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Kitchen Nostalgia
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Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
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Holly Nilsson
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Indulge in a delicious Mexican dish with this recipe for easy bean and cheese enchiladas. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a gathering with friends and family.
My dear friend informed me the other day that her family loooooves bean and cheese burritos. We were talking about a few Pinterest recipes we wanted to try. She said that their absolute favorite has to be the Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, but next up is the classic bean and cheese burrito. Really? Doesn’t that just seem so bland and boring?
I couldn’t get that out of my head for the entire day. What could possibly be so delicious about something so simple? Mr. Handsome got home he found me working on Refried Beans. Yup. It happened. I took the plunge.
So, we generally are black bean people, but I decided that if I was truly going to try a bean and cheese filling I needed to stick with what’s normal, pinto beans, but do a little something to kick things up a notch. Hence the chili powder and cumin.
These started as burritos as I wasn’t in the mood for enchiladas per say, but by the time I was rolling them up, I just couldn’t resist making them all saucy on top.
I don’t know that this is a meal I could have once a week, as it truly is not the healthiest, but the kiddos devoured them and I actually really enjoyed them as well. It’s that saucy top. Saucy gets me every. darn. time.
You only need a total of 7 ingredients to make this family-friendly recipe. You can also make as much or as little of this recipe from scratch as you want. Here is everything you’ll need if you’re doing it as quick and easy as possible:
The measurement for each ingredient is listed in the recipe card at the end of the post.
The first thing you’ll do is make the bean and cheese mixture, and then the sauce. Then it’s just a matter of assembling the enchiladas and baking them. Here are the steps:
All of these instructions can be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for all the details.
It’s not a secret that I love Mexican cuisine, so the possible side dishes to go with these enchiladas are endless. Here are a few of our favorites…
Check the label on your refried beans and as long as they are vegetarian, then this recipe is vegetarian. I actually love having a meatless meal or two every week. You still get all the good protein from the beans!
Yes, absolutely! Corn tortillas tend to be a little more fragile, so warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave before filling and rolling them.
Enchiladas will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. They should be stored in an airtight container, or wrapped well in foil.
Yes, enchiladas can easily be frozen prior to baking, or after they have been baked.
To freeze enchiladas for up to 3 months, tightly wrap the entire pan with plastic wrap and then foil, crimping to seal around the edges to prevent freezer burn.
The best method for reheating enchiladas is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the plastic wrap, and keep the foil on the dish and reheat for 20-30 minutes (refrigerated) or 45 minutes (frozen), until the enchiladas are warmed through.
Spice up your dinner with these delicious crazy easy bean and cheese enchiladas. With layers of flavor and gooey cheese, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.
These bean and cheese enchiladas have a little spice to kick it up a notch!
In a medium bowl, combine the beans, seasonings and cheese until smooth.
1 Can Refried Beans, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder, 2/3 Cup Cheddar Cheese
Add a dollop or two to each tortilla and roll closed.
6 Flour Tortillas
Whisk together the enchilada sauce, seasonings and sour cream.
1 Can Red Enchilada Sauce, 1/4 Cup Sour Cream, 1/2 teaspoon Cumin, 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spoon 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 9×13 inch baking dish.
Place the enchiladas seam side down and top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
1 ½ Cup Cheddar Cheese
Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy.
Enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Calories: 308kcal
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Carrian Cheney
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Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
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Holly Nilsson
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This chicken enchilada recipe is a family favorite.
These enchiladas are simple and delicious—cooked chicken, mild chiles, and cheese wrapped in corn tortillas, smothered in enchilada sauce and baked until bubbly.
Toppings: Like tacos, enchiladas can be topped with sour cream, sliced black olives, green chiles, jalapenos, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, or salsa.
Sides: Serve with cilantro lime rice and a Mexican corn salad.
Did you make these Chicken Enchiladas? Leave a rating and a comment below.
This chicken enchilada recipe makes a cheesy, savory, and comfroting casserole.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chili powder and cook, stirring frequently, until softened.
Add the shredded chicken, green chilies, 2 tablespoons of water, and 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce to the skillet. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
Pour ½ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Pan fry the tortillas in a little bit of oil just until they are warmed (and not crisp) or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until soft. *See notes for other options.
Spread 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce on each tortilla, then top with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and ¼ cup of the chicken filling. Roll up the tortillas and place them seam-side down in the prepared pan.
Top with the remaining sauce and shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.
Calories: 520 | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1547mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1332IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 474mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson
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Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
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Holly Nilsson
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DNA damage is assessed in users of aluminum cookware.
