3 pounds medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup reduced-fat cream cheese
¼ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
4 tbsp melted butter
1 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Rub potatoes with oil and pierce all over with a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese and sour cream together in a medium bowl until smooth; gradually whisk in milk until well incorporated.
Step 3
Coat a 9-by-13-inch ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and roughly chop the halves. Place the chopped potatoes in a large bowl and, using a potato masher, mash until mostly smooth. Gradually add the milk mixture, stirring just until incorporated, stir in butter. Add 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/4 cup bacon, scallions, salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Cheddar.
Step 4
Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are browned, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon. Garnish with scallions, if desired.

1 (12 ounce) package whole wheat penne pasta
1 (24 ounce) jar pasta sauce
2–3 cups water
1 pound of chicken (cut into small pieces)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet, medium high heat, add chicken and sear. Only cook a couple of minutes. Chicken will finish cooking in oven. Dump uncooked noodles, pasta sauce, water, chicken, spices and 1/2 cup mozzarella in baking dish. Mix well. Make sure liquid covers pasta and chicken. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Spread mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and then bread crumbs over pasta dish. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.***Note from Dick Daniels: I found the cooking time to be too short. I added 10 minutes to covered cooking time and an extra 10 minutes uncovered before adding cheese and bread crumbs.

24 Hawaiian bread rolls-split
12 thin slices of honey-cured deli ham, halved
12 slices Swiss cheese, halved
12 thin slices deli smoked turkey, halved
12 thin slices provolone cheese, halved
½ cup butter
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup dried onion flakes
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon honey mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bottom halves of Hawaiian rolls on a baking sheet. Place a half slice each of ham, Swiss cheese, smoked turkey, and provolone cheese onto each roll bottom. Place top halves onto each bottom to make sandwiches. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in sugar, dried onion flakes, poppy seeds, and honey mustard until mixture is smooth and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes; brush over the tops of each sandwich. Bake sandwiches on the preheated oven’s lower rack until tops are golden brown and fillings are hot, about 15 minutes.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
1 cup chopped carrots (from 2 medium carrots)
1 cup chopped celery (from 2 large stalks)
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups unsalted chicken stock, more if soup is too thick
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles
3 cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken breast (from 2 rotisserie chickens)
1 cup frozen green peas

Melt butter with olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and salt and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and milk and let mixture come to a boil. Add uncooked noodles to boiling mixture. Cover and cook until noodles are al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in chicken and peas and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and chicken and peas are warmed through, about 1 to 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.

1 package smoked sausage, sliced ¼” thick
1 lb baby red potatoes, washed, sliced in half
2 15 oz cans green beans, drained
⅛ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup butter
1 cup onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup water
Preheat oven to 400° and spray a 8×8 baking dish with a non stick spray. Wash potatoes, cut in half and add to a sealable gallon size baggie. Add oil, seasonings, pepper and red pepper flakes to baggie. Shake to coat. Remove sausage from pan and when cool enough add to baggie. Melt butter in frying pan and add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent. Let cool for a few minutes and then when cool enough, add to baggie and shake to mix. Lastly, add green beans to baggie, shake to mix and then empty contents into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Carefully remove from oven and enjoy!