Crockpot Lasagna

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz. lasagna noodles, broken and cooked
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 oz. shredded Mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1-1/2 c. cottage cheese
• 1 28 oz. jar pasta sauce (Ragu Tomato, Garlic & Onion is good)
• 1 1/2 T parsley
• 1 t. basil
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Break lasagna noodles into pieces, cook according to package directions, and drain.
2. Brown hamburger, onion and garlic; drain excess fat.
3. Put hamburger, noodles, and remaining ingredients into crockpot and mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

I thought I had copied this recipe from the old blog I set up way back when we first got Earthlink, but realized tonight - when I went looking for it - that I never had. I haven't made it in ages, so no pictures, but basically, it just looks like messy lasagna. It definitely tastes just like lasagna - without nearly as much work. Can't complain about that!

Now to figure out how to use this - and combine it with my friend Kristi's recipe - to feed about 100 people at Camp...

Pressure Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini

It seems I've completely neglected this blog! Has it really been since January? And here we're already in December.

We have been eating, really we have. I just haven't been keeping track of any of it. I've actually been doing a lot of cooking in my pressure cooker. Yes, I kept hearing about how handy these appliances can be, and I decided to buy one. I got the Farberware one from Walmart. From what I can tell, they're all pretty much the same whether you buy the Instant Pot that everyone is talking about, this one from Walmart, or another brand.

I really didn't use my pressure cooker much at first because I really didn't know where to start. Thankfully, I stumbled across the Farberware 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker Facebook group (although other brands are more than welcome), and that has made all the difference.  Questions answered, recipes shared, and plenty of support. Now, I use my PC all the time. It really is as handy as everyone said.

We had this turkey tetrazzini for dinner tonight. I've made it before on the stove, but it turns out so well, and it's so easy in the pressure cooker, I see no reason to do it any differently from now on.

Pressure Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini 
adapted from the Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 T flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. dry pasta
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Heat PC on brown/sear setting; melt butter. Add onion, celery, carrot, and green pepper; saute until cooked and starting to brown. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook for a few minutes. Stir in broth, milk, pasta, and turkey.
2. Put lid on PC and set to cook for 1/2 the time listed on your pasta bag or box. (For my Farberware, I use the Vegetable setting because the default time is 8 minutes, so there's less adjusting. I set it for 6 minutes tonight.)
3. Depending on your time schedule, you can either release the pressure when the time is up or do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and stir in the cheese.
4. Serve immediately or replace the lid and leave on the Keep Warm setting until ready to eat.

I really love that I can brown or saute things right in the pot before adding other ingredients and setting it for pressure cooking (or even slow cooking). The pressure cooker will also keep the food warm until we're ready to eat, so it's great for throwing everything in whenever I have time and then expecting a great meal ready at dinner time. It's definitely my kind of kitchen appliance.

Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Baking & Creating with Avril.  I love that her recipes are "Nothing too fancy but always made with love and happiness!"  A few of the recipes that caught my eye were her Pumpkies, Rustic Tomato Tart, and Skillet Granola. They all sound great, and the pictures that go along with Avril's recipes are mouth watering.  I finally decided that this Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce just really had to be made.

Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce
from baking & creating with Avril

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pasta (I used Penne)
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp oil
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta cooks, slice chicken breast into strips.  Mix flour and salt and add chicken slices; toss to coat.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat . Add coated chicken and cook until it begins to brown and meat is no longer pink in center.  Add mushrooms, diced onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
4.  Add broth, balsamic vinegar and thyme; bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes to thicken slightly and blend the flavors together.  Stir in butter until melted.
5.  Add a ladle of pasta water to the chicken and sauce; reserve additional pasta water before draining (add to leftovers, if there are any).  Stir drained pasta into skillet and stir to coat; simmer for a few minutes to bring it all together; add additional pasta water if necessary.  Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper to sprinkle on top.

Avril's recipe involved a few more steps, but I like simple, so I just cooked everything together in one skillet.  (except the pasta)  It turned out really good.  My husband and I both really liked it.  He even ranked it up alongside his favorite pasta dish from The Olive Garden - just with chicken.  I'd say that is high praise.