“Over the last decades, the toxicity of aluminum for humans has been heavily discussed and is still not completely clarified.” Those occupationally exposed to aluminum—for instance, in smelter plants—suffer from oxidative stress and free radicals that can damage their DNA. What about just using aluminum cookware? Articles like “Metal Exposures from Aluminum Cookware: An Unrecognized Public Health Risk in Developing Countries,” suggesting an “unrecognized public health risk,” were limited to the developing world where “cookware is made in informal shops by casting liquid aluminum melted from a collection of scrap metal,” including the likes of vehicle radiators, lead batteries, and computer parts, which is how you can get so much lead leaching into people’s food.
Then “The Relationship Between Plasma Aluminum Content, Lymphocyte DNA Damage, and Oxidative Status in Persons Using Aluminum Containers and Utensils Daily” was published, suggesting that aluminum itself may be harmful. Most of our aluminum exposure comes from processed junk food containing aluminum additives, “including those within some processed cheeses, baking powders, cake mixes, frozen dough, and pancake mixes.” However, about 20 percent of the daily intake of aluminum may come from aluminum cooking utensils, such as “pans, pots, kettles, and trays.”
Might this cause a problem? Researchers took blood from consumers who used aluminum cookware versus those who did not and found that not only did the aluminum users have twice the level of aluminum in their blood, as you can see below and at 1:33 in my video Are Aluminum Pots, Bottles, and Foil Safe?, but they had more free radical damage of their body fats and proteins. What’s more, the total antioxidant capacity of the bloodstream of those using aluminum cookware was compromised, so they suffered significantly more DNA damage.
Indeed, as you can see below and at 1:52 in my video, those with the highest levels of aluminum in their blood tended to suffer significantly more damage to their DNA. No surprise, since “aluminum is considered to be a pro-oxidant agent.”
These folks weren’t just casually using aluminum pots, though. Specifically, they use them every day to cook and store acidic foods, like yogurt and tomato sauce, which can leach out more aluminum. But, even using “camping dishes,” which tend to be aluminum since it’s so light, for just one week, could greatly exceed the tolerable weekly intake guidelines, especially for children, if you incorporated something acidic, like marinating a fresh catch in lemon juice. Once in a while won’t make much difference, but these findings suggest that you may not want to cook in aluminum day in and day out.
What about aluminum drinking bottles? They’re nice and light, but children drinking two cups a day of tea or juice from them could exceed the tolerable aluminum exposure limit. So, out of an abundance of caution, safety authorities like the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment “recommend that consumers avoid the use of aluminum pots or dishes for acidic or salted foodstuffs such as apple sauce, rhubarb, tomato puree, or salt herring…thus prophylactically avoiding the ‘unnecessary ingestion’ of aluminum.”
What about aluminum foil? Wrapping and baking food in aluminum foil is a common culinary practice. The concern is that this could represent “a potentially hazardous source of aluminum in the human diet.” When put to the test, there was leakage of aluminum from the foil to the food, but the amount was so small that it would be more of an issue for small children or those suffering from diminished kidney function.
What about just wrapping food in foil to store it in the refrigerator? Only marginal increases in aluminum are seen—except when the food is in contact with the foil and, at the same time, certain other types of metal, such as stainless steel, which is largely iron. That sets up a battery and “can lead to tremendous food aluminum concentrations.” For example, as you can see below and at 4:34 in my video, the aluminum levels in a ham before and after a day coveredin foil are negligible; there’s hardly a bump in the foil-covered ham. But, if that same foil-wrapped ham sits on top of a steel tray or serving plate for a day, the aluminum levels in the ham shoot up.
Finally, you know how aluminum foil is often glossy on one side and dull on the other? Which would be worse? Fish fillets were baked and grilled both ways, wrapped with the glossy side out versus the dull side out, and no significant difference was found.
This is the first in a series of three videos on cookware. Stay tuned for Stainless Steel or Cast Iron: Which Cookware Is Best? Is Teflon Safe? and Are Melamine Dishes and Polyamide Plastic Utensils Safe?.
I’ve discussed aluminum in antiperspirants, food, medications, and tea. Check out the related posts.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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It’s hard to think of any food Chicagoans agree upon more than cheese. They argue about hot dogs, beefs, tavern pizza, and tacos. But when cheese enters the conversation, locals become soothed like an angry tiger tamed by a trainer. They eat “cheese” on nachos in plastic batting helmets (no matter which team is playing), scarf-flaming saganaki, fried cheese curds, and gooey quesabirria, and are tantalized by the cheese pull from a pan of deep dish.
