We could all use a little Luck o’ the Irish … even if we’re not technically Irish, right?!? And, whether you can trace your roots back to that Emerald Isle or not, St. Patrick’s Day is really just a terrific excuse for a celebration.

I mean, you guys know that my family is alllll about capitalizing on any excuse for a little par-tay! And that’s definitely true on St. Patrick’s Day. I mean … shamrocks, pots of gold, lucky rainbows and green everything … sounds like a perfect excuse for a party to us!

So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to realize that – over the years that we’ve had this blog – we’ve posted quite a few fun (and, of course, healthy) St. Patrick’s Day recipes. From breakfast to lunch, snacks and even dessert – we’ve got lots of ideas to help make the day a little more festive, a little bit more of a celebration.

Some of the recipes – like our Rainbow Breakfast and our Pot o’ Gold Applesauce are purely whimsical. Meant to brighten your kids’ day with a bit of leprechaun magic.

Others are healthier upgrades to classic St. Patrick’s Day foods – like our Healthier Shamrock Shake and our Healthy Reuben Dip (because no little leprechaun wants to burst out of his belt with too many extra calories)!

So you can actually feel good about joining in the Irish fun this year, without compromising your healthy eating goals! (How lucky is that?!?)

Fun and Healthy St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Oh yeah! Get your Irish goin' on ... these Healthy St. Patrick's Day recipes are lots of fun, without all the guilt! There are sure gonna be some happy leprechauns this year!

Reuben-Topped Irish Nachos

Swap potatoes in for nacho chips ... then pile 'em high with all the ingredients of the ever-popular reuben sandwich! Easy to make and seriously delicious (with healthy tweaks all along the way)! A fun appetizer everyone will love!

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Naturally Sweetened Pot o' Gold Applesauce

Surprise your kids with this adorable, healthy St. Patrick's Day snack! It's really quick and easy – and so healthy, too! The natural sweetness comes from a surprising (golden!) mix-in your kids will love
... and you’ll love how nutritious it is!

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Healthier Shamrock Shakes

Don't even bother with all the fake ingredients stuffed into those drive-thru shakes! These healthy Shamrock Shakes are crazy-delicious ... with a surprise secret ingredient you simply won't believe until you taste these for yourself! They're 100% tried and true ... and absolutely kid-approved!

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Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Breakfast Idea for Kids!)

Start the St. Patrick's Day fun first thing in the morning with a lucky pot of leprechaun gold! Adorable AND healthy ... and honestly easy to make, too (we've got tips and options for ya)!

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5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt

This luck-o-the-Irish St. Patrick’s Day appetizer combines creamy Greek yogurt with avocado, plus a simple “ranch” spice combo. Surround it with fresh green veggies … and watch it disappear!

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Shamrock Veggie Skewers

Want to really make your green veggie dips extra special? Serve them with these EASY and fun Shamrock Veggie Skewers! (And don't worry ... we've got 2 simple ideas for creating those cute shamrocks.)

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Rainbow Veggie Kabobs

While we're making those veggies-and-dip party platters extra Irish-y and fun, here's another idea to try. You could do these instead of the Shamrock Veggies above, or mix in some of both on your appetizer tray! Great idea for an after-school-snack, too!

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Edamame Hummus

One more green dip idea that's perfect for snacking or as a super-easy St. Patrick's Day appetizer. Just throw everything in the food processor and give it a whir!

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Healthier Reuben Dip (Oven, Microwave or Crock Pot Appetizer Recipe)

Lots of options here! You can make this healthy St. Patrick’s Day appetizer in your oven, the slow cooker (to keep warm at parties), or the microwave. It can even be made ahead of time! And although it’s sooooo much healthier, it’s still deliciously rich and creamy! No one can ever taste the difference – it’s a proven crowd favorite, every time we serve it!

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Layered Ribbon Jell-O Salad

If you're the type of person who loves to do rainbow themes for St. Patrick's Day food, instead of going all-green ... then you'll love our healthier spin on classic Jell-O Salad! It's high in protein, thanks to our secret Greek yogurt swap ... but no one will ever guess how much healthier it is (even the pickiest little leprechauns)!

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Rainbow Pepper Salsa

Delicious with tortilla chips! Here's another idea for all of you who like to do "lucky" rainbow foods for St. Paddy's. Featuring a rainbow of colorful peppers, plus black beans and fresh cilantro – this is so fresh and vibrant, and perfect for rainbow-themed parties or St. Patrick's Day snacking!

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Ingenious Tips and Swaps for All Your St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

So many great ideas, huh?!? We’ve had such fun over the years, creating and sharing our St. Patrick’s Day recipes with you!

But what can you do about other St. Patrick’s Day recipes you might want to make? Some of those traditional foods just aren’t very healthy … but can they be improved upon a little, while still keeping their festive flair?

Not to worry! We’ve got ideas there, too!

So let’s go beyond all our THK-favorite St. Paddy’s recipes, and talk about some tips you can use for making other traditional St. Patrick’s Day foods a little bit healthier. No doubt, you don’t really need luck to have a healthy St. Patrick’s Day celebration … just a few creative ideas and simple swaps to make everything a bit more nutritious!

Better yet, if you’re thinking Reubens, consider swapping in turkey instead of corned beef. Technically, a turkey Reuben is usually called a Rachel, and technically, it’s not quite so traditionally St. Patrick’s Day-ish … but your arteries just might thank you later.

Healthy Homemade Reuben Dressing

And while we’re talking Reubens, ditch the bottled dressing and whip up the homemade dressing we use on our Reuben Nachos instead. It’s absolutely delicious on Reuben sandwiches, too – and so much healthier!

More Veggies!

If you just have to go the corned beef brisket route (so traditional – I get it!), you can still make it a bit healthier by using proportionally less meat and more veggies (especially cabbage and carrots that are absolutely loaded with vitamins and disease-combatting phytonutrients). The same goes for Irish stew recipes. Try dialing back the amount of meat the recipes calls for – even just a little – and adding in a few more of the nutritious veggies. Small changes can really add up!

Even More Veggies (and Fruit)!

Actually, you can easily capitalize on the “green” and “rainbow” themes of St. Patrick’s Day in lots of ways that highlight nutritious produce.

If you have kids, then organizing colorful fruits and veggies into rainbow-anything is a slam-dunk (like we did in our Rainbow Veggie Kabobs and Fruit Rainbow Breakfast).

Even more fun? Some shamrock-shaped cookie cutters turn all sorts of healthy things – from whole grain bread to produce – into instant, leprechaun-approved party food!

McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes

Yikes. I feel like they’re such a sign of spring and so very traditional (at least, here in America), but they’re also just not really good for you. Like, at all.

I’d even go so far as to admit that I don’t really think they taste that great, either. What’s with the weird aftertaste? Oh right. All those “fake” ingredients.

So, ummmmm … I’d vote you keep driving right on past that beckoning drive-thru, and make your own (with our yummy, kid-approved Shamrock Shake recipe, of course )! Try it and see! I 100% bet that you’ll be seriously surprised how fantastic our shakes taste. (And I bet you won’t be surprised how much better you feel about slurping on one!)