Any leftovers heat up really well, and this is just as good, if not better, the second time.  You'll want to add some reserved pasta water to your leftovers to keep the pasta from soaking up all the moisture in the sauce.

An InLinkz Link-up

Mushroom Florentine Pasta

We had this for dinner recently. Yum!  Seriously, all these flavors are so good together.  There's just something about mushrooms and spinach, and creamy pasta sauce.

Mushroom Florentine Pasta
from she wears many hats

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces linguine pasta (or equal amount of another pasta)
• 3 T flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 T olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (if you don't have smoke Gouda, plain will be fine, or use Gruyere)
• 4 cups (or more) spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Begin cooking pasta according to package instructions.
2. Whisk together flour, chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, until garlic just begins to brown.
4. Whisk flour, chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper mixture into mushrooms and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese has melted.
6. Mix in spinach; stir and cook until wilted.
7. Add a ladle or two of pasta water to skillet, then drain pasta and add to skillet; toss to coat.

We had some grilled chicken with this and topped it with some fresh ground pepper. It was absolutely perfect. I will definitely be making this again.

Sesame Peanut Noodles

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Trisha's blog My Hobbie Lobbie. Trisha loves to bake, and she's married to her best friend - we have that in common.  She's also into crafting and crocheting, and uses her blog to keep track of recipes and crochet patterns.  I never did learn to crochet, but I am amazed by people who can.

I started scrolling through Trisha's list of recipes and found a bunch I'd like to try - and I hadn't even made it down to the baked goods.  Here are just a few that sounded yummy:

• Cajun Chicken Wrap
• Sprouted Moong Salad
• Bean and Spinach Bake
• Oven  Baked Zucchini Fries
• Pickled Jalapenos

Trisha lives in Australia, where it's winter right now, so she's making soups and trying to stay warm.  I may have to go back and look at some of her soups when winter comes to our part of the world, but for now I thought something cool would be better.  Or something to use the produce that's coming out of the garden; I'm getting lots of jalapenos and zucchini.
 
I ended up choosing this Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad because it's both - cool, and it uses lots of veggies. As Trisha said - "You can pretty much alter this salad to accommodate the salad veggies that you have at hand."  Perfect!  The recipe reflects the veggies I used this time, but pretty much any combination or amount would work.

Sesame Peanut Noodles
adapted from My Hobbie Lobbie

 Ingredients:

• 8 oz. angel hair pasta
• a handful of bean sprouts (I forgot to put these in)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (or more)
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 T sesame seeds

for the dressing:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T sweet chili sauce
• 3 T peanut butter 

Directions:

1. Break pasta in half and cook according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Toss pasta and remaining salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix dressing; add to salad and toss well, making sure everything is coated.
4. Serve with additional cilantro and sesame seeds to garnish.  Refrigerate leftovers.

 My husband and I had this salad for lunch one day last week, and we both really enjoyed it.  The dressing has a really good flavor, and the combination of soft pasta and crunchy vegetables is excellent.  I will definitely be making this again.  I'm thinking some zucchini would be a nice addition...

An InLinkz Link-up

Lemon Spaghetti Salad

I've made this salad a few times now.  It's very simple and makes a great side dish.  I really like it with these stuffed chicken breasts.  The original recipe uses  a 1 pound package of spaghetti, but I have cut it in half because that makes enough for 2 or 3 meals, since there are just the two of us.  I think it would be a great potluck offering, and in that case, I'd say go ahead and double this recipe.  You'll be able to feed a crowd.

Lemon Spaghetti Salad
from RockRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dry spaghetti (or angel hair)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh basil (fresh mint or tarragon can also be used)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Break pasta in half and cook in salted water according to package directions; drain.
2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing, and then toss together with the cooked spaghetti.
3. Serve hot or cold.

The original recipe calls for freshly grated Parmesan, which would probably make this even better. Unfortunately, all I usually have is the kind of Parmesan that comes in the green can - but that works pretty well, too.