As the weather cools, Eater Chicago collected five examples of excellent cheesy dishes around town that will charm every savage beast.
La Serre has been packing the house since they opened this past summer in the crosshairs of the Fulton Market restaurant zone. Every Emily-in-Paris-in-Chicago has been clamoring for a table full of St. Tropez Spritzes, angel hair with caviar, and duck Chinois, plus the best mussels this side of northwest France’s Brittany region. Naturally, there’s plenty on the French-ish menu to choose from for the cheese-loving set, but the French onion fondue is truly not to be missed. Gobs of wine-soaked caramelized onions served topped with melted gruyere cheese for spreading on grilled sourdough, baguette, or frite without annoying soup to water down the experience.
When Conner O’Byrne, owner of West Town’s Nettare, asked chef John Dahlstrom to add a Midwest cheese plate to his menu, he worried if his boss “wanted a quintessential phoned-in wine bar menu.” O’Byrne pushed hard, inspired by Wisconsin’s epic rep in award-winning cheese production. Dahlstrom accepted the challenge and made O’Byrne and Nettare’s customers happy. Dahlstrom is proud of a rotating selection of the Midwest’s cheese bounty, including Black Goat from Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, Dirt Lover from Kansas City’s Green Dirt Farm, and many more. Guests can select one, two, or three options and add a house-made charcuterie item. Dahlstrom throws in tahini crackers, local honey and jam, and a handful of smoked and candied black walnuts. This takes this cheese plate far higher than just a pedestrian wine bar menu.
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The menu changes frequently at Maxwells Trading, but the local love-child vibe stays true to its delicious Chicago roots. That vibe includes featuring friends like Sarah Mispagel and Ben Lustbader and their magnificent Loaf Lounge marble rye sourdough bread and neighbors like rooftop basil and cherry tomatoes which, according to executive chef Chris Jung are amplified using a soak of Japanese flavors like shiro dashi and united by a tasty cloak of fresh stracciatella cheese from Caputo Cheese in Melrose Park. Because honestly, what brings folks (and other ingredients) together better than cheese? Stracciatella is poised to topple the reign of cheese terror previously held by the beloved burrata ball for almost a decade. Made up of torn bits of mozzarella dressed in cream (like what you’ll find in the center of that burrata), stracciatella’s milky, spoonable richness deserves the star turn it has been taking lately.
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The menu at Logan Square’s Mano a Mano is loaded with stracciatella and other Italian-style cheeses — like zucchini flowers stuffed with fior de latte mozzarella and fresh buffalo milk ricotta, the tiny ravioletti filled with taleggio and black truffle, and — just like at nonna’s — you’ll get a bowl of grated cheese to sprinkle on your dinner at will. Your server will advise you to order the eggplant cutlet, and order it you must. Chef Doug Psaltis’s take on eggplant parm is a young farm eggplant, crisped up and served with a spicy tomato sauce, with that delicious stracciatella schmeared on top. Says Psaltis: “I fell in love with it after first tasting it on a trip to Puglia. Stracciatella’s wonderful creaminess and fresh cream flavor make it a perfect pair for the spicy Diavolo sauce of our eggplant cutlet.”
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You already know that Beautiful Rind is one of the city’s best cheese shops. You might even know that they offer an exciting dine-in or takeout cheese board menu complete with imaginative, housemade, choose-your-own-adventure accompaniments, plus gooey sandwiches, charcuterie, and fried cheese curds. But did you know that you can order a chevre sundae, consisting of three scoops of fresh Wisconsin goat cheese plus seasonal sauces and crushed marcona almonds, and no one will judge you? “We’ve always scooped fresh goat cheese with an ice cream scoop to help showcase the fluffy, light texture of fresh, hand-ladled cheese,” says owner Randall Felts. The next step was serving it sundae style in a cut glass dish, obviously, with toppings like salted stout chocolate ganache, strawberry amaro jam, and pineapple jam spiked with Aleppo chiles. “We want people to have fun with cheese and see our shop as a more adult version of a candy shop… full of delicious treats of the cheese variety,” Felt adds.
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Lisa Futterman
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Cowboys and cowgirls will giddy up to this meaty, cheesy, tot-filled casserole!
Layers of seasoned beef, beans, corn, tater tots, and loads of melty cheese are all baked into this cowboy casserole.
