Bow-tie 'Lasagna'

I made this last night and it was delicious. I love lasagna but don't always have the time to put it together. This tastes a lot like it but is so much easier. I found the recipe over on Tasty Kitchen. Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Chuck
• 12 oz. box of Bow-tie Noodles
  
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
  
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
• ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream

Directions:
Cook the ground chuck in a frying pan until fully browned. At the same time, cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Once the noodles are cooked and drained, add the olive oil in with the noodles and add in the spaghetti sauce.
When the beef is totally browned, drain the excess fat and add the ground beef into the sauce. Next add the spices, cheese, sour cream and stir it all together. Let it all warm up and melt together, over low heat, for about five minutes or until the cheese is all melted and yummy. Serve it up and enjoy!

Butter Chicken

I LOVE Indian Food. It is my favorite ethnic food, followed closely by Chinese and Thai food. I always figured it was hard to cook, until I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. Normally, I don't love trying recipes where I have to go and buy new spices that I don't use very often, but in this case, it was worth it! As the chicken simmers in its sauce, I just stand by the stove and breathe in the yummy exotic smells. It is heaven with a little naan bread on the side, which we happened to find in our local Winco. Anyway, here is my version of the recipe and here is a link to the original, in case you want to see it. The original recipe is a little heavier on garlic, cayenne pepper (I leave this out totally), cream, and marinade time.

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoons Cardamom
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Whipping Cream- the original recipe calls for a pint of whipping cream but that seemed like a lot. I just add the cream until I think it tastes good which for me is 1/4 of a cup. You can also uses half and half for a slightly less fattening options:)
• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Optional Ingrdients:

• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper- I don't love spicy food and so I just leave this out but if you are going to add it, put it in the marinade with the other spices
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste- We can't eat cilantro in our house. My husband think it tastes like soap but it sounds like a lovely addition to the recipe. Add this right before serving.

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream just before serving over Basmati rice.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken

This is another recipe from Everyday Foods. It has wonderful flavor! Here is the recipe and picture from their website. One of these days I will get a better camera, so that I can take my own pictures:)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet.
2. Bake chicken, skin side up, basting occasionally with pan juices, until well browned and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Christian loves Chicken Aflredo and so I decided I needed to learn how to make it myself. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it was pretty easy and really tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk because I was too lazy to buy cream)
  
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

-Okay, I didn't add parsley to this recipe. I didn't add it to the stew recipe either. I never have fresh parsley in my fridge and forgot to buy it. I figured it wouldn't make or break the recipe, but who knows, maybe the parsley really makes the dish. Next time, I will have to try it.

Beef Noodle Stew

I am in love with Martha Stewart's Everday Food magazine. It is my favorite piece of mail every month. The recipes are relatively easy and don't normally require crazy expensive ingredients. After months of finding delicious looking recipes in there that called for a Dutch Oven pot, I decided to ask Santa for one of my own. This was the first recipe that I made in my new pot, and we loved it! Good flavor and less salty than other beef stew versions.

Here is a link to the original and a picture of the stew from Martha.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 cups egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar (Christian is not a vinegar lover and so I left this out)

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared and brown, about 6 minutes. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion begins to soften (reducing heat if necessary), about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until beef and onion are coated and cook 1 to 2 minutes (do not burn). Add broth and 3 cups water, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Add carrots and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, stir in parsley and vinegar.
   

Penne Pasta with Bacon, Spinach, and Tomatoes!

I had a bag of penne pasta in my pantry and didn't know what to do with it. I googled penne recipes and found this fantastic one that was fast and didn't have a ton of ingredients. It also had really positive ratings on the website where I found it. Ratings and comments on cooking websites are my new favorite thing. It is nice to see that 50 people have tried it and loved it. There are always those people who give the recipe 5 stars and then proceed to explain all the ways they changed it to make it taste better. How can you give a recipe 5 stars and then say you changed half the ingredients? Anyway, most of the people who commented for this recipe changed little to nothing, and in my book that is when you know a recipe is good.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic - I only used 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. 2 tbsp sounded like a little too much.
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place bacon in the skillet, and cook until browned and crisp. Add garlic, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until heated through.
3. Place the spinach into a colander, and drain the hot pasta over it so it is wilted. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and toss with the remaining olive oil, and the bacon and tomato mixture.

