Seafood Pasta Casserole

8 ounces penne pasta

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

12 ounces medium-sized shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water plus 1 teaspoon chicken Better Than 

   Bouillon)

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1 packet True Lemon)

¼ teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use the green can stuff)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook penne in a large pot of lightly salted water. Cook according to package, drain and set aside.

Thaw and drain the shrimp and remove the tails if necessary.

In a skillet melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Add in chicken broth and milk, adding a little bit at a time, while continuing to whisk until smooth. Add in lemon juice and pepper and stir. Add salt to taste, if desired.

Add in parmesan cheese, along with 2 tablespoons of Mozzarella cheese and continue to mix until cheese is completely melted and sauce thickens.

Add 3/4 of the shrimp and cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and mix to fully coat the pasta.

Place mixture in a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Place the remaining 1/4 of the shrimp on top, followed by sprinkling the remaining Mozzarella on top.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese melts and lightly browns. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from BrooklynFarmerGirl.com

Melissa's Alfredo Sauce

• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (in the green can)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Dissolve chicken bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup water.

Melt butter over low heat in saucepan.

Gradually stir in flour.

Continue stirring and gradually add milk.

Add chicken bouillon.

Increase heat to medium and continue stirring.

Cook until thickened.

Stir in parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Let the sauce sit for a few minutes so that the cheese can rehydrate and melt.

Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley.

Serve with grilled shrimp or chicken, steamed broccoli, 1 pound pasta of choice, garlic bread or biscuits.

Adapted from Food.com

Italian Sausage and Tortellini

• 1 (19 ounces) package Mild Italian Sausage links, cooked and sliced into coins
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups baby spinach, fresh
• 1 (24 ounces) jar marinara sauce*
• 1 cup beef broth*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16 ounces) bag frozen cheese tortellini
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese*

In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat.

Remove the sausage from the skillet and add the onions and carrots to the skillet and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic.

Add the marinara sauce, broth, Italian sausage, and salt and stir to combine.

Stir in the tortellini and continue to cook over medium heat. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce covered until the tortellini is soft. 

Once the tortellini are soft, remove the lid and turn up the heat to medium and stir in the spinach. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese. 

*I used Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb pasta sauce

*I used 1 teaspoon beef bouillon & 1 cup water

*I used the green can Parmesan cheese

Original recipe here.

 

Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

I tried this recipe from Julia Pacheco and it was so good!

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 20 ounces red enchilada sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain any excess grease. Return to pan. Add the seasonings, 3/4 of one of cans of enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir to combine and let the cheese melt into the mixture. 

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour remaining 1/4 can of enchilada sauce into dish and spread around bottom of pan. 

Wrap tortillas in a wet paper towel and microwave for about a minute, until they are soft. 

Spoon meat mixture into the tortilla and fold it around the mixture. Place seam side down into baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. 

Pour the whole second can of enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

You can find the original recipe here.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Sweet Potato Mixture:

2 cans (29 ounces each) Bruce's Cut Sweet Potatoes (Yams), well drained

2 eggs, well beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

Pecan Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add rest of ingredients for sweet potato mixture. Spread evenly in prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, combine pecan topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over sweet potato mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until topping is browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Variation: Can replace pecan topping with 2 cups miniature marshmallows (or just pile them on top!)

Adapted from the Bruce's Yams label

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 ounces, or 2 cups) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 ounces, or 1 ½ cups) Carnation Evaporated Milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; or, 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, sugar, and spices. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into the pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degree F. Bake for 30-40 minutes (40-50 minutes) or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Original recipe here.

*Cook's Country states that the filling should be baked until filling reaches 165 degrees F. for the perfect pie

Classic Cherry Cheese Pie

• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
• 1 (20 ounces) can cherry pie filling
• 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, softened (I prefer Philadelphia brand)
• 1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (I use bottled lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until it is creamy. Add the milk, lemon juice, vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. At this time, I also put my cherry pie filling the refrigerator also. After the filling has been chilled for a few hours, top pie with the cherry pie filling. 

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 chicken breasts, halved crosswise
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup baby spinach, stems removed (I just used a big handful)

Place 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Remove from pan. Melt an additional 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil together. Saute mushrooms until they are soft. Remove from pan.

Place 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add flour and allow to cook for a minute or two to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly stir in chicken broth and garlic powder. Add the heavy cream. Stir until sauce is thickened. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted in the sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in baby spinach and allow to wilt. Add chicken and mushrooms back to the skillet and coat chicken with the sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Original recipe here.

Country-Style Smothered Green Beans

• 2 strips (3 ounces, approximately) thick cut bacon, cut into pieces (use more if you wish!)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 pound frozen cut green beans (or, fresh from the Farmers' Market!)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

In a Dutch oven, fry bacon until the grease is released. Remove bacon from pot and set aside, leaving bacon grease in the pot. Saute onion in the grease for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Add bacon, green beans and seasonings into the pot. Stir all to combine. Cover the pot and simmer on very low heat for 45 minutes, or until the green beans are soft.  You may need to add additional water as this simmers so that the green beans don't burn.