Mediterranean Tuna Noodle Skillet

I made this for dinner the other night. It's a tasty twist on a tuna noodle casserole.

Mediterranean Tuna Noodle Skillet
from Mueller's Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 T oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces noodles, uncooked
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-1/4 cups water 
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can tuna (5 oz.) in water, drained
• 1 jar (7.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, liquid reserved, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until onion starts to soften, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in dry noodles, tomatoes, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tuna, artichokes and reserved liquid to noodles; toss together and heat until hot. Top with cheese and sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning.

I do not usually buy artichokes, but I bought a large jar a while back with the intent to try making some Spinach Artichoke Dip.  We always love it at Applebee's, and I figured it was worth trying at home.  So far I haven't tried the dip, but I decided to open the jar for this tuna skillet.  So... I'm not sure exactly on the measurements.  I measured out about a cup of artichokes, cut them up, and then added liquid to make 8 ounces.  That being said, artichokes may have to become a staple in my pantry because I really liked the flavor they added to this dish.

The leftovers heated up really well, too.  This is definitely something to make again.

Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Pasta Skillet

I had half a butternut squash and a bunch of spinach that really needed used before we went away for several days in December.  I really don't like throwing away food that I spent good money on, and, while the butternut would be fine, I didn't think the spinach would be any good by the time we got back.  So, I went searching for a recipe to use it and found this one.

We loved it!  My husband says we should have this on a regular basis, and my son liked it so much he wanted the recipe so he could make it for himself.  I'd say that's a success.  Even better, it's really simple and all cooks together in one skillet.

Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Pasta Skillet
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound chicken or turkey sausage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, torn
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, more or less to taste
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, combine the onion, garlic, sausage, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces, and cooking until the sausage is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the mixture onto a plate and return the skillet back to the heat.
2. Add the broth and pasta to the skillet and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the squash and simmer 8-10 minutes longer, or until the squash and pasta are both tender. As the squash breaks down, it will help bring a creaminess to the sauce and pasta. If the mixture begins to seem too dry, you can add more liquid as needed.
3. Stir in the spinach and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the sausage mixture back to the skillet and stir in the Mozzarella cheese.  Add salt & pepper to taste.
4. Remove skillet from heat, cover and let the pasta sit for 5-10 minutes. Give it a good stir and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

So good! I adjusted the recipe slightly since I didn't have as much butternut as the original recipe called for. (I used the other half of the squash in this yummy Butternut and Potato Bake)  I just used a bit less sausage, broth, and pasta, but I used my whole bunch of spinach.  I used 3 homemade sausage patties which were actually part beef and part chicken and already cooked.  I just thawed them, cut them up and browned them with the onion and garlic. I didn't really weigh them to see how much sausage I was actually using, but the balance was pretty good.  I think you can use anywhere between 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. depending on your preference and what you have on hand.

Be sure to dice the butternut small so that it cooks quickly, in the time it takes the pasta to cook.  You want it to get nice and soft, and then it thickens the sauce nicely.  I did not think this needed any additional salt and pepper at the end, but that may depend on the sausage and/or broth you use, so just taste and judge for yourself.  I did put a little fresh ground pepper on mine along with some Parmesan, and that was perfect.

Now I need to buy some more butternut squash and spinach!

Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Kitchen Trial and Error, a blog written by Kate.  Along with her husband Jason - chief taste-tester and occasional guest poster - and two adorable sons, Kate lives in Rochester, NY.  She never planned to become a blogger, but has found it's a great way to keep track of her recipes and all those kitchen trials and errors. 

I just started on the first page of her blog and started scrolling, and found so many amazing recipes.  Then I decided to check out Kate's Recipe List, which she has organized by year starting with 2010.  These are just a few of the recipes I want to try, and I haven't even made it through 2011.  YET.

• Carrot Cake Pancakes
• Apple Chicken Chili
• Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
• Creamy Barley with Tomatoes & Spinach
• Mocha Gelato

They all look amazing.  I can't stop!  I love that she's got them organized this way, because the older recipes will still get attention instead of getting lost in the archives.  However, I don't know if I'll ever make it up to the present day because there are so many I want to check out.