Ground Beef: Ground beef is seasoned with taco seasoning (I prefer homemade). You can use ground turkey in place.
Soup: Cream of Chicken Soup adds a rich, savory flavor to this casserole. Cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup can also be used! Feel free to skip the can and make homemade condensed chicken soup.
Vegetables: Corn adds a sweet and colorful touch to cowboy casserole, but any veggie will do, even a bag of frozen mixed veggies (no need to thaw)!
Tater Tots: Tater tots, wedges, shoestring fries, diced potatoes, hashbrowns, and even leftover mashed potatoes can all be used in this recipe (be sure to use thawed potatoes).
Cheese: I shred my own cheddar cheese, but any pre-shredded cheese blend will also work in this recipe.
Did your family enjoy this Cowboy Casserole? Leave us a comment and a rating below.
Cowboy casserole is a comforting, cheesy dish packed with spicy ground beef, tater tots, and hearty beans.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the beef, and cook until no pink remains. Drain fat. Add the taco seasoning and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the beans, corn, soup, ½ cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder and pepper to the beef and stir well to combine.
Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish and add half of the tater tots. Spread the beef mixture over top.
Top with the remaining tater tots and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered until browned and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
Store leftover casserole in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through.
Calories: 602 | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1453mg | Potassium: 890mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1119IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson
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Nothing comforts the worries of your day like a slice of pizza. The melting cheese and delicious topping coat your mouth with a blanket, telling you it’ll be all right, sweet child. A motherly feel, almost, except without any of the familial baggage. Similar is the experience of a good soak in the tub. Why not combine two wonderful things into one relaxing treat. Well, now pizza bath bombs are a real!
RELATED: The Most Popular Marijuana Flavors
It makes sense, the bath bomb industry is worth $24 million annually and millions love a good soak. From muscle relaxation and stress reduction to improved sleep quality and skin health, bathing transcends the ordinary, elevating it to a ritual of self-care and luxury. Why not combine it with pizza – which is a $250 billion food. Well, someone has created the pizza bath bomb.
Baths have been used for millennia to not only keep clean, but immerse the body in warm, soapy water, which can slow our heart rates, soften the skin, help to open up pores, and generally just make us feel good. Bath bombs release minerals and emollients into the soapy warm water to refresh and rejuvenate skin while hopefully helping the bather look and feel great. Fragrant oils are put in them to give aromatherapeutic qualities for the bath time also, helping the body unwind after a long day, release stress, reset and refresh in the warm water.
RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails
Stress can be hard on the body. Stress has been connected to a number of ailments, including:
Some research studies also suggest that a type of warm bath therapy may have positive effects on people living with depression. Warm baths are linked to decreases in stress hormones and more balanced serotonin levels, which help regulate mood.
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Brendan Bures
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Poppy seed dressing is the perfect complement to green salads and is so easy to make!
This creamy salad dressing recipe is sweet from the honey and tangy from the vinegar and Dijon mustard with a nutty crunch from the poppy seeds.
This Poppy Seed Salad Dressing recipe pairs well with green salads of any kind and is a favorite on our strawberry spinach salad.
Store this poppy seed dressing recipe in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shake to recombine if separation occurs.
Did you try this Poppy Seed Dressing? Leave a comment and rating below!
Poppy Seed Dressing is creamy and tangy and the perfect topping for spinach salad, or chicken wraps.
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In a small bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder.
Gradually drizzle in the oil while whisking until incorporated.
Whisk in the mayonnaise and poppy seeds.
Season with salt & black pepper to taste.
Calories: 82 | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dressing Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson
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Potato skins are one of my favorite appetizers, and if they’re on the menu, I’m ordering them.
This easy recipe bakes potatoes until crispy with a little garlic butter, cheese, and, of course, bacon bits!
This is my favorite version because it skips the deep fryer but you’d never know it.
For extra deliciousness, serve them with horseradish sauce for dipping!
This potato skins recipe is a game day favorite and can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time.
Top with green onion and serve with sour cream or ranch dressing for dipping.
Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, green onions or chives, jalapenos, or cilantro would taste great!
Add some ground beef with taco seasoning. Or add some pulled pork or even sloppy joe filling.
Did your family love these Crispy Oven Baked Potato Skins? Leave a comment and a rating below.
Potato skins are brushed with garlic butter, filled with cheese and bacon, and baked until perfectly golden.
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Scrub the potatoes and poke each potato with a fork 5-6 times. Place them directly on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork.
