Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I really need to make this again and take a better picture. I will just say it was a really hectic day when I made this and I was just happy we were finally sitting down to eat.  I didn't have time to do much photography...

So the other night I wanted to try a recipe I had pinned for chicken Alfredo roll ups.  I mean, it had Alfredo sauce, cheese, and pasta. How could I go wrong?

Except like I said, it was a bit of a hectic day.

And I started thinking, "Why do I have to roll up anything? That is more time than I have..."  So I decided to go for more of a lasagna instead.  And thought it wasn't beautiful (as noted above), it was well-received.  And almost all of it was gone before the night ended.

Best of all, it really was easy (especially since I didn't roll anything).

Ingredients:
9-12 lasagna noodles (I did 12)
2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce (I make a homemade version...YUM)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Boil lasagna noodles according to directions on package.

Spray a 9 x 12 inch pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

Heat oven to 350.

Spread a small amount of the Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Lay 4 lasagna noodles down on top of the sauce.

Mix the chicken and the Alfredo sauce together.

Spread 1/2 of the chicken/Alfredo sauce over the noodles.

Lay down 4 more lasagna noodles.

Again, spread 1/2 the chicken/Alfredo sauce on top of the noodles.

Place the remaining four noodles on top.

Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella on top.

Sprinkle the oregano and garlic salt over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with breadsticks.  I would have thrown in some corn or a salad but once again, it was a bit of a crazy night. So we just ate a simple meal.  And loved every bite!

More later,
Reba

Creamy Spaghetti Bake

I am still alive.

Still cooking.

Still snowed in.

For five days now.

And apparently I'm not too motivated to blog this week.  Or last. :)

But I am going to break the dry spell.  And at least try to look productive.

I have seen a recipe like this all over Pinterest, so I decided it was time to try it. I mean, it is pasta and cheese.  How can I go wrong?

What I liked about this recipe (other than the pasta and cheese and creamy taste) is that it was easy.

And I like easy so much.

Even on snow days.

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 pound ground beef, browned (or in our case, 1 1/2 pounds)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or homemade sauce in our case)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (that part is important...mine wasn't quite room temperature)
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cottage cheese (I omitted this part...it was just too much for me)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mix meat and sauce together.

Mix the cream cheese and sour cream (and cottage cheese if desired) together. I would recommend using a mixer for this. By hand, it is hard to mix it well.

Layer in a 9 x 13:
spaghetti (1/2)

cream cheese mixture (1/2)

meat mixture (1/2)

spaghetti (1/2)

cream cheese mixture (1/2)

meat mixture (1/2)

Top with shredded cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

It makes a LOT.

We ate ours with Rhodes bread (garlic salt/butter on top) and corn.  A salad would have been nice but I didn't have any on hand.

Happy Cooking!

Reba

Chicken Tetrazzini

 When I was in college, a friend of mine made a version of chicken tetrazzini. I vaguely remember that (since it was a few, or several, years ago.

I very much remember loving the taste.

I don't think I have had it since.

So not long ago, it came to mind. And I wanted some.  Right now.

Obviously, I couldn't do it right now.  But it got the ball rolling.

I started googling in search of recipes.

I finally found one on a message board I am part of.  I can't fully give credit or link back since it is on a private message board. But I want to say a BIG thank you to Larisa for sharing this recipe.  I followed it fairly closely, adapting it just slightly.

I won't lie.

It was a little daunting.

The recipe is a very "natural" recipe...down to stewing a whole chicken and even making my own "cream" soup.

I am sharing the recipe while adding that you could easily simplify this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 stewed chicken (Stewing a chicken basically means taking a 3-4 pound chicken, covering it with water, bringing it to a boil, then boiling it at medium high heat for about an hour.  Save the broth!)

By the way, I only used half the chicken (pulled off the bones after it has boiled and cooled).  I froze the other half to use for a soup later.  I will also say that I am pretty sure you could just use boil frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins instead.  You will just have to use store bought broth.

1 1/4 cups chicken broth (just skim off the fat from the water you used before to stew the chicken)

16 oz spaghetti noodles cooked

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cream soup (Recipe below)- You can also use a can of cream of chicken AND a can of cream of mushroom instead.  I will say though that the homemade cream recipe is YUM.

Breadcrumbs (I actually had some leftover homemade bread that I used to make crumbs)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the chicken, noodles, cheddar cheese, chicken broth, and cream soup all together and pour into a large casserole dish.

