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

Mexican Meat & Potatoes

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 5 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 8 ounces can tomato sauce
• Water to cover
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Generous dash black pepper

Simmer, covered until potatoes are tender & most of the water has evaporated. Serve with toasted flour tortillas.

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

Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole

• 2 cups (6 ounces) uncooked rotini pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 
• 1 pound lean ground beef, 95% lean
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 

Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish.

Top with the cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. 

Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve.

SkinnyTaste.com

Beef Ramen Stir Fry

3 (3 ounces) packages instant beef ramen noodles

1 pound ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (20 ounces) package frozen broccoli stir fry

1 1/4 cups beef broth

1/2 cup less sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Discard seasoning packet from noodles. Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook beef and garlic in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and crumbly; drain and return to skillet. Add stir-fry mix to skillet; cover and cook 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger in a bowl. Add to skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are thoroughly heated. Toss with hot cooked noodles.

Cook's notes: Add frozen broccoli & maybe double sauce?

Melissa's Potato Soup

• 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons bacon grease or butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
• Toppings, such as bacon bits, shredded cheese & sour cream , green onions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, boil the peeled and cubed potatoes in the chicken broth.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt bacon grease or butter. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking continuously. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Heat until roux is thick.

When potatoes have reached desired doneness, drain some of the potato broth into a measuring cup. Reserve this liquid. Add milk mixture to the potatoes. Add back in the potato broth  until desired consistency has been achieved. Adjust salt to taste.

Ladle servings into bowls and top with your desired toppings.

Baked Mexican-Style Rice

• 1 cup rice, rinsed
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water
• 4 tablespoons diced potato
• 4 tablespoons frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste

Combine all ingredients in 13x9 baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22-27 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before removing foil. Fluff with a fork.

1/2 recipe:

• 1/2 cup rice, rinsed
• 7/8 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons diced potato
• 2 tablespoons frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste

Combine all ingredients in 8x8 baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22-27 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before removing foil. Fluff with a fork.

Fideo con Pollo y Tomate

• 3 bone-in chicken thighs, cooked & shredded, about 2 cups
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ( 7 ounces) packages Fideo macaroni product (found in the Hispanic aisle)
• 2 cubes Knorr Caldo de Tomate bouillon or  Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3/4 (1/2 can) cup petite diced tomatoes (add other half of can to pasta sauce)
• 3-4 cups water (enough to cover pasta)
• salt & pepper to taste (I used 1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 whole Serrano peppers, unbroken & stems on 

Brown fideo in the oil in a large, deep skillet over low heat. This will take patience and will need to be stirred frequently. When many of the noodles are a deep golden brown, add all of the other ingredients, except the peppers. The spices are just suggested amounts and you may need to adjust them. After you have stirred in the ingredients and tasted for spice amounts, place unbroken peppers on top of noodles. These are optional but will add additional flavor to your dish. If they are broken, it will add heat to your dish. Cover skillet with a lid and simmer on low until noodles are soft and most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove peppers before stirring and serving.

Homestyle Veg-All Beef Stew (Updated)

• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in eighths
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (14 ½ ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 3-4 cups (5-6) peeled and diced potatoes
• 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half
• 1 cup (2-3 large) celery diced
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can sweet peas, drained
• 1 teaspoon each paprika, marjoram, and chili powder
• Water to cover

1. In Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until soft; add garlic. 
2. Add meat, tomatoes, vegetables and seasoning. Add water to cover. 
3. Heat covered until meat and vegetables are heated through.

**This was adapted from a recipe on the label of the Homestyle Veg-All cans a few years ago.

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.

 

Mom's Sausage Rice Casserole

 Passed down from my grandma <3

• 1 pound bulk sausage
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cup? soup can water
• 1 cup uncooked regular white rice
• Onion powder

No extra salt!

Brown sausage in skillet; drain well. Combine with all other ingredients; stir gently to mix. Spoon into a large casserole; cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Serves 10 to 12.

 

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.

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

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• 1 (15 ounces) can garbanzo beans, drained, reserve liquid
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used vegetable oil in a pinch)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 or 2 strips of jarred roasted red pepper and small amount of its juice

Layer the ingredients in your Nutribullet, blender, or food processor. Add approximately half of the reserved bean liquid. Process until as smooth as you like it. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

I adapted this recipe.

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. 

Ground Beef Hash Brown Bake

 

• 1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup diced onion)
• 1 package (26 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns ( 4 cups fresh shredded potatoes?)
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & black pepper, as desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef and onion. Drain the ground beef and return to pot. In the same pot, combine hash browns , soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Heat until ingredients are combined and mixture is warm. Turn mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, sprinkling top with the reserved cup of cheese in the last 10 minutes.

Original post here.

Perfectly Seasoned Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

• 1 pound (16 ounces) bag of dried pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to your preference)
• 4 teaspoons chicken broth concentrate
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

Pour the beans into a large bowl or slow cooker bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of water and allow to soak overnight. Alternately, you can boil the beans in a stovetop safe pan at a steady boil for about 10 minutes before you begin to cook them. Drain and rinse the beans after this step. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Transfer all of the ingredients to the slow cooker bowl and cover beans with at least 2 inches of water. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4-6 hours, until beans are as soft as you desire.

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.

Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 3 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup diced potato
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 cubes Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon* 

In a large non-stick frying pan, saute onion in oil on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute the rice until lightly toasted. Add water, bouillon, potato, and vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and put the lid on, leaving about a 1/4 inch gap for steam to escape. Cook for 25-27 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. To make fluffier rice, remove lid after removing from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

*The Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon cubes are commonly found in the Hispanic food section.