Now that’s some true Irish luck … healthy St. Patrick’s Day recipes that still taste amazing, too!

Work a couple of these recipes and health-ification techniques into your St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year, and you’ll have all your leprechauns cheering (guilt-free)!

The post 11 Fun and Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegetarian  •  Gluten Free  • 

This is back-pocket dip, for sure.

Not literally, silly! Not as in back pocket … squish … ewwwwwww.

But more like, this is one of those recipes that you’ll always want to have around, ready and waiting any old time.

For one thing, it’s just so super quick and easy.

5 minutes – no exaggeration!

I also specifically designed it to use dried herbs and spices, so you have most of what you need on hand year round – without  reaching for those packet mixes filled with weird preservatives, or having to buy several little containers of fresh herbs just to snip a half teaspoonful.

Plus, it’s low-guilt, with no mayo or full-fat sour cream anywhere in sight.

And, it’s hugely versatile.

It’s totally happy joining you for a late-night nosh session (in which you will feel abundantly snacky-satisfied but also nutritiously virtuous – yay).

But it’s also delighted to be dressed up for special occasions.

Just like our beloved Edamame Hummus, this Avocado Ranch Dip has a lovely green hue that makes it perfect for lots of holidays.

So, clearly this ranch dip is chummy with veggies – a fresh take on those tubs of gloppy store-bought ranch dips that seem to show up (boringly) on every veggie tray ever.

And, it’s delicious (like full-on, maximally yummy) with whole-grain tortilla chips. Total game day noshing will happen. And late-night munching. Just … lots and lots of munching.

This will disappear. I’ve watched it happen.

A couple quick notes, and then you’re off to go make your own batch:

Avocado Size (and How Much It … ahem … Matters)

It may seem a bit awkward, how I specify 2/3 cup mashed avocado in the recipe card’s directions, instead of just saying 1 avocado (which would be simpler, right?). But, depending on the season, avocados can vary quite a bit in size. So, I wanted to start you off with a precise measurement, to help you get the balance of creamy avocado and ranchy-spices that my family liked best in testing.

But hey – you can definitely wing it.

The great thing about a dip like this is that you can whir it all up, and then give it a little taste to see if you want to adjust the flavors.

A pinch more salt? Ok.

Love dill? Add some more – you do you.

Just be careful not to eat the whole batch from your fingers, “testing” it before you even get it dumped into the serving bowl. Although, on second thought – who am I to judge?

Gettin’ to the Good Stuff

Now, I’m guessing most of you have wrangled at least an avocado or two before this. I mean … avocado toast … everyone needs that in their life. Plus guac. Must have guac.

But just in case you’ve never come face to face with an avocado in your own little knife-wielding showdown … in case you’re peering at that bumpity green-and-black avocado exterior, wondering how so much life-changing, creamy avocado goodness can come out of such a horrid-looking skin … never fear!

Just peek at our post on How to Pit an Avocado. Everything you need to know (and more).

Mini Food Processor Tip

My bestie Gretchen (you remember her – she co-founded this web site!) gave me my current set of three Ninja processors years ago, and I use them all the time.

The big size is for smoothies, of course. But I adore the smallest one for making this ranch dip, as well as for mixing up all our various hummus recipes and making nut butters for cookie bars and Snack Bites. It’s just the right size!

Plenty of other processor options to get the job done, though – use what you’ve got and what works for you!

Surprise: Don’t Make This Avocado Dip Too Far Ahead

What???

I know, I know – I’m the queen of make-ahead recipes. I look for every make-ahead step or shortcut I can.

But this dip is really at its best served right away, not made the day before.

Although the acidity from the vinegar helps a bit to keep the avocado from oxidizing (aka turning brownish-gray and tasting a little less yum), that oxidation does still happen, just a little more slowly. And then the dip just doesn’t taste as great.

If you do want to make it a bit ahead, or if you somehow happen to have a little left over (although … who are we kidding? … you’ll grab a spoon and sneak the leftovers for yourself before they ever make it into your fridge, trust me!), the best thing to do (as with most guacamoles or avocado-based dips) is to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dip. This prevents the dip from coming into contact with the air, and will slow the browning.

And … if you do pull the leftovers out of your fridge and see that the top looks less pretty-fresh-green, just run a spoon across the surface to scoop away the top, brownish layer. Then commence the noshing as usual.

Okey doke – got it in your back pocket? Then you’re ready to spruce up any veggie tray that may come your way. And you’re all set for game day, and late-night fridge raids, too.

If you’ve got an avocado, you’re pretty much good to go. Enjoy!

5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt

Yield: About 1 1/4 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This quick and easy Avocado Ranch Dip features creamy Greek yogurt and avocado, with a simple spice combination for that “ranch” flair. It’s kinda like ranch dip meets guacamole. Yum!

Print

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mashed avocado (from about 1 - 1 1/2 avocados – see note)
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons nonfat milk
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• optional snipped fresh chives for garnish

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients (except optional chive garnish) in a food processor and process until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust salt if desired (see note).
   
2. Serve immediately, alongside vegetables or whole-grain tortilla chips. 

Notes

Avocado: There's actually no need to mash the avocado before processing, except that it will help you make sure you get exactly the right amount. Avocados vary in size, which could affect the ratio of the other ingredients you'd need in order to get the right flavor profile. 

Salt: I typically adjust the amount of salt slightly, depending on whether I'm serving this Ranch Dip with vegetables, or with salty tortilla chips. If serving with veggies, you may like to add slightly more salt, to help the flavors pop, but since tortilla chips are salty already, you probably can get by with less salt in the dip in that case. I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and tasting the dip along with your choice of dipper – then adding a little additional salt if needed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 servings Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 28Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post 5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •

Picture this:

It’s a warm, breezy summer day. You’re relaxing in the backyard with some friends, eating fruit kabobs. (Mmmmmmm … if you’re lucky, they’re some of these fruit kabobs.)

Wait! Rewind. (I bet that classic, garbled rewind noise just played in your head. And it’s playing again in your head right now!) Wanna take your kabob fun to a whole new level? Sure you do!

Well then, what’s even better than a warm, breezy summer day with friends, eating fruit kabobs in the backyard? How about a warm, breezy summer day with friends, eating some veggie kabobs in the backyard?!?! Fresh from the garden! (Or … both fruit and veggie kabobs! Imagine the antioxidant power there!)

Since we’ve already armed you with everything you need to know about making fruit kabobs, we thought we’d celebrate summer’s garden bounty with these loaded up, rainbow veggie kabobs!

All the sunshiny, rainbowy summer fun of fruit kabobs … but without the fruit! Because, you know, these are veggie kabobs!

Perfect for picnics and summer parties!

And perfect for getting kids excited about eating more veggies because … well … rainbows can sell practically anything to a kid! And your kids’ll have fun making their own creations, choosing from lots of different garden-fresh veggies to make these up, just the way they like ’em! Trust me … I’m a kid, so I know! (Peek at the recipe card below for lots of ideas for rainbow color choices.)

