Recipe #37 October 30, 2013

Creamy Spinach Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 3 cups uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta - I used large egg noodles!

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

• 1 cup finely chopped onion

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

*I used a whole bag of egg noodles because I love pasta and therefore had to use a 9x13 pan!

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot, drain. 
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven (or large pan), cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. 
3. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. 
4.  Return all ingredients into the large pot and mix.
5. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish
6. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. 
7. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  

Yield: 5 servings.

Recipe #36 October 29, 2013

Bubble Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 can of biscuits 
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• pizza sauce - one 15 oz can/jar
• pepperoni, diced or sliced (use as much as you like!), optional
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• dried oregano, to taste

*I doubled the recipe to have left overs and added some additional "toppings" like sausage and black olives. Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cut each biscuit into quarters.  Place the biscuit pieces in a greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.  
3. Top with the sauce and the pepperoni.
4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with oregano and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe #35 October 28, 2013

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• A 2-5 lb roast. (any kind)  I use a lean cut, about 3 lbs.
• 1 envelope ranch dressing (dried) I use Hidden Valley brand, not buttermilk
• 1 envelope Italian dressing   This was harder to find...
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix  I use McCormick brand
• Potatoes and Carrots  (enough to fill a bottom layer on your CrockPot) I use about 7 or 8 baby red potatoes and a half pound of carrots to feed 3-4.
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup water 

Directions:

1.  Put any carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your CrockPot. I usually quarter my potatoes and use baby carrots.
2. Put Roast on top of vegetables. 
3. Sprinkle all 3 spice envelopes on top. 
4. Add the water. 
5. Cook on LOW for 6-10 hours until tender and veggies cooked through.It is better to cook the roast longer. This will be sooooo tender and yummy!!

Recipe #34 October 13, 2013

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

 

Ingredients*:
8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped (half used for garnish)
1/2 small onion, chopped OR 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups shredded or grated cauliflower (1 large head)
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups 2% milk
3-4 dashes hot sauce (more or less)
2-1/2 cups (12oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (half used for garnish)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl then set aside.
2. Saute bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate then remove all but 1 Tablespoon drippings from the pot. Add chopped onion (if using,) celery, and garlic to the pot then season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add cauliflower and onion powder (if using) to the pot then stir to combine. Add water then place a lid on top and steam cauliflower until tender, stirring a couple times, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth and milk then turn up heat and bring to a boil.
4. Slowly whisk in flour/chicken broth mixture while stirring, then turn down heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until chowder has thickened. Turn off heat then stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese until smooth, then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce if necessary. Serve topped with remaining shredded cheese, cooked bacon, and green onions, if desired.

Recipe #33 October 7, 2013

Mexican Stuffed Shells 

                                               
 
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
16 jumbo pasta shells - (I had to use rigatoni because my store did not sell large shells.)
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
For toppings:
3 green onions
Sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a pan brown the ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Stir together and mix well. Set aside and cool completely.
While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Evenly cover shells with taco sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions or olives if desired. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa!