just wholesome food made with REAL FOOD ingredients. Being together and eating good food is what makes me happy.
What's nice about these is that they freeze and reheat beautifully, so you can make keep them and heat them up to add to any meal or snack.
Broccoli Cheese Bites
(adapted from staceysnacks.com)
Ingredients:
16 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained of liquid (I had frozen my fresh broccoli, so I got it out and steamed it before adding to recipe)
1 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese 3 eggs salt & pepper 1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (I use Whole Foods 365 brand breadcrumbs)
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. With your hands, form small patties and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375F for 25 minutes, turning the patties after the first 15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy. Don't forget to freeze any leftovers for later!
Homemade Honey Mustard
If you havent' noticed, mustard isn't really bad for you. It's one of the very few condiments you'll find like this. Most of the time, it's simply made with vinegar, mustard seed and a variety of spices. Just check the back to make sure. So if you have a choice - and like it - opt for mustard instead. It really is the little things that add up. I've learned to love it when I realized how much better it is than most ketchup. Actually, just this past weekend, we ate at Skyline and I had my first Chili Sandwich (w/o the hotdog) with mustard and onions. I have always gotten ketchup and onions on my coneys (and was always made fun of for my choices, BTW) but I now enjoy the mustard.
Don't forget - this can be used as a replacement salad dressing as well!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mustard (regular or dijon - I prefer regular)
1/2 cup raw honey
That's it! Simply combine the two ingredients, and you can even add more mustard/honey to your desired taste. So much healthier than store-bought honey mustard with uneccessary ingredients.
Homemade Veggie Dip
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Whole Milk Plain Yogurt (I prefer Stonyfield)
1-2 tsp pure maple syrup, to taste
Again, just stir to combine and you've got a super easy and delicious dip for veggies (I use it for fruit as well). I make the dips and keep them in the fridge next to the cut up veggies for an easy snack for the kids to grab.
Have easy-access snacks are KEY to success when eating cleaner. This way, Elle can just grab a veggie and dip by herself. She's 3, and the idea of doing things herself makes her want to do them (or eat them!) even more.
Remember, if you buy junk, they'll eat junk. If you truly want your kids to eat better, then you need to give them better options. Start small. Prepared and ready-to-go snacks will help!
Good luck!
