1 |   Main Dish

The Mac Daddy of Cheese

I've never met a kid who didn't love mac and cheese, but it's not just for kids any more. Invite your friends over for dinner and a night of reruns. They'll insist you bring this to every gathering. The secret ingredients are sweet butternut squash and fragrant basil. This recipe makes enough food for a hungry "Party of 5." If you want just a quiet night with your family, no worries. The leftovers for lunch will make your coworkers jealous.

3 |   Side

MacGyver-ed "Meat"balls

Even though I grew up in a "meat and potatoes state," I was never that fond of meat. All of the recipes that my grandma taught me won't go to waste, though, because I try to find the best way to add her flair to any recipe. Being vegetarian doesn't mean missing out on flavor, either. The most important thing isn't what the recipe says but what you learn along the way. So let's use MacGyver's ingenuity to get the job done without using meat!

2 |   Salad

The Wonder Salad

I spent most of my childhood in my grandma's garden. The soil was so rich and beautiful that it made everything taste like heaven's own. The only tomatoes I've found that come close to tasting like her's are from our local produce market. With fresh red tomatoes, creamy avocados, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries, this salad is fit for the queen's visit, but it's easy enough to have any night of the week. No special dressing needed either. You'll learn to make your own!

4 |   Dessert

Strawberry Shortcake Without Her Cat, Custard

As a kid, I always looked forward to strawberry season. We'd spend the day picking berries trying to fill our buckets to the brim and resist eating them all. Our one rule was: we could eat as many berries from the plant as we wanted, but once they were in the bucket, we weren't allowed to touch them. Sometimes the best things in life are as simple as strawberries eaten straight from the plant. This strawberry shortcake is a perfect example of simple being just right.

1 small butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

10 oz. macaroni pasta

8 oz. cream cheese (1 package)

White Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cup milk

12 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fresh basil

Want to make this gluten-free? There are tons of great gluten-free pastas out there to use in place of the macaroni, like Heartland and Sam Mills. Also, be sure to use gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour.

Make ahead option– Bake the butternut squash up to a week in advance and refrigerate it to mix in later. You can also make the sauce a week ahead and just reheat it before you mix in the pasta.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚.

2. Cook the butternut squash. 

• My Method: Cut the top and bottom off the squash. Then, using a vegetable peeler peel the squash. Cut it in half length wise then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Now, cut the squash into half-inch to one-inch cubes. 
• Toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until it is evenly coated. Then place the pieces onto a baking tray.
• Bake the squash for 20 minutes or until it is tender. Test doneness with a fork. Once cooked, set this aside.

3. While the squash is baking, you can boil the pasta to "al dente" according to the directions on the package.  Al dente (which means "to the tooth" in Italian) means the pasta is firm but not hard when you bite it. Once it is cooked, drain it and place it back in the pot.

4. Cube the cream cheese into one-inch pieces and add to the cooked pasta, stirring the cream cheese in to help it melt.

5. Make the white sauce.

• My Method: Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Whisk in the flour. Cook and whisk the mixture for about one minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk one cup at a time. Bring the mixture to a boil then, take it off the heat.
• Stir half the shredded Parmesan cheese into the sauce.
• Before adding the salt to the sauce, remember to taste it to check if it needs any. Parmesan cheese can be quite salty on it's own. Add 1/4 teaspoon at a time if you think it needs it.

6. Chop fresh basil and stir it into the white sauce. Pour the sauce onto the cooked macaroni and cream cheese mixture. Stir it to coat the pasta evenly. Watch this quick tip video on chopping basil.

7. Finally, mix the cooked butternut squash into the pasta. Simply spoon a portion unto your plate and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

1/2 head romaine lettuce

3/4 cup pecans

4-6 oz. Havarti cheese

2 medium tomatoes

2 avocados

1/2 cup cranberries

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? This salad is already gluten-free but can easily be made dairy-free. Leave out the havarti cheese and you're good to go!

