Super easy, fast and delicious. Kids love this creamy cheesy sauce and parents love the fact that they are eating their vegetables. This is so delicious that I serve it at dinner parties when I want to serve a rich pasta dish. You can serve this sauce on any style of pasta, make leftover rice into a quick risotto, pour over leftover chicken and vegetables to make ‘chicken a la king’, pour over sliced potatoes and bake to make easy ‘scallop potatoes’. For an adult dinner party, this sauce is rich enough to serve on the side as a sauce for tenderloin, great with grilled prawn pasta, or add cooked bacon as an alternative to pasta carbonara sauce.

To make sauce:

I use the magic bullet blender.

• 1 part leftover cooked spaghetti squash or butternut squash (can use leftover cooked carrots/cooked peas/cooked beets/cooked broccoli or cauliflower – all depends on what you have in fridge and what flavour, dinner theme you desire)
• 2 parts milk
• dash of salt and pepper
• dash of nutmeg (spices for flavouring if wish ie. curry, dill etc.)
• 6-10 wedges of La Vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow) cheese

If using magic blender, place all the ingredients in large bullet container, warm in microwave (med heat) for 30 sec – 1 min (just so it is warm enough to start melting the cheese – do not boil). Place blender piece on bullet and blend until smooth.

If using regular blender or food processor, mix all the ingredients in a microwave safe glass bowl, warm in microwave (medium heat) for 30 sec to 1 min (just so it is warm enough to start melting the cheese – do not boil). Place into blender or processor and blend until smooth.

Adjust thickness of sauce by adding more cheese or initially cutting back on amount of milk (can add more during blending part if need to thin).

Pour over pasta or whatever starch/vegetable etc. you wish to serve. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Yummy!

Assemble these in a flash before work or the night before. Bake them for dinner while you play with the kids. A simple green salad completes the meal.
Super easy, use what is in the fridge and create a perfect little meal for lunch or dinner.  Great picnic food plus easy bring along snack that fills the hungry stomachs on that long car ride outing.

A version that was originally published in Canadian Family Magazine September, 2007
serves:12 servings
time:40 minutes, plus the bread needs to soak up the egg mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed whole wheat bread (for extra flavour, bread cubes may be toasted)
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese (can use other kinds of hard cheese – cheddar, mozza, provolone etc.)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
• 4 oz cooked ham, divided into ¼-inch cubes (or any leftover cooked meat – chicken, beef or luncheon meats)
• 5 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Toss bread, cheese, spinach and ham together in a bowl. Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups.
2. In a bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before removing muffins.

An easy way to introduce fish to your child’s diet.  A little more preparation but can freeze part of the recipe and have it ready for those days where you run out of ideas or things in the fridge.  Great little picnic items to munch on.

• 3 potatoes  (washed & peeled and cooked or use left overs)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, beaten
• Spices like chives, cilantro, dill… anything you have
• 2 – 6 oz cooked salmon filets, flaked or leftover white fish in your fridge
• 3 Tbsp oil (light olive or canola oil)
• ¼ cup flour

Coating

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or crush up any crackers ex. saltines with rolling pin)

Dill Sauce

• ½ tsp lemon rind
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Mash cooked potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer to a large bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon, egg, spices (dill or cilantro etc.) to the potatoes and gently mix until combined.
3. Fold in flaked salmon (left over fish).
4. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.Using a floured surface, roll salmon mixture into balls (of an appropriate size for the age of the child).
5. Dip salmon balls in bowl of beaten egg and then coat in breadcrumbs.
6. In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp of oil.
7. Cook balls 3 or 4 minutes per side or until golden brown, then repeat with remaining balls.  Alternatively, salmon balls can be baked at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, mix together dill sauce ingredients.
9. Serve salmon balls with dill sauce or cocktail sauce.

If you wish to freeze the extras, do not cook them first. To avoid sticking, place balls on a baking tray and freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer container.