Baked Tortelini

LOVE this Casserole style tortelini, its one of our family favorites. Quick, easy and yummy!

1 pkg (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortelini, uncooked
1/2 C. boiling water
1 green pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 3/4 C. marinara
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, combine all ingredients except cheese in 13x9 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes.

Rremove foil and stir, sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes.

This recipe serves 4,
Calories: 310
Fat: 9 g.
Fiber: 4 g.

Fish Tacos

Some of us love fish tacos, others tolerate fish tacos at our house. I try to make them every once in awhile to please the whole family, and it helps that they are super easy

Corn tortillas (or flour)
Breaded fish (our favorite is breaded parmasean tortilla tilapia from costco)
black beans (optional)
coleslaw type lettuce
lime
salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)
tarter sauce (optional)

Place your fish in the oven and cook according to directions on the box. While cooking your fish you can prepare your corn tortilla's, put a little oil in a skillet and cook each tortilla on each side for 1-2 minutes. This is also when you would heat up your black beans.

Once everything in heated; assemble. Place your fish in your tortilla along with some cabbage or coleslaw and squeeze with lime juice. If you are going to use black beans, I either serve them on the side or place them first in my tortilla shell, topped with fish, cabbage, lime, etc. Now you just top it off with any other toppings you want, salsa, sour cream, or tarter sauce.

So here you are super easy and yummy too.

Happy Eating!

Chicken Burritos in the Crockpot

YUM! I love these easy burritos and so does my whole family. This is a super great meal for when I wake up and realize I didn't thaw the meat the night before, whoops! I am really good at that. We started making these about a year ago, I combined a recipe I found online called Salsa Chicken and a friends Burrito recipe. I haven't tried this with any meat other than chicken, but the chicken is fab. It makes enough to feed our family with leftovers.

3 large chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning ( or homemade, whatever you prefer)
1 jar salsa
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can refried beans
Mexican shredded cheese blend
large burrito shells

Put chicken in your crockpot (frozen or thawed) and sprinkle with taco seasoning, pour in salsa and cream of mushroom soup. Let cook on low 6-8 hours .

Remove chicken and shred it with fork. Now here you can go one of two ways, I will tell you the way I usually do it first. I spoon a little of the sauce from the crockpot into the bottom of a casserole dish. Next take your burrito shell and spoon some of the refried beans into it, top with chicken, Mexican cheese, and more of your salsa mixture. Roll up your burrito and place seam down and repeat with remaining burrito's you can make these as full as you like. It will just change the amount you make. Lastly spoon the rest of the salsa mixture over the top of your burritos and sprinkle with cheese.

The other way to do this would be to add the chicken back into your salsa mixture and spoon it into your burritos at the same time. And then top it with your salsa/ chicken mixture. The reason I don't usually do it this way is because I like to pour the salsa mixture alone on top, but you could also just reserve some for later too. Just do whatever floats your boat.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until completely heated through.

Top with sour cream, or more salsa and enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Pork chops

These pork chops were gobbled up by my family. They are simple to make and very yummy. We ate them with Kraft homestyle mac and cheese and corn.

I found the recipe on allrecipes and tweaked it a little for our family

Pork chops:

1 - 1 1/2 C. crushed butter cracker
1/2- 1 tsp garlic powder (depending on taste, I use 1 tsp)
black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
4 pork chops
3 T. butter

Combine crackers, garlic powder, and black pepper in a medium size bowl. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Dip pork chops in egg and then coat with garlic powder mixture. Place pork chops in a baking dish and place pats of butter on and around pork chops.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, covered, turning after 20 minutes. Then cook another 5 minutes on broil, uncovered.

Bacon Florentine Pasta:

Another recipe I got from $5 Dinners. I tweaked it a little, I honestly did not love it, but I will try it again doing things a little differently. I will post how I made it tonight and what I plan to do differently next time.

Florentine Pasta with Bacon (her recipe was for chicken and bacon I just doubled the bacon):

1 lb. pasta noodles, I used farfalle
8 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 box frozen spinach
basil, oregano, thyme, I used about 1/2 t. each
1/2 c. sour cream thinned with milk.