I finally settled on this Spaghetti & Meatball Soup (Spaghetti Stoup) because it just looked so good, and it would go perfectly with my fresh-baked Sourdough Bread. I'm pretty sure this is only the beginning, though.  I will be trying many of Kate's recipes!

Spaghetti & Meatball Soup
from Kitchen Trial and Error

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 pound spaghetti broken in half

Directions:

1. For meatballs: Use your hands to combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan.  Set aside.
2. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil and heat on medium.  Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf and cook about 5 minutes, until vegetables start to soften.  Stir in basil, salt, and pepper.
3. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Roll meat mixture into small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.  Once all meatballs have been formed, drop them into the simmering soup and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Add spaghetti and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is done and the meatballs are cooked through. 

Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread

Time saving tips:

• Mix the meatballs up ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.  You can even form the meatballs and store them in a covered container.  Just put waxed paper between the layers if you have more than one.
• Chop the onion, garlic, and carrots; store in covered container in refrigerator.

While it will still take the same amount of time, doing some of the prep early in the day or even the night before (whenever you have time) means, when it's time to make dinner, you just have to throw things in the pan - and you'll have a delicious soup in no time!

We really enjoyed this, and it was perfect with the sourdough bread.  I wasn't completely sure about just dropping the meatballs into the soup without baking or browning them first, but they were just perfect.  I will definitely make this again!

The soup was much thicker when we enjoyed the leftovers - as most soups are.  It was kind of like a really saucy pot of spaghetti, and just as tasty as the first time.  I have a hard time believing that some people refuse to eat leftovers.  Most things just get better and better each time they are heated up.

I think this would make a great dish to take for a potluck, just put it into a crock pot or slow cooker to warm it up.  My husband said that maybe I'd want to skip the carrots for that, but I really like the carrots in this.  Maybe grating them instead of chopping would let them be in there but disappear a bit more - so people like him wouldn't even know they were there.  But I would.

An InLinkz Link-up

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

We had this for dinner recently. I don't really know where the recipe came from in the first place.  It's one I have typed up in my recipe book, and I've had it for a while. 

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 carrot, sliced diagonally
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. Angel Hair pasta
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Begin heating pasta water.  Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken.  Cook, stirring until chicken is almost cooked through.
2. Add carrot to skillet and cook for a couple minutes, then add garlic and broccoli and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until vegetables are crisp tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add chicken broth, basil, and Parmesan to skillet.  Stir to combine, reduce heat, and simmer while pasta cooks.
4. Before draining pasta, add a ladle of your pasta water to the skillet and set aside 2 or 3 ladles for later.  Drain pasta and add drained pasta to chicken and vegetable mixture in the skillet.  Stir to combine and heat for a few minutes on low.
5. Serve with additional Parmesan and fresh ground black pepper.

-- add your reserved pasta water to any leftovers before refrigerating.

I really should make this more often.  It's quite simple to make and very good. There are only 2 of us, so we had leftovers, and we enjoyed those, too! 

Italian Beef and Zucchini Stir Fry

I'm not sure where I originally found this recipe.  I cut it out of a magazine or something, and it's been in my recipe collection for ages.  Here's a copy of the original recipe I found over on Food.com.

Of course, I didn't follow the recipe, exactly, but I think that's part of the appeal of a recipe like this - you can substitute the ingredients you have on hand.  I didn't have any cherry tomatoes, but I did have one Roma - and a red pepper for some color.  I also added some sliced onion, because everything needs onions!

Italian Beef and Zucchini Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 8 oz. thinly sliced beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 a medium onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 small to medium zucchini, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. While spaghetti is cooking, heat oil in skillet; add beef and stir fry until partially cooked, 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper and stir fry another couple minutes before adding zucchini.
3. When zucchini is crisp tender, season with salt and pepper and then add Italian dressing and diced tomato.  Heat through.
4. When spaghetti is cooked, add a ladle of the cooking water to skillet and set aside a little more (1/2 cup to a cup)  Drain spaghetti and add it to the skillet; mix it in and heat for a couple minutes to let everything combine.
5. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I used whole wheat spaghetti, which was just perfect in this, but you can use regular spaghetti too.  A green bell pepper will work in this, too if that's what you have.  It's a simple recipe with a lot of flavor, and you can adjust it to suit your tastes or to use the items you have in your kitchen.

