BY ANN CIPPERLY
OPINION —
As children start back to school, they will be coming home in the afternoons hungry and ready for a snack. Chrissie Bailey is a busy working mother who enjoys preparing meals for her husband, Kyle, and her daughter, Annie. She also creates a variety of easy-to-assemble snacks to have ready for Annie after school. Chrissie is sharing those ideas, as well as easy recipes for weekday dinners.
Chrissie is from Roanoke and graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery, and she received her law degree from Birmingham Law School. She is an attorney with David S. Clark, while Kyle has his own business, Kyle Bailey Home Renovations.
When Chrissie was growing up, her grandmother inspired her to cook. Her grandmother was a good cook and prepared a variety of vegetable casseroles that were the family’s favorites.
Chrissie volunteers with AWANA that Annie participates in, along with other children’s activities at Trinity Church. Annie also enjoys softball, soccer, swimming and helping take care of the family’s five cats and dog. She will be going into the fifth grade at Northside School.
For after-school snacks, Chrissie uses a combination of Annie’s favorites that are layered in a plastic piping cone for a pencil shaped snack. To create the pencil look, Chrissie will first layer chocolate chips for the tip, small marshmallows, Goldfish crackers for the pencil, Hershey Kisses and pink Starbursts to create the eraser. A pretty ribbon ties it all together for easy snacking.
Chrissie’s trail mix combines sweet and savory. She attaches a note on the bag with the meaning of each snack for encouragement. These include Teddy Grahams for “Be brave,” chocolate chips for “A hug from home,” mini marshmallows for “A pillow for resting tired brains,” among others.
Lunchables can be stacked in a plastic cup for snacking or use Chrissie’s “recipe” for making your own Lunchables. In a cup, layer Ritz crackers, cheese cut into squares and turkey pepperoni, and repeat layers to fill the cup. They can be placed in containers to pack for a lunchbox.
Chrissie also makes small rollup snacks using large flour tortillas, sliced chicken or turkey, thinly sliced cheese, honey mustard and lettuce. The ingredients are placed on the tortillas and rolled up tightly, then chilled until ready to slice. She serves them with baby carrots and ranch dressing for dipping.
Annie enjoys helping her mom in the kitchen. She will help assemble snacks and other dishes, such as making homemade pizza. Chrissie will roll Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, then spread spaghetti sauce over it and top with cheese and assorted vegetables, such as mushrooms, peppers and onions.
Chrissie will cook more on weekends. During the week, she doesn’t have much time for preparing large meals. She will generally cook enough for two meals. She uses the crockpot often, and her Crockpot Vegetable Lasagna is always a hit with the family.
“It makes me happy when Annie and Kyle are happy with what I make,” she said.
Everyone enjoys taco, spaghetti and pizza nights that are generally on the meal rotation. She prepares some meals in the air fryer to quickly cook an easy meal.
Her Crispy Veggie Pita Pockets contain plenty of vegetables and are easy to assemble on a weeknight. She has included a list of optional add-ons, including diced, cooked chicken, ham or bacon. The pockets are served with tomato soup, fresh fruit or a green salad for an easy meal.
Chrissie will get all of the ingredients together for a dish and start cooking and keep going until it is finished.
“I can get a lot of cooking done in a short time,” she said. “Don’t let yourself get distracted, just clean up as you go and get the cooking finished.”
Her favorite thing to do is to prepare a big birthday party for Annie.
“I love creating imaginative, themed food and coordinating decorations for her birthday parties,” Chrissie said. “Seeing Annie’s excitement and happiness is what inspires every detail.”
Chrissie believes the best recipes are the ones made with love. “Cooking alongside my daughter Annie,” she says, “fills my heart with joy and reminds me that the sweetest memories are often made right in our own kitchen.”
“HAVE A SHARP SCHOOL YEAR” (PENCIL SHAPED SNACK)
What you will need:
Disposable piping bags (used for piping icing)
Chocolate chips
Mini marshmallows
Goldfish crackers
Hershey Kisses
Pink Starburst
Ribbon
How to make it:
Add chocolate chips to the tip of the piping bag to create the pencil point.
Add the mini marshmallows on top of chocolate chips to create the sharpened pencil.
Add Goldfish crackers on top of marshmallows to make the pencil body.
Add a row of Hershey’s Kisses above Goldfish for the metal part of the pencil.
Add pink Starburst candies on top to create the eraser.
Tie with ribbon.
“SCHOOL SURVIVAL SNACK BAG”
You can use any ingredients your child likes for this trail mix.
Suggested ingredients:
Teddy Grahams = be brave
Pretzels = stay flexible
Chocolate chips = a hug from home
Popcorn = popping with excitement
Goldfish = friends
Mini marshmallows = a pillow for resting tired brains
Peanut M&M = patience
Mix all together and fill sandwich bags.
“ROLL INTO AN AWESOME SCHOOL YEAR” LUNCH WRAP PINWHEELS
What you will need:
Large flour tortillas
Sliced chicken or turkey sandwich meat
Thinly sliced cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
Ranch or honey mustard
Lettuce, optional
How to make it:
Spread ranch or honey mustard evenly over each tortilla, place the sandwich meat flat on the tortilla. Next, place cheese slices over the sandwich meat, followed by lettuce. Roll tightly, chill for a few minutes, then slice into pinwheels.
Serve with baby carrots with ranch dressing.