1. boil pasta.
2. while pasta is boiling prepare bacon and spinach
3. Drain pasta and combine all other ingredients.

Voila, enjoy.

Now for what I would do next time. I'd either make this with 2 c. diced chicken and 4 slices REAL bacon (we usually eat turkey bacon, but I felt this needed more umph) or just 8 slices of bacon. I would double the tomatoes and lastly forgo the thinned sour cream. I think the sour cream calmed the flavors, I would probably toss it in olive oil instead as she suggests. Next time I make it I will post how I like the changes.

Mexican Mess Up (AKA taco salad)

My husband is not a lover of homemade taco's or taco salads but had no complaints about this salad. I got this recipe from $5 dollar dinners and halved it to the following. It fed my family of 3 1/2 with leftovers for my hubby to take to work and for me for lunch the next day. I grew up eating taco salads pretty much just like this minus the pinto beans and tomato sauce so I thought I'd give it a try. I liked the added tomato sauce.

Taco Salads.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
taco seasoning
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
tortilla chips
assorted toppings, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, salsa, ranch, etc.

1. Brown your beef and onion and taco seasoning.
2. Add drained pinto beans and tomato sauce and let simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Spoon meat mixture over chips, top with shredded lettuce and cheese and any other toppings you so desire.

Steak and Cheese Sandwiches

These are super yummy, easy quick sandwiches that were gobbled up by my girls. Because the sandwich itself has vegetables on it I just served it with some canned fruit.

Steak and Cheese Sandwiches:
2 pound beef sirloin, cut into thin 2 inch strips
1/2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. paprika
1 t. chili powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried basil
2 T. olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 green pepper, cut into strips
sliced provolone cheese
hoagie rolls, cut in half lengthwise

Place sliced meat in a large mixing bowl.

In a small mixing bowl mix all of your spices together.

Pour half of the spices over the meat, stir and pour on the rest of the spices, mix again.

Put oil in a large skillet and heat, add meat and cook until desired doneness. Remove meat from pan using slotted spoon to leave any yummy goodness in the pan.

Add the onions and green pepper to the oil and seasonings in the skillet and cook just until softened.

preheat oven to broil.

Place sliced hoagies on a baking sheet. Put meat on half of the hoagie bun, and top with onions green pepper and cheese.

Slide baking sheet into the oven and cook just until the cheese is melted and edges are slightly crisp.

And your ready to eat. I ate mine just like this and so did my girls, but my husband added some BBQ sauce.


YUM, hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Happy Eating

Tuna Casserole

Super easy tuna casserole, my kids don't even complain about it. We had this meal last night and will be having left overs tonight. We swiched things up this time and made it with canned chicken instead of tuna.

Tuna Casserole:

1 box Mac and cheese
1/4 c. butter
3/4 C. milk
1 can cream of celery soup
2 C. frozen mixed vegetables
2 cans tuna fish (or sometimes we mix it up and use 2 large cans of shredded chicken)
ritz crackers or potato chips (optional)


Directions:
1. Bring water for macaroni to a boil.
2. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Pour in your noodles and mixed vegetables and boil for 8 minutes
4. Drain your noodles and vegetables and return to pan.
5. Add cheese sauce mix, butter, milk, cream of celery soup and tuna or chicken. Mix until combined.
6. Put mixture in a small 2 quart casserole dish and put in the oven for twenty minutes or until heated through.
7. As an option before placing casserole in the oven your can crumble ritz crackers or potato chips on top. You can also heat and serve from the stove too.

I usually serve this meal with a green salad as well.

Happy Eating.

Lil Cheddar Meatloaves

This Meatloaf recipe is our favorite hands down. It is tried and true and great for when company comes. The recipe serves 8, but lets be honest, I have never met a man that eats less than 2 servings! And my 10 year old daughter easily eats 1 1/2 servings. So my opinion is it should be 8 servings but realistically, it feeds 6.

