Skillet Ziti

We all need these kinds of recipes in our arsenal of quick family dinners.  This one is one of our favorites, and it is so easy and quick.  Love it!

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 of a large onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic

1 pound of sausage, ground beef, etc.  I use turkey sausage and I think it really makes this dish.

2 Tablespoons of tomato paste

1/2-2 cups of UNCOOKED ziti pasta

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1 14.5 ounce can of chicken stock or make your own with bouillon

2 cups of shredded mozarella cheese

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

fresh basil for garnish (I don't usually have this so I just skip this part)

In a large skillet saute onion and garlic in oil.  Add sausage.  When the sausage is cooked all the way through add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, ziti, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and chicken stock.  Bring it to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little. Remove the lid and add the cheeses and fresh basil if you are using it.  Put the lid back on until the cheese has melted then serve.  I make my favorite Food Nanny baguettes to go with this from my blog.  This dinner including the bread can be thrown together and served in about an hour.  This is my kind of dinner.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup light sour cream

2 (10 oz.) cans of enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided

2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (canned corn works just fine, but drain it first)

4 oz. can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

12 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.
3. In a second bowl toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.
4. Spread about half of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.

Malibu Chicken

3 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 Tbsp. butter
1 c. Panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
½ Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
4 slices black forest ham
4 slices Swiss cheese

Creole Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Mix together and chill in refrigerator.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with garlic. Place chicken and egg mixture in a large Ziploc bag, squeeze out all the air and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip marinated chicken in crumb mixture. Place coated chicken in baking dish, and pour remaining egg mixture over the top. Bake for 15 min on each side or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Top each piece of chicken with ham and slice of Swiss cheese. Place back in the oven for about 5 min or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

This is super easy and super yummy. Everyone ate this up!

1 lb. of sausage (I just used a tube of sausage that I browned or you can buy sausage links or whatever you want.)

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I use fat free half and half)
5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
12 ounces penne pasta (get a 16 ounce box and use 3/4 of it)
grated Parmesan for topping

Directions:
1) Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, according to package directions.
2) While pasta is cooking, brown the sausages and cut them into slices - little circles (I actually removed the casings and then browned and crumbled the sausages like you would ground beef).
3) Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a couple of minutes.
4) Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and heat through.
5) Pour in the cream and heat through. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.
6) Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.
7) Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

Slow Cooker Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

This is a hit from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. We all love it, and I especially love that you can throw it all in the crock pot. This will be a regular with our family.

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Dinner

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I couldn’t find turkey sausage so I substituted mild pork sausage)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach, a handful at at ime, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste adn serve immediately.

Super Easy Yummy Chicken

We just made this for dinner, and it was DELICIOUS and super easy. I'm always looking for an easy dinner and this is it. The recipe is simple. #1 Get a Chicken. I think this was about a five pounder, and you'll want to get a good size bird. #2. Get the stuff out of the cavity of the chicken and put garlic inside the cavity and under the skin. #3. Take a stalk of celery and cut it so it fits inside the cavity of the chicken. Slice two lemons, putting one lemon in the cavity of the bird and one on top. #4.Sprinkle salt and pepper and garlic powder all over the inside of the cavity, under the skin and on top. #5. I used 1/4 c. butter in slices all over the top and inside the skin, and then put another 1/4 c. butter inside the cavity. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2-2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Cover in foil and let stand 30 minutes before serving. The gravy is sooooo good. Take the drippings and heat in a saucepan. When the gravy starts to boil, pour in cornstarch in water. Enjoy!

Delishcuits

My mom made this for us, and when I served it to my kids recently they loved it.

Ingredients:

Pillsbury biscuits or make your biscuits from scratch

1 pound of browned hamburger

2 cans of tomato and rice soup

shredded cheese

With the biscuit dough, line muffin tin with the dough.

Mix browned hamburger and soup over the stove until warm. Put spoonfuls of meat mixture into the dough.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. The last five minutes sprinkle cheese over them and return to oven until it is melted.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to make your own biscuits, this is the recipe I use.

2 cups flour

1 T. baking powder

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. milk

In a bowl stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the softened butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; add milk all at once. Stir just till dough clings together.

Asian Pork Ribs

3-4 lbs. pork country style ribs or pork roast

3/4 c. apricot or peach preserves

3/4 c. BBQ sauce

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tsp. fresh ginger root, finely chopped

1 T. thinly sliced green onion

2 tsp. sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ribs in 9x13. Cover and bake for one hour.

Mix together preserves, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a bowl. After hour, remove ribs from pan, discard liquid, return ribs to pan. Generously brush ribs with half of sauce. Continue baking, uncovered, 30-45 minutes or until fork-tender, brushing with remaining sauce after 15 minutes. Remove ribs, chunk them. Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds. The sauce is so good, I usually stir in some of the sauce too.

Salisbury Steak

Our new family favorite. Goes great with mashed potatoes.

• (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• one packet of onion soup mix
• 1 can golden mushroom soup
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder

1. In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties. Dredge them with flour then in a large skillet over medium-high heat, in a little oil, brown both sides of patties. Pour off excess fat.
2. In a small bowl, blend 2 T. flour and remaining soup and golden mushroom soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Pour over meat and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or throw it in your crock pot.

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The Easiest Tomato-Basil Chicken

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Tomato Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 cups hot cooked medium tube-shaped pasta, or whatever you have.
• Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add soup, milk, cheese, basil and garlic. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min. or until done. Serve with pasta.

Kid Lovin' Chicken

My picky kids actually ate this and it was super duper easy to make.

Line a 9x13 pan with uncooked chicken tenders. Pour a dry package of stuffing mixing over the chicken. Drizzle with a stick of butter (or less if you're worried about calories). Bake at 350 for about thirty minutes covered so the stuffing gets soft, then uncover the last ten minutes. Enjoy!

