Sausage Pasta Dish

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into bite sized slices
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 (10 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, undrained
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fresh spinach

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add sausage, onions, garlic, and mushrooms to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until onions are slightly tender, stirring often. Add in penne pasta, chicken stock, roasted red peppers, along with the liquid from the jar, cheeses and spinach. Stir to combine and cover for about 5-8 minutes. Remove lid, stir and continue to cook until penne pasta is al dente or at the amount of tenderness you prefer. Remove from heat and serve.

Salsa Verde Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup salsa verde

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 3 cups uncooked penne pasta

• salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon each)

• 1½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (about 1-inch cubes). Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes, until golden brown, flipping once halfway through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

1. Add the broth, salsa verde, cream, uncooked pasta, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

1. Turn off the heat, then add the chicken and 1 cup of cheese to the skillet. Stir until smooth and creamy. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese and broil in the oven until golden brown and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!! :)

Porcupine Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef 
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/2 c. hot water
• 3/4 c. uncooked rice
• 1 (16 oz) can tomatoes
• 1 c. shredded cheese
• 1 small can mushrooms (optional, I don't normally add these)

Instructions

• In a large skillet, crumble beef and brown.
• Drain and stir in onion soup mix, water, tomatoes (optional mushrooms).
• Add rice and stir.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Sprinkle with cheese, melt and serve.

Cheesy Garlic Scallop Potatoes

Ingredients:


1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2 quart or larger casserole dish with butter or nonstick spray.
Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Dot with half of the butter cut or pinched into small pieces. Arrange half of the garlic over the potatoes. In a seperate bowl mix the sour cream and milk until smooth. Pour half over potatoes. Sprinkle one cup of Cheddar cheese over the layer, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering of potatoes, garlic, sour cream/milk and Cheddar cheese. Season again with salt and pepper if desired.
Bake for 1/2 hour in the preheated oven, then sprinkle the Parmesan or Romano cheese over the top. This will create a semi-hard cheese crust. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when tested with a fork.

Comments:

I was pretty surprised by these potatoes. Every scalloped recipe I've tried in the past called for flour in some way. I think when I do the next one I might try a different cheese like Mozarella or pepperjack even just to give it a bit of kick. Also adding in things like bacon would taste good too.

Crescent Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup pasta sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the beef, pasta sauce, oregano, salt and pepper; heat through.
2. Spread mashed potatoes in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle shredded cheese.
3.Unroll crescent dough. Separate into four rectangles; arrange rectangles over the casserole. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until top is browned.

Comments:
This was super yummy! Was sort of like a goolosh or shepards pie. Very filling and perfect for a cool rainy day.

Beef Taco Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup Salsa
1/2 cup milk
6 flour tortillas or 8 corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup shredded cheese


Directions:
Cook beef in skillet over medium heat until beef is browned stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese. Spoon into 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Sausage-Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 medium green peppers, seeded and cut in half leangth wise
2 cups Pasta Sauce



Directions:

Cook sausage until browned, stirring to separate meat. Add onion and oregano and cook until tender. Pour off fat. Stir in Cheese.

Arrange peppers in 3 quart shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Spoon sausage mixture into peppers. Pour pasta sauce over peppers. Cover and bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Spicy Roasted Potato's

Ingredients:
5 medium red potatoes, diced with peel
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Arrange the potatoes and onions in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish so that they are evenly distributed. Season with garlic powder, salt and chili powder. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat potatoes and onions with oil and spices.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until potatoes are fork tender and slightly crispy. Stir every 10 minutes. When done, sprinkle with cheese. Wait about 5 minutes for the cheese to melt before serving.

Comments:
Try mixing ingredients in mixing bowl first to get a good even coating, then spreading into baking dish. Also you may not want a 1/4 cup of oil. Just drizzle until you get a good coating. Also if you like a good crunch to it once you top with cheese pop it back in the oven under the broiler for a minute or two. This is great in the evening for dinner. You can add some cubed chicken to make it a one dish meal. Or have it in the morning with a breakfast scramble.

Garlic Broiled Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
dried parsley, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking pan.
In a microwave safe bowl, mix the butter, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and parsley. Cook 2 minutes on High in the microwave, or until butter is melted.
Arrange chicken on the baking pan, and coat with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture for basting.
Broil chicken 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until juices run clear, turning occasionally and basting with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Comments:
Alternative to broiling is baking at 375 for about 45minutes, stir about every 15 minutes and turn chicken over about half way through. Broiling will cause smoke due to the juices. To get the broiled look just broil at the end for about 5 minutes.