If you live in places that never get that warm summer feel – like Antarctica, Greenland, or northern CANADA! (shivers slightly at the thought) – well, these kabobs may not bring out “Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,” but they’ll certainly bring out the summer spirit in anyone!

Because these aren’t just any regular veggie kabobs, they’re rainbow veggie kabobs! And if all that rainbow fabulousness isn’t giving you enough summer vibes, you can even try putting something extra-special at the end of your rainbow! Like our Edamame Hummus!

Uh-huh! Edamame Hummus at the end of a veggie kabob rainbow? Mind.Blown. Edamame Hummus is one of our absolute faves and runs circles around that same-old-same-old, store-bought dip!

Sidenote: you might wonder if you can just skip the dip and toss these veggie kabobs on the grill as a vegetarian main dish. But if you’ve read our post on making perfect grilled shish kabobs, then you know these pretty rainbows, with so many different shapes and textures, are much better eaten raw, in all their fresh glory! Plus, they’re even easier since you don’t have to fire up the grill!

Wanna make summer veggies deliciously, easily fun? Yep! We’ve gotcha covered! Now you’re really “eating a rainbow”!

Rainbow Veggie Kabobs

Yield: 1 kabob (varies)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Rainbow Veggie Kabobs are so much more fun than plain-old veggies and dip! Perfect for parties and for getting kids to eat more veggies!

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •

Print

Ingredients

Choose the color-coded veggies you like best for each color of the rainbow:

• Blue, indigo and violet vegetables: purple peppers, purple baby carrots, purple cauliflower, black or kalamata olives
• Green vegetables: green bell pepper (cut in chunks), broccoli florets, cucumbers and/or zucchini (cut into rounds or chunky, triangular wedges), snow peas, sugar snap peas
• Yellow vegetables: yellow cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers (whole mini peppers or large bell peppers cut in chunks), yellow summer squash (cut into rounds or chunky, triangular wedges), yellow baby carrots
• Orange vegetables: orange cherry tomatoes, orange peppers (whole mini peppers or large bell peppers cut in chunks), baby carrots or carrot coins
• Red vegetables: red cherry or grape tomatoes, red peppers (whole mini peppers or large bell peppers cut in chunks)

Options for serving:

• your favorite healthy veggie dip or hummus, such as:
• Edamame Hummus
• 5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip

Instructions

1. For each veggie kabob, start by threading one or two blue/indigo/violet veggies onto the skewer, pushing them partway down.
2. Next, thread on green, yellow, orange, and red veggies (in that order – ending with red veggies at the top).
3. Serve with healthy dip, if desired.

Notes

Make-ahead tips: You can pre-wash and cut your veggies a few hours or up to a day or two in advance, storing them in separate containers in the refrigerator. Note, though, that tomatoes taste their best when stored at room temperature, so you may want to save washing and prepping the tomatoes until closer to serving. You can also completely assemble your veggie kabobs a few hours in advance, laying them on a platter and wrapping or covering them and then refrigerating until serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 serving Serving Size: 1 kabob
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 37Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information does not include optional dip, as nutrition can vary depending on what you choose. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post Rainbow Veggie Kabobs appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Gluten Free  •

These Irish Nachos had to happen. And not just because today it St. Patrick’s Day.

You see, when I was testing the recipe for our Cheesy Pizza Fries, something went horribly wrong at the grocery store.

Somehow, buying 20 pounds of potatoes seemed like a rational decision … an appropriate amount. (An appropriate amount for what, I don’t really know … maybe for feeding a small, hungry army.)

In my defense, they were on sale. A really good sale. But I stared at those two behemoth bags of russets in my cart, all through the shopping trip, and somehow still thought it was all a good idea. It wasn’t until I got them home that I started to realize the epic nature of my miscalculation.

So yeah … we made several (delicious!) batches of Cheesy Pizza Fries. But the potatoes just went on and on …

And here we are today.

Honestly, ever since I’d imagined making Pizza Fries, I’d also been imagining other oven-baked appetizers that could start with a few potatoes and turn into something magical. It wasn’t a big leap to get to these Irish Nachos – especially because I’d also been dreaming up ways to get more reuben flavors into my life, ever since we published that killer-good Reuben Dip last year.

So here’s how it went down: More Pizza-Fry-Like Recipes + More Reuben Recipes = Irish Nachos, of course!

20 pounds of potatoes? Problem solved!

The really funny thing is, I didn’t realize until sometime later that Irish nachos are actually a thing, and not just some crazy idea I’d dreamed up to deal with my potato problem. Plenty of sports bars serve ’em up as a fun twist on the usual, giant platter-o-nachos.

Typically, though, Irish Nachos seem to include normal nacho-y toppings: Mexican ground beef, orange cheese sauce or queso, tomatoes … that sort of thing. Basically, regular-old nachos made with a base of potatoes instead of tortilla chips. The only thing that’s really Irish about them at all is the potatoes.

But, since today is St. Patrick’s Day (and since I already said I need more reuben in my life), we’re going full-on Irish with this version of Irish Nachos. No Irish-meets-Mexican bar food here!

You’ve got seasoned potato slices, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. (Already good, straight off the sheet pan!) But you don’t stop there – you layer ’em up with tons of reuben flavor from lean corned beef, reduced-fat Swiss cheese and a bit of sauerkraut. And of course, Thousand Island Dressing (although you won’t be surprised to learn that ours is really healthy)!

These are incredible, guys. Seriously. Totally worth having to admit to you that I couldn’t figure out that 20 pounds of potatoes was a ridiculous buying decision.

And just a heads-up: I’ve still got a few potatoes left … you’ve been warned …

More of Our Healthy, Fun St. Patrick’s Day Recipes …

• Healthier Reuben Dip
• Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Kids’ Breakfast)
• Healthier Shamrock Shakes
• Shamrock Veggie Skewers
• Rainbow Ribbon Jell-O

Reuben-Topped Irish Nachos

Yield: 1 large platter of nachos

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 47 minutes

These Irish Nachos feature seasoned, oven-baked potato chips, topped with the ever-popular flavors of a reuben sandwich! Easy to make, seriously delicious!

