Slow Cooker Lasagna

I cannot remember how I came across this recipe but it was one of our busy-day favorites during the winter months.  Really nothing beats homemade lasagna that someone has lovingly worked on for hours but let’s be honest – that’s way too much work for a weeknight meal that most of my family members are going to devour in less than 8 minutes.  This recipe (for me) is a nice balance.  Not a lot of prep work, but a decent tasting lasagna (maybe a bit messier though) that everyone in the family enjoys. 

Link to recipe HERE

The last few times I made this recipe I added a few tablespoons of basil pesto in with the ricotta/mozzarella mixture.  It’s fine without it, but if you have some on hand then add it in!

Lemon Fusilli

This recipe has been in my "recipes to test" binder for at least a year, maybe longer. To be honest with you, the lemon frightened me. No the I'm-going-to-pee-my-pants kind of fright, but the "uh, yeah that doesn't sound good to me" kind of fright. Well, my faithful blog readers, I have a message for you. Fear not the lemon! This stuff is amazing. It's creamy. It's fresh-tasting. It's delicious even the next day for lunch. Give it a shot. Here's the link. (Thanks again to Ina for another great recipe!)

(Oh by the way, I substituted baby spinach for the arugula. Thanks Kami for the tip!)

An Easy Dinner on a Summer Evening

We're starting to get some tomatoes ready to eat from our garden, and of course we have plenty of basil. I had all of these great things in my fridge, leftover from other meals (well, except the pasta). So I tossed them together for an easy summer meal. We ate it warm that night, but I thought it was also delicious as a cold salad the next day at lunch.




It's not really a recipe, but here's what I did -

1 batch of basil pesto (link here)
1 bag whole wheat rotini pasta (spiral shaped pasta)
1 batch oven dried tomatoes (link here)
2 grilled chicken breasts
parmesan cheese for topping

Toss together and serve!

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken

This is a wonderfully creamy pasta casserole with a buttery bread crumb topping. I will give recipes for a small family (4 servings in an 8-in square dish) and a large family (6-8 servings in a 9x13 dish). I find this recipe to be very forgiving, meaning that you can adjust the amount of chicken, cheese, and onion according to your taste - or according to what you have available in your kitchen!


To cook the chicken required, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later (on high) it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.



Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken (small family)
(Andy Knowlton)
serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**
1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 of a medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

** To cook my chicken, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.

To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray an 8-in square dish, and pour in pasta mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.




Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken (large family)
(Andy Knowlton)
serves 6-8

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**
1 lb penne pasta
1 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup dry bread crumbs

** To cook my chicken, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.

To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish, and pour in pasta mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.

Fresh Pasta with Lemon Cream

I am constantly on the hunt for new recipes. I love to find recipes that use familiar ingredients in different ways. I have a friend who is doing Weight Watchers and after talking to her about their points system, I became curious about what recipe collections are out there that give the "points per serving" information. I found a pretty good site that lists many recipes (with points) and several caught my eye.

This recipe for Fresh Pasta with Lemon Cream was one that appealed to me because it combines Ricotta cheese and lemons; both of which I love. It's a perfect summer recipe because of the quick and simple preparation, clean flavors, and it won't heat up your kitchen! How can you beat that?

When I prepared this, I added some black pepper and another teaspoon of lemon zest. Can anyone tell me if that changes the points per serving?

Oh, and by the way - we LOVED this pasta. The sauce is creamy and light and pairs well with spaghetti noodles, although I think an angel hair pasta would be even better.

** note: I wouldn't use this as a main dish - it's more of a side dish recipe. It would be great with some salmon, or grilled chicken.





Fresh Pasta with Lemon Cream
(source: http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/448.htm)

15 oz low fat ricotta cheese
dash salt
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp nutmeg (I used only 1/2 tsp)
4 cups cooked pasta

Empty ricotta into blender or food processor, using the steel blade. Add salt. Process until all graininess disappears and ricotta has the texture of thick whipped cream. Flavor the mixture with lemon peel and nutmeg. Store in refrigerator. Drain the hot cooked pasta, then immediately return it to the saucepan it was cooked in.