Golden Fish Sticks

Ingredients:
For tartar sauce (optional):
2 1/2 tablespoons regular or low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For fish:
2 1/2 cups cornflakes
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
3/4 pound white fish fillets (such as orange roughy), cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips (about 1 filet per person)

Directions:
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450° F. Mix mayonnaise, relish and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Grind cornflakes in processor until coarse crumbs form (or just squish in bag with your hands...). Transfer to bowl; mix in lemon peel. Mix butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in small bowl. Season fish with salt and pepper. Brush with lemon butter, then dip into cornflake mixture, coating completely. Arrange fish on baking sheet. Sprinkle with any remaining cornflake mixture. Bake fish until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Anniversary Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce
1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce, then spoon on salad dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients:
1lb. ground beef
2-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup catsup
1 tsp. Mustard (optional) I used a Honey mustard which gave it a bit of a sweet taste
2 cups (8 oz.) elbow macaroni
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA cheese cut up

Directions:
Brown meat in large skillet; drain.Add water, catsup and mustard. Bring to boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender.Add VELVEETA; stir until melted.

Chicken Broccoli Braid

INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/4 cup diced onion
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls or use the Crescent Roll Recipe Here
1 egg white, beaten



DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.
Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Comments:
Made this for dinner tonight and it was YUMMY!! I did not have red pepper or almonds so those were left out. Used 1tsp Celery Seed instead of Dill Weed. Also, I cooked the chicken in the garlic and onion then added the broccoli in at the end to soften it so it wouldn't be crunchy. I used the homemade Crescent Roll recipe found HERE instead of the packaged ones. They gave it a bit of a sweet flavor that was really good. Just note on the crescent roll recipe you will skip the last step for rising. You will only let it rise the 1st time, then seperate it and roll it out and then add the ingredients from this. This will definitely get used again!

Savory Turkey Gravy

INGREDIENTS
5 cups turkey stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt



DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring the turkey stock to a boil. In a small bowl, dissolve flour in water. Gradually whisk into the turkey stock. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.



Comments:
This was very good and so easy to make! Definitely something we will keep on hand for future turkey meals.

The Perfect Turkey

INGREDIENTS :
1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS:
Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Comments:
We will never make a turkey another way but this again! It was so moist and delicious. Definitely more work than just using an oven bag but so worth it for the flavor.

Maple-Garlic Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

DIRECTIONS
Combine mustard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup. Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours, or overnight.
Preheat grill for medium-low heat.
Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Brush grate with oil, and place meat on grate. Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, or until interior is no longer pink. Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn.



Comments:

Made this for dinner tonight using chicken and baked it in the oven instead of using the grill. Not much I can say about it. The sauce wasn't bad. Served it over rice and it reminded me of like a peanut sauce. The chicken...was just ok. The meat wasn't nearly as tender as you would expect after marinating for 24hours. I think we may give it a shot just once more except using the pork this time and cooking it on the grill. I'll update comments if/when that happens!

Parmesan Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
2/3 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
2/3 cup converted long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1-1/3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS
Mix together onion soup mix, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and rice in a medium bowl.
Lay chicken breasts in the bottom of a lightly greased slow cooker. Place one tablespoon margarine on each chicken breast and pour soup mixture over all. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

One Dish Chicken Bake

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) package chicken-flavor stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine the seasoning packet from the stuffing mix with the hot water and butter. Let stand until butter melts. Stir in the stuffing crumbs, just to moisten, and let stand for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place the chicken down the center of a 8x12 inch baking dish. Mix together the soup and milk and pour mixture over the chicken. Spoon some of the stuffing over the chicken breasts, then spoon the rest along the sides of the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the juices run clear.

Comments:
Before pouring the soup over the chicken I sprinkled them with garlic salt and thyme. Then put shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the soup before putting on the stuffing. It turned out really good. The stuffing will look a bit mushy but it tastes really good. I put this together last minute tonight and we all enjoyed it.

Chicken Biscuit Potpie

INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine vegetables, chicken, soup and thyme. Pour into an ungreased deep-dish 9-in. pie plate. Combine biscuit mix, milk and egg; pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Comments:
Made this for a friend as an "after baby meal" and was told it was very good. I did add just a bit more veggies than it called for to give it more filler but it still turned out great. Also added just a bit of shredded mozzarella in between the veggies and the biscuit mix.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1.5lbs boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped (not the flakes)
1/2 orange pepper chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
garlic salt as needed for flavor in flour


DIRECTIONS:
Place flour & garlic salt in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown the chicken in oil; transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
Drain skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, saute peppers until tender. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; add to vegetables. Bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice.

Comments:
This dish is absolutely amazing! It tastes a lot like a sweet & sour chicken. We served it over rice and it was just like having chinese for dinner but for much cheaper.