•  Gluten Free  •

Print

Ingredients

Thousand Island Dressing:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup (natural or organic, see note)
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (natural or organic, see note)
• 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Reuben Topping:

• 3 ounces extra-lean deli corned beef, chopped (see note)
• 1 cup shredded, reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup sauerkraut (exact amount is personal preference), drained and gently pressed to remove extra moisture
• finely chopped parsley (if desired), for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475ºF.
2. In a medium bowl, combine dressing ingredients: Greek yogurt, ketchup, relish, vinegar, hot sauce, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed (can be made up to about two days ahead).
3. Cut potatoes evenly into 1/8"-thick slices. (You can use a mandolin for this if you'd like, but I use a chef's knife. Either way, the key is to cut them very uniformly so they bake evenly.)
4. In a large bowl, toss potato slices with olive oil until evenly coated. Sprinkle potatoes with 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss again to be sure spices are distributed very evenly. You may find that it's easiest to do this with your hands, rather than a mixing spoon.
5. Place potato slices onto two parchment-lined baking sheets, spreading them out and making sure they don't touch or overlap (see note).
6. Bake potato slices for 12-14 minutes. The exact baking times may vary if your potato slices aren't cut to 1/8" or if they aren't uniform in thickness. Check them periodically: you're looking for a warm, browned, toasty bit of color on the bottom of your slices, but you don't want them to burn.
7. Carefully flip all slices over and continue baking on the second side for about 5-8 minutes more, again checking periodically for doneness. If some of your slices are thinner than others, they may be ready sooner, and you may want to remove them to a plate while the other slices continue baking.
8. When your potatoes are done baking, mound them into a pile in the center of one baking sheet, layering them as you do so with corned beef, cheese, and sauerkraut. Return the nachos to the oven for about 5 more minutes, to allow the toppings to warm and the cheese to melt.
9. Garnish nachos with parsley, if desired, and serve with Thousand Island Dressing. (You can drizzle the dressing on top, serve it alongside, or both.)

Notes

Ketchup and pickle relish: We recommend purchasing natural or organic brands of these two items whenever possible, in order to avoid brands that have high-fructose corn syrup and other "questionable" ingredients.

Corned beef: What you want to purchase is very lean corned beef, like what you would get at the deli counter, not a large corned beef brisket. While the extra-lean deli slices should weigh in at just a gram or so of fat per ounce, a brisket is often about three or four times that.

Spreading out the potatoes: Spreading the potatoes out is the key to getting them to roast properly. If they're baked in a pile or with too much overlap, they won't develop a toasty, crispy, beautifully browned, roasted exterior. Don't try to squeeze all your potato slices onto one baking sheet – simply use two baking sheets, and you'll get a much better result.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 190Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 452mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post Reuben-Topped Irish Nachos appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •  Paleo  •

Ok, story time!

Once upon a time, there were two cute little kids who were staying at a hotel.

It just so happened that it was St. Patrick’s Day, so when the cute little kids and their parents came back from having breakfast, they found multicolored Twizzlers shaped like rainbows … and Rolos, like tiny pots of gold … left for them by leprechauns (a.k.a. the hotel cleaning staff)!

And the two delighted little kids ate the candy and had a happy, magical St. Patrick’s Day (while their mom despaired that their healthy breakfast had just ended with candy). The end.

Just kidding … we’re not at the end (yet)!

Actually, when that little girl (a.k.a. … ahem … ME) grew up a bit and started food blogging, she wondered if there was any way to have a healthfully magical St. Patrick’s Day treat.

She saw all sorts of cute, rainbow-y recipes. But could any of them actually be good for her? (I mean, let’s face it, there’s probably a reason why leprechauns aren’t often portrayed as svelte, shapely little men.)

The little girl (ME!!!) decided to create her own St. Patrick’s Day treat (a.k.a. this Pot o’ Gold Applesauce).

It was both delicious and healthy, and she lived happily ever after.

The end. (Again.)

Oh … but wait … don’t you want some tips on how to make this? Of course you do! Read on …

Watch Out for Unhealthy Applesauce!

Be really careful when you’re buying applesauce at the grocery store. A surprisingly large amount of the brands and varieties out there contain high-fructose corn syrup. We recommend you simply purchase natural, unsweetened applesauce and add flavorings like cinnamon on your own at home.

Making your own homemade applesauce is a great bet, too, so you know exactly what’s in it (psssst … check out our recipe for Easy Homemade Applesauce).

A Surprising Sweetener

In this recipe, we don’t add any sweetener at all, except for golden raisins. Not only do they look like cute little nuggets of leprechaun gold, but they’re also delicious stirred into the applesauce!

Sort of like an apple cobbler made with apples and raisins – the flavors are perfect together, and even we were really surprised by how much yummy natural sweetness the raisins added to the unsweetened applesauce! No need for any other added sugars at all!

Making Your Tiny Decorative Shamrocks

To make those cute little shamrocks that we used for decoration, cut thin (about 1/4″ – 1/2″) vertical slices of green Granny Smith apples. Then, use a sharp (preferably metal), shamrock-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shamrocks. Our cookie cutter was about 1 3/4″ which was a perfect size!

You can place your little shamrock apples on top of each pot o’ gold or spread them around alongside. Either way, they’re great for nibbling, and you’ll be surprised how fast a lot of nutritious fruit gets gobbled up!

Magical and healthy, too!

Ok, ok … now this is really the end! THE END! (And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!)

More of Our Fun and Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes …

• Healthier Shamrock Shakes
• Shamrock Veggie Skewers
• Healthier Reuben Dip
• Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Kids’ Breakfast)
• Rainbow Ribbon Jell-O

Naturally Sweetened Pot o' Gold Applesauce

Yield: Varies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Such a fun St. Patrick's Day snack! You'll love that it's quick, easy and healthy. And your kids will love that it's so cute and really yummy! 

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •  Paleo  •

Print

Ingredients

• Granny Smith apples, for making shamrock cutouts
• all-natural, unsweetened applesauce
• golden raisins (about 1-2 tablespoons per serving, as desired)
• cinnamon, if desired, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. To make decorative shamrocks, cut thin vertical slices of apple (about 1/4" - 1/2" thick). Lay slices flat on cutting board and use a small, sharp, shamrock-shaped cookie cutter (ours was about 1 3/4") to cut out shamrocks.
2. Spoon applesauce into serving bowl.
3. Sprinkle golden raisins (and cinnamon, if desired) on top. Decorate with apple shamrocks.
4. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 serving (adjust as desired) Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

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This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •

Ever build a leprechaun trap? One of those crazy contraptions all kids love dreaming up?

We built leprechaun traps back in the day, when Amy and I were little. We “engineered” them as school projects and spent hours together making them at home, just for fun.

And let me tell you, I was convinced of the existence of leprechauns based on two things:

1. Amy’s kindergarten teacher claimed that they’d caught a leprechaun in their trap … but it got away before the kids got there. So close!

2. A leprechaun got “caught” in one of our traps at home. We knew we’d caught one, because he’d made a shamrock-shaped exit hole to escape our devious snares (which could not possibly have been something my dad would do while we were sleeping).

But what was the plan there? What would we have done with a leprechaun if we had actually snared one? What would we have fed him?!?

I’ve heard that those little green goblins practically run on the color green. So, naturally, we would’ve needed something green to feed our little captive.

These all-green St. Paddy’s day skewers would have been perfect! Plus, they’re 100% healthy, too! (Just because of these skewers, I’m considering going back to building some traps.)

If you ever catch your own leprechaun, you can keep your little friend happy all day! (Where do they go after the day is over anyway? Who knows? The end of the rainbow? If you catch one, let me know.)

Oh, and if you don’t happen to catch a leprechaun (how unlucky!), you can enjoy these healthy veggie skewers yourself! And share some with yours kids, too, of course! You could surprise them with a St. Patrick’s Day after-school snack!

They’re great for St. Patrick’s Day parties, too! Fun to make, fun to eat!