Add the whipped ricotta. Toss until pasta is well coated with sauce. Can garnish with parmesan, fresh parsley or a few thin slices of pitted black olives.

Makes 8 servings, 3 points per serving
(note: garnishes not included in points per serving)

Orzo Salad

I saw this recipe on tv the other day and I thought it would be a great summer dish. I have never had a orzo recipe that I really liked and I had hope for this one. I did make a few changes from the original recipe, so here's my version. It's basically the same, but I used pork sausage instead of turkey, I used roasted red peppers from a jar, and substituted a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes for the fresh plum tomatoes (because of the salmonella scare here last week.) I do think the fresh tomatoes would be much better though. Oh, and I couldn't find ricotta salata cheese to crumble on top, but I had some crumbled feta that worked fine and added a nice saltiness to the finished dish.

If you've never tried orzo, it is a tiny pasta that is just bigger than rice. It cooks up fast, so if you like your pasta al dente, then keep your eye on it. It will get soft quickly.



We really did like this orzo dish, and next time I think I'll even try it without the sausage and with a few more veggies possibly. One of the appealing aspects of this dish, is how pretty it is when finished- with the red peppers, green parsley and lovely white crumbled cheese.



Orzo Salad
6 servings

1 jar roasted red peppers (packed in oil), chopped
1 lb orzo pasta
2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (or crumbled feta cheese)

In a large skillet, cook sausage. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped roasted red peppers, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8-10 minutes. **stir it often so it doesn't stick.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture, 1 Tablespoon of the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to combine all ingredients, adding reserved cooking liquid, if needed to loosen the pasta. Top with the ricotta salata (or feta) and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve.

Easy Baked Manicotti

Even though this is the second time I've made this manicotti recipe, I wanted to write up a post about it. I love the recipe because there are few ingredients, it's kid friendly, and I can whip it up earlier in the day and pop it in the oven just before the man of the house arrives home at night. How very domestic.



Here is a link to the recipe, but I'll type it up below also. This makes a nice big 9x13 sized dish, but for my small family I cut the recipe in half and use an 8x8 pan.












Click here for printable recipe!




Easy Baked Manicotti
from Kraft Foods
(6 servings, 2 manicotti each)

2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto
12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

Preheat oven to 350. Spread 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce on bottom of 9x13 dish. Mix egg, cheeses and pesto until well blended. Spoon cheese mixture into large ziploc bag. Snip off a small bit of one of the bottom corners of the bag.






Fill manicotti shells, one at a time, squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place manicotti over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining 1 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle with a bit more mozzarella, if desired. Cover with foil. (at this point I refrigerate until later.)

Bake 40 minutes, or until heated through.

Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

I love this dish. It is one of my favorite ways to sneak vegetables to my family. Roasting them makes them sweet, and adding them to pasta with sauce is a great disguise. Any combination of vegetables works great. Besides the ones listed below, I've also used carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, a few unidentified green things from the bottom of the veggie drawer....

ready-to-roast vegetables

Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables
(4 servings)**

1 small zucchini
1 small summer squash (a.k.a. yellow zucchini)
1 medium onion
1 green or red pepper
4 Roma tomatoes (or small regular tomatoes)
4-5 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried Italian herb mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound (8-oz) rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (use your favorite store-bought)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare veggies (except garlic) by cutting into 1-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian herbs and toss to coat all veggies. Roast vegetables until tender (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven, add minced garlic clove and lightly toss veggies. Set aside.

Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water for about 8 minutes, until almost done. Don't fully cook pasta because it will finish softening when the dish is baked in the oven later. Drain pasta and return to large pot. Add roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Gently mix until everything is combined. Taste to see if it needs a bit more salt or pepper for your taste.