Even the leftovers are good!  This is where the reserved pasta sauce comes in - add it to your leftovers before refrigerating them.  Pasta tends to soak up extra moisture.  If you don't add the pasta water now, you will find you need to add water when you reheat, so you might as well use the good pasta water.

I've heard that there are people who won't eat leftovers, but if you liked it the first time, wouldn't you like it a couple days later?  Sometimes it's even better reheated because the flavors have had time to blend and improve.  But that's another topic.  Just try this recipe.  You'll like it.  Oh, and if you have lots of zucchini you're trying to figure out what to do with, try this first and then pass the rest to me.  I actually had to buy the zucchini I used in this recipe because I don't have a garden again this year, which makes me very sad.   Hard to believe when I was growing up I said I didn't want to have a garden when I grew up!

Related articles

• Italian Vegetable Fritatta
• 10 Delicious Ways to Use All That Summer Zucchini
• Beef & Noodles With Fresh Vegetables Recipe

Easy Fettuccine Cacciatore

This recipe was on the same page of the Kraft Food & Family magazine with the Beef Noodle Bowl, which I now make quite regularly.  And this week I finally got around to trying this one.  I had mushrooms that needed used and a green pepper in the fridge, too, so it was the perfect time.

This is a very simple recipe and very tasty.

Easy Fettuccine Cacciatore
adapted from Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. fettuccine
• 2 tsp. oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Directions:

1. Cook fettuccine as directed on package.
2. While fettuccine is cooking, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 6 min. or until no longer pink. Add sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Add basil and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant.  Stir in tomatoes and dressing; simmer on medium-low heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
3. When pasta is cooked, add some of the pasta water to the chicken and vegetable mix.  Drain pasta and toss with chicken mixture; simmer a couple minutes to blend flavors.

I added the sliced onion, because the original recipe didn't call for any onion - and it just needed some onion.  (doesn't everything?)

Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, serve with a vegetable and some crusty bread, and you have a very delicious meal.   I think I'll be making this one on a regular basis, too.

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

If you're thinking that it can't possibly be time for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal already, you're right.  I usually post with Group A, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the Group B blogger assigned to Jane's Adventures in Dinner could not do it - so I got to step in!  Lucky me - I am enjoying Jane's blog very much.

Jane is a Canadian wife and mummy who loves to cook and even trained as a chef at one time.  Then she discovered her love of teaching and became a teacher - a teacher who still loves to cook and feed everyone. Now she's got a small daughter and this blog full of amazing recipes and pictures to chronicle the adventures of it all. 

Once again I had a hard time choosing just one recipe.  There are so many to choose from, all with mouth-watering photos.  Here are some that made the short list, and that I will most likely be making soon:

• PB & J Muffins
• Cranberry Granola
• Cranberry Honey Oat Muffins
• Hot Chocolate Bread
• T'kill Ya Beef - (we tend to call call tequila T’ kill ya too, though not for the same reasons)

Don't those all sound yummy?  I finally decided on this Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese because I just had to see how it turned out.

Mix the cheese and seasonings together, mix it together with the macaroni in your slow cooker, pour some broth and milk on top, and let it cook.  Can it really be that easy?  Yes, yes it is! 

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese 
from Jane's Adventures in Dinner

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cheese (a mix of mozzarella and sharp cheddar)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 T ground mustard
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 4 cups uncooked pasta
• 1 L milk
• 1/2 L chicken stock

Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (or cracker crumbs)

Instructions

1. Mix shredded cheese, cornstarch, ground mustard and paprika together. Place pasta in greased 5-quart slow cooker and mix in cheese and seasonings. Pour milk and stock over the top.
2. Cook on HIGH for four hours (at 3-1/2 hours, dot with butter and cover with bread crumbs).  OR Cook on LOW for six hours (at 5-1/2 hours, dot with butter, cover with bread crumbs, and turn heat to HIGH for remaining 1/2 hour).