And you know we’ve got tips to help you!

Tips for Perfect Shamrock Veggie Skewers

Get creative with lots of different green veggies! Try green peppers, broccoli florets, zucchini, cucumbers, snow peas or sugar snap peas – whatever looks great at the store.

To make those cute shamrock shapes for the top of each skewer, green peppers work best. There are two ways to make these:

• You can use a small, sharp, shamrock-shaped cookie cutter. (Our smaller one is about 1 3/4″, and we found that size to be perfect, but the larger, 2 1/2″ size worked well, too.) Choose a few large green peppers with nice, broad sides. Slice off the sides and use the cookie cutter to cut out shamrocks, as we did on the left in the photo above.
• You can also buy smaller green peppers, and simply use a knife to slice them crosswise (horizontally) into thin “rings,” as we did on the right in the photo above. Green pepper slices actually look amazingly like shamrocks! When you thread these on the top of each skewer, you can even add a tiny piece of pepper underneath, to look like a stem. (My mom says she noticed this idea on Pinterest, when she saw a picture of how Gina at SkinnyTaste used pepper shamrocks to decorate the top of her Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata.) Easy and really cool – no special cookie cutter needed!

For serving, I definitely recommend a festively green dip. I mean, especially if you’re serving a leprechaun, you have to go with green! Our favorites are our Edamame Hummus and our 5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip.

Now you’re all ready for whatever St. Patrick’s Day brings – whether it’s a trap filled with leprechauns or just an attack of the munchies! Because these healthy skewers aren’t just good fuel for mythical green dudes – they can keep you going strong all day, too. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More of Our Fun and Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes …

• Healthier Shamrock Shakes
• Naturally Sweetened Pot o’ Gold Applesauce
• Healthier Reuben Dip
• Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Kids’ Breakfast)
• Rainbow Ribbon Jell-O

Shamrock Veggie Skewers

Yield: Varies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

These easy Shamrock Veggie Skewers are a perfect St. Patrick's Day appetizer for parties – and a fun, healthy after-school snack!

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •

Print

Ingredients

• assorted green vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces (such as broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, sugar snap peas, snow peas, green peppers)
• green peppers (for making shamrocks)
• optional green dip, for serving (see suggestions in step 4 below)

Instructions

1. Thread assorted green veggies onto wooden skewers, leaving enough room at the top to finish each with a shamrock-shaped pepper.
2. To make the shamrock peppers for the top of each skewer, you have two options, as shown in the photos in our post: (1) Cut your green peppers into large planks and use a sharp (preferably metal) shamrock-shaped cookie cutter to cut shamrocks out of the green peppers. The cutter we used was about 1 3/4". (2) Or, use small green peppers, and cut them with a sharp knife horizontally into "rings." The shape of the pepper rings should look a bit like a shamrock. If you'd like, as you thread these on your skewers, you can add thin slices of green pepper underneath them as "stems."
3. Thread one shamrock pepper onto the top of each vegetable skewer to finish.
4. Serve with optional hummus or reduced-fat vegetable dip. (For a perfectly green dip, we recommend our Edamame Hummus or our 5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt.)

Notes

Make-ahead tips: You can pre-wash and cut your veggies a few hours or up to a day or two in advance, storing them in separate containers in the refrigerator. You can also completely assemble your veggie kabobs a few hours in advance, laying them on a platter and wrapping or covering them and then refrigerating until serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: varies Serving Size: 1 skewer
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information can vary depending on the vegetables and amounts you use, and it does not include dip. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

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This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegetarian  •

The closer we get to St. Patrick’s Day, seems like rainbows are everywhere. All sorts of rainbow foods, especially rainbows shaped out of colorful fruit!

So great, right?!?

Well, yeah! I mean, rainbows are awesome – you can’t argue with that. And fruit is definitely awesome.

Then how does it all seem to go so very wrong?

Most of those promising fruit rainbows end in clouds of Cool Whip or marshmallows … or in pots o’ gold made out of foil-wrapped Rolos.

*SIGH*

I got to thinking about this problem, and wondering what healthy golden things could also show up at the ends of rainbows. And then there was that aha moment …

This breakfast idea is basically one of our no-brainer, go-to, super-fast school morning breakfasts – a huge pile of colorful fruit alongside whole grain toast and an egg – all funned up with some luck o’ the Irish. (If you hang around here much, you know that, in our house we definitely “fun things up” whenever possible … completely disregarding the fact that “funning something up” is in no way grammatically correct. So let’s just accept that and roll on …)

That egg – with its golden yellow yolk – makes a perfect pot o’ gold, and has waaaaaay more protein and great nutrition than a foil-wrapped Rolo! The perfect thing to find at the end of an antioxidant-packed fruit rainbow!

Choosing Your Fruit

Let what’s in season or whatever looks good at your market be your guide – we’ve got a whole list of different color-coded ideas on the recipe card, but feel free to get creative and buy whatever great fruit combinations strike your fancy.

Better yet – take your kiddos to the store with you, and let them choose their own rainbow!

If they’re young enough to be engaged by discussions of ROY G BIV, you’ve got a great science lesson on your hands. And kids of any age can get into the topic of “eating a rainbow” and how different fruits offer different nutrients – a nutrition lesson that’s colorful and fun, too!

Making the Eggs

Cook the eggs any way that your kids will like – sunny side up, over medium … honestly, a pile of fluffy yellow scrambled eggs would work here, too. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun!

If you’re making a fried egg and it’s a bit too big to let the English muffin peek out from underneath, you can just tuck the whites under a bit as you lay the egg on the muffin, so it’s approximately the right circumference.

Or – you can get fancy with a special egg ring or a perfectly-sized miniature pan, like we did in our photos above. But seriously – don’t sweat it if you don’t have special equipment like egg rings – it’s really not necessary!

Having Even More Fun with This Idea

To make a cute, kid-appealing sunshine (like you see in some of the photos above), we cut out a quick paper sun from some construction paper to place under a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. But again, you don’t have to make this complicated. You can skip the scissors and simply plunk down some juice – your kiddos will love it just the same!

You can even skip the OJ sunshine altogether and move the pot o’ gold egg up top, to the sunshine position … poof! … that golden egg yolk can do double-duty in your little rainbow landscape!

Regardless of what fruits you choose, how you make your egg, or what you do with your sun – the important thing here is that your kiddos will have a great time eating a really nutritious breakfast that’ll fuel them up for the busy day ahead. That, my friends, is really a true pot o’ gold!

More Fun, Healthy Breakfast Recipes …

• 10-Minute Almond Joy Oatmeal from Two Healthy Kitchens
• Granola Cups with Banana Cream from Kelly at Tasting Page
• Waffle Sundae Bar from Two Healthy Kitchens
• Breakfast Popsicles from Kristi at The Classy Chapter
• Easy Tricks for Making Pancake Shapes and Numbers from Two Healthy Kitchens

Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Breakfast Idea for Kids!)

Yield: 1 breakfast

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 13 minutes

Your kids will love this Fruit Rainbow Breakfast recipe! And you'll love all the great nutrition – literally eating a rainbow! A fun, healthy breakfast!

