Sour Cream Noodle Bake

The Pioneer Woman posted this recipe recently. I wanted to try it because it looked really fast and easy. It was also quite delicious, comfort food at its best. I changed the original recipe just a bit for our taste. I think I had this all assembled in about 15 minutes, it is great for those busy weeknights when you want something fast to throw together yet everyone loves. Even tastier for leftovers. This recipe fed my family of 6 with leftovers for a couple of us the next day.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1 package egg noodles

1 pound ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper

2 garlic cloves

2 small cans tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce, just plain ol' tomato sauce)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 small bag frozen corn

1 cup shredded cheese ( I used cheddar)

Brown ground beef in skillet with garlic cloves. Drain fat and add tomato sauce, salt and pepper and allow to simmer while you prepare the rest. Cook egg noodles al dente. Drain pasta and toss with the cottage cheese, sour cream, fresh ground pepper and green onions.

Add half the noodle mixture to a baking dish, top with half the ground beef, top with cheese then frozen corn. Finish with the remainder of the noodles, ground beef and top with more cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Spinach Lasagna Rolls, healthy version

I made this for dinner last week and it was wonderful! A friend recommended it and I am so glad she did. It is a healthy, low fat, meatless meal and was so easy to put together. I will make this regularly. All of my kids loved it. It comes from skinnytaste.com. They have 6 Weight Watchers points ( on the new point scale) for those of you point counters.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

10 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce

9 tbsp part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Chicken Fried Rice

My mom made this for us a couple of weeks ago and it was so wonderful! I am craving it right now and everytime I am reminded of it. It is the most requested recipe on local morning program, GOOD THINGS UTAH. Thanks mom for sharing this awesome dinner with us!


Nicea's Favorite Fried Rice

1-2 Chicken breasts or 10 Chicken Tenders
3 Scrambled eggs
2 Carrots (finely grated)
½ White onion (finely chopped)
¾ cup Frozen peas
½ cup Butter
1-2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
or 1 tsp. garlic Powder
2 cups White rice (not instant)

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, if you do not have much time, mix it with chicken before cooking
In a large frying pan Cook chicken in small amount of olive oil, add carrots and onions and sauté until clear
Add frozen peas and cook until soft.
In a separate pan cook rice then add to the mixture
In another pan, scramble three eggs, chop finely and add to mixture
Melt 1/2 cup butter, add crushed garlic cloves to butter, stir and add to mixture
Mix all together well, add soy sauce to taste and Enjoy.

Mongolian Beef

This recipe comes from my friend Petra, she got it from food.com. She posted it on her blog as a copycat recipe of P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef. I knew it would be yummy since it came from Petra. The sauce is a dream come true. I ate some of the beef then loaded my plate with stir fry veggies and rice and poured the extra sauce over it. (I made extra sauce just for that reason)


Mongolian Beef

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.

Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
Enjoy! :)

Chicken Chow Mein

We had this a couple of weeks ago for dinner and it was great. The whole family loved it and it was also good as leftovers the next day. I got it from T.D.F. Recipes to die for and everything I have tried from her has been great.

Chicken Vegetable Chow Mein

1 pkg spaghetti (or udon noodles if you want to get fancy)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into really thin strips
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs oil
1 small onion, cut in half, then sliced (half moon shaped)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3/4 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded
1 1/2 c frozen Chinese snow peas (or any vegetable you want)
1 carrot, peeled, and sliced into matchstick size
2 1/2 tbs soy sauce
2 1/2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, making sure to add plenty of salt to the boiling water to flavor the noodles. While noodles are cooking season chicken with salt and pepper, and toss with cornstarch. Heat 2 tbs oil in wok or large skillet on high. Cook chicken until brown and crispy, (this takes about 10 minutes). Remove chicken onto a plate with slotted spoon. Add onion, carrot and garlic and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, then add cabbage, stir fry for 3 minutes or until tender. Add chicken, frozen vegetables, cooked, drained noodles, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce. Toss until noodles and vegetables are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Serve!

Souce: T.D.F. Recipes to die for

Pasta Taco Salad

This is the first time I have had a mexican pasta and it certainly won't be the last. This is definitely part of my regular rotation now. I loved it for dinner and I loved it the next day for lunch. It will be great in the summer because you don't need the oven and I like having meatless meals on the menu.