Tomato-Basil Chicken

I love breaded chicken recipes and this one is one of the best I have tried. The wheat thins give the chicken a lot of flavor, and the best part is that you have crackers left over to munch on.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
5 ounces tomato-basil wheat thins, about half a box
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Parsley, flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk

Pour yogurt into a small dish. Crush crackers into fine crumbs. In a separate dish, blend cracker crumbs with Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken breast halves into yogurt, coating both sides. Roll in crumbs until well coated. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. For sauce, combine soup and milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over chicken.

* Sorry there is no picture. I need to start taking some. I have tried before but they never look that great. Most of the time I just find ones that look similar or use the one from the website I found the recipe. In that case I will always post the link to the original recipe. Really, I should just start taking me own. That would mean we need a new camera...

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash are what the British and Irish call a dinner of sausage and potatoes. I made this recipe back in March for St. Patrick's Day as a effort to be festive, but never posted about it. Since then we have had it three or four times. We found some real English bangers at Whole Foods, but since then have been using just regular bratwurst and the taste is still amazing. It may sound a little strange but it tastes really good!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 6 whole Bangers Sausage or Bratwurst if you can't find Bangers
  
• 1 cup Diced Onion, About 1/2 Large
• ¼ cups Beef Broth to de-glaze pan
  
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• ½ Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Directions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter until butter is melted. Brown your Bangers until they are crispy on all sides. Add chopped onion and allow it to cook with the sausage until soft and slightly browned. Take out Bangers for just a bit and put them on a plate. Add 1/4 cup beef broth to de-glaze the pan. Next, sprinkle flour over the onions in your pan and stir to coat. Cook just until lightly browned. Add beef broth and Dijon mustard and stir to combine. Put Bangers back in pan. Lower heat to medium-low. Cover pan and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. If you need to thicken your sauce a little more, simply add a tablespoon of cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water and whisk this mixture into your sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve your Bangers on pile of hot mash potatoes. Pour gravy over the top and dig in!

The original recipe called for a couple different ingredients that make it truly authentic Bangers and Mash. Here is a link in case you want to check that out.

Murphy's Hot Hamburger

I found this recipe over at Tasty Kitchen and it is AMAZING. It is a definite man pleasing meat-and-potatoes recipe. It takes a little effort but sometimes good comfort food is worth the work. I like to add some caramelized onions on top for extra goodness.


Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 5 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cans (14 Oz. Can) Beef Broth OR 4 Cups Water With Beef Bouillon
• 5 whole Large Potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Oil, Or As Needed
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice potatoes into fries. Place on a large baking sheet. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil over the fries and toss with fingers to coat evenly. Sprinkle fries with seasoning of choice. I use seasoned salt. Place in the oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden and crispy.

In a mixing bowl, mix hamburger, garlic, seasoned salt, onion powder and salt and pepper. Mix well with hands. Form 4 large patties. Place in a large preheated skillet over medium heat, preferably one with deep sides. Brown burgers on each side until done.

Remove burgers from the skillet and place on a plate covered in paper towels. Do not drain the grease. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a whisk. You have enough when the grease is all absorbed and the flour mixture gets thick and bubbly. Slowly add the broth a little at a time, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken.

To serve, place an ample amount of fries on the plate. Place a hamburger on top of the fries and cover it all amply in gravy. Enjoy!

Cuban Steak Marinade

I used this marinade this other day and it was easy and pretty tasty. We had the steak with the Cuban red beans and rice on the side. It was a fun and exotic meal for our normally conservative table. I really loved the freshness of the lime with a little kick from the cumin.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds steak, trimmed of visible fat

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except steak, in a large, self-closing plastic bag or glass bowl. Add steak, turning to coat well. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes, or longer for extra flavor. Remove steak from marinade and grill.

Cuban Red Beans and Rice

This was my first time making fancy rice from scratch. I normally buy the packaged rice at the store thinking it would be too hard to try on my own. This was easy and so flavorful and I am excited to try other rice dishes. Here are the directions from the Everyday Food website where I found it:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 white onion, diced small (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 green bell pepper, diced small (1/2 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until onion is soft, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cumin, oregano, and rice; stir, and cook 1 minute. Add beans and broth; stir, then season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

This is a healthy and easy version of Chicken Parmesan because the chicken breasts don't get breaded and fried. Don't worry the chicken is still super tasty, because it cooks slowly in the spaghetti sauce in your slow cooker. Give it a try! We loved this at our house.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup grated Parmesan
cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions:
Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Mix garlic with spaghetti sauce and pour over the chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours if chicken is thawed, 6-8 hours if frozen. During last 30 minutes, add Parmesan cheese on top. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Toasted Ravioli

I love it when meals look fancy and difficult, but don't actually take too long to put together. This recipe is a great example of that, especially if you use the steam in a bag ravioli. It saves time and dirties less dishes. I have only found steam in a bag ravioli at our Winco and so I stock up when ever I go. Mmm Mmm Mmmm! These were good!