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegetarian  •

Print

Ingredients

Fresh Fruit (suggestions for each color):

• Red – strawberries, red raspberries
• Orange – cantalope, clementines or mandarins, mango
• Yellow – pineapple, yellow raspberries
• Green – kiwi, green grapes, honeydew melon
• Blue/Indigo – blueberries, blackberries
• Violet – purple-hued red grapes or black grapes

Egg Muffin:

• 1/2 whole-grain English muffin
• 1 egg

Orange Juice Sunshine (optional):

• orange juice, if desired

Instructions

1. Wash and prepare the fruit, cutting into bite-sized pieces as needed. On a serving plate, arrange the fruit into the shape of a rainbow in order of colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue/indigo, violet).
2. Lightly toast the English muffin and prepare the egg. (You can cook the egg however your child prefers – sunny side up or over easy so that the yolk still looks yellow, or even scrambled.)
3. Place the English muffin at the bottom of the fruit rainbow as the "pot of gold" and place the cooked egg on top of the muffin. Alternately, you can place the egg muffin above the rainbow as the "sunshine."
4. Serve immediately, with a glass of orange juice (another option for creating a "sunshine"), if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 serving Serving Size: 1 breakfast
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 199mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 5gSugar: 19gProtein: 10g

Nutrition information does not include optional orange juice. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post Fruit Rainbow with a Pot of Gold (Fun Breakfast Idea for Kids!) appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free (depending on your choice of dippers)  •

Do you remember those moments from when you were a kid … when you suddenly felt oh-so grown-up and glimpsed the promised land of the adults?

Maybe it was the (terrifying!) first time you rode your bike without training wheels …

Or the day you got your metal-mouth braces off and smiled at that cute boy in math class with full-on pearly whites …

Well, one of my “growing up” moments involved a Reuben sandwich. (Hmmmmm … this possibly should’ve been an early clue about what a lunatic-foodie I’d one day become …)

My mom and I had spent the whole morning shopping together for new clothes, just for me. That, in itself, was a luxury – shopping without my little brother tagging along!

In a very indulgent move, we ended our day with lunch in the department store’s restaurant. A real restaurant! With waitresses! Just my mom and me! This was a rare, special treat back then.

But what to order …

My mom gleefully spied Reuben sandwiches on the menu. She looooooves Reubens, and happily described to me the piles of corned beef, melty Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and sweet-tart dressing. Sounded kinda weird, actually. But intriguing … and so very exotic! Obviously something an adult (like my mom) would eat!

Ok. I ordered one, too. How very grown-up of me. (No laughing, now … I was maybe all of 11 years old …)

And as we sat together in that little restaurant, chatting after a day of shopping, we happily munched our exotic and oh-so-adult Reuben sandwiches, and I glimpsed how fabulous it must be to actually be an adult.

I loved that department-store Reuben sandwich just as much as my mom did … and I’ve loved Reubens ever since. (Even now that they’re completely not exotic, and you can order one at any sandwich shop across the country.)

Regular Reubens, turkey Reubens, even Reuben dip … I adore them all!

But what I don’t adore is the nutritional profile that comes along with them.

Even though corned beef can actually be rather lean (the brand of deli-sliced extra-lean corned beef I buy has only about 1 gram of fat per slice), a typical Reuben is piled excessively high with meat … which adds up. Then you’ve got full-fat Swiss cheese, plus bottled salad dressing, which can pack on additional unhealthy fats and other less-than-healthy ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup.

Reuben dips are hardly much better, especially since they usually take all the problems of a Reuben sandwich and swirl in even more unhealthy fat in the form of full-fat cream cheese.

*Sigh*

Maybe the promised land of adulthood isn’t so swell after all …

But wait!

It doesn’t have to be that way!

I set out to make a seriously delicious, so-much healthier Reuben dip a couple of months ago, on Super Bowl Sunday.

I was shocked at my success (if I do say so myself ).

It rocked.

We scarfed it down.

It tasted just like a regular Reuben dip.

Huh!

I’ve made this recipe several times in the last couple of months, and always to rave reviews – even from people who are self-proclaimed Reuben lovers (and who have no idea whatsoever that they’re eating a healthified version of their fave Reuben party dip).

It’s an absolute must-have in any line-up of Super Bowl snacks and even March Madness food … for all sports gatherings, really. And, of course, Reubens and St. Patrick’s Day are obvious BFFs.

There’s really no wrong time to serve this Reuben Dip! (Lucky, because trust me … you’ll CRAVE it!)

Oh, and since we’re all grown-ups here, and you’re probably at least as busy as I am (with all the grown-up stuff life brings), let me just say two more things that will make you happy, happy:

1) You can mix this right in the serving container if you want to! No extra dishes to wash! (*joy*)

2) You can mix this entire recipe together ahead of time, so all you have to do before you serve it is just heat it up! (*glee*)

Uh-huh! Turns out Reubens and happiness go hand-in-hand.

And even if I don’t spend my days roller skating and playing Barbies anymore, being a grown-up really is pretty darn swell … just as I’d always imagined it would be!

Healthier Reuben Dip (Oven, Microwave or Crock Pot)

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 11 minutes

This Reuben Dip recipe is inspired by the flavors of a Reuben sandwich! So quick and easy (mix it up right in your serving dish). And, it can even be made ahead!

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free (depending on your choice of dippers)  •

Print

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons ketchup (natural or organic, see note)
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (natural or organic, see note)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces extra-lean deli corned beef, chopped (see note)
• 4 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sauerkraut
• for garnish: finely chopped parsley (if desired)
• for serving: whole grain crackers, or mini appetizer-sized slices of rye or pumpernickel bread (lightly toasted, if desired)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl (or directly in an un-greased serving container, such as an 8x8" baking pan, a small oval baking dish, a pie pan or a mini slow cooker insert), thoroughly combine Greek yogurt, ketchup, cream cheese, pickle relish, vinegar, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir in corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut.
2. Cook dip mixture according to your cooking method of choice (see below), until the cheese is melted and the dip is hot throughout.
3. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve with crackers or appetizer breads.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

1. In an ungreased, microwave-safe serving dish, heat on high for about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue heating on high for an additional 2 minutes (or until thoroughly heated and bubbly at the edges). Exact cooking time may vary depending on the wattage and power of your microwave.

OVEN DIRECTIONS:

1. In an ungreased, oven-safe serving dish, bake dip at 350°F for 15-20 minutes (until thoroughly heated and bubbly at the edges), stirring halfway through cooking time.

CROCK POT DIRECTIONS:

1. This dip can be kept hot for parties by using a mini (1- to 2-quart) slow cooker. Cook the dip in the slow cooker until hot and melted throughout, at least an hour or two (depending on the wattage of your slow cooker), and keep the dip hot in the slow cooker throughout your party.
2. If you're short on time before serving this, alternately, you can quickly heat this according to the microwave directions above, and then transfer the already-heated dip to your mini slow cooker to keep it hot during your party.