Makes A LOT

This was perfect for dinner on a snowy winter's night.  Comfort food at its best!  I haven't had mac & cheese in ages - not since my kids were little, and then it was just the kind that comes in the blue box.  This is better!  And pretty much as easy.  Jane says the key is coating the shredded cheese with the cornstarch and seasonings.  So I did what she said.

At the end I had Mac & Cheese!  I ate way too much, and I still couldn't stop nibbling on the crunchy edges - though those might have been because I ended up cooking it for the full four hours before I added the topping, because I was out shoveling the driveway and didn't get back into the house.  Nope, just checked the picture, and there were already some crispy edges.  I really like those crispy edges.

Before the topping

Warning - this recipe makes a lot.  There will be plenty of leftovers, unless you're feeding a crowd.  This would actually be a great recipe to take for a potluck, especially if you have a few hours to cook it once you get there.  Mix your cheeses, spices, and macaroni in the slow cooker and take your broth and milk in a separate container.  Pour them in when you get there and turn on the slow cooker.  How easy is that?   It would probably also be perfectly yummy without the topping if you didn't even want to mess with that.  Though the topping does make it pretty -

If you're not feeding a crowd, be sure to visit Jane's blog to see what she did with her leftovers.  Me, I've been eating Mac & Cheese for lunch.  I also had to try it with ketchup.  I had never heard of such a thing, but Jane mentioned that she likes hers with sriracha but her daughter opts to dip hers into ketchup.  Sadly, I have no sriracha, a problem that I must remedy soon, but ketchup is really good with Mac & Cheese.  Who knew?  Did you know?

An InLinkz Link-up

Beef Noodle Bowl

I found this recipe in one of my old Food & Family magazines from Kraft.  My biggest question is - "Why haven't I made this before?"  Since I found the recipe, I've made it twice with beef and once with chicken.  This is going to be a regular recipe around here. 

Beef Noodle Bowl
adapted from Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 8 oz. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
• 8 oz. fettuccine or linguine, uncooked
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

1. Mix salad dressing, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger.  Add sliced steak and marinate 30 minutes or longer.
2. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 min.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Remove meat from marinade and add to skillet. Begin cooking and then add onions; cook until meat is browned on all sides and onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining marinade; cook 2 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
4. When pasta is cooked, add a ladle or two of pasta water to the meat mixture. Drain pasta mixture and add to meat mixture in skillet; toss to coat. 
5. Serve with garnish of red pepper flakes and/or cilantro, if desired.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each

This is really easy and tastes really good. It is best with steak and fresh vegetables, but I used boneless chicken thighs and frozen broccoli once, and that was pretty good, too.  You could probably adapt the recipe to use whatever vegetables you have or want to use - though carrots and broccoli are pretty much perfect. 

with chicken

I always set a bit of the pasta water aside to add to any leftovers - whatever looks good - because pasta tends to absorb liquid when it sits, and a little extra is welcome when it's time to heat it back up.  Of course, last time I made it, my husband was here, and there weren't any leftovers.  I guess he likes it too!

I really like to sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top and cilantro if I have it.  The Kraft recipe says to sprinkle with dry roasted peanuts, which I haven't tried, but it does sound good - so maybe next time.

Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

I know there's a site that lets you enter the ingredients you have in your fridge/pantry to come up with recipes that use those ingredients.  In fact, I think I might have even posted something about it on this blog.   Somewhere.  But I don't use that site - or any site like it.  I just type the ingredients I have, plus the word 'recipe' into search in my browser, and I end up with a whole list of recipes to choose from.

Yesterday I typed in 'chicken spinach mushroom recipe' - because I had cooked chicken, spinach, and mushrooms in the fridge that needed used, of course -  and found this one from the Betty Crocker website.  So, of course I pinned it to Pinterest!  And made it for dinner tonight.  Except that I forgot to add the chicken - didn't even think about it until I was eating!  But, you know what?  It was really good even without the chicken.

