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Bulking Down

Feeling like you went a little overboard while stocking up on bulk buys at Costco — particularly with all of that perishible produce? While you might have been hoping to eat only healthy foods these days, there's a good chance you reconsidered after you unloaded your bounty at home (or when it was delivered). Don't let your good intentions go to waste and reach for the mac and cheese instead. These tasty, easy recipes can turn that bulk-warehouse miscalculation into a masterful move.


Related:
Costco Dinners You Can Make in Under 25 Minutes

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Inside-Out Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

This clever dish is more of a casserole, calling for green peppers that are already sliced rather than whole peppers for stuffing. You can omit the meat for a veggie version.


Recipe:
Food.com


Related: How to Shop at Costco Without a Membership

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Carrot Cake

Shred those carrots, combine them with ingredients already in your pantry, and you'll have a cake in the oven in 20 minutes, thanks to this straightforward recipe. If you're counting calories, skip the cream-cheese frosting.


Recipe:
Taste of Home

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Veggie Stuffed Omelet

This recipe leans on peppers, but feel free to experiment with whatever veggies you have on hand for a one-of-a-kind creation.


Recipe:
The It Mom

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Healthy Baked Carrot Fries

Craving french fries? Perhaps you'll settle for carrot "fries" instead, once you taste this clever and healthy baked treat that comes together in a total of 30 minutes.


Recipe:
2Teaspoons

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Valerie Bertinelli's recipe is for intermediate-level chefs, but if you want to make the most of that cauliflower, it's time to step up. At least one reviewer praised this as "a wonderful, gluten-free way to enjoy the taste of pizza."


Recipe:
Food Network

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Vegan Portobello Steak with Julienned Collard Greens, Broccoli and Noodle Stir Fry by Jeffrey Coolwater (CC BY-NC-ND)

Simple Mushroom Broccoli Stir-Fry Noodles

This quick, thrifty, and tasty recipe transforms tired broccoli into a main course in minutes. (Although the recipe calls for frozen broccoli, you can sub in the fresh florets you have left over.)


Recipe:
Budget Bytes

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Roasted Brown Butter Honey Garlic Carrots

So, brown butter, honey, garlic ... oh, yes, there are carrots in there, as well. This recipe will have you starting to drool before it's done, and it takes only 25 minutes to make.


Recipe:
The Recipe Critic


Related: Best Gluten-Free Finds at Costco

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Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Claire Robinson, famous from "Five Ingredient Fix" on the Food Network, offers a rich, tasty — and super simple — treatment for grape tomatoes. Pass the bread!


Recipe: Food Network

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Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

This is a simple — simple — recipe that's so highly rated you might want to try it tonight. It can be made in less than a half-hour and requires only the most basic ingredients.


Recipe:
Allrecipes

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Cauliflower Tempura

Cauliflower florets go from bland to blazing with an impressive transformation into a Japanese-style appetizer or entree. The recipe is actually British, but Yanks shouldn't hesitate to give it a go, noting that 100 grams of flour equals 7/8 cup.


Recipe:
BBC Good Food


Related: How to Live on $500 a Month at Costco

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Pureed Broccoli Soup

Even with an optional touch of half-and-half, you can feel virtuous as you enjoy this gluten-free, high-fiber, vegetarian soup using broccoli and celery.


Recipe:
Eating Well

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Red Pepper Relish

Martha Stewart has a simple-yet-sophisticated take on basic red peppers. This versatile creation can be a condiment or an ingredient in chicken or tuna salad, pasta, or grilled cheese. A batch will last four days in the fridge.


Recipe:
Martha Stewart

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Fast, Fresh Grape Tomato Salad

Sweetened rice vinegar adds an unexpected level of flavor to an extremely fast and simple recipe, which turns grape tomatoes into an impressive dish.


Recipe:
Allrecipes

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Mushroom-Pepper-Onion Stir-Fry

This recipe was born on a camping trip, so it's pretty straightforward and involves only a handful of basic ingredients. The dish can be finished in an hour.


Recipe:
Food.com

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Broccoli Salad

Trisha Yearwood shared her broccoli salad recipe on a graduation-picnic episode of "Trisha's Southern Kitchen." It's easy, and savory enough to serve all year.


Recipe:
Food Network


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Grape Tomato, Olive, and Spinach Pasta

This meatless pasta dish takes advantage of sweet grape tomatoes for its base. If penne's not your thing, sub with a preferred pasta. You can also use cherry tomatoes or larger sliced tomatoes.


Recipe:
Cooking Light

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Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Chase winter's chill with this earthy side dish, in which low-calorie and low-carb don't mean less taste. Roasting nicely browns the cauliflower, and the recipe can be made in 35 minutes.


Recipe:
Eating Well

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Grilled Mixed Peppers

Calling leftover peppers of every kind — you're going into this easy, 30-minute recipe that packs a punch of vitamin A. 


Recipe: Pillsbury

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Light & Easy Broccoli Salad

This healthy spin on a Southern favorite uses all parts of leftover broccoli florets, not just the stems. It also pares back the amount of mayonnaise for a lighter approach. Dried cranberries can be subbed for currants.


Recipe:
The Kitchn

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Thai Celery Salad With Peanuts

Take that basic celery and serve up a super-simple, restaurant-quality dish that bursts with flavor thanks to cilantro, lime juice, and fish sauce.


Recipe:
Bon Appétit

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Broccoli Bread

Bet you didn't see this one coming — leftover broccoli can be turned into bread. This recipe is a savory offering with a touch of sweetness, comparable to a cornbread, and loaded with fiber and calcium.


Recipe:
Cooking Light

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Carrot ’n’ Celery Amandine

Carrots and celery get a crunchy boost from toasted almonds in this one-pot side dish that comes together in 15 minutes.


Recipe:
Taste of Home

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Braised Celery

Sometimes simplicity is all you need. Turn extra celery sticks into a pleasing side dish with the addition of butter, bouillon, and a few herbs and spices. This may become a new family favorite.


Recipe:
Allrecipes 


Find more great recipe ideas right here.