Remove from the oven and let cool until the potatoes are easy to handle.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving a ¼-inch thick shell.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Brush the inside and outside of the potatoes with the butter mixture.
Place potatoes cut side down in a baking dish or 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Flip potatoes over and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp.
Fill each potato with cheese and bacon. Return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, top with green onion and serve with sour cream.
Serving: 2potato skins | Calories: 264 | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Party Food, Snack Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson
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We have an uncanny ability to pick out the subtle distinctions in calorie density of foods, but only within the natural range.
The traditional medical view on obesity, as summed up nearly a century ago: “All obese persons are, alike in one fundamental respect,—they literally overeat.” While this may be true in a technical sense, it is in reference to overeating calories, not food. Our primitive urge to overindulge is selective. People don’t tend to lust for lettuce. We have a natural inborn preference for sweet, starchy, or fatty foods because that’s where the calories are concentrated.
Think about hunting and gathering efficiency. We used to have to work hard for our food. Prehistorically, it didn’t make sense to spend all day collecting types of food that on average don’t provide at least a day’s worth of calories. You would have been better off staying back at the cave. So, we evolved to crave foods with the biggest caloric bang for their buck.
If you were able to steadily forage a pound of food an hour and it had 250 calories per pound, it might take you ten hours just to break even on your calories for the day. But if you were gathering something with 500 calories a pound, you could be done in five hours and spend the next five working on your cave paintings. So, the greater the energy density—that is, the more calories per pound—the more efficient the foraging. We developed an acute ability to discriminate foods based on calorie density and to instinctively desire the densest.
If you study the fruit and vegetable preferences of four-year-old children, what they like correlates with calorie density. As you can see in the graph below and at 1:52 in my video Friday Favorites: Cut the Calorie-Rich-And-Processed Foods, they prefer bananas over berries and carrots over cucumbers. Isn’t that just a preference for sweetness? No, they also prefer potatoes over peaches and green beans over melon, just like monkeys prefer avocados over bananas. We appear to have an inborn drive to maximize calories per mouthful.
All the foods the researchers tested in the study with four-year-old kids naturally had less than 500 calories per pound. (Bananas topped the chart at about 400.) Something funny happens when you start going above that: We lose our ability to differentiate. Over the natural range of calorie densities, we have an uncanny aptitude to pick out the subtle distinctions. However, once you start heading towards bacon, cheese, and chocolate territory, which can reach thousands of calories per pound, our perceptions become relatively numb to the differences. It’s no wonder since these foods were unknown to our prehistoric brains. It’s like the dodo bird failing to evolve a fear response because they had no natural predators—and we all know how that turned out—or sea turtle hatchlings crawling in the wrong direction towards artificial light rather than the moon. It is aberrant behavior explained by an “evolutionary mismatch.”
The food industry exploits our innate biological vulnerabilities by stripping crops down into almost pure calories—straight sugar, oil (which is pretty much pure fat), and white flour (which is mostly refined starch). It also removes the fiber, because that effectively has zero calories. Run brown rice through a mill to make white rice, and you lose about two-thirds of the fiber. Turn whole-wheat flour into white flour, and lose 75 percent. Or you can run crops through animals (to make meat, dairy, and eggs) and remove 100 percent of the fiber. What you’re left with is CRAP—an acronym used by one of my favorite dieticians, Jeff Novick, for Calorie-Rich And Processed food.
Calories are condensed in the same way plants are turned into addictive drugs like opiates and cocaine: “distillation, crystallization, concentration, and extraction.” They even appear to activate the same reward pathways in the brain. Put people with “food addiction” in an MRI scanner and show them a picture of a chocolate milkshake, and the areas that light up in their brains (as you can see below and at 4:15 in my video) are the same as when cocaine addicts are shown a video of crack smoking. (See those images below and at 4:18 in my video.)
“Food addiction” is a misnomer. People don’t suffer out-of-control eating behaviors to food in general. We don’t tend to compulsively crave carrots. Milkshakes are packed with sugar and fat, two of the signals to our brain of calorie density. When people are asked to rate different foods in terms of cravings and loss of control, most incriminated was a load of CRAP—highly processed foods like donuts, along with cheese and meat. Those least related to problematic eating behaviors? Fruits and vegetables. Calorie density may be the reason people don’t get up in the middle of the night and binge on broccoli.
