3-2-1 Pasta Formula

I found this idea at another of my favorite food blogs Good Life Eats. It's a simple formula to make a yummy pasta dish with mostly pantry items. Here is the original post. Basically, use 3 cups of veggies (2 types, different colors), 2 cups of meat (your choice, cut into bite sized pieces), 1 onion, 1 8oz box of pasta (your choice of shape). Throw in some garlic and white wine and you're good to go! And you can change it up and have totally different meals!

My families favorite version is almost exactly what's posted on Good Life Eats. Sometimes I use sugar snap peas instead of broccoli and I make a few other very minor changes. Either way, it gets 4 out of 5 thumbs up (my youngest always throws that off!). It's easy and I almost always have most of the ingredients on hand, if I don't then I use what I do have!

Spicy Bow Tie Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

• 2 cups broccoli florets, cooked till tender crisp
• 1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in oil, drained
• 1 package of about 5 brats or sweet italian sausages
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, more if you like
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked according to package instructions

*When I cook the pasta, I add the broccoli to the pot for the last 2 minutes to cook it.
  In a large saute pan, drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, cooking until browned on all sides. Remove sausage and slice into rounds. Return to pan. Add onion to the sausage and saute until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes, pasta, and broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Random Pasta Dish

I found the original recipe for Grilled Pasta Packets on the Tasty Kitchen website. But my laziness was kicking in and didn't want to mess with the grill and foil and all that stuff, so I made it into a skillet meal and we were quite happy with it. Grilling it might be fun on a camping trip or over the summer for something different.

It rated 4 out of 5 thumbs up in my family. That missing star always seems to be my youngest. While she is almost always willing to try it, she doesn't always like it. She ended up adding pesto to her spaghetti and was happy. We don't care much for goat cheese, so I used Parmesan instead. The only other change I would make for next time is to add some sort of protein, some diced chicken or sweet italian sausages or something.

Here is my modified version:

Random Spaghetti Skillet (originally Grilled Pasta Packets)

• 1 pound Whole Grain Spaghetti Noodles, Cooked
• 6 whole Roma Tomatoes Seeded And Chopped
• 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, Coarsely Chopped
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Lemon, Cut Into 6 Wedges
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese for topping

In a skillet, saute garlic and olive oil. Add the basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir. Add the cooked spaghetti and tomatoes and toss. Heat until the tomatoes are just warm. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve!

Cheeseburger Casserole and more

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I did.

This morning we adopted a dog. Her name is Zoey and she is a Puggle (part Put, part Beagle). She is about 10-12 months old and an absolute sweetheart! Right now, she is snoozing on the floor, completely worn out after a day of exploring her new house, meeting her human grandparents, brother, and sisters, as well as 2 fur-brothers (2 cats). I think she is going to fit right in!

Anyway, since we were busy with our new fur-baby, I needed an easy dinner. I decided on a new recipe for Cheeseburger Casserole. According to the blog where I found it, the recipe is originally from Bobby Dean's cookbook. Bobby is Paula Dean's son.

The only change I made was that I used a whole 16oz box of rotini. It worked out pretty well. If you don't care for dijon mustard, regular should work just fine. It was quite delicious and earned a 4 out of 5 thumbs up!

Blog Post

Cheeseburger Casserole

Servings: 9 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 6 • Weight Watchers Points+: 7
Calories: 261 • Fat: 9 g • Protein: 21.5 g • Carb: 21.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 468.5 mg

Ingredients

• 2 cups (6 oz) uncooked rotini pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups.

Macaroni and Cheese

I did not end up avoiding the plague. I went to the doctor Monday with a terrible sore throat and headache I had all weekend. He didn't even culture it, he handed me an antibiotic and said that since I had 2 kids at home with strep, he is just going to treat me for it.

Tuesday was my baby boy's 9th birthday. He requested homemade macaroni and cheese with jalapenos for dinner. It's a family favorite! I have used both the canned green chilies and fresh jalapenos and both are good, not overly spicy. If you want to go spicy, throw in some pepper jack cheese too! Or for a different taste, use taco cheese with the green chilies. Plain is good too! You can make it as a side or a main dish, and it's easy to double.