Without further ado I give you tonight's dinner recipe:

Li'l Cheddar Meat loaves:
1 egg
3/4 C. milk*
1 C. (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese*
1/2 C. quick cooking oats
1/2 C. chopped onion*
1 tsp. salt
1 lb lean ground beef*

Sauce:
2/3 C. chili sauce or ketchup
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

In a bowl beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

Next combine chili sauce or ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; Spoon over unbaked loaves.

Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

*On a side note, I make this using fat free cheese and milk and it still tastes great, I usually buy meet that is 97/3, but I have been known to substitute ground turkey as well. I have also substituted dehydrated onion when I didn't have a fresh one on hand, I would only use a bout 1/4 cup dehydrated onion as it expands.

Happy Eating!!!

Polynesian Meatballs

This was the Birthday girls, birthday dinner request. Simple easy and pretty good. I got this recipe years ago in a Kraft foods magazine.

Polynesian Meatballs:

12.5 oz pkg Meatballs (frozen, don't thaw)
1/2 C. BBQ sauce
1 20 OZ can pineapple chunks in juice
2 C. green pepper, chopped
2 C. cooked brown rice

Mix BBQ sauce and pineapples with juice in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Stir in green pepper and meatballs (still frozen). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally or until vegetable are crisp tender, meatballs are heated through and sauce is thickened. I don't mind if the sauce isn't very thick because we just spoon it over the rice anyways.

Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Calories-510
Fat- 24g
Fiber- 5g

Serves 4.

Happy Eating!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

We have so much zucchini from our garden that I am having to search for many yummy new recipes, and this one is a keeper.

This is one of those great comfort casserole's for a cold winter day.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

1 (6 oz) pkg of stuffing
3/4 C. butter, melted
3 C. diced zucchini (this amount is probably okay when shredded, but is quite a bit when diced)
2 C. cubed chicken breast

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 C. chopped onion

1/2 C. sour cream

In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix and butter. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Add the zucchini, chicken, soup, carrot, onion and sour cream to the remaining stuffing mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Western Meal in One

This is a great casserole style dish. This is often my go to meal when I need to take a meal to someone. Everyone likes it and I've been known to switch it up a little too (I'll put my switch ups at the end of the post).

1 lb extra lean ground beef or turkey
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 bell pepper diced
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
16 oz can kidney beans
2 1/2 c. canned tomatoes with juice, diced
3/4 c. instant rice, uncooked
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef and garlic in pan with cooking spray. Add onions and green pepper, cook until onion is transparent and drain off fat. In 2 quart casserole dish combine meat mixture, salt, chili powder, beans and tomatoes and rice. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover sprinkle with cheese and bake another 15 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

So last time I made this I decided to spice it up a little, instead of the tomatoes I used 2 1/2 cups salsa, and black beans instead of kidney. I then used Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar, and added some cilantro. It was slightly spicy so if I made it this way again I would probably omit the chili powder.

Quickie Lasagna (ravioli)

I love this quick and easy recipe it's ravioli made like a lasagna, you can make it with just marinara sauce or a meat sauce if you prefer. I usually do just a marinara sauce, hence the quick part.

Quickie Lasagna

marinara sauce
family size ravioli
4 oz mozarella cheese, shredded

In a 9x13 baking dish spread 1/2c. marinara sauce. Next put down a layer of ravioli and top with 1/2 c. mozarella cheese and then 1 1/4c. marinara sauce. You will then put another layer of ravioli, 1/2c. cheese and 1 1/4c marinara (or the rest of the bottle).

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Fabulously easy, and everyone loves it. I always serve with salad and garlic bread.

Orange Chicken (tastes like Panda Express, only the meat is better)

We made this for dinner Monday night, took a little work but was delicious. Katrena was in heaven as Orange Chicken is her favorite. I have decided whether she likes dinner or not has nothing to do with dinner its self, half the time its all in the name. She has her mind made up before the first bite, so I am going to have to work on renaming everything I make for dinner. The difference lies in how much she likes it.