Pour mixture into a baking dish (this fits in an 8x11 size). Top with the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is warmed through.

**note: This dish is easily doubled. Double the veggies, use 1 lb of pasta, 3 cups sauce and double the cheeses. Should fit into a 9x13 pan. Baking time will increase by 10 minutes or so.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Tonight's dinner was Cheesy Baked Tortellini and it was oh so good! It was easier than I anticipated, and included pretty much just opening a bunch of packages, combining them, and baking in the oven for 30 minutes.



I made a 1/2 recipe for my little family and it was just the right size. Check out the recipe (HERE) and try it out for yourself. Don't even think of omitting the fresh thyme or parsley - it would be too bland without it. Keep in mind, it's not the most gourmet meal, but it's quick, easy and my 5 year old loved it! I bet the leftovers would be super too, once the pasta absorbed more of the sauce.

Week 26 Recipes

Creamy Fennel and Potato Soup
epicurious.com
4 servings
(I halved the recipe since my little family cannot eat 8 servings of soup!)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped cored fresh fennel bulbs (from about 2 lg)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces potatoes, peeled, diced
2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
1 tsp (or more) fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, finely crushed
1/4 tsp dried tarragon

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add fennel bulbs, onions, and potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth and lemon juice; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, bring cream fennel seeds, and tarragon to boil in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes so that flavors blend.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream mixture. Simmer until flavors blend, thinning with more broth if desired, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon juice, if desired.

(This can be made 1 day ahead: Prepare soup, cool slightly. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)


Cheesy Baked Tortellini
Giada De Laurentiis

Olive Oil
2 cups marinara sauce (I love Prego)
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 lb purchased cheese tortellini
2 oz thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.


Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Cooking Light magazine, May 2007
(makes 6, 1-cup servings)

8 oz ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
cooking spray
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
1 (8-oz) carton egg substitute
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange bread cubes in a sinle layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes, or until toasted.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray and brown sausage, stirring to crumble. Combine sausage, bread, and onions in large bowl. Combine milk, cheese, eggs, and egg substitute in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to bread mixture, tossing to coat bread. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Uncover casserole. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Week 20 Recipes

Fresh Pasta Primavera

1 cup broccoli, cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 cup asparagus (1-inch pieces)
6-oz uncooked Linguine
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 -1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, boil water and cook asparagus and broccoli for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Fill saucepan again with water, boil and cook pasta to your liking. Drain, and add to asparagus & broccoli.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion & peas and saute for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes, and saute for another couple of minutes. In a bowl, whisk milk, cream and cornstarch then add to skillet. On medium heat, cook sauce until it starts to thicken (3-5 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over pasta/veggie mixture and toss to coat. Top with basil and Parmesan cheese and serve. Makes 4-5 servings.

note: For a drier pasta, cut the amount of cream and cornstarch in half. However, if you are planning on leftovers, I would leave the amount of sauce the same. By the second day, the pasta has absorbed all of the yummy sauce.

A kid-friendly version would be to leave out the broccoli & asparagus.

Week 11 Recipes

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula
(Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa)
**instead of typing the whole recipe out, I'm giving you the link to the recipe! CLICK HERE

Lemon Cream Cupcakes
(allrecipes.com)
****instead of typing the whole recipe out, I'm giving you the link to the recipe! CLICK HERE

**note: These are delicious! For a "from scratch" cake it was light and not difficult to make. I would definitely not substitute another frosting - it needs the tasty lemon one it comes with!


Easy Cheese Danish
(Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer (with paddle attachment) and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!!

Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10x10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place them onto the prepared pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

**note: I made a half-batch and added some strawberry jam on top as they cooled. Very tasty, slightly rich!

Week 10 Recipes

Broccoli Cheese Soup
from Panera Bread restaurant
(makes approx 4 servings)

1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bullion
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes (to cook the raw flour taste out). Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the chicken stock, continuing to whisk all the time. Simmer for 10 minutes (it will thicken).