Source: bettycrocker.com via Anna on Pinterest

Here's the recipe:

Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 oz spaghetti, cooked, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups loosely packed spinach
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup cubed, cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Pepper 
• 1/3 cup reserved pasta water

Directions:

1. In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, onions and spinach in butter until vegetables are softened and spinach is wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute until the pasty taste cooks off. Add the half-and-half and stir slowly as sauce thickens. Add the chicken to skillet; cook until hot, stirring occasionally. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add cooked spaghetti and reserved pasta water. Stir to combine.

I used Angel Hair pasta, because that's what I had.  I didn't measure the mushrooms or spinach, just used a little more than half an 8-oz. package of mushrooms - that would be 5 ounces, right? -  and washed a bunch of spinach.  It looked like more than the 1-1/2 cups the recipe called for.  I think I could have used more - spinach cooks way down, so I think it would be hard to use too much. 

And, I forgot the chicken.  But, like I said, it was good even without the chicken.  I did not measure the pasta water that I added, but it was definitely more than 1/3 cup, so do not drain the pasta and pour the water down the drain until you're sure the sauce and pasta are the right consistency - and then save some more because it will thicken up.  I think it's better with a little extra liquid and not too thick, at least that's my preference.

We had some leftovers, so I'm planning to add the chicken then, or at least some chicken.  I'm also thinking of adding a can of diced tomatoes to change it up a bit.  I got some diced tomatoes with rosemary and oregano that ought to be just the thing.

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Pasta Salad (w/ Feta)

I needed something to take to a potluck - some kind of side dish.  I'd seen a recipe on GMA for a pasta salad, and the only ingredient I remembered was feta -besides the pasta, of course.  I found that recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients or it wasn't what I was wanting, so I went looking for a pasta salad with feta.  I found a whole list of them, but I decided to go with this one, kinda.

Pasta Salad w/ Feta and Olives

Ingredients:

• 16 ozs bow tie pasta (farfalle)
• 2 cups broccoli florets 
• 15 ozs kidney beans (drained)
• 4 ozs black olives (sliced, drained)
• 1 bell pepper (seeded and diced) 
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes
• 4 ozs feta cheese (crumbled)
• 1 cup Italian salad dressing

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli florets to the boiling water during the last 2 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to cool.
2. In a large serving bowl, stir together the kidney beans, black olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir in the pasta and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Chill and serve.

This would be great with fresh broccoli and tomatoes, but I didn't have any so I used frozen broccoli and canned tomatoes.  I used an orange pepper, because that's what I had, and I think it added a nice color to the salad.  I also forgot to run cold water over the pasta and broccoli, so I mixed it in hot, but I'm thinking that might help blend the flavors better - or at least that's what I'm telling myself.  I'll probably use the cold water next time, if I remember.

The salad is chilling now, so I haven't tasted it - except to sample a couple pieces of pasta, and those were great.  It smells amazing, and it will make a nice cool side-dish this weekend.

Angel Hair with Broccoli and Bacon

I adapted this recipe from one I saw on The Chew for Michael Symon's Angel Hair Pasta with Pancetta and Broccoli.  I used turkey bacon and walnuts instead of the pancetta and pine nuts he used.  I had some bacon and broccoli that needed used, so...

Angel Hair with Broccoli and Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Angel Hair Pasta
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 bunch Broccoli, cut up
• 1/2 package Turkey Bacon
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic clove (sliced)
• 1 teaspoon Chile Flakes
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Drop pasta into boiling salted water
2. Cut up bacon slices and add to saute pan with 2 T olive oil over medium heat
3. Add broccoli to pan
4. Add walnuts to pan and move contents in the pan to one side and add another tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced garlic. You want the garlic to toast but not burn.
5. Ladle in 2-3 spoonfuls of the pasta water to the pan and mix to incorporate.  Reserve some of the pasta water before you drain it in case you need more.
6. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan and season with chili flakes. Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and toss to coat.  Top with Parmesan and serve. 

Overall, it was pretty tasty and easy.  I added 3 spoonfuls of the pasta water to the bacon and broccoli mixture and then added more once everything was mixed together, just to give it a bit of moisture.