Top with bread crumbs.

The original recipe recommending dotting with butter.  Since I had already used quite a bit of butter in the cream soup, I just sprayed it with olive oil in my oil mister.  It worked.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with breadsticks and carrots/Ranch.

It was quite a hit.

In fact, when I first made it, I said, "I probably should cut this recipe in half next time."  Except that we ate every bite of it.  Not all at once.  But eventually.

It was yum.

Oh, here is the cream soup recipe:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (again, I just used the broth from the stewed chicken)
1 1/4 cup half and half
6 1/2 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp starch (I used cornstarch)

Melt the butter, stir in a pinch of salt, and add the chicken broth.  Heat until hot.

Meanwhile whisk the cornstarch with the half and half.

Add to the pan all at once.

Cook quickly, stirring until thickened.

Did I mention how good it is???

Reba

PS I had a lot more "broth" leftover I have frozen AND I saved the "carcass" of the chicken.  They are in the freezer for the next time I need to make broth.  I think I got my money's worth out of that chicken!

Taco Pasta Bake

 I apologize for the lighting.  My kitchen light is not very photography-friendly...

Not long ago, I posted a recipe for Taco Pasta Shells.  It was good stuff. I really, really, really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, we are taking a break from tomato products for now.

Which means that recipe is on hold. :(

And I had only made it once!

Sigh.

I do hope to make it again.

In the meantime though, I wanted something similar.  Minus the tomato sauce.

I was quite delighted to click on Pinterest not long ago and see this recipe.

Just what I wanted.

Very similar but NO tomato products.

Tonight, we gave it a try.

It probably didn't help that I was hungry before I even started cooking.

By the time it came out of the oven, I was salivating.  Maybe even drooling.

And it was exactly what I wanted.  Exactly.

Except I wanted to eat much more.

Dumb calories.

Anywho, we will be having this again.  Soon.

You know what it is like?  It like a Mexican twist on the family favorite Mostaccioli!

In fact, for today's recipe, I used ziti. But next time, I would like to try mostaccioli noodles instead...

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
 1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef, browned

1 envelope taco seasoning (we actually make a homemade taco seasoning mix these days)

1 cup water

ziti or other large noodles (I definitely want to try with mostaccioli)

1/2 block cream cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Sargento's four cheese Mexican blend)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta and drain.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef.  Drain if needed. 

Mix the seasoning and the water.  Pour over the ground beef.  Let it simmer around 5 minutes.

Mix the cream cheese into the ground beef.  Stir until melted and mixed.

In a casserole dish, pour the pasta.  Mix in about a cup of the shredded cheese.

Top with the ground beef mixture.

Then sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for around 30 minutes.

Very easy.  Very simple.

Enjoy!

Reba

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp in a Cream Sauce

I have been in the mood for some shrimp. And angel hair pasta.  So when I perused Pinterest, this recipe caught my attention.  As a bonus, it has a cream sauce.  Seriously, how can you go wrong with cream, shrimp, and pasta?  (Well, unless you don't like shrimp...then you may want to skip this one :)

One thing I love about shrimp is that it cooks quickly. That and I love the taste.  The one thing I don't like about shrimp is the peeling and cleaning.  I mean, mine does come "easy peel" and has basically been de-veined but I still have to clean them up.  In the end, the anticipation wins me over and I just suck it up and clean away.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chicken stock (I didn't have stock; I just used chicken broth)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 package angel hair pasta
1or 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I didn't use quite that much...I just chopped a handful)
1/4 cup chopped chives (honestly, I didn't use any :)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
zest of a lemon (totally forgot that...I even had a lemon for it!)
salt and pepper to taste

I also added a couple of minced cloves of garlic, mainly because I love garlic.


Directions:
Heat the cream, chicken stock/broth, and lemon juice to a low simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the angel hair pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Add the shrimp to the simmering cream sauce.  Salt and pepper (lightly).  Cook the shrimp about 5 minutes (until it is a cooked pink).

Add the herbs and garlic to the sauce.  Add in the Parmesan cheese. 

Let simmer about 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

I did not mix the angel hair pasta (drained at this point :) with the sauce because not all of my kids are shrimp eaters.  Some prefer just the plain pasta.

Those who desired topped the pasta with the shrimp/sauce and added additional Parmesan...mainly because you can NEVER have too much Parmesan. :)

We ate this with a garlic and cheese breadstick and a salad.