Animals don’t tend to get fat when they are eating the foods they were designed to eat. There is a confirmed report of free-living primates becoming obese, but that was a troop of baboons who stumbled across the garbage dump at a tourist lodge. The garbage-feeding animals weighed 50 percent more than their wild-feeding counterparts. Sadly, we can suffer the same mismatched fate and become obese by eating garbage, too. For millions of years, before we learned how to hunt, our biology evolved largely on “leaves, roots, fruits, and nuts.” Maybe it would help if we went back to our roots and cut out the CRAP.
A key insight I want to emphasize here is the concept of animal products as the ultimate processed food. Basically, all nutrition grows from the ground: seeds, sunlight, and soil. That’s where all our vitamins come from, all our minerals, all the protein, all the essential amino acids. The only reason there are essential amino acids in a steak is because the cow ate them all from plants. Those amino acids are essential—no animals can make them, including us. We have to eat plants to get them. But we can cut out the middlemoo and get nutrition directly from the Earth, and, in doing so, get all the phytonutrients and fiber that are lost when plants are processed through animals. Even ultraprocessed junk foods may have a tiny bit of fiber remaining, but all is lost when plants are ultra-ultraprocessed through animals.
Having said that, there was also a big jump in what one would traditionally think of as processed foods, and that’s the video we turn to next: The Role of Processed Foods in the Obesity Epidemic.
We’re making our way through a series on the cause of the obesity epidemic. So far, we’ve looked at exercise (The Role of Diet vs. Exercise in the Obesity Epidemic) and genes (The Role of Genes in the Obesity Epidemic and The Thrifty Gene Theory: Survival of the Fattest), but, really, it’s the food.
If you’re familiar with my work, you know that I recommend eating a variety of whole plant foods, as close as possible to the way nature intended. I capture this in my Daily Dozen, which you can download for free here or get the free app (iTunes and Android). On the app, you’ll see that there’s also an option for those looking to lose weight: my 21 Tweaks. But before you go checking them off, be sure to read about the science behind the checklist in my book How Not to Diet. Get it for free at your local public library. If you choose to buy a copy, note that all proceeds from all of my books go to charity.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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I know that grating a block of cheese is preferred compared with buying a bag of shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is bagged with an additive that helps prevent the cheese from clumping and sticking together, making it easy to sprinkle onto your dishes. However, those additives can slightly alter the texture of what you’re eating, which is why many cooks prefer to freshly grate their cheese.
But having to grate a block of cheese is, to be honest, kind of the worst. It’s tiring on the arms and can easily make a mess. So when I recently came upon a cheese grating hack on Instagram, I was instantly intrigued. Could this solve all of my cheese grating woes?
Here’s how it works: Instead of holding the handle of the vertical cheese grater at the top and covering the bottom with a cutting board or bowl to catch the grated cheese, turn it over on the side. Hold the handle of the grater near you and grate the cheese away from you. The inside of the grater will still catch the cheese without it getting anywhere, then you can carefully transfer it to a bowl and empty it.
I’m particularly a fan of this way of grating cheese because of how much easier it is on your arm. It also makes for a mess-free transfer, and you don’t have to hold a bowl steady or anything as you grate the cheese vertically.
While many people have their own opinions on how you should grate cheese, I agree with the sentiment that this way of grating cheese is far better than others. “I have a better grip and better pressure on the block/piece of cheese,” one foodie comments. “I started doing this, much easier!” another writes. I couldn’t agree more!
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Kiersten Hickman
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You don’t even have to make a crust or topping.
READ MORE…
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Christine Gallary
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Plant-based diets are put to the test for treating migraine headaches.
Headaches are one of the top five reasons people end up in emergency rooms and one of the leading reasons people see their doctors in general. One way to try to prevent them is to identify their triggers and avoid them. Common triggers for migraines include stress, smoking, hunger, sleep issues, certain foods (like chocolate, cheese, and alcohol), your menstrual cycle, or certain weather patterns (like high humidity).
In terms of dietary treatments, the so-called Father of Modern Medicine, William Osler suggested trying a “strict vegetable diet.” After all, the nerve inflammation associated with migraines “may be reduced by a vegan diet as many plant foods are high in anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, and likewise, meat products have been reported to have inflammatory properties.” It wasn’t put to the test, though, for another 117 years.
As I discuss in my video Friday Favorites: Foods That Help Headache and Migraine Relief, among study participants given a placebo supplement, half said they got better, while the other half said they didn’t. But, when put on a strictly plant-based diet, they did much better, experiencing a significant drop in the severity of their pain, as you can see in the graph below and at 1:08 in my video.