Notes

Ketchup and pickle relish: We recommend purchasing natural or organic brands of these two items whenever possible, in order to avoid brands that have high-fructose corn syrup and other "questionable" ingredients.

Corned beef: What you want to purchase is very lean corned beef, like what you would get at the deli counter, not a large corned beef brisket. While the extra-lean deli slices should weigh in at just a gram or so of fat per ounce, brisket is often about three or four times that.

Make-ahead tips: This dip can easily be mixed together ahead of time, several hours or even a day before serving. Simply cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then, remove the plastic and heat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 2 tablespoons dip
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 190mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information does not include optional dippers, as nutrition can vary for those, depending on what you choose to use. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post Healthier Reuben Dip (Oven, Microwave or Crock Pot Appetizer Recipe) appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.

This Recipe Is:   •  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free  •

Let’s just talk about the elephant in the room, shall we?

Or, rather, let’s talk about the Jell-O Salad in my refrigerator.

I know what’s on your mind. Jell-O isn’t exactly the most healthy food, so why is THK running a Jell-O Salad recipe??

Healthier … But NO ONE Will Even Notice!

Shelley and I actually spent quite a long time discussing this (as we happily munched some of my “healthier” Layered Rainbow Jell-O I wanted her to try). We know it’s not our typical recipe type. But we realized something …

You’re all eating Jell-O anyway, right? (I mean … we were eating it.) So why not give it a little boost of protein, and slash some calories and fat to make it healthier? (Like, with an impressive three cups of Greek yogurt – no kidding!)

And that’s why this recipe is appearing here. Poof. Like a magical rainbow!

My grandma (who stands at a whopping five feet tall and is the cutest-darn-thing you’ve ever seen) has been making this Jell-O Salad for years and years and years. She’s made it for nearly every single family function we’ve had. Birthday parties, wedding showers, baby showers, holiday meals …

Seriously, just look at it! It’s a party in a 9×13 dish! It just isn’t a family get-together for us without this salad!

It’s always been my Grandma who makes this. Well … until I went a little crazy …

One of the responsibilities that comes with buying a house with “great entertaining space” is hosting family parties. (Which I love!) But then I had a (totally crazy) moment where I thought I could handle every single part of hostessing, plus I’d make “The Salad.”

Gulp.

Do you ever do that? Especially when I’m a liiitttlllle stressed out (like cooking my first Easter dinner for the whole family, for example!), I somehow rationalize in my brain that I don’t need any help at all. Nope. I will clean the entire house from top to bottom by myself. (I have actually reorganized my closets before a party. I’m not sure why. Guests don’t usually make sure my shirts are organized by season AND color.) And, of course, I also volunteer to cook the majority of the meal. “Oh no! I’m fine! I’ll make it!”

Please tell me I’m not the only one. Please?

So yeah, I offered to host a big family holiday AND make my grandma’s famous Jell-O Salad. (Oh right … and I wanted to health-ify her version, without anyone knowing. No pressure.)

I was nervous. I couldn’t mess this up. I couldn’t let my super-sweet grandma down.

And ya know what? It turned out perfect. (Exhale …)

It was actually kind of funny when I revealed it had been heath-ified! Not only had no one noticed the change … but actually nobody even believed me when I confessed! (Whew!) They seriously had no idea that I’d subbed out the sour cream my grandma uses, and replaced it with nonfat (but high-protein!) Greek yogurt.

It was probably the easiest health-ification project I’ve ever tried! And nobody suspected a thing!

Just 4 (Mostly Hands-Off) Steps to Make Rainbow Jell-O!

Oh – and all of you who are looking at those pretty, pretty rainbow layers and thinking this Jell-O recipe is incredibly difficult to make … you would be kinda wrong. No, actually, you’d be totally wrong. It’s super simple!

Total time, from start to finish, is a long time. I’ll be honest about that.

But the hands-on time is actually blissfully short. The Jell-O just needs a nice rest in the fridge to chill between layers … which requires absolutely no effort on your part.

Remember when we made Easy, Healthy Applesauce Granola? And you just had to quick stir it every little while? But you really didn’t need to do much else, right?

Well, this is very similar. It’s just four basic steps!

All you have to do is:

1. Mix up a box of Jell-O.
2. Pour half of it into your pan and chill.
3. Meanwhile, mix in some Greek yogurt to the second half.
4. Pour that in and let it chill some more.

Then repeat with the next color … and then the next …

We’re talking stirring and pouring here, friends. That’s it! Told ya it was easy!

While the Jell-O chills, so can you. Or you can reorganize your closets. I won’t judge. (Actually, maybe I’ll come over and help! I’ll bring my label maker! Ohhhh … this could be super fun!)

How to Customize Your Jell-O Salad for Any Occasion

Know what else is really fun? You could make a red and blue Jell-O Salad to celebrate the Fourth of July! (Or red and green for Christmas … or orange and purple for Halloween … or shades of green for St. Patrick’s Day!)

You can easily change up the colors and the thickness of your Jell-O’s layers, depending on what color scheme you’re going for. This 4th of July version is just an example to get your creative juices flowing!

I won’t be attending a BBQ like many of you this weekend … because I’m in my cousin’s wedding! My “peanut” (as I’ve called her since she was tiny). She’s all grown up now and I’m so excited to stand beside her when she says “I do!” to a really great man. She’s always loved fireworks, and now she’ll have honorary anniversary fireworks every year … the wedding is on July 4th! (And no, Grandma isn’t making Rainbow Jell-O for the reception – I knew you’d ask!)

But for those of you who aren’t in a wedding and are doing more typical Fourth of July things like going to picnics … just imagine how impressed your friends will be when you walk in with this salad!

Make It Ahead!

Oh! And total bonus … this Jell-O Salad is 100% make-ahead!

It keeps beautifully in the fridge for days! So no worries that you’ll be missing any part of the parade – you can make this in advance.

Whichever version you choose to make, I hope you have a fabulously fantastic holiday weekend! Happy Fourth of July, friends!

Looking for More Great Picnic Ideas? Check Out Our:

• Rainbow Pepper Salsa
• Corn, Edamame and Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette
• Healthy Sugared-Vanilla Yogurt Fruit Dip
• Mexican Fiesta Black Bean Hummus
• Italian Cannellini Hummus with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

~ by Gretchen

Layered Rainbow Jell-O Salad

Yield: 30 pieces

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Inactive Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 48 minutes

No one will ever guess how much healthier this pretty Rainbow Jell-O Salad is! It’s high in protein … and actually easy to make, too! Plus, you can use our tips to customize the colors for any holiday or event!

•  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free  •

Print

Ingredients

• 6 (3-ounce) boxes of Jell-O gelatin (any flavors you'd like)
• 6 3/4 cups water, divided
• 3 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Decide on your color pattern (the order for the colors of Jell-O you've selected), and begin by working with the color that will go on the bottom.
2. Boil 1 cup of water in the microwave.
3. Add 1 packet of Jell-O to the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of this liquid into a 9x13 pan to create a "clear" layer, tilting pan for even coverage if necessary (see note).
5. Refrigerate until set (see note).
6. While the first layer sets, add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons cold water to the remaining liquid Jell-O for the "cloudy" layer.
7. Pour the liquid for your "cloudy" layer on top of the completely set clear layer.
8. Refrigerate again until set.
9. Repeat this process with each color of Jell-O to create alternating "clear" and "cloudy" layers in each color you've chosen.
10. Refrigerate until serving.