And I loved every bite.

Reba

Avocado Basil Pasta

After I saw this recipe (via Pinterest), I could not WAIT to make it.  I knew I would be the only one in my family who would touch it though.  So tonight, when we had some friends from church over for a cookout, I decided it was the perfect time to try it out.  I am glad I did. :)

Yum.

Now if you don't like avocado, this won't seem as yummy.

Though I have to say it would be fine without it.

Just better with it.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like avocados?

Ingredients:
1 package bow tie pasta (or whatever kind of pasta you wish to use...I really liked the bowtie)

2 avocados, chopped (remove that big seed in the middle and peel, obviously :)

6 slices bacon, drained and crumbled (I was short on time, so I just cooked mine in the microwave on a bacon cooker)

2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped.  I can't find a lot of fresh herbs in our area. What I can find are these wonderful "singles" that cost like a dollar.  Basil leaves come in one of the "singles".  So I just used scissors to cut the basil leaves up into little pieces.  All that to say, I didn't honestly measure 2/3 cup.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

ground black pepper and salt to taste

freshly grated cheese (The original recipe used Romano.  I used my favorite Parmesan:)

Cook pasta according to the directions on the bag.  Drain.

Add all other ingredients (except cheese) to a large bowl and stir.  Add in bow tie pasta.  Stir thoroughly.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Enjoy.

I loved it. I mean, it is pasta, avocado, and bacon.  What is there not to love?

Since I am the only one who would eat this (mainly due to the avocado), I would make it sometime minus the avocado.  Then I would add the avocado any time I was ready to eat it.  That way I could warm up the pasta without warming the avocado.  I could probably get 3-4 lunches out of this recipe.

And I will.

I don't think there is anything low fat about it.

But it is worth each and every calorie...

Reba

Lasagna Rolls

It seems like lately I have "seen" lasagna rolls mentioned everywhere. In a book. On a friend's blog. On Pinterest.

I LOVE lasagna, but I just don't make it often. It isn't usually as loved by my family as me. It can be a lot of work. And we usually prefer mostaccioli which is easier and just as tasty.

But when I kept seeing these recipes, I was intrigued. And hungry.

So I decided to make some, using a combination of recipes.

And they were good. I wanted several. But I only ate one (stupid calories).

They were fairly well received by the family. The boys ate them right up, the girls weren't as enthusiastic.

It really wasn't any less work than making lasagna itself.

What I did like though was that I could "customize" them.

Since I am watching calories, I put two in a separate dish (picture two) and just topped with a little spaghetti sauce. For the rest of the family, I baked them in a bigger dish with beef and spaghetti sauce. (picture one)

And I like the idea of making them ahead of time, like on Pillsbury's site. That way on days I need a quick lunch or dinner for me, I could just take them out of the freezer/fridge, pop them in the microwave, and enjoy.

Anyway, here is my version:
Ingredients
8 lasagna noodles
1 12 oz. container ricotta cheese (I am sure the cottage cheese Pillsbury uses is lower fat but I did use the light ricotta...I just like ricotta)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan (using my little rotary grater, love that thing)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup parsley (I am sure fresh is good but I only had dried)
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pound (or less) ground beef, browned

Directions
Cook lasagna noodles according to directions. Drain and let cool slightly.

Mix together cheeses, egg, parsley, and basil.

Spoon mixture down the center of lasagna noodles. Start at end and "roll" the lasagna noodle.

Place in a greased baking dish.

Mix together spaghetti sauce and ground beef.

Pour over lasagna rolls.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

The one thing I didn't do that I would do differently is cover the dish with aluminum foil to help the noodles not covered by sauce not dry out.

The last few minutes, I topped with a little added Mozzarella cheese.

I served them with the rosemary rolls I mentioned in the last post.

Pretty tasty!
(According to Pillsbury's site, you can make them ahead, sans sauce, and refrigerate or freeze them. When ready to eat, place roll seam side down in a bowl and cover with wax paper. Heat in the microwave on high 1-2 minutes, then spoon about 1/4 cup sauce over roll and cook for about 30 more seconds. If frozen, cook on low for 1-2 minutes to thaw then follow the same procedure)

Happy cooking!
Reba

Chicken Noodle Soup

So sorry to be missing in action. We have been having some "tried and true" recipes. That and I started dieting. :( Or at least watching my calories. So I haven't really had much to share though I think I am behind with some recipes.