“A+ Homemade Lunchables”
What you will need:
Turkey pepperoni
Ritz crackers
Cheese cut into squares
How to make it:
Layer the cracker with cheese and pepperoni and repeat.
CROCKPOT VEGGIE LASAGNA
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 oz. baby spinach package or 6 cups packed baby spinach
1 pkg. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 diced onion
48 oz. marinara sauce jars (Rao’s Four Cheese is delicious.)
1 cup ricotta cheese, reduced fat
1 cup cottage cheese, low fat
1 cup mozzarella cheese, part skim
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. dried oregano
12 whole-wheat or regular lasagna noodles uncooked (break in half)
Fresh basil for garnish, optional
Add oil to a large skillet, add spinach, mushrooms and onion and cook over low heat just until wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Combine in a medium bowl ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and oregano.
Add 1 cup marinara to the bottom of the slow cooker. Next, add a layer of broken lasagna noodles, spread 1/4 of cheese mixture over noodles, next top with 1/4 of spinach/mushroom/onions. Repeat layers, including marinara, until all the ingredients are used. Add cheese last.
Cover and cook until noodles are al dente and cheese is bubbly. Cook on low-heat 4 to 5 hours or high heat 2 to 3 hours. Remove lid and add parmesan to the top. Turn off the slow cooker and allow the casserole to sit for 15 minutes before cutting.
Serve garnished with fresh basil and additional parmesan, if desired. Serving size is 1 cup. Makes 12 servings.
CRISPY VEGGIE PITA POCKETS
Makes 4 pita pockets
4 pita pocket rounds, halved
15 oz. can Veg-All mixed vegetables, well drained
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
1 cup French’s Crispy Fried Onions, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: ½ tsp. garlic powder or onion powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drain Veg-All thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels to prevent soggy pitas.
In a bowl, combine:
Veg-All
Sour cream
¾ cup shredded cheese
½ cup crispy fried onions
Garlic powder (if using)
Salt and pepper to taste
Spoon the mixture into each pita pocket, filling about three-quarters full.
Arrange on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheese over the tops and add remaining ½ cup crispy fried onions.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the pitas are lightly crisp.
Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Optional add-ins:
Diced cooked chicken or ham for extra protein
Crumbled bacon for a smoky flavor
A dash of ranch seasoning for extra zest
Chopped parsley for a fresh finish
The pita pockets pair well with tomato soup, fresh fruit or a simple green salad for an easy lunch or weeknight meal.
BACON-WRAPPED STUFFED MUSHROOMS
24 large white mushrooms
12 slices bacon, cut in half
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup finely shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped onion
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. black pepper
Toothpicks
Prepare mushrooms:
Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Finely chop the stems and set aside.
Make filling:
Mix softened cream cheese, chopped mushroom stems, finely chopped onions, shredded cheese, garlic powder and pepper.
Stuff mushrooms:
Fill each mushroom cap generously with the mixture.
Wrap with bacon:
Wrap each stuffed mushroom with a half slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick so it stays wrapped during baking.
Bake:
Place mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet or wire rack. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are tender.
Finish:
Let mushrooms cool for a few minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks before eating or leave them in for easy appetizer serving.
Tip: For extra flavor, sauté the finely chopped onions and mushroom stems in a little bacon grease or butter for 3 to 5 minutes before mixing into the filling.
CHICKPEA FETA SALAD
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed
½ cup diced Vidalia onion
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumber
1 diced bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
Vinaigrette dressing
In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, corn, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and feta.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled.
Tips:
Keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, making it great for meal prep.
Mix in grilled chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal.
Serve over romaine, spinach or inside a pita for lunch.
EASY BEEF CHILI
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced, optional
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can chili beans, not drain
14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes, not drained
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 chili seasoning pack (this makes it easy)
Brown the ground beef. Drain excess grease if needed.
Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
Stir in chili seasoning pack.
Add black beans, chili beans (with their sauce), stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Break the stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces with a spoon if desired.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with saltine crackers, cornbread or over Doritos and top with cheese. Tastes better the next day.
HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE FROM SCRATCH
Creamy, cheesy and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
16 oz elbow macaroni or shells
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (whole milk works best)
1 cup heavy cream or use more milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
Cook pasta:
Boil macaroni in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain.
Make cheese sauce:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cream until smooth. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
Add cheese: Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese until melted. Add seasonings.
Combine: Stir pasta into the cheese sauce until fully coated.
For a baked version:
Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch dish.
Top with extra cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Shred your own cheese from block for extra creaminess and flavor.
MARY IRVIN TEA CAKES
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream margarine well then add sugar, egg and flour, mixing well after each addition.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to keep cookies from sticking.
Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 to 380 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire rack.
WALKING TACOS IN A DORITOS BAG
A fun, easy party, lunch or back-to-school meal.
6 individual bags of Doritos (Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, or your favorite flavor)
1½ lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 packet taco seasoning
⅔ cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup diced onions
½ cup sour cream
Salsa or taco sauce
Sliced jalapeños, optional
Black olives, optional
Make the taco meat:
Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer 5 minutes.
Prep the bags:
Gently crush each Doritos bag slightly to break up the chips (don’t turn them into crumbs). Cut the top open.
Build your walking taco:
Add a scoop of taco meat directly into the Doritos bag. Top with cheese, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, salsa and any other toppings.
Eat with a fork right out of the bag. Serves six.