Pasta Taco Salad

1 pound pasta (bowtie, wagonwheel or spiral)
salt
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
1½ cups salsa (I reccomend making this and using it, I make up a batch every Saturday and never buy jarred salsa anymore after finding it)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 roma tomatoes, diced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions with 1 Tablespoon of salt. Drain pasta and stir the corn in frozen to cool pasta and defrost corn. Toss the pasta with salsa then the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.

2. Toss the avacado with the lime juice, remove avacado and add to pasta. With remaining lime juice, add spices, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt, then slowly whisk in the oil. Add dressing to pasta. Serve immediately. Stays well for up to 1 day in fridge, longer if you keep the avacado separate.

adapted from: The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Chicken Pasta Salad

It is safe to say that this is my new absolute favorite chicken pasta salad. It is SO wonderful and the whole family agrees. It came from a wonderful cooking blog, The Recipe Shoebox. She had a post with her families most favorite meals of all time and this was one of them. I am so glad I tried it, it will become a regular around here. Next up, I need to make the other meals on her list of favorites. I love that I can make it in the summer and the only heat required is from boiling water for the pasta. It is very easy and fast to make. I used 1 can of Costco chicken which made it that much easier. I am sure it gets better with time, but I sent the leftovers to work with my husband so I didn't get the priviledge of finding out.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken (or 1can of Costco chicken)
1 lb. cooked rotini or bowtie noodles

2 heads broccoli, finely chopped

1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheese

1/3 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing (don't skip this--it's what holds it all together)

Dressing:
2 envelopes dry Italian dressing mix
6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
4-1/2 Tbs. water
1/2 cup olive oil
Combine cooled chicken, chopped vegetables, and olives. Set aside. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over vegetables and chicken. Mix together. Add ranch dressing and cheese and fold together. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving Serves 8 - 10.

adapted from The Recipe Shoebox

Manicotti w/ Meat Sauce and some mishaps

I came across this while reading a Cook's Country magazine. I thought it looked so good and was looking for a new Italian meal for my menu. My family loved this and I am sure it will be great tomorrow as leftovers. I will never use manicotti noodles again when making manicotti (that sounded funny). Using softened no boil lasagne noodles softened and rolling them is 100 times easier than trying to stuff manicotti. They are fragile and it is a mess, at least when I have tried anyway.

Meat Sauce

1 onion, chopped

6 ounce package sliced pepperoni
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Manicotti

3 cups ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded provolone and mozzarella mix (I found it shredded together in a package)

1 large egg , lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Pulse onion and pepperoni in food processor until coarsely ground. Put in large saucepan with ground beef, mix together well over medium heat until no longer pink.

Transfer 1 cup beef mixture to paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta and provolone), egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl. Place noodles in a 9 x 13 pan and pour boiling water over them to soak until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel, discard water and dry pan for manicotti.

Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Place ¼ cup cheese filling on each noodle and roll up. Arrange with seam-side down over sauce in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake about 40 minutes, until bubbly. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.

Tonight was the second time I made this, but the first we actually ate it. I first tried yesterday but noticed some paper in the ground onion and pepperoni. I just thought it was a sticker from the meat or something then I realized it waas one of these:

I guess there was one in the pepperoni. I was too disturbed to even research to see if it would hurt and dumped the whole thing down the sink. Strike one.

Tonight when I was seasoning the sauce with pepper, the lid wasn't on the pepper. Oops. Strike two.

By the time I scooped out all the pepper, about 3 cups of the sauce was gone. So, our manicotti wasn't sauce-y enough but delicious nonetheless. Just thought I would share my mistakes of the day. Please learn from mine, these aren't my first kitchen mishaps and certainly won't be the last.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup has become tradition for halloween at our home. I love could eat mexican food everyday for lunch and dinner and never, ever get tired of it. We had it with the worlds best cornbread and honey butter. Click here for that recipe and if you still haven't tried it, I suggest you do so and soon!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Tablespoons oil

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Mexican Crock Pot chicken, recipe found here

sour cream

avacado

shredded cheese

tortilla chips, crushed

Saute onion in oil. When onion is transluscent, add chopped jalapeno and garlic cloves. Cook for a couple of minutes then add chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, chicken and cilantro.

Serve with sour cream, avacado, cheese and tortilla chips.

Potato Soup

We woke up to snow yesterday and it put me in the mood for soup. I wanted something light and healthy too and this is what I came up with. Who doesn't love easy, healthy and inexpensive meals? I had some for lunch today and it was even better than last night.