But I do have one recipe to share for the week. Chicken Noodle Soup.
I think I mentioned that once a week, the "child of the week" gets to plan and help me cook a meal. So far every child has chosen "new" recipe.

This week was Child 3's week. She got a cookbook called Picture Me Cooking for Christmas. The book has recipes and a place to put a picture of your child cooking that food. So last week, in anticipation of cooking this week, Child 3 pulled out her cookbook and immediately found a recipe for Noodle Soup.

I try to be really careful with copyright material, but honestly, this is a pretty generic recipe, so I am going to share it.

Oh, we (or rather I) decided it would be chicken noodle soup, not just noodle soup.

By the way, this was a first for me. I had never made chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:
6 chicken tenderloins

2 quarts chicken stock (I used fat free)

3 cups vegetable stock (which is REALLY hard to find around here and is a bit pricey)

1 tsp chicken bouillon (I just used a bouillon cube)

1/2 cup chopped carrot (I just chopped up some "baby" carrots)

celery (optional...we opted out :)

1 to 1 1/2 cups noodles of your choice. We just used a whole bag of some kind of egg noodle.

Directions:
Boil chicken tenderloins, then cut into small pieces/shred.

Put vegetable stock, chicken stock, bouillon, and vegetables in a large pot.

Bring to a boil.

Add noodles.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Add chicken and simmer until ready to eat.

Enjoy!

It was really good.

The only change I would make would be to get lower sodium stock. It was too salty for me.

This was a very kid friendly recipe. I chopped carrots but for the most part, dear daughter added everything to the pot.

Oh, we had grilled cheese rolls with it.

We will have it again. :)

Reba

Braided Spaghetti Bread

The first time I saw this on Pinterest, I knew we had to try it.

Braided Spaghetti Bread.

Go to the website above. Their picture is MUCH prettier than mine.

Anyway, it had bread, spaghetti, and Mozzarella. What else could I possibly need?

Unfortunately, the day I planned on making it, I was running late. I ran to the grocery store, picked up the dough, then came home to find that it would take a while to thaw the dough. So into the freezer it went.

Finally yesterday was my chance. I put the dough in the fridge in the morning before I left for school.

When I was ready to cook, the dough was ready too.

Here is the recipe, followed by a few "sidenotes".

Ingredients:
1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough (12 Rhodes rolls can be used instead)...mine came three to a package. Thawed to room temperature.

6 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained (I actually used almost a whole 13 oz. box)

1 cup spaghetti sauce (I used closer to 2)

1 pound (or so) ground beef, browned (optional...that was my option :)

8 oz Mozzarella, cut into cubes

1 egg white

Parmesan cheese

Parsley flakes

Garlic Powder

Directions:
Take the bread dough and roll it out. This was the longest part of the process for me. I just had to really work with the dough. I think part of the problem was that I hadn't thawed to room temp; I had left it in the fridge. Roll it into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle. I recommend rolling on parchment paper or on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Okay, I totally forgot about the plastic wrap. But it worked fine anyway.

After the spaghetti is cooked and has cooled a bit, mix the spaghetti with the sauce and the ground beef (if using).

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Spread the spaghetti down the middle of the dough (about 4 inches across). Add cheese cubes on top of the meat.

Make cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart to about half of an inch within the filling. I found kitchen scissors to work very well to make cuts.

Fold the top and bottom strips toward the filling. Cross back and forth across, alternating each side. Pull the last strip and pull over the bread, tucking underneath.

Transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet (I had done all of this on a sprayed cookie sheet...no transferring necessary).

Brush with the egg white, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool slightly, then slice.

This was a HUGE hit with the family; every one of them ate more than one helping. Even the really picky child. I was SOOO sad to not have any leftovers to take for my lunch today. I would have eaten it again, gladly. (I could have eaten the entire loaf last night by myself, but I shared) Next time I would make sure to have a salad to go with it. Otherwise, what else does the meal really need?

Because I cooked meat (and lots of it), added more sauce, and put in more spaghetti, the other change I would make for our family of 6 would be to make 2 of them. Mine was SOOO full, it was really difficult to braid. It would have been better to have two doughs ready and just divide the meat/spaghetti mixture between the two.

So mine didn't turn out beautifully. It didn't matter in the end.

It was delicious.

I am already looking forward to making it again.