Tiffany's Florentine Chicken Ring

Ingredients:

Cooked and chopped chicken (if you are using canned chicken, I use two Costco cans or about 1 1/2-2 cups of cooked chopped chicken).
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, flake chicken with a pastry blender. Combine everything except the crescent rolls. Unroll the crescent rolls and place on a round stone as pictured above. It is easiest if you place four crescent rolls at 12, 3, 6, and 9:00 and then place three rolls in between those.

Then scoop the chicken and spinach mixture all the way around the circle.

Fold in the corners of the triangles.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve. Yum!

Priscilla's Beef Enchiladas

I can't say enough about these enchiladas.  They are better than any restaurant I've ever eaten in.  The BEST!!!!

Beef for the enchiladas:
5 lbs. beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts
3 T. vegetable shortening
3 onions, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
2 (7 oz) cans green chili salsa
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 T. flour
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
Juices from beef roasts

Slow cook your roast in a crock pot for about eight hours on low.  I usually just do this over night, and I put a little water in the crock pot. Drain meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones, shred meat, and set aside. Melt shortening (I use oil)  in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Saute one minute. Add green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin. Cook one minute over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat. Cook five minutes until thick. Cool. Put about three cups mix into freezer bags and freeze for later. Makes about nine cups of Mexican Meat Mix.

Enchiladas
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (16 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and finely chopped
Vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas
3 cups of Mexican Meat mix
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Combine enchilada sauce and chopped tomatoes in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Dip one tortilla at a time in hot oil for several seconds, then dip in hot enchilada sauce mixture. Set aside. Place about 1/4 c. Mexican meat mix on each tortilla and sprinkle with 2 T grated cheddar cheese. Roll up and place close together in a shallow casserole dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese. Bake about 15 minutes, until bubbly. Spoon sour cream over enchiladas and serve hot. Makes about six servings.

Caramel Apple Porkchops

1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork chops

3-4 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and cored

3 T. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

I get the nice thick pork chops from Costco and freeze half the package for the next time. Place chops in crock-pot, cover with apples. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I serve the chops on one serving platter and the apples in a bowl for everyone to use as many apples as they like. The apples produce a lot of moisture so don't be surprised by the amount of liquid. My family likes this mashed potatoes.

Chicken Con Broccoli (Olive Garden Style)

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tsps extra virgin olive oil
9 ounces pasta
2 cups heavy cream (I have substituted milk, and it is fine)
4 Tablespoons butter (I don't use this much,
I use 2-3 because I don't want
all the butter, but it is fine either way)
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup parmesan cheese (I might use a little more because I like it cheesy)
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
black pepper ( like white pepper,
because it doesn't add any color)
salt

cook broccoli.
In a medium saucepan, cook the chicken in
the olive oil, letting each side
brown.
Leave remaining oil drippings in pan,
setting chicken aside for now.
In salted water, boil the pasta, not quite all the way
(it will simmer
later).
Drain the pasta and put back into pot.
In the remaining oil from the chicken,
over medium heat, brown the garlic,
with butter.
When caramelized add cream and cornstarch,
and stir well.
Heat until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. 

Add salt, pepper,cheese and red peppers.

When prepared, add the sauce to the pasta
and toss until well coated.
Chop chicken into cubes, toss with pasta,
add broccoli.

I usually wind up adding more cheese and
milk to keep it creamy when it is
warmed up again.
Enjoy! Serves 6 people.

Spinach and Chicken Pasta Casserole

A healthy meal that my family loves. I use whole grain penne pasta to make it healthier.

10 oz. tubular pasta (I use Penne)
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thaw or fresh spinach torn up
2 T. vegetable oil
2/3 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. chicken breast cooked and cubed
2 cans of diced tomatoes with juice
3 T tomato paste
1 1/4 tsp basil
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, divided

Cook pasta according to directions, drain, and set aside. Place spinach on paper towels if you're using frozen and squeeze out moisture. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil and place over med high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sautee until tender. Add chicken, tomatoes and next five ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, five minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine pasta, spinach, chicken mixture and 1/4 c. cheese in a bowl. (I always use more cheese). Spoon into a 9x13 inch baking dish coated with spray and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake 350 for 20 minutes.

Chicken Chimichangas

Flour Tortillas
a jar of salsa
about 4 c. of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 of a small onion
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
cheddar cheese, grated

Combine 1 1/2 c. salsa with chicken, onion, cumin, oregano and salt in a large saucepan and cook, stirring often until most of the liquid is evaporated. Spoon1/3 c. into tortilla and top with cheese, then roll up and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Spray with vegetable oil and bake 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Top with cheese, salsa and sour cream and enjoy.

Yummy Meatloaf

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
6 T. ketchup
2 eggs
1 tsp. celery salt (I use garlic salt too)
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine the ingredients until well combined. Put into loaf pan and squirt ketchup over the top. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until cooked through.

Chicken and Dumplings

2 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
4 cups plus 1/2 c. water
1 bay leaf
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 lb. bag baby carrots
1/3 c. flour

Dumplings
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
2/3 c. milk
1 large egg
1 T. vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a large covered saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on each side for 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and celery. Saute briefly, then add 4 cups of water, 1 can chicken broth,bay leaf, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chicken, covered for 30 minutes. Add the carrots to the pot, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Whisk together the flour and the remaining 1/2 c. water in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the mixture to the simmering saucepan. Cover and continue to simmer. To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and fresh parsley in a large bowl. Made a well in the dry mixture and add the milk, egg, and oil. Stir briskly to make a batter. For each dumpling, spoon a rounded Tbsp. of batter into the simmering broth. Cover and simmer for another 13-15 minutes, without stirring. Ladle into wide soup bowls and serve hot. Serve over rice.