When is an avocado ripe? Choose an avocado with the stem still attached that is dark green in color but not black. Squeeze the avocado very gently without using your fingertips. You’ll bruise the fruit if you squeeze too hard. If the avocado gives to gentle pressure, you know it's ripe and ready. The darker the skin is the more ripe it is. When the fruit is overripe, though, it’ll feel a bit squishy and even hollow and the skin is very black and wrinkly. When you cut the avocado open, any dark grayish spots are bad fruit and should be removed.

The Simple Steps...

1. Rinse the lettuce and tomatoes. Place them on a towel to dry.

2. Place the pecans on a pan or aluminum foil in the toaster oven or regular oven at 350˚ for 2 minutes. Keep your eye on these. Because of the oils in nuts, they tend to burn easily.

3. Cut cheese, tomatoes and avocados into bite-sized pieces. Click here to watch my quick tip video about cutting avocados.

4. Chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place into a large bowl.

5. Toss the lettuce with olive oil and vinegar to coat evenly. Add salt and pepper and toss again.

6. Top the lettuce with tomato, avocado, cheese, pecans, and cranberries and serve. 

5. Rinse the celery. Slice into thin pieces.

6. Add the lettuce, quinoa, avocado, grapefruit segments, orange segments, celery, and toasted pumpkin seeds to the large bowl the vinaigrette is in. Toss everything until it's all coated with the vinaigrette.

7. Click here to watch my quick tip video about cutting avocados with less mess.

4 eggs

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups herb seasoned stuffing mix

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (optional)

Want to make this gluten-free? Cut your favorite gluten-free bread into small cubes and toss them with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of poultry seasoning, and a teaspoon of dried parsley. Bake at 300˚ for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Now you’ve got homemade stuffing mix to use in this or any recipe!

Make ahead option– Follow the Simple Steps 1-3. Place the baking tray into your freezer for two hours and then transfer the “meatballs” to a sealed freezer bag or container. They’ll last in the freezer for 3 months! When you want to bake them, just follow the Simple Steps 4-5.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs to break the yokes. Then using a big mixing spoon, stir in the rest of the ingredients except the oil and marinara sauce. Mix well to make sure that everything is completely coated with the eggs.

3. Spread the oil on the bottom of a large baking tray. Divide the mixture into 20 one-inch balls and place them on the baking tray. An ice cream scoop can help you to make each “meatball” the same size, and you won’t get your hands all messy!

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Then cover with the sauce and bake an additional 10 minutes.

5. If you prefer not to add the sauce, bake the “meatballs” for 20 minutes turning them over after the first 10 minutes.

6 cups strawberries

3 tablespoons sugar

Shortcake:

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon bakin powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick or 1/2 cup cold butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Cream for the top:

2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups mixed fresh berries; blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or sliced strawberries

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? This is already gluten-free. To make it vegan, use your favorite dairy free yogurt. Wholesoy & Co., So Delicious, and Silk have amazing options. Remember a recipe is only a guide. If you don't like a certain kind of nut switch it out for your favorite. OR if you have nut allergies, there are many granolas without nuts you can make or buy.

Make-ahead option– Mixing the yogurt in Simple Step 1 can be done 5 days ahead of time so it's ready at a moments notice. The nuts in Simple Steps 2-5 can be prepared a month before you need them and stored in the fridge or even 6 months in the freezer.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat oven to 450˚.

2. Rinse the strawberries, cut off the stems, slice the berries, and put them in a large serving bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. Doing this before making the shortcake will allow the strawberries time to get nice and syrupy.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Shred the cold firm butter (with a cheese shredder) into the flour mixture and mash together using your hands until the mixture looks like pea-sized crumbs.

4. In a small bowl, beat the egg to break the yoke, then stir in the buttermilk. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, and use a fork to combine them just until the dough comes together.

5. Use a big spoon to scoop out the dough and make 8 small fist-sized piles on a baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

6. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the sugar and almond extract. Click here to watch my quick tip video about whipping cream.

7. To serve: cut the shortcake in half like you would with a bun. Layer on the strawberries and whipped cream, top with the other half of the shortcake, and add some cream on top of that. Now sit down and enjoy!