(I also want to try the calzone version...hubby was almost salivating when I told him about it)

More soon,
Reba

Dijon Chicken Linguine

Yes, another Pinterest recipe. This was just another photo (not mine, the one on the original site) that just made my mouth water. I was determined to try this. As usual, I made modifications to fit our family. The picture above is not that pretty but it really is good stuff. I only had a little bit left over. Only one child objected to it which I expected. It has a hint of "mustard" taste, which she can detect in trace amounts. :)

Dijon Chicken Linguine
Ingredients
Linguine (The original recipe called for fresh linguine cooked...I just used my usual boxed linguine made with whole grains cooked)

Chicken (original recipe called for 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts; I just used tenderloins, enough to fit my large skillet)

1 cup mushrooms (original recipe calls for chanterelle. I could NOT find these anywhere. So I just used some mushroom pieces/sliced out of a jar. I know, I know, not the same thing. But in a time crunch, I do what I can :)

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

For sauce:
4 oz white cooking wine

2 cups heavy whipping cream (which is the same as 1 pint)

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to season (I skipped that...I felt like we had enough already)

Directions:
Season the chicken breasts/tenderloins with salt and pepper. Of course, I used the freshly ground sea salt and the freshly ground peppercorn pepper.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan along with garlic. Fry until the chicken is completely cooked.

Remove chicken from the pan and keep warm in the oven. (I just threw them in a glass dish and set the oven to a low temp to keep warm)

Add the white cooking wine to the pan. Simmer until it is reduced by half.

Then add the heavy whipping cream, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.

Simmer until the sauce thickens. I don't think I did a very good job on this step. We were hungry and ready to eat. So mine was still pretty runny.

Add the mushrooms and the chicken to the sauce. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve over hot linguine and top with slivered almonds which give it a little crunch.

Enjoy!

I served it with a salad and rolls.

Happy cooking!
Reba

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This is a Pinterest recipe. When I saw the picture (not MY picture but the picture on Pinterest the original poster took), I knew I wanted to try this. Here is the original link. As usual, I used the recipe as a guide though I changed a few things to fit our family.

Oh, ironically at one time I would have turned my nose up at the word "tomato". I still cannot sit down and eat a tomato. Or even tomato chunks. And I still eat spaghetti plain...no tomato sauce. But I use tomato sauce/paste in cooking. And in this recipe, the tomato soup is just one ingredient...it doesn't give it a strong tomato flavor, just a little taste...

Ingredients:
1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini (I went for the big package which was 20 oz) to give a little more for my family. However, next time I think I would stick with the smaller package, just for cost's sake.

2 cans tomato soup (the original recipe calls for reduced sodium...I just used regular tomato soup)

2 cups vegetable broth (I could only find one kind of vegetable broth at our grocery store, and it was organic and really expensive...so I went with beef broth)

2 cups milk (recipe specifies 2 percent, we only use 1 percent)

2 cups half and half (I would have used fat free but I think I accidentally grabbed the regular)

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I did NOT add these...my family would have balked)

1 tsp onion powder (or for us, minced onion)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (and more later to top off soup if wanted)

We also added 1 pound ground beef (browned) to add a little more to the soup and make it go further...

Directions:
Cook tortellini according to package directions (which basically involves boiling in water).

Meanwhile, add all of the other ingredients but the cheese to a Dutch oven. Okay, I do NOT have a Dutch oven. Maybe I need to ask for one for Christmas. I used my crockpot instead. My only regret is that I wish I had had more time to let it heat before we ate. It was nice and warm but not steaming hot like I would have preferred. That is my fault, not the recipe's. Anyway, drain the tortellini when tender and add to the soup. Add in cheese. Heat through.

I did add extra Parmesan on top. It just looked pretty. And of course I love Parmesan.

I served this with Grilled Cheese Rolls (also Pinterest).

It was good.

Only one child completely balked.

I will make this again.

Reba

Chicken Spaghetti

I actually had started a post on mint chocolate brownies. I will get to it soon. But this is fresher on my mind. And it is easier to type up. :)

We were supposed to have a "burger bundle" dinner tonight. I was all ready to make it. Then some things happened, time ran short, and I needed to do a quick change. So I went with chicken spaghetti which I had also planned for dinner this week. I am glad I did. It was easy. And even more, the kids ate it up. So much so, I will not be taking any to school tomorrow because it is gone, gone, gone. Bummer. I think even the sometimes vegetarian 3 almost 4 year old ate three or four helpings...

