Beef Gravy

Jennifer Fulton showed up a little late to Beef Night, so I'm not sure how many of us got to try this- we were all so full of the other good stuff! This is kind of like stroganoff, but a little heartier. It would also make a good biscuits-and-gravy gravy for breakfast- just substitute sausage for the beef and use it to top biscuits instead of noodles.

1 lb hamburger

1/2 onion

2 C milk

1 cube butter

about 1/4 C flour

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Melt in butter. Heat milk and add to the mixture. Add flour little by little until pasty. It should be the consistency of gravy, not quite as thick as a stroganoff.

Lasagna

Catrina Bowers isn't typically a lasagna fan, but she makes exception for this lasagna recipe from her grandma. Catrina left out the ricotta cheese because her family isn't a fan of it. It was good, and now I'm curious how it would be WITH the ricotta...

1 box of lasagna noodles, cooked according to directions on box

1 1/2 lbs hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/2 can tomato paste

1 container ricotta cheese

6 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the hamburger with the onion. Drain the grease; add sauce and paste. Spread a little bit of the hamburger mixture on the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Place a layer of noodles, then a layer of 1/3 the meat mix, then a layer of 1 3/4 C cheese. Repeat two more times until only about 1/2 C of cheese is left. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Take off foil and top with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes.

***Tip- to take out the HUGE hassle of precooking your noodles and dealing with precooked noodles, use oven-ready noodles OR add 1 1/2 C water to the hamburger mix and cook an extra 20-30 minutes.

Rigatoni with Broccoli

Jamie Massie continued to wow us with this garlicy dish. The light sauce and healthy broccoli keep it from being an overly heavy pasta dish. Though most of us agreed our husbands and kids would probably eat around the broccoli...

1 bunch broccoli (about 1/4 lbs)
salt
1/4 C olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
pinch of crushed red pepper
8 oz of rigatoni noodles

Trim the broccoli and cut into pieces. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Remove broccoli from water and set aside. Add rigatoni to water and cook until al dente{check box for time}. Pour oil into skillet large enough to hold all ingredients. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add cooked and drained rigatoni and remove from heat. Toss with Parmesan.

Healthy Pasta Carbonara

I didn't think a healthy carbonara was possible, but Joni Joiner proved me wrong! I guess 'healthy' is all relative- there are much healthier pasta recipes out there, but probably not much healthy carbonara recipes! Thanks, Joni, for coming for your first time, and for this yummy recipe!

1 9-oz pkg fettucine noodles
1 C frozen green peas
3 slices center cut bacon{turkey bacon would make it even healthier...}
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 C fat free half and half
1/2 C shredded parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions. 3-5 minutes before pasta is done, add the peas to the pot. Drain and reserve 3/4 C of cooking liquid. Cook bacon in a large pan. Remove bacon and reserve 2 tsp of drippings. Add onion to the pan and saute for 3 minutes with the reserved bacon drippings. Add garlic and thyme and cook another minute. Stir pasta, peas, reserved liquid and the half-and-half. Cook 2 minutes. Crumble bacon on top of pasta and toss with cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese

Molly Heaton brought this homemade Macaroni and cheese- talk about carbs! Someone brought it to her after the birth of one of her two daughters and she liked it so much that she hunted down the recipe! What do you think??

8 oz macaroni noodles, cooked
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Stir everything together and sprinkle more cheddar cheese on top. Cover with foil. bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, removing foil for last 5-10 minutes.
*Optional crumb topping: Mix 1/4 C butter with 1 C dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top instead of extra cheese.
*Good recipe to double and then freeze half of it.

Tomato Cream Sauce

Hubby has moved to a grave shift so he's sleeping in the mornings and wanting to hang out in the evenings- not helpful when it comes to taking time to make dinner. So, my crock pot is working over time! I've been fiddling with recipes that can be adjusted for the crock pot and am adding this to the repertoire. This manages to have a hearty and sweet taste to it at the same time. I usually do this with sausage, but thought I'd try with chicken this time. I won't do that again. It was still pretty good, but I like the flavor of the sweet and creamy sauce and the ground sausage. It can also be done meat free...

1 lb sage or plain ground sausage(optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, with juice

1 tbsp dried basil

3/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 C heavy cream

1 tbsp butter

Lazy- Brown the sausage. Put in crock pot with remaining ingredients except cream. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6. Add cream 30 minutes before serving.

Original- Brown the sausage with the onion, garlic and olive oil. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve over hot noodles.

Pasta Salad, v. 2.0

Ok, so I've posted my pasta salad recipe before, but I made this for dinner for my family the night before the exchange, so I shared the leftovers... is that weird? Oh, well. Also, I have another pasta salad recipe that is at least equally good, if not even a degree or two better... So, here's what I'm doing. The various ingredients used to make the salad are interchangeable- tasty with either dressing, so I'll list all my favorites. Then if you want the dressing I actually made that night, go here. If you want the one I would have made if I had a bottle of cole slaw dressing, then keep reading! Another great one for hot summer nights, picnics, dinner by the pool, barbecues, etc... Plus I love that I can throw it together while my kids are napping earlier in the day and have it ready whenever we want to eat- and it contains every food group in one bowl. Ease.

Possible salad ingredients{Just add what you know your family likes!}:

12 oz bow tie, elbow macaroni, or other pasta

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut (about 2 cups)

1 C celery, chopped

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 C red grapes, halved

1 C Craisins

3-4 green onions, chopped

1/2 C slivered almonds

1 C chopped or grated carrots

4 hard boiled eggs

5-8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 C frozen green peas

1 C grated cheddar cheese

I can sliced olives

2 sticks string cheese, chopped

cucumbers, diced

The list is ongoing! Gently toss together your favorites from the list in a LARGE bowl.