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree (if desired). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

**tip: Next time I'll omit the nutmeg, and only blend/puree half of the soup. We thought it would be better with a few broccoli chunks. Also, I didn't end up using all of the cheese. I added half and then tasted it and it was cheesy enough. I was using VERY sharp cheddar though.

Link to Panera Bread Sourdough recipe (to use as bread bowls, like in the restaurant)




Easy Breadsticks
(from Robyn Campbell)

1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cut in half

Mix together yeast, sugar and water. When yeast dissolves, add flour and salt and mix well. Knead for about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Melt 1/2 stick of butter onto a cookie sheet in oven. While butter is melting, roll out dough into a rectangle and cut it into 1-inch-wide strips. Roll bread sticks in butter and place on cookie sheet (I usually get 24 breadsticks out of this.) Sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese, or sugar and cinnamon. Let rest for about 10 minutes then bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.


Unbelievable Chicken
(from allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp prepared coarse-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 Tbsp olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a large glass bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil and chicken. Whisk in olive oil. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover and marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6-8 minutes per side until juices run clear. Discard marinade.

**note: This chicken marinade is very tasty, and I will definitely be making it again. I made the marinade in the morning, so the chicken had about 7 or 8 hours to absorb the yummy flavors.





Pasta Milano
(Romano's Macaroni Grill - my cloned recipe)

1 large head of garlic (or 2 small)
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced or diced (your preference)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut (packed in oil)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 package bow tie pasta (or one 8-oz package)

Wrap garlic in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until soft. Let garlic cool slightly, then squeeze out garlic into a small dish. In a blender, blend 3/4 cups chicken broth with the roasted garlic until smooth (a few chunks are okay.) Set aside.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breast in a bit of olive oil just until done, when juices run clear. Remove chicken from pan and slice. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to same skillet. Saute mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes for about 2-3 minutes, then add the sliced chicken back in. Leave everything in this pan, and set aside.

Tip: The next two steps (cooking pasta & making cream sauce) should be done at the same time.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 2 Tbsp flour and cook for 2- 3 minutes. Continue to whisk, and add the chicken broth & garlic mixture. When that is combined, add the 1 cup of heavy cream. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes to let it thicken a bit. If your pasta is not quite done, turn the cream sauce to low heat and stir occasionally so it doesn't stick.

Add 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese to cream sauce. Return large skillet (chicken/mushrooms/tomatoes) to medium heat. Add in garlic cream sauce and stir to incorporate all of the chunky bits. Drain pasta, and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat pasta. Taste to see if it needs salt or pepper. When serving, sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Week 7 Recipes

Simple Beef Stroganoff (crockpot)
from 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker

1 lb stew meat, cubed
1/2 cup dried minced onion
1 can (10 3/4-oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (4-oz) mushrooms, drained
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients except sour cream in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Add sour cream the last hour of cooking. Spoon over hot noodles.



Skillet Sarzana

1/2 lb Itallian Sausage
1/2 lb lean ground beef (or you could use a full pound of either of these meats)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1 (8-oz) package wide egg noodles
1 (16-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt/pepper to taste

In a large skillet (I use my electric skillet) brown ground beef and sausage. Add onion near the end and saute with meat. Add uncooked egg noodles, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Keep checking it during this time; you might need to add some water if the noodles absorb all of the liquid too quickly. When the noodles are softened, add the grated cheese and continue to stir until it melts. At this point, do not overcook - the cheese might burn. Makes 4-6 servings, and it's great as leftovers.


Orange Chicken (crockpot)
from 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8-1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 7-9 hours. Serve over rice.