Potato Soup

6-8 small potatoes cut into small chunks

2 cups chopped carots
2 cups diced celery

1 large onion, diced

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup lowfat milk

1 cup lowfat or fat free half and half

4 to 5 bouillon cubes

salt

pepper

In a frying pan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender then add flour. In a separate large pot, add potatoes and fill with water, just enough to cover potatoes. Add carrots and bouillon cubes and boil until potatoes add carrots are tender. Add onion and celery to the potatoes and carrots then add the milk and half and half. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until ready to serve.

Garnish with grated cheese and sour cream if desired.

Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Casserole

I got this recipe from my sister in law Dawn, she got it from Cooks Country. She was describing it to me once and it made me so hungry. I like having another meatless meal in my rotation. You could add chicken to it, but I don't think it is at all necessary. I had to double the bread crumb topping, it was too good not to. We had about half the pan left over and I have a feeling it will be even better tomorrow and am already looking forward to the leftovers. This was a big hit at my house, my husband and all my kids loved it and wanted seconds (granted, my four kids all love broccoli). When I first read through the recipe, it seemed like a lot of steps but it really was quite easy to throw together. I will be making this again very soon and suggest you do too. Thanks for yet another delicious recipe Dawn!

Cheese Rice and Broccoli Casserole

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. butter, melted; plus 2 Tbsp, chilled.
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. fresh broccoli, florets cut into 1" pieces, stems peeled & chopped. Keep florets and stems separate! (2 pounds is about 3-4 medium heads of broccoli)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 1/4 c. long grain white rice
4 c. chicken broth
1 1/4 c. half-and-half
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Prepare topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 400 degrees. Grease 9"x13" baking dish. Pulse bread, 1/4 c. Parmesan, and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic.

Make filling: Microwave broccoli florets, covered, in large bowl until bright green and tender, 2-4 minutes; set aside. Melt remaining butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion and broccoli STEMS (not the florets you microwaved) until softened, 8-10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar, cayenne, remaining Parmesan, and broccoli florets.

Top and bake: Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

Make ahead: Filling can be prepared, placed in greased baking dish, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for 1 day. Refrigerate topping separately. Bring filling to room temperature before adding bread crumbs and baking as directed.

Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

This is the sauce I make if I am having company and want something tastier than jar sauce. I mostly use jar sauce and doctor it up a bit with tomatoes and some seasonings.

Marinara Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 8 ounce tomato sauce

1 6 ounce tomato paste

2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes

saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms, parsley and spices. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Fill empty tomato cans and tomato paste cans with water and add to sauce. Allow to simmer for up to an hour.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork (or you can use all beef)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 Tablespoons dried or fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

8 ounce package mozzarella, cut into small cubes (about 1/4 inch in size)

Mix all ingredients and form into walnut sized balls, forming meat around cheese cube. Cook in olive oil in a large pan. Try to be gentle, the cheese tends to ooze out if you turn too much. Serve over pasta and marinara. Top with parmesan.

This makes about 2 1/2 dozen meatballs. I usually use half and freeze the rest or save them for leftovers. Or, just cut the recipe in half.

General Tso's Chicken

Yet another recipe I tried from Your Home Based Mom. We really liked it, it is pretty spicy so my kids didn't love it. I had a ton of green beans in my freezer that a neighbor gave me from her garden so this was perfect.

General Tso's Chicken

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 lb green beans,snow peas, or asparagus trimmed and halved crosswise

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 Tablespoon light-brown sugar

2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 large egg whites

Salt & Pepper

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons vegetable oilh has dissolved. Add snow peas (or green beans), garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of red-pepper flakes; toss to combine and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken, toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Lift half of the chicken from the egg white mixture (shaking off excess) and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, adding red pepper flakes. Set aside, reserving skillet.

Add the green bean mixture to the skillet. Cover; cook until beans are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat.

Serve over hot rice.

Cheese and Sausage Bowties

This is quite easy to make and my family loves it. I don't use Romano very often, it has a bit of a different taste so I didn't know if the kids would like it or not but they loved it. It was even better the second day.

Cheese and Sausage Bowties

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 lb. bow ties

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 1/3 cup grated Romano

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 cup minced fresh parsely
1 pound sausage
1 small onion, chopped

Cook pasta, while it boils drain the tomatoes and RESERVE THE JUICE. Next, cook sausage with onion, drain fat and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

In a 9x13 pan combine the pasta, sauce, tomatoes and sausage. Stir in cheese and toss in parsely.