Notes

Achieving even layers: To ensure that each new layer of gelatin liquid spreads evenly across the entire pan, you may need to tilt the pan slightly.

Chilling time: The layers of Jell-O will set up rather quickly because they're so thin. At first, the layers may be set in as little as 10-15 minutes.

To make thicker layers as I did for the Fourth of July Jell-O Salad:
For each clear layer, use 1 entire box of Jell-O with 1 cup boiling water. Similarly, for each cloudy layer, use 1 entire box of Jell-O with 1 cup boiling water, plus 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons cold water. You can choose any colors you'd like, depending on the holiday or your party's theme colors.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 30 servings Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 30Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 23mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

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This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegetarian  •  Gluten Free  •

lá sona ú Pádraig

Huh?

It means “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

I have to admit … I’m kinda super excited about this particular St. Paddy’s day, since I’ve recently discovered a tiny (teeeeeny) bit of Irish ancestry.

You see, last year my oldest kiddo had to do a family tree project, and even after the project was finished, I was fascinated by the whole process and kept digging to uncover more info. And … I found out that I actually have some Irish ancestors!

(Ummmmmm … confession: I may or may not sometimes talk in an Irish accent and dance little jigs around the house. My husband just shakes his head and asks if I’m trying to reconnect with my people. Yes, yes, in fact I am. I can feel the Irish just pulsing through my veins! I may start to call myself O’Gretchen. No? Too far?)

Irish heritage or not, how do you celebrate St. Paddy’s?

Maybe a parade? Does your city put green dye in the rivers? How about green eggs for breakfast? Maybe you live near Savannah, Georgia or Boston, Massachusetts where March 17th is considered a legal holiday. A legal holiday. Like, recognized.

But what if you don’t live near a city that celebrates with a parade or a green river?

Well, you could wear green (yeah, yeah … that’s a given).

Or you could swing by McDonald’s to get the long-anticipated Shamrock Shake. That’s ok … no, wait … well …

I get it. Shelley and I both remember back when we were kids, waiting and waiting for March to come around because it meant that we’d get that creamy mint shake. It.was.awesome.

But now we’re moms, and we want to feed our kids the best and most nutritious foods. Those Shamrock Shakes were just begging to be THK-ified!

Still, we knew that we’d have to use our very best thinking caps to figure out this transformation!

It all started way back (ok, a few months ago) when we were planning our editorial calendar for 2014, and we saw that St. Patrick’s Day was fast approaching. I proclaimed, “Ohhhh … a Shamrock Shake!” at the same moment Shelley announced, “Yummm … green smoothies!”

Hmmm … how could those two ideas become one? It’s quite simple, actually!

When we initially started testing for this recipe, we knew that food coloring wasn’t going to be an option. So here’s where that promised superfood comes in …

It’s … SPINACH!!! Gorgeous, naturally green-colored and loaded with mega nutrition!

Before you wrinkle up your nose in that “something-smells-bad” face, just hear me out. This is nothing like a spinach salad … or even a spinach-loaded pasta dinner. NOTHING!

You TOTALLY can’t taste the spinach! Promise. Cross my heart. Pinky swear, too.

That’s one of the reasons that spinach works so well in smoothies – raw baby spinach just doesn’t have all that much flavor!

Between our two families, none of our kids (not one of them!) could detect even a hint of spinach in these shakes. And when they found out, they all just kinda shook their heads (they’ve been down this sort of THK road before) … and then continued happily slurping away!

Seriously – not joking! These milkshakes are fully kid-tested and kid-approved!

Now you might be thinking, “But why is THK recommending frozen yogurt or even ice cream??”

First, remember, these are for a treat. And also remember, we are real people! We certainly don’t recommend that you eat the entire carton of ice cream at once … but a life lived with moderation is a happy life! And there are lots of pretty terrific light ice creams and frozen yogurts on the market that have decent ingredient lists, taste fabulous, and are relatively low-fat. AND don’t forget there are three cups of spinach in there! THREE CUPS!!!

To tell the truth, though, we really, really wanted this to work with Greek yogurt – even frozen Greek yogurt (because, you know – that would have been nutritious beyond belief).

We tried. We truly did.

But after several batches of Greek yogurt concoctions (that weren’t so delicious), we decided to ditch the Greek yogurt altogether and embrace the milkshake side of this idea.

And it was good. It was very, very good.

As in: the kids have been begging for these THK-ified Shamrock Shakes consistently for the last two months since this recipe was born. (Apologies to those in our town who may have noticed our stores coming perilously close to running out of spinach!)

And so there you have it … the nutrition of a spinach-loaded green smoothie, with the creamy goodness of a milkshake (a Shamrock Shake, to be exact)!

These frosty cups are the perfect addition to your festivities, whether you’re dying an entire river green or just donning a shamrock-green sweater!

So put on your dancin’ shoes – we’re doing the jig!

And … lá sona ú Pádraig!

A Healthier Take on the Shamrock Shake (Surprise Superfood Ingredient!)

Yield: 2 3/4 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

The perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! This fun, delicious, simple, and healthy version of the Shamrock Shake is just bursting with nutrition!

•  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Vegetarian  •  Gluten Free  •

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups loosely but firmly packed baby spinach (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 3/16 teaspoon mint extract (not peppermint – see note)
• 2 cups of your favorite reduced-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt (not frozen Greek yogurt)

Instructions

1. In a blender, combine spinach, milk, and extract until spinach is completely incorporated, with no tiny green pieces visible, scraping down the sides two or three times as needed. The mixture will be whipped and frothy.
2. Add ice cream/frozen yogurt and blend just briefly, until smooth and completely mixed, scraping down sides if needed. Do not over-blend or the milkshakes won't be as thick.
3. Serve immediately.

Notes

Mint Extract: Be sure to purchase extract labeled as "mint" and not "peppermint." Mint extract contains oils from both spearmint and peppermint, and pure peppermint extract absolutely won't taste right in this milkshake. Also, we realize that 3/16 teaspoon is an unusual measurement, but through our testing, we consistently found that 1/8 teaspoon wasn't quite enough, but 1/4 teaspoon was too much. Unless you own a 1/16 teaspoon measure, just fill your 1/8 teaspoon once, then estimate as you fill it about half full again. Alternately, you could use a scant 1/4 teaspoon. That should be close enough, and you can adjust the amount of extract to taste.

Separation: Similar to many smoothies, this milkshake will begin to separate upon standing. If that happens, just give it a swirl with a spoon, or briefly reblend.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 1/2 servings Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

The post A Healthier Take on the Shamrock Shake (Surprise Superfood Ingredient!) appeared first on Two Healthy Kitchens.