Upside Down Spaghetti

1 package spaghetti

• 1 large jar of your favorite pasta sauce
  
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 package of dry itallian dressing mix
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to directions on package. Do not overcook. While pasta is cooking, cream sour cream, cream cheese and dry itallian mix in a bowl. Spread cream mixture in bottom of a 7 x 11 casserole dish. Drain spaghetti and add sauce until coated how your family prefers it (we like saucy spaghetti, some prefer it more dry.) Spread spaghetti over the cream mixture. Top with a bit more sauce (if you like) and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

PASTA SALAD
from Sharon Johnson
(A sister on our Temple night made this last year and it was such a hit)

7 oz. uncooked pasta (colored twisty kind is nice)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 med. zucchini, sliced and diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

(you could probably add anything you really liked, even cucumbers)

DRESSING

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. salad oil (or olive)

1/4 c. Johnny's Salad Seasoning**

Cook pasta. Rinse and cool. Add vegetables and mixed dressing. Refrigerate.

**Johnny's Salad Seasoning, a dry combination of seasonings, I found in the aisle where the salad dressings are and comes in a jar.

You could also try where the spices are too.

Salad Recipes

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

1 (16-oz) bag of Rotini Pasta, cooked & drained
4 skinless chicken breasts, cooked & diced
1/2 pint container of fresh Pesto (or from a jar)
Parmesan cheese

Toss first three ingredients together, salt lightly to taste, serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. For a quick version, purchase pre-cooked chicken breast strips by Butterball.


Chinese Chicken Salad

1 large head finely shredded/chopped cabbage (I mix purple and green)
2 packages Ramen noodles, crumbled (discard seasoning packet)
4 Tbsp slivered almonds
4 Tbsp sesame seeds
4 green onions, chopped
4 skinless chicken breasts, boiled and diced
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

dressing:
4 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbsp white rice vinegar

Place crumbled noodles, seeds and almonds on a tray. Bake at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes until lightly golden. Add to remaining ingredients and toss with dressing.


Joan's Broccoli Madness Salad
(from Sweet Tomatoes / Souplantation Restaurants)

1 bunch uncooked broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup cashews
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped red onion

dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix the broccoli, bacon, cashews, raisins and onions in a large bowl. in a second bowl, beat dressing ingredients together gently until smooth and sugar is dissolved.

About 10 minutes before serving, toss the salad with the dressing to allow flavors to meld.


Pizza Pasta Salad
(from Kraft Food & Family magazine, with a few changes)

3 cups penne pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
4 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)
24-36 slices pepperoni, chopped
1 cup Kraft Mozzarella cheese crumbles
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c to 1 c Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Toss all ingredients in large bowl. (I needed to add more dressing because it seemed too dry). Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Makes 10 1-cup servings.


Chicken Salad
(from Sharon Johnson)

2 C chopped cooked chicken
2 C celery, chopped
2 tsp grated onion
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 C mayonnaise
1 C grated cheese
3/4 C crushed pineapple, drained

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Better flavor is made a day ahead. Serve in croissant rolls or lettuce cups.

Shared Main Dishes

Robyn’s Roast
This pot-roast makes its own gravy!

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 (1oz.) package dry onion soup mix
1 ¼ cups water
3-5 pound roast

In the crock-pot, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in crock-pot and coat with soup mixture. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

When done I like to take the roast out and shred it up and add it back to the gravy so that I’m not spending my whole meal cutting up meat for the kids. We serve this over rice or baked potatoes. The kids even love it!

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce
(submitted by Robyn)

½ cup butter
1 8oz. package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 oz. grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked to long. Toss with hot pasta and serve.

**Robyn's note**
I made this tonight and found that it makes enough for 2 dinners for our size of family. I cooked 16 oz. of bowtie pasta with this and have another whole dinners worth of alfredo sauce left. I’m freezing it and will use the other half for a dinner one night next week. So you could easily cut everything in half and have plenty for one dinner. For the parmesan, I just used Kraft parmesan in the green can, like you would put on the top of spaghetti sauce, not a brick of cheese that I grated and it turned out really good.