Now, “it is possible that the pain-reducing effects of the vegan diet may be, at least in part, due to weight reduction.” The study participants lost about nine more pounds when they were on the plant-based diet for a month, as shown below, and at 1:22.
Even just lowering the fat content of the diet may help. Those placed on a month of consuming less than 30 daily grams of fat (for instance, less than two tablespoons of oil all day), experienced “statistically significant decreases in headache frequency, intensity, duration, and medication intake”—a six-fold decrease in the frequency and intensity, as you can see below and at 1:44 in my video. They went from three migraine attacks every two weeks down to just one a month. And, by “low fat,” the researchers didn’t mean SnackWell’s; they meant more fruits, vegetables, and beans. Before the food industry co-opted and corrupted the term, eating “low fat” meant eating an apple, for example, not Kellogg’s Apple Jacks.
Now, they were on a low-fat diet—about 10 percent fat for someone eating 2,500 calories a day. What about just less than 20 percent fat compared to a more normal diet that’s still relatively lower fat than average? As you can see below and at 2:22 in my video, the researchers saw the same significant drops in headache frequency and severity, including a five-fold drop in attacks of severe pain. Since the intervention involved at least a halving of intake of saturated fat, which is mostly found in meat, dairy, and junk, the researchers concluded that reduced consumption of saturated fat may help control migraine attacks—but it isn’t necessarily something they’re getting less of. There are compounds “present in Live green real veggies” that might bind to a migraine-triggering peptide known as calcitonin gene-related peptide, CGRP.
Drug companies have been trying to come up with something that binds to CGRP, but the drugs have failed to be effective. They’re also toxic, which is a problem we don’t have with cabbage, as you can see below and at 3:01 in my video.
Green vegetables also have magnesium. Found throughout the food supply but most concentrated in green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, magnesium is the central atom to chlorophyll, as shown below and at 3:15. So, you can see how much magnesium foods have in the produce aisle by the intensity of their green color. Although magnesium supplements do not appear to decrease migraine severity, they may reduce the number of attacks you get in the first place. You can ask your doctor about starting 600 mg of magnesium dicitrate every day, but note that magnesium supplements can cause adverse effects, such as diarrhea, so I recommend getting it the way nature intended—in the form of real food, not supplements.
Any foods that may be particularly helpful? You may recall that I’ve talked about ground ginger. What about caffeine? Indeed, combining caffeine with over-the-counter painkillers, like Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen, may boost their efficacy, at doses of about 130 mg for tension-type headaches and 100 mg for migraines. That’s about what you might expect to get in three cups of tea, as you can see below, and at 4:00 in my video. (I believe it is just a coincidence that the principal investigator of this study was named Lipton.)
Please note that you can overdo it. If you take kids and teens with headaches who were drinking 1.5 liters of cola a day and cut the soda, you can cure 90 percent of them. However, this may be a cola effect rather than a caffeine effect.
And, finally, one plant food that may not be the best idea is the Carolina Reaper, the hottest chili pepper in the world. It’s so mind-numbingly hot it can clamp off the arteries in your brain, as seen below and at 4:41 in my video, and you can end up with a “thunderclap headache,” like the 34-year-old man who ate the world’s hottest pepper and ended up in the emergency room. Why am I not surprised it was a man?
I’ve previously covered ginger and topical lavender for migraines. Saffron may help relieve PMS symptoms, including headaches. A more exotic way a plant-based diet can prevent headaches is by helping to keep tapeworms out of your brain.
Though hot peppers can indeed trigger headaches, they may also be used to treat them. Check out my video on relieving cluster headaches with hot sauce.
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Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
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A classic chef salad should be in every recipe box!
Fresh veggies, ham, turkey, eggs, and cheese are served over lettuce and served with a ranch or Thousand Island dressing.
Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is the base of this recipe. Romaine or bibb lettuce also are great in this recipe.
Protein: Use both turkey and ham slices for this recipe. You can also use leftover grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or a handful of bacon crumbles for extra flavor.
Cheese: Sliced or shredded cheddar cheese is my favorite in Chefs salad. You can also use Swiss, provolone, or feta cheese.
Veggies: Classic Chef’s salad ingredients like cherry tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers add crunch and flavor to this recipe.
Dressing: I prefer a creamy dressing with chef’s salad such as Thousand Island or Ranch, but you can also use Italian dressing.
Make this classic chef salad as a hearty lunch or light dinner.
These delicious recipes turn a side salad into a full meal deal!
Did you enjoy this Chef Salad Recipe? If so, leave a comment and a rating below.