Oh, I got this recipe from my sister. How many times I have said that on here? She seems to find good recipes. :)

Ingredients:
2 to 3 chicken breasts (I have mentioned...I use tenderloins. I just guesstimate how many we will eat as a family, probably about a pound.)
1 small onion (I rarely have an onion on hand unless I think about it first, so I use dried chopped onion)
1 green pepper (I have mentioned where my family stands on green pepper...no peppers here)
1 dab of butter (I used cooking oil)
salt and pepper to taste)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I use shredded because I just like it :)
1/2 tbsp garlic
a small can tomato sauce (I just buy a regular size can since I have more chicken)
1 small package Mozzarella cheese (We don't use small packages of cheese for anything :)
spaghetti noodles (I use one package...I do use wheat)

Directions:
Cut chicken into small pieces. Brown in butter or oil in a skillet.

Add onion and green pepper (or not :)and saute'.

Add salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.

Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and Mozzarella cheese.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti noodles. (I just mix it all together in a dish)
That is it. It really is easy. And like I said, my family gobbled it up. You would think they could have saved me a small helping for tomorrow?

Here is a pic after I added a little cheese to the top just because we like cheese...

Happy cooking!

Reba

Mostaccioli

Probably the recipe I get the most requests (other than the Molten Lava Cakes) for is mostaccioli. Try saying it. It is just a fun word to say!

This is one of my tried and true recipes. It is easy to make, requires few ingredients, and is a good meal you can make ahead of time. If I am taking a meal to a friend in need, this is a very easy one to make and let them bake when they are ready.

The origins of this recipe: One sweet family, the "H" family brought this meal to me during Teacher Appreciation week one year, ready to bake for dinner. It was love at first bite. Now it is a regular on our family meal rotation.

Here is the recipe:

Mostaccioli

One bag of mostaccioli...look in the pasta section. It is there. I promise. You have probably never noticed it before (or I hadn't). I am showing you a bag of it but not promoting a certain brand. In fact, we typically buy the store brand but didn't this time for whatever reason. The noodles look a lot like penne to me.1 (or more) pounds of ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar of alfredo sauce (I use the light)
1 bag of shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Directions:
Boil mostaccioli according to package directions. Okay, I don't really read those directions. It takes about 8 minutes I think. I just check a noodle every now and then. When it is done, drain it. Stir in alfredo sauce.

Brown the ground beef. Drain. Mix in spaghetti sauce.

Layer in a casserole dish (9 x 13): noodles on bottom, meat on top. If you put the noodles on top, then they tend to dry out.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. At about the 20 minute mark, take out and top with cheese. Finish baking.

Enjoy!

Here is a picture which does not nearly do it justice. I use light cheese so it doesn't melt as well as the good stuff. :)

Happy cooking!
Reba

Easy Cheesy Spaghetti

Today was not a nice weather kind of day. It was cool and wet all day long. So we needed something warm and filling for dinner. It seemed like a good Easy Cheesy Spaghetti kind of day.

This meal is pretty easy and can be made ahead. My favorite combination. That being said, I didn't really make it that far ahead this time around.

Easy Cheesy Spaghetti

Take 2 pounds of ground beef (we use 93/7 %). Brown. The original recipe (which came from my dear co-worker Claudia of Baked Potato Soup fame) calls for a chopped onion. I didn't mess with that. Any time I cook ground beef, I throw in some dried minced onion and garlic. It makes it much more bearable to smell when it is cooking. :) Drain the meat.

At the same time, boil water and cook a package of spaghetti. I use whole grain spaghetti. It took me a time or two to get used to the texture but honestly now, I don't like the plain white/flour spaghetti! After cooking it according to package directions, drain the spaghetti.

In a LARGE bowl, mix together spaghetti, ground beef, 2 cans of tomato soup, and 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (we use the low fat). Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. (We use the 2%) Here is a picture of it half done...

Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until "bubbly". Again, I am not a food photographer. I really need to learn some lighting techniques. But trust me, it really is good. All six of us ate it. Joshua alone had three helpings. He told me his favorite parts were the cheese and the "sgetti". I served it with garlic/cheese bread (just frozen). I would have served some leftover salad from last night but I ate that for lunch. :)

This does make a lot so if your family is smaller in numbers, I think you could easily halve the recipe.
Happy cooking!
Reba