I found the recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook. It's the best comfort food EVER! 5 out of 5 thumbs up, even my 6 year old likes it spicy. Plain is good too!

Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 cups of macaroni noodles (or any other fun shaped pasta)
1/4 cup of butter
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of flour
1 3/4 milk
8oz (or 2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Optional ingredients:
4oz can of green chilies
1-2 jalapenos, diced
cubes of ham
1/2 to 1 cup chopped broccoli
(you can add just about anything! or just leave it plain)

Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the box. I like it to be slightly firm since it will go in the oven too. In a saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onions until they are almost mushy. Add salt and pepper to your taste and stir. Add they flour and mix until it looks like a thick, clumpy mess. Slowly add the milk while stirring, the clumps will work themselves out as you stir.  Keep stirring every few seconds and heat until boiling. Stir and boil for one minute, then remove from heat and add the cheese. Mix well so it melts. It will look like orange gravy, but I promise it's delicious! Mix the cheese sauce and pasta in an 8x8 pan so that the noodles are generously coated in the yummy cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, until the edges are bubbly. Eat and enjoy!

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

I made this tonight for Mexican Meatloaf and it was fabulous! I loved the fresh flavor, so much better than canned yuck. I plan on making several batches and freezing them. I also thing you could use this recipe as a base for Cream of Whatever soup.

Cream of Chicken - Add a teaspoon of chicken boullion and some finely diced cooked chicken

Beefy Mushroom - Add a teaspoon of beef boullion

Cream of Celery - Use diced celery instead of mushrooms, maybe saute them a bit to soften them

Cream of Onion - Use onions in place of the mushrooms. Definitely saute these first!

Get the point? I haven't actually tried any of the above ideas yet, but I can't imagine why they would work! I will update this post after I do a few experiments.

Here is a link to the original recipe! Enjoy!

Round...? I 've lost count

Strep hits again.

I have still maintained my own health thus far, but at this point, I feel screwed.

On another note, it was Mexican Meatloaf night. I love anything mexican, so even though this recipe is completely different that how I usually make meatloaf, I decided to give it a try. It's excellent. And more importantly, it gets a 5 out of 5 thumbs up in my family. I like to serve it with Quinoa and Black Beans.

I have stayed pretty close to the original recipe. The only changes I made are that I add closer to 1.5 cups of rice to make it a little firmer and I suggest adding the last layer of fritos and cheese during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time. Tonight, I actually made the homemade cream of mushroom soup suggested in the original recipe and I loved it. I will post it tomorrow. Feel free to use the canned, it's fine.

Here is the original recipe.

Here is how I make it:

Mexican Meatloaf

• 1 lb of Ground Beef
• 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or homemade Cream of Mushroom, will post it tomorrow or check the original recipe for the link)
• 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Small Can of Green Chilis
• 1 16oz Jar of salsa (I use mild for my kids)
• 1 8oz Can of Tomato Sauce 
• 1 1/2 Cups of Brown Minute Rice (uncooked)
• 2 Cups of Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
• 1 Bag of Fritos, Crushed 

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet brown the meat until done and drain, then add all of the ingredients except for Fritos and cheese and mix well. This needs to heat until it reaches a bubbling bowl.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour 1/2 of the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish, then sprinkle with crushed Frit’s and top with cheese. Add the rest of the meat mixture and bake for about 20 minutes. Add the rest of the Fritos and top with cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have always loved sweet and sour chicken from Chinese restaurants. It wasn't until I got older that the near radioactive color of the sauce began to bother me and I no longer ate it. When I came across this recipe to make it at home, I jumped on it! It's absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, it's very time-consuming to make (as in two and a half to three hours) so I only make it a couple times a year. Since it was my oldest daughter's birthday this week and she requested it, I made it last night.

I have tweaked the recipe, but only very slightly and it's mostly due to personal preferences. Like, I dip my chicken in egg before I coat it in cornstarch, it's less messy. And I use my deep fryer instead of frying in the skillet, it's a lot faster. Also, I highly recommend doubling or even tripling the sauce. I use more chicken than the recipe calls so I have to double it just to get every piece coated in sauce. I also like to drizzle some on my rice too, so I usually end up tripling it.

Here is the original recipe:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.
4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.
5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.
6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.
7. Serve over hot cooked rice.