This chef salad is a classic with lettuce, ham, turkey, eggs, and cheese. Simply delicious.
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Wash the lettuce and spin it in a salad spinner to dry. Tear into bite-sized pieces.
Slice the ham and turkey into ½-inch strips.
Place the lettuce in a large bowl (or divide over 4 individual serving plates).
Arrange the ham, turkey, cheese, eggs, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber over the salad. Garnish with a little bit of parsley if desired.
Serve with Thousand Island or Ranch dressing.
Calories: 260 | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1895IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson
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This Peppery Cheese Bread is so easy to make and a wonderful addition to any meal. It’s especially good with Baked Spaghetti.
You may also want to try this delicious Cheddar Bay Biscuit Bread! It’s one of our favorites and one you will love too.
Cheese bread served hot right from the oven with a big bowl of soup will become one of your favorites. This is an easy, quick recipe and the cheese bread is delicious. Serve this cheese bread to your family and friends and it won’t last long. One of my favorite quotes about bread: “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts” —James Beard
Its inevitable that someone will ask if you can use regular milk instead of buttermilk. I am sure you can, but it WILL change the fat content of the bread. Buttermilk is high in fat and gives a different texture than regular milk.
Since this bread is a quick bread and doesn’t use yeast, it really comes together quickly. We love quick breads for the exact reason.
Step 1
In a large bowl combine flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. In a smaller bowl beat eggs, melted butter and buttermilk together with a whisk. Add to flour mixture and mix with a spoon just enough to wet all the ingredients.
Step 2
Pour mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan that has just the bottom of the pan sprayed or greased. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Store in refrigerator.
Optional ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes. This adds a little more flavor! This is a versatile bread and you can add what you like to make it more your taste.
This bread goes great with a spring salad for a big bowl of chili or potato soup. It’s very versatile and a recipe you can enjoy year round. It’s super easy to make and wonderful right out of the oven. You can always switch out the cheddar cheese for asiago, mozzarella or any your family loves.
This makes one loaf of bread and we store it in the refrigerator and heat up a slice in the microwave.
This is an easy quick recipe for cheese bread. It’s delicious and great served with soup, salad or baked spaghetti.
In a large bowl combine flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. In a smaller bowl beat eggs, melted butter and buttermilk together with a whisk. Add to flour mixture and mix with a spoon just enough to wet all the ingredients.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan that has just the bottom of the pan sprayed or greased. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Store in refrigerator. *
Optional ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes.
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Judy Yeager
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This Sausage Spinach Quiche is made without a crust. Great to make on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week. It’s super versatile too and my family loves it!
If you are a fan of pizza you will love this Supreme Pizza Crustless Quiche. It’s a great variation that your family will love.
This sausage spinach crustless quiche is a family favorite and so easy to throw together if you had a busy day or just want something quick. You can add ingredients you like or use different meats and cheeses in this quiche and make it your own. I like that I don’t have to have a crust or have to make one but you could make this in a crust if you want. It is good reheated in the microwave.
You can switch out the cheese and spices in this recipe. If you are not a fan of mushrooms, simply leave them out. This is a versatile recipe! You could also use turkey breakfast sausage for a lighter version.
This is a very simple recipe and since it’s crustless it takes nothing to put together. We love having a quiche in the fridge for a easy breakfast!
Step 1
Cook sausage on top of the stove and drain. In a large bowl toss sausage with chopped spinach, onions, mushrooms and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Step 2
Spray a baking dish with cooking oil and add sausage mixture. I used a 10 inch pie plate to make this. In the same bowl you used to toss sausage and spinach whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.
Step 3
Pour this over the sausage mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the other 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes until center is set and top is browned.
This quiche will puff up in the oven and once removed and cool will fall some. That is nothing to worry about!
We store this in the refrigerator, reheat in the microwave and it makes about 6-8 servings.
This Sausage Spinach Crustless Quiche is one you will make over and over. Made with pork sausage, mushroom, spinach and delicious cheese, this will quickly become a favorite.
Cook sausage on top of the stove and drain. In a large bowl toss sausage with chopped spinach, onions, mushrooms and 1/2 cup of cheese. Spray a baking dish with cooking oil and add sausage mixture. I used a 10 inch pie plate to make this.
In the same bowl you used to toss sausage and spinach whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Pour this over the sausage mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the other 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes until center is set and top is browned.
You could also make this with turkey breakfast sausage.
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Anne Walkup
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