Week 3 Recipes

Feta Penne
(about 4 or 5 large servings)

3 cups penne pasta (or other tube shape pasta)
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomatoes, packed in oil**
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup Classico brand Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo sauce**
1/4 cup milk
crumbled Feta Cheese**

In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

As the pasta cooks, make the sauce:
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion and garlic and saute for 4 - 5 minutes (or until it starts to smell tasty.) Add pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to saute for 5 more minutes or so. I always cook the pine nuts about 10 minutes or Mr. D.o.M. has an allergic reaction to them. The longer this stuff sautes, the more the flavors blend. Just watch so it doesn't burn.

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of Classico sauce with the 1/4 cup of milk. Stir until creamy, then add to the onion/garlic/pine nut mixture. Cook this over medium heat until heated through, then turn to low heat.

When pasta is done, drain the water off and then add the pasta right to the sauce mixture. Toss the pasta to coat. Serve into bowls and top with a sprinkling of the crumbled Feta.

**I find the sun-dried tomatoes in the produce section. They come in an 8.5-oz jar and I prefer the "julienne cut" style. The Classico sauce was a find from San Diego. I believe the Albertson's stores carries this sauce, but that's not confirmed yet. As far as the Feta goes....don't be scared. It's a mild, crumbly cheese that's also good on salads. It comes in a small tub (on the cheese aisle) and stays good in the fridge for awhile. It also adds just the right amount of saltiness to this pasta recipe.



.....And here is a LINK to info on the Classico sauce.

Week 2 Recipes

I'm considering breaking down all recipes into categories (like main dish, desserts, soups, etc) instead of by weeks. Possibly by week 3 I'll have gathered enough recipes to make that necessary. For now here are the recipes for our week 3 menu.

Creamy Enchilada Chicken
**this is a new recipe that I'm trying for the first time this week

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups salsa
8 ounces neufchatel cheese, cubed (can substitute cream cheese)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to crock pot, except Neufchatel cheese.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Stir in cheese cut into cubes, turn off heat. Let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Stir to blend in cheese.
Serve over rice or spoon into tortillas, enchilada style

Baked Rigatoni

White sauce:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp flour
1 cup whipping cream (or heavy cream) at room temperature
3 cups milk at room temperature
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 pound dry rigatoni or other tube shaped pasta
3 Tbsp butter, diced
1/2 cup cubed ham (optional)

preheat oven to 425.

In a large saucepan, melt the stick of butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, add the cream and milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 10 minutes). Take off heat and stir in a dash of nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and ham if desired (I don't).

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of water. Add rigatoni and boil for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook pasta since you will be baking the pasta in the oven also. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour white sauce over pasta and mix well.

Pour into a greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Dot the top with butter (makes a beautiful brown crust) and bake in oven for 25 minutes.


Tostadas (crockpot option)

3/4 to 1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

3 tsp sugar

1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans

Brown ground beef. Add onion and garlic toward the end and let them saute for a few minutes. Drain fat off of ground beef if necessary, and then add all other ingredients. Simmer 2 hours over low heat, or place in crockpot for 2-4 hours. (The flavor is great the longer it simmers). Serve over tortilla chips with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, olives, salsa, sour cream or other. We usually eat this taco salad style, using this as the meat layer.


Mom's Potato Soup

3 cups diced, peeled potatoes uncooked
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cups chicken bullion (2 cubes with 1 1/2 cups hot water)
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp chives, chopped (optional)

Cook potatoes, celery and onion in bullion, water and salt. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK potatoes - you almost want them a little undercooked. Do not drain off liquid. Add 1 cup of the milk and heat. Watch so that it doesn't burn. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, flour and remaining milk. Add that mixture to the potato mixture. Cook over low heat until thick and heated through. I like to serve this with a little grated cheese on top.


Maui Chicken (crockpot)
(Fix It and Forget It Recipes for Entertaining - see link on the right)

6 boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp oil
14 1/2-oz. can chicken broth
20-oz. can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Brown chicken in oil. Transfer chicken to slow cooker/crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.