So with out further ado, Orange yummy yummy Chicken:

2 lbs boneless chicken pieces, skinned
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. flour
orange sauce recipe (to follow)
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp minced ginger root
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 c. chopped green onions
1 Tbsp rice wine
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 to 1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp oil for frying

Cut chicken pieces into 2 inch squares; place in a large bowl. In separate bowl stir egg, salt, white pepper, and 1 Tbsp oil and mix well.

Mix together 1/2 c. cornstarch and the flour; and add to egg mixture.

Add chicken to mixture and stir to coat.

Heat oil in fryer or wok to 350 degrees. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Do not overcook or the chicken will be tough. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. set aside

Make orange sauce by combine following ingredients and set aside
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp water
5 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 c. orange juice
grated zest of one orange


Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of oil, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add and stir-fry red pepper flakes and green onions.

Add rice wine and stir for 3 seconds.

Add the orange sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.

Stir 1 Tbsp cornstarch and water and mix until smooth. Add to the chicken and heat until sauce is thickened.

Stir in sesame oil and serve at once.


Delicious.

Pioneer Woman's Penne A la Betsy

I love, love, love Pioneer Woman, I want to go live at her house and cook with her all the time. I want to live on her ranch and look at all the cowboy butts in their wranglers. (Did I mention that if I lived there I would have to spend at least 3 hours a day working out; because I wouldn't be able to STOP eating). But alas I must settle for making some of her delish recipes from her awesome website Pioneer Woman Cooks and her awesome cookbook that my lovely Aunt Traci bought me last fall.

Tonight I made Penne A la Betsy, super yum! All of her food is seriously restaurant quality.

I encourage you to check out her website here and to make this meal. Here is the link to Penne A La Betsy. Enjoy.

Enchilada Lasagna

I have tried many "mexican" lasagna's and this one was by far my favorite. Brent and I both really enjoyed it and I definitely will make it again. Trena wasn't a fan, but this is not surprising, she hasn't liked much of anything I've cooked lately. She said it was spicy, and it did have a little spice to it, but nothing that required needing a drink of water. And after the first few bites you hardly noticed the spice. I made it using mild everything, and will probably make it with medium enchilada sauce next time (and when Trena is not home).

ENCHILADA LASAGNA

1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. mexican seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce
18 corn tortillas
1 (11 oz) can mexicorn, drained
2 (6 oz) pkgs. grilled chicken strips, cut into pieces
3 c. shredded mexican-blend cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Blend refried beans and chiles. Cover; and microwave on high 1 minute.
3. Stir together ricotta, egg, mexican seasoning and salt; set aside.
4. Spread 1/2 C. of the enchilada sauce evenly in a 9x13 pan.
5. Overlap 6 corn tortillas to create a layer.
6. Spread 1/2 each of the bean mixture and ricotta mixture evenly over tortillas.
7. Top with 1/2 the drained mexicorn, 1/2 the chicken, and 1 c. shredded cheese.
8. Top with 1/2 c. enchilada sauce.
9. Add 6 more tortillas and top with a 1/4 c. enchilada sauce.
10. Repeat layering the bean mixture, ricotta mixture, mexicorn, chicken, and 1 c. shredded cheese.
11. Top with 1/2 c. enchilada sauce and last 6 tortillas.
12. Spread with remaining enchilada sauce; and sprinkle with remaining 1 c. shredded cheese.
13. Cover with foil; bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
14. Let stand 5 minutes, and dig in.

Weight watchers points for 1/12th of the lasagna: 6 points ( I did use fat free ricotta cheese, but regular mexican blend and points are based on that).

Russian apricot chicken

Found a simple new easy chicken recipe that we had for dinner tonight. Its one of those great no prepare meals that you just throw together, love those on a crazy day. I served it with Jasmine rice and carrots, and we poured the extra sauce over the rice. This chicken was a hit with everyone from the 18month old on up. (oh and I am really bad about remembering to take photos before we dig in so I will try to do better next time.)

6-8 chicken breasts
1 8oz bottle of Russian salad dressing
1 c. apricot jam
1 envelope onion soup mix

wash and trim fat from chicken breasts and lay in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Mix salad dressing, jam and soup mix and pour evenly over chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Enjoy!