Dressing:

1 C Miracle whip or mayonnaise {grew up on Miracle Whip, so that's my lard of choice}

12 oz cole slaw dressing

Mix the Miracle Whip and dressing, toss with salad ingredients. Chill several hours.

Alfredo ala Lindsey

Nice title, right? I don't really call it that, I just don't have another name for it! I love Italian food and was excited when I came across two different recipes for alfredo that I merged into this singular sensation. It's pretty simple and I think it tastes even better on the veggies than on the noodles- incentive to add some vitamins to your diet! Several ingredients, but I promise it's not that difficult.

1/2 pkg linguine
1-2 C broccoli florets{ I just used a frozen vegetable blend}
2 tbsp butter
1 lb chicken breasts, cut to bite size
1/2 medium onion
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 C milk
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1 C chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of cooking time {if you are using frozen veggies, you can either cook them separately or add to boiling water, bring back to a boil, then add the noodles. } Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and onion; cook until chicken is well browned, stirring often. Add soup, milk, parmesan, cream cheese, broth and pepper. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over or toss with the noodles and vegetables. Serve with additional parmesan.

Italian Chicken

Admittedly, this looks gross. However, what it lacks in presentation, it makes up for in taste! It's simplicity makes it one of my favorite meals, it's taste makes it one of my family's favorites. The creamy, flavorful sauce wouldn't work on a Weight Watcher's diet, but it meets my 'must taste great' criteria! Plus, it can be done in 15 minutes on the stove, or early in a crock pot.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts {unless they are Costco breasts, then only two. Seriously, what do they feed those chickens for them to have breasts as big as mine??? TMI?;)}
3/4 stick of butter
1 pkg Italian dressing mix
1 pkg cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C evaporated milk {if I'm feeding a larger group, I just add a bit more of the can}

Place chicken, butter, and Italian dressing mix in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. One hour before serving, heat cream cheese, milk, and soup on stove until well blended. Add to chicken and cook for the last hour. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

For the stove:
Chop the chicken breasts and cook in a large skillet with the butter and dressing mix until cooked through. Add the cream cheese, milk, and soup and stir until well blended. Let simmer about 15 minutes.

Lazy Lasagna Toss

I love lasagna, but then, who doesn't! My mom is kinda famous for hers, so I have a high expectation for anything that calls itself lasagna. While I wouldn't call this my first choice for lasagna, it's a pretty good option when you don't have the time to do it the right way. Hence, Lazy Lasagna Toss!

1 lb ground beef
1-2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced {I was fresh out, but about a tbsp garlic powder was a good substitute}
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 C water
1/4 C zesty Italian dressing
12 oven ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters {to use regular lasagna noodles, just up the water to 2 cups and plan on needing to cook it a little longer.}
1 Can olives (optional)
1/2-1 C ricotta or cottage cheese (optional)

1 C mozzarella cheese

Brown meat in a large saucepan, drain. Stir in peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to a boil. Add noodles and olives; stir. Cover. Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Gently stir in cottage cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I needed something that could stay warm long enough to take in to meet my hubby for his dinner break, so I made this in the crock pot- the way to go! I browned the meat and put it in the crock pot along with the peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water, and dressing. I let that simmer for about 4 hours on high, then stirred in the lasagna noodles and olives {forgot to add the cottage cheese, but I would next time}. I let that sit for about a half hour for oven ready, hour for regular lasagna noodles. It was still nice and hot and easy to transport! Might do it like that again next time!

Pasta Salad

After the eggs are boiled, dyed, hidden, and found, we are faced with what to do with all that protein! Here's a solution- put it in this! Pasta salads are great because you can start with the base recipe and add or subtract ingredients to your taste bud's delight! I also like this because I can make it in the morning and let it chill all day, so come dinner time I may not even have any dishes left to do! Great cool meal or side dish on those hot summer nights.

2 Cups cooked elbow or shell macaroni
1 carrot, peeled and grated {I used diced baby carrots}
1 C frozen green peas {my frozen green peas were frostbitten, so I used a vegetable blend that worked out nice}
1 C grated cheddar cheese
4 hard boiled eggs {plus at least 2 for garnish}
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can tuna, shrimp, or chicken {cubed ham or bacon would also be good}
2 C miracle whip
1/2 C milk
2 tsp dry onions
1/4 C sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, lightly stir the first 7 ingredients. In small bowl, stir together miracle whip, milk, onions, and pickle relish. Pour sauce over ingredients in large bowl and toss to coat. Garnish with egg slices and paprika. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

I really like onion, so I decrease the dry onion a teeny tiny bit and added one green onion to the mix. I think next time I'll do it with chicken and bacon. Maybe even Craisins or grapes...

Artichoke and Sun dried Tomato Pasta

Jenn Fulton brought this yummy pasta. The sun-dried tomato give it a nice restaurant-worthy air to it. The sun-dried tomato is also what broke all over her driveway that night!

1 box (16 oz) Penne Pasta
1 (8 oz) Can artichoke hears in water (drained and chopped)
1 jar julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes in oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced

Cook pasta according to the instructions on package. While pasta is boiling, saute garlic in oil. remove tomatoes from the jar (reserve oil for later) and add to garlic. Add artichokes and chicken and continue to saute until everything is heated. Drain pasta and return to pan. Add sauteed mixture along with the oil from the tomatoes into the pasta. Stir and serve.