Cook uncovered at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken

My family loved this meal, kids and adults. I love crock pot meals, don't you? This made the house smell heavenly. Ginger, onions and garlic, oh my!

Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

10-12 chicken tenders or 4-5 chicken breasts

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 cups water

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 can crushed pineapple

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 Tb. grated ginger

1/4 package green onions, chopped finely

cornstarch

water

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) in a big bowl. Place chicken in a big ziploc bag with mixture and marinate overnight. Cook all day in a crock-pot. To thicken, mix a couple tablespoons of cornstarch with some water and to chicken. To thicken more, repeat. Shred chicken and serve over rice.

(I didn't marinate overnight and we still thought it was wonderful. Perhaps it would have been even better. )

Adapted from: Becoming Betty

Sloppy Joes

I decided to try the Pioneer Woman's sloppy Joe recipe and it was so good! They are a little on the hot and spicy side, I thought my kids would complain but they all ate them all gone. I will absolutely make these again, my husband really loved them.

Sloppy Joe's

2 Tablespoons Butter

2-½ pounds Ground Beef

½ whole Large Onion, Diced

1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced

5 cloves Garlic, Minced

1-½ cup Ketchup

1 cup Water

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)

1 teaspoon Dry Mustard

½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)

Worcestershire Sauce To Taste

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)

Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)

Salt To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Kaiser Rolls

Butter

Add butter to a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are a little soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spread rolls with butter and brown on griddle or under the broiler.

Skillet no meat Lasagna

This is absolutely delicious, so easy, has no meat and is pretty low fat! What more could you ask for? I will definitely be making this again and again. It is too easy and yummy not to. It is a Martha Stewart recipe that I found adapted at Remodelaholic.

Skillet no meat Lasagna

(approx. 6 servings, 8 Weight Watchers points per serving)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet over med-high heat, add:

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 T olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2+ tsp of Basil, oregano and fennel seeds (each)

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in another boil mix together:

1 18 oz small curd low fat cottage cheese

2/3 c Parmesan (the powder kind, not fresh grated

3 T dried parsley

2 beaten eggs

3/4 c Mozzarella

salt and pepper

No cook Lasagna Noodles

When red sauce is done, scrape 2/3 out into another bowl. Then layer with noodles and cottage cheese mixture, and repeat. Top with one cup Mozzarella.

Place back on the burner, medium high heat for five minutes covered. Remove the lid and place the whole skillet into preheated 400 degree oven (make sure your skillet is oven safe!) and bake for 15 more minutes.

Let stand a few minutes before serving!

Source: Remodelaholic

Sausage tomato penne

My whole family went to my sisters cabin a few weeks ago and this is what my sister in law suggested we make for the meal we were in charge of. Delicious!! It is so easy and perfect for summer since it is all done in the skillet. A new favorite at our house.

Sausage Tomato Pasta

1 package penne, cooked according to package
1 pound mild italian sausage
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large can diced tomatoes with italian seasonings
1/2 onion, chopped
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
italian seasoning

Cook onion, sausage, and garlic with olive oil. Drain fat. Add heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add can of tomatoes and italian seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, heat and toss with pasta.

Easy Chicken Pesto Penne

This is so delicious, so easy, fast and great for summer. I used a rotissere chicken so I didn't have to turn on the oven at all. Everyone, including my kids liked this. I bought a large jar of pesto from Costco and can't wait to use it in other recipes. I am LOVING pesto lately.

Chicken Pesto Penne

make and takes

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 cup parmesan

salt

pepper

1 pound penne pasta, cooked and drained

Boil heavy cream, stirring constantly, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it thickens. Add pesto and stir then add parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss with chicken and pasta.

Shaggy Chicken

This recipe is from my sister in law, Dawn. I made it for my family this week and we all loved it. They were like chicken nuggets so the kids especially loved them dipped in BBQ and ketchup. Personally, I think dipping this in something ruins it. I love the bit size pieces, I used chicken tenders and cut them with scissors before coating. This has such a yummy flavor and it is so simple to throw together on a weeknight.

Shaggy Chicken

1 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. corn flakes (I found corn flake crumbs and used those, which is why mine doesn't look "shaggy")
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 cube of butter, melted
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders

Mix together the cheese, corn flakes, and dressing mix. Cut the chicken into 2-3" pieces. Roll in butter, then in flake mixture. Place in a 9"x13" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.