 

Mushroom & Bacon Rice

•  2 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into pieces (may use 3-4 regular slices of bacon)
• ½ onion, minced
• 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup rice, uncooked (I used long-grain white rice)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (I used dried sage)
• ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used just under 1/4 cup of the green can stuff)

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp. Spoon bacon onto a paper towel lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon grease in the skillet. Saute the onion in the grease until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the rice, chicken broth, thyme and bacon to the skillet. Add black pepper, to taste. Stir until combined. Cover skillet tightly with a lid. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender and broth is absorbed. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Inspired by this recipe.

Ro-Tel Chicken Doritos Casserole

 

• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 bag Doritos, crushed
• 1 can Ro-tel
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 pound Velveeta cheese

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together Ro-tel, cream of chicken soup and cubed Velveeta cheese. Heat mixture in microwave in 1 minute increments until smooth and warm. Stir in chicken. In a casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the Doritos and 1/2 of the chicken and cheese mixture. Repeat the layers and top with a few crushed chips. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

Pink Lemonade Pie

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) frozen pink lemonade, thawed
• 1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 packet (6.5 grams) lemonade flavor Kool-Aid unsweetened drink mix (optional, but adds intense lemon flavor)
• 1 (16 ounces) carton frozen Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 graham cracker crusts

Blend lemonade and milk. Sprinkle mixture with as much Kool-Aid powder as you wish. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crusts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

No Yeast Dinner Rolls (Mayo Rolls)

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 cups milk
• 4 beaten egg yolks (reserve whites for another use)
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine (stick)
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 1 (10-11 ounces) bag or box of vanilla wafers
• 2 medium bananas

In a Dutch oven, stir together sugar and cornstarch with a wire whisk. Add milk and egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Over medium-low heat, stir mixture frequently, paying attention to bottom and "corners" of the pan. Do not be tempted to use higher heat: your milk will scorch easily! After mixture comes to a bubble, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add vanilla and stir until combined.

In a 9x9 inch pan, put down a single layer of vanilla wafers. Spoon (I use a soup ladle) just under half of the pudding mixture over the wafers. Thinly slice 1 banana and put on top of the pudding. Add another layer of wafers. Thinly slice another banana and place on top of wafers. Add rest of pudding. Place wafers around edge of dish and on top of pudding. Refrigerate until time to serve.



The pudding recipe is adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook.

Cole Slaw

• 1 bag shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix (up to 16 ounces)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• salt & pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.






From The Welders Wife YouTube channel. Watch video here.

Country Style Green Beans (Cracker Barrel Copycat)

• 1/4 pound bacon, chopped
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) whole green beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Do not remove the bacon drippings. 

Add the green beans, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir well. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for 45 minutes. Stir well and serve warm.

Original recipe here.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons vinegar added to 1 cup whole milk and let sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.
3. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese.
4. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture.
6. Serve immediately.

Original recipe here.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was delicious! This is from a collection of recipes on Juliasalbum.com. Here is the link to the original post. I plan to check out her website soon and try more of her recipes!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound fresh shrimp (10 big shrimp or 20 small shrimp) without shells, deveined (I used a 12 oz. bag of frozen cooked shrimp and pulled the tails off)
• 3 garlic cloves (I used 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
• dried basil
• crushed red pepper flakes
• paprika
• 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup half and half (I think whole milk will work too)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• cooked pasta water
• 8 oz fettuccine pasta (she suggests that gluten free pasta is delicious too) 

Heat a large skillet until hot--add 2 tablespoons olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp, cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink on one side, on medium-high heat. Flip the shrimp to the other side, sprinkle the top of the cooked side of shrimp with dry basil, paprika, and salt, cook for another 1-2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until shrimp is pink on both sides. Remove the shrimp from the skillet. If shrimp is a little under cooked-it’s okay because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.

To the same skillet add the sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms become soft and release juices. Salt midway through cooking.

To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add 1 cup half and half and all of the the cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Add pasta to the skillet with shrimp and mushroom cream sauce. Stir well, season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.

If the cream sauce is too thick and you want it creamier, add some pasta water in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency.

Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms

• 2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used less)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic (I used garlic powder)
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, coating vegetables well with the oil. Pour vegetables in a single layer into baking sheet. Bake for ? minutes, until mushrooms are browned and green beans are crisp-tender.

** I found this recipe on Pinterest but the link did not go back to a post so I don't know who to credit for this recipe.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered and cut into small chunks
• 1/4 medium onion, slivered
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I probably used a bit more)
• pinch of sugar if using out of season tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Allow to set for several hours in the refrigerator so that veggies can absorb the flavors. 

Cooks notes: I just "eyeballed" the measurements for the oil and vinegar. This salad would also be fantastic with an avocado diced in!

Inspiration recipe here.