Grilled Cheese and Soup with a Southwest Twist

This is a really fast and easy comfort meal for a cold day. The original recipe comes from the Cooking Light 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Cookbook. I make this often because it goes together quick and easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I don't usually get too hung up on the "low fat" or "low salt" ingredients. We usually prefer the "regular" stuff, so mine doesn't turn out all that light, but you can use whatever you prefer.

Sausage and Black Bean Soup
8 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced
1 cup diced bell pepper (red, green and/or yellow)
1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup salsa (whatever heat level or type you prefer)

Coat a non-stick saucepan with cooking spray. Saute sausage over medium-high heat until sausage begins to brown. Add diced bell pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add beans and salsa. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

Quesadillas
You can make these with whatever cheese you like or have on hand. I usually use pepper jack for me and my husband because we like a little more spice. I use a Mexican cheese blend for my son's. You can also add sliced jalapenos if you like.

8 6-inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the skilled, stop with 1/2 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons green onion. Place 2nd tortilla on top to make a sandwich. Cook until golden brown, then turn and cook other side until golden brown. Cut into wedges to serve.

Fun Food

Today's post is just going to be a quick one. Every week my son, my husband and I have "family night." That's one night a week where we do something together as a family like play games or watch a movie together. Not that we don't do those things any other time, but we have that to make sure we do something at least once a week. Another family night tradition is having a "fun food" for dinner. That translates into something my four-year-old thinks is "awesome." My son loves breakfast food and he loves peanut butter and banana sandwiches. So last night I decided to combine the two and created this fun recipe. It turned out really good. I'm going to try experimenting with different types of fillings later on.

I just kind of made this up as I went along so I don't have a true recipe with measurements and all that. Just base amounts on the number of sandwiches you want to make.

Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed Crunchy French Toast
Cinnamon swirl bread (2 slices per sandwich) *
Peanut butter (smooth or chunky - your choice)
Sliced bananas **
Eggs (two eggs and about 1/4 cup milk will make four - five sandwiches)
Milk
Crushed cereal flakes***
Butter

Spread peanut butter on one side of each bread slice. Place sliced bananas on one piece of bread then top with another piece. You will have a sandwich with banana slices in the middle and peanut butter on both sides of the bananas. Beat eggs with milk. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture coating both sides of exposed bread. Dip each side of the coated sandwich in the cereal crumbs to coat. Melt butter on a nonstick griddle or skillet. Cook sandwiches untils golden brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup, honey or jam.

*This would also be good with raisin bread or plain.

**You could try other types of fruit such as raisins or sliced apples.

***I used crushed Honey Bunches of Oats because that's what I had and I thought it would go well with the peanut butter and bananas. Any type of flake cereal would work - corn flakes, Frosted Flakes, etc.