Easy Spaetzle Casserole

Box of spaetzle, cooked according to the directions (reserve about 1 c of the boiling liquid)
mixed vegetables, I used 8-10 brussel sprouts (halved), 10-12 large brown mushrooms (cut into chunks), 1/2 c each of frozen corn and peas, and ~2 cups frozen broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)
1 pkg cream cheese (I used non-fat)
1 pkg italian blend cheese (again, I used reduced fat cheese)
1 egg + 1/4 c eggbeaters
salt, pepper, oregano, thyme

Preheat oven to 350F. Sautee the mushrooms with a small bit of olive oil. As they start to give up their juice add about 2/3 of the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Pour off any remaining mushroom liquid and save. Remove mushrooms from the pan, add a small amount more of oil and crank up the heat. Sautee the sprouts until they start to just caramelize, pour about 1/4 c water or broth over them and cook until all the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat and add the mushrooms back to the pan. Thaw the frozen veggies and add them to the pan. Add the spices to taste--make this a bit strong tasting, because no spices are added to the cheese mixture.

In a food processor, blend the cream cheese, 2/3 of the cheese blend, the remaining garlic and the eggs. While the blade is spinning, add in the reserved mushroom liquor (so that you don't accidentally cook the egg if the liquor is still too hot). If the mixture looks too solid, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.

In a large bowl (or even the pot you boiled the spaetzle in) combine the veggies and the noodles, stirring gently. Pour the cheese sauce over the mixture and stir gently to completely combine. Pour into a 9x13" baking dish, prepared with a non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining Italian cheese blend. Bake 20-30 minutes until the cheese just starts to brown on top.

Quick Brussel Sprout leftovers!

After a few meals, I had some random bits left over--1/2 cup of thick homemade tomato sauce, 1/4 cup rough chopped red onion, 1/2 cup veggie broth, and brussel sprouts (15-20ish?).


Prepare the sprouts by cutting off the stem end and cutting in half, removing any loose or damaged leaves. In a medium-sized skillet, heat about a teaspoon of peanut oil over medium-high until just shimmering. Add the brussel sprouts and onions and stir to coat in the oil. Crank the heat up to high, and sautee until the sprouts start to just brown. Add the garlic and sautee until more of the sprouts have caramelized, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, add the broth, cover, and steam for 1 minute. Remove the lid, turn up heat to medium-high and reduce the broth to where it just barely covers the bottom of the skillet. Add about 1 Tbl of balsamic and reduce, season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat, add tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan on top.