Ingredients:
1 Bag (13 oz.) of Ravioli- frozen or fresh
1 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup buttermilk
oil for frying- I used olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook ravioli until al dente (follow directions on package). Let them cool.
2. Heat oil to approximately 350 degrees. (I didn't check the temp. I let it get hot and then tested one to see if it was ready.)
3. Mix bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of cheese.
4. Dredge the ravioli in the buttermilk and then in the bread crumb cheese mixture.
5. Gently place in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on the cooked ravioli.
7. Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Enchiladas

Okay first I should say I really dull down my enchiladas for my kids, but add whatever you want to spice yours up ;)

1 lb. chicken breast cooked and shredded (I like to season the meat like I would taco meat)

10 + medium sized flour tortilla shells (depending on how full you make your enchiladas)

1 Large can (rosarita mild) enchilada sauce (0r whatever brand you prefer, I like this one best)

1 2 cup bag monterey jack cheese

4 cups cooked rice (I use white because my kids are picky, I really can't tell any difference because you cover it with enchilada sauce and cheese)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lay out shell: add a small layer of rice, chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce. Roll up and place in a 9X13 glass baking dish. Repeat until all chicken, and rice is used up. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle remaining cheese. Cook for approx. 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted on top. Serve with sour cream on top!

Like I said if you want to add ingredients go ahead. They are pretty easy! I actually let my kids help construct them, and they LOVE it! So take some time and really make it a family meal :)

Enjoy!

Pesto Tortelli Soup

I found this recipe on This Week for Dinner
and needed to try it since my husband LOVES pesto. It was easy and pretty healthy.

1 small onion chopped
2 cloves minced
1 tbsp. butter
-saute these together in a large soup pan until they are tender.

Add to pan-
5 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 9 oz. package of tortellini (cooking times vary depending on the type of tortellini, so add it at a point where it won't overcook)
2 cups frozen vegetables (the California mix is recommended)
-simmer until the veggies and tortellini are tender

Add 1/4 cup of pesto at the very end

Garnish bowl with Parmesan cheese, serve and enjoy!

Easy Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons dried minced onions
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium sized beef roast

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours. Remove the roast when fully cooked and shred the beef. Return the beef to the slow cooker and mix together with the sauce it cooked in. Serve on sandwich rolls and enjoy!

Italian Potpies

This recipe was pretty tasty and easy too! The picture is courtesy of Martha Stewart's website where I got the recipe. Here is how to make it...

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 lbs. ground beef

2 cups tomato sauce (Martha says the best quality store-bought sauce or homemade sauce works the best, but I used the canned stuff and I thought it tasted great.)

1 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

4 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meatballs and Rice

Here is a new recipe from me as well. I have been trying out some new ones and will post the ones we loved. This meatball recipe is quick and easy.


Ingredients:
25 Meatballs, cooked and frozen
1 can cranberry sauce
1 jar salsa
cooked rice

Whisk together cranberry sauce and salsa. Pour sauce in a slow cooker. Add frozen meatballs. Cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hours. Spoon meatballs and sauce over cooked rice.

Okay I am awake!

Okay I know I have been super duper lame!!!! I haven't posted since October, and this food blog has become sort of a joke am I right?? Well, I am back!!! I am going about this in a whole new way too! I plan on posting one recipe a week, and maybe just a fun snack for kiddos. I also plan on posting about some of my favorite cooking tools or gadgets from time to time, and some crafty goodness now and again! So please come back and check it out, I swear I am here and trying to do better :) Here is one to kick it off for all you busy moms out there! I got this one off of Real Simple awhile back and it is an easy fix without too much mess!

Last Minute Lasagna

1 24-26 oz. jar of pasta sauce

2 18-20 oz refrigerated large cheese ravioli

1 10 oz box of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water sqeezed dry

1 8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella

1/2 c. (2 ounces) grated parmasean

Heat Oven to 375 degrees F.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Cover with a single layer of ravioli. Top with half the spinach and mozzarella, and a third of the sauce. Repeat using the remainder of the spinach and mozzarella. Top with another layer of ravioli (you may not need all the ravioli). Sprinkle with the parmasean cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly.

Let me know what you think! Thanks for stopping by :)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

What You Need!
1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 green onion sliced, divided
1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

Make It!
MICROWAVE potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2-1/2 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.
RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.
SERVE topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.