14 ounces extra-firm tofu {1 block}

14.4 ounce can sauerkraut

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

8 teaspoons coriander

8 teaspoons garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing

8 Swiss cheese slices {I used Sargento thin slices}

8 slices Rye bread

Unsalted butter

Olive oil

Drain and press the tofu dry with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into four square pieces. Place sauerkraut in small saucepan over low heat. On a cutting board, brush about 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce on one side of the tofu; season that side with 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the tofu seasoned-side down. Season the other side, while in the skillet, with 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer tofu to a clean plate. With a paper towel, wipe out the skillet and melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over medium heat. {I used about 2 tablespoons of butter per sandwich} Spread about 1 tablespoon of the Thousand Island dressing on each side of the sandwich bread. Place the slice of tofu on one side, followed by 2 slices of the Swiss cheese and about 3 tablespoons of the sauerkraut {more or less depending on your preference!}. Place the top slice of bread on top of the sauerkraut to make a sandwich. Transfer the sandwich to the hot skillet {as if you were making grilled cheese}, toasting the bread on each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Happy Friday! As you may know, I have been on a quest to incorporate more tofu into our dinners. {You can see more tofu recipes here, here & here} One of my husband’s favorite sandwiches in the world is a Reuben sandwich. I’m not much of a meat eater, so I honestly don’t think I’ve ever tried a classic Reuben sandwich! I thought I would substitute the meat for tofu and create a healthier version of my husband’s favorite {and maybe something I could tolerate!} Well I’ve never tried the classic, but this healthy version was amazing! The flavors incorporated so well together and the cheese melted perfectly. Even my husband said it was the best version of the “Reuben” he has ever had 😉 This was a super quick dinner too, and for me, that’s always a bonus! Maybe I’ll even try a classic Reuben now… 😉

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled & cubed into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 1/2 cup fat free milk

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound dry pasta {I used cavatappi}

1/2 cup panko

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cubed butternut squash, chicken stock, milk and garlic. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Place the squash mixture in a blender. Add the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Transfer blended squash back to the sauce pan and stir in the Gruyère, Pecorino Romano and just 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Stir until completely combined. Meanwhile, make the pasta according to package directions; drain. Add the pasta to the squash and cheese mixture and stir combine. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer the pasta mixture to the casserole. In a separate small bowl, combine the panko and the rest of the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the top of the mac and cheese. Divide the 4 tablespoons of butter into fourths and scatter over the top of the panko. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Today I am sharing one last recipe with butternut squash until next fall and this is a good one. Macaroni and cheese is by far one of my favorite guilty pleasures — there are so many variations to mac and cheese and I love experimenting with all of them! Most of them are full of fat and calories, but not this one. The butternut squash combines with just the right amount of cheese to create the most creamy mac and cheese ever. You will hardly taste the difference between this healthy version of the full calorie favorite! 

Happy cooking!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by! 

Christmas Peppermint Bark

2 cups white chocolate {I just used the morsels, but if you are using a brick of chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch pieces}

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup crushed peppermints {I used candy canes, of course!}

Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side up. Be sure that all the creases are smoothed out of the foil. Place 1 cup of the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate has melted {for me, it was about 1:30 minutes}. Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the other cup of the unmelted white chocolate. Stir vigorously until all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps {Note: if you were to melt all the chocolate together, the chocolate would have a tendency to look dull. By stirring in the unmelted chocolate, it creates a beautiful and shiny chocolate!} Spread the chocolate onto the foil-lined baking sheet to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Work quickly as the chocolate hardens pretty fast! Place the mini marshmallows in the chocolate and sprinkle with the crushed peppermints. Allow to harden at room-temperature for about an hour. Once hard, break into uneven pieces. Store in airtight container for up to a week.

*I made six 8 ounce jars for my office. To fill the 6 jars, I made 2 1/2 recipes of this bark. 

For the packaging:

Place the chocolate bark in mason jars and secure the lid tightly. Wrap a festive ribbon {I chose ribbon that looked like candy canes 😉 } around the mason jar and tie into a bow. Tie on gift tag and you are ready to go!