I think I would like to try this with a different pasta next time - something a bit closer to the size of the broccoli pieces.  I think Michael used angel hair because he was trying to pull the whole dish together in 5 minutes, and angel hair cooks very fast, but I think another pasta would go better.  Maybe bow tie?

Mediterranean Penne Pasta and Beans

I don't know what it is about this stuff, but I love it! I could eat it all week, and usually I do - because usually I make it just for me. (my husband tends to turn his nose up at things that don't include meat)  The flavors and textures just seem to go together so well.  And really, with the beans and pasta and greens, and feta!, who really needs meat?

Mediterranean Penne Pasta and Beans

Ingredients

• 6 oz. (1 3/4 cups) uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 t sugar
• 6-8 cups fresh chard, stems removed and chopped (or a 10-oz. pkg. prewashed fresh spinach)
• 2 oz. (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

Directions

1. Cook penne to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm. 
2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds.  Add chard; cook until chard wilts, stirring frequently.
3. Add tomatoes, beans, Italian seasoning and sugar; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. 
4. To serve, arrange cooked penne on large serving platter. Top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and olives.

The original recipe calls for garbanzo beans and spinach, but I've always used the kidney beans and chard, mostly because I like kidney beans better, and I always have plenty of chard from my garden.

Also, this is why I need to start saving all my recipes in the same place.  I want to make this for lunch, knew I had the recipe printed out somewhere - but I couldn't find it anywhere.  So I went looking online and thankfully found it!

Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law several years ago. Like she said - it's really good! Especially for a cool summer meal.

(Yes, I know that it's already Fall, but I've been putting off the posting of this recipe - just bookmark it and save it for next summer.)

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups cooked pasta
• 2 medium carrots, sliced or shredded
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 white onion, sliced in quarters
• 1 tomato, cubed
• 2 bunches broccoli cut up small (2 cups)
• 1/2 can sliced olives
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup salad dressing (Italian)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, chill, and serve.

While it's best with fresh vegetables, I have used canned tomatoes and frozen broccoli in this, and it turns out just fine.  I always use Italian salad dressing, but it could be made with whatever kind you like, perhaps Ranch - whatever you like.  It makes a lot, so I usually have to store it in a 4-quart or 5-quart ice cream bucket because I don't have any other containers big enough.  Love those ice cream buckets for everything!
 

Lazy Day Pasta

The original recipe is called Lazy Day Mostaccioli, though I usually use penne - which is basically shaped the same.  You throw the pasta in without boiling it first and can prepare this early in the day or the night before - whenever you have time, and it's ready to bake at dinner time.

Here's how I made it yesterday:

Lazy Day Mostaccioli

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz. chopped mushrooms
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 26 oz. can of spaghetti sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 egg
• 8 oz. mostaccioli noodles (or penne)
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Chopped chard, sauteed in olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef with onion until brown. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until beef is well browned and mushrooms are done; stir in Italian seasoning.  Add sauce and tomatoes and simmer 20 minutes.  
2. While this is simmering, saute chard in olive oil until it starts to wilt.  Add a bit of water, cover, and cook until done.
3. Mix together the cottage cheese, oregano, and egg; set aside.  
4. Grease 13"x9" pan.  Now start layering - about 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the cottage cheese mix, 1/2 the chard, and a light layer of cheese (about 1/3).  Repeat.  Then layer on the rest of the meat sauce and the rest of the cheese.  Sprinkle Parmesan over all.  Add 1/2 cup water over the top.  Let sit for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.  

5. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until brown and bubbly.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Follow the instructions the first time.  If too watery, decrease water to 1/4 cup, if too dry, add 3/4 cup water.

The original recipe called for 1/2 lb. hamburger and 1/2 lb. sausage, and a 10 oz. package of frozen spinach.  I used the mushrooms because I had some that needed used and the chard because I have plenty of it coming out of the garden, so I might as well use it.  It turned out so good!

I served it with zucchini (also from the garden and sauteed in olive oil) and fresh homemade sourdough bread.  Perfect!