Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

For all of you who have leftover pumpkin after the Thanksgiving holidays, I thought I'd share this recipe I found from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute meals cookbook. We all loved it! The leftovers were gone in 2 days! It sounded weird at first but I thought I'd try it out and was very pleased! I went a little easy on the nutmeg with this dish since the last dish I used it on turned out nasty! I give this recipe a 5!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth)
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

This is also from Rachael Ray's 30 minute all occasion cookbook. We had this one tonight and it turned out great! I added cilantro to it because I need to get rid of it and it gave it added flavor. I also added cheese because what burrito is complete without cheese? I give this recipe a 5! (again sorry no picture)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
a couple shakes cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I used pam cooking spray)
1/2 medium spanish onion chopped (I just used regular yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 heart of romaine, shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 large flour tortillas, flavored or plain

Rub chicken with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne sauce. Heat a griddle pan to high. Cook chicken breasts 4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.

While chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Go once around the pan with oil. Cook onions and garlic until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans and barbecue sauce. Chop cooked chicken breasts and drop into barbecued beans. Heat mixture through. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a tortilla on a plate and pile chicken and beans in center. Top with lettuce, scallions, and tomatoes. Wrap, roll, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve with chips and salsa.

Sausage, Beans, and Broccoli Rabe "Stoup"

I recently picked up the Rachael Ray 30 minute meal cookbook for all occasions and have been trying out some of the recipes. This one was the first I tried and it turned out amazingly good! I didn't use broccoli rabe because I figured Wal-Mart wouldn't have it and I didn't want to take the time to search for it so I just used regular broccoli. I also added freshly chopped mushrooms since we had a bunch to get rid of. Hope you enjoy it! I give it a 5! (Sorry no picture this time!)

2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (I just spray the pan with Pam cooking spray)
1 lb bulk Italian sweet sausage (just used regular Jimmy Dean sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 starchy potato, peeled and chopped into small dice (I used red potatoes)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained (I used Great Northern beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped (3 cups) (I used regular broccoli)
1 quart chicken broth
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese, for serving

Heat a medium pot or a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sausage and brown, crumbling with a spatula. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook to begin to soften the vegetables, 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook just until wilted. Add chicken broth and cover pot. Raise heat and bring stoup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, and serve stoup with grated cheese for topping.

Creamy Chicken Macaroni

Tonight's meal was again from the newest Kraft Food and Family magazine and was one of my favorite types of meals, a one pot dish! Love it! Less mess and only one pot to clean afterward. I didn't have any paprika in the house....among all my thousands of spices so I used Old Bay seasoning instead....didn't do much for the chicken so I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. paprika
2 cups water
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions; cook and stir 5 min. Add paprika; cook and stir 1 min.

STIR in water, broccoli and Macaroni; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until macaroni is tender and chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

ADD Cheese Sauce Mix and sour cream; stir until well blended. Cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Speedy Chicken Stirfry

It's that time again, when Kraft Food and Family sends me another magazine and I use it A LOT! I loved this recipe and there are no leftovers since those were eaten today so you know it was good when the leftovers are no longer around. My favorite part of this recipe is the Kraft Asian dressing, I love all the flavors they have that help make a dish wonderful! I give it a 5!

8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.

MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into four serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Chicken Waikiki Beach

Doesn't the recipe name just sound so exotic? Well now that I'm back to actually cooking meals instead of take out or frozen meal stuff I thought I'd post one of the new things I tried. This recipe came from a Fundcraft Cookbook Sampler and it's by someone named Sue Dowell. It was great and we're working on downing the leftovers! I give this recipe a 5!

1 chicken cup up (I used 2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350. Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil (I just use cooking spray) in a large frying pan and brown chicken on all sides. Remove to a shallow roasting pan; arrange pieces, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare sauce.

Sauce:

1 (1lb. 4oz.) can sliced pineapple
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large green pepper, sliced (I used orange)

Drain pineapple syrup into a 2-cup measure. Add water to make 1 1/4 cups. Mix in cornstarch to dissolve. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, syrup with cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pineapple slices and pepper slices. Back 30 more minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy! (Now I thought that was quite a bit of cooking time an hour after you've already browned the chicken? So I did 15 minutes and 15 minutes and it was fine....I had a starving family waiting for dinner!)

Black Beans and Cheese Enchiladas

So it's been forever since I posted a new recipe, but after I made this really easy recipe I knew I had to post it. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website. I was looking for a recipe to use the rest of a steak that I had already cooked up. This recipe doesn't call for meat but I added the steak and also a can of green chiles before putting the bean mixture into the tortillas. This was so easy I'm sure without adding those 2 things it would be even easier for those of you who don't want to add any meat to it. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) Progress® black beans, drained, rinsed
1 package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas), heated
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in beans.

2.Place about 3 tablespoons bean mixture in center of each warm tortilla. Top each with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up tightly; place, seam side down, in baking dish. Spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

3.Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Serve enchiladas with salsa.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Tonight's recipe was a lot easier than the last one. It came from (of course) the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Usually when I see italian meals with something stuffed it takes forever or it's just complicated to make. But this was a breeze. No meat in this recipe just some spinach and cheese. I added a can of mushrooms since Aiden is a huge fan of mushrooms and I know I can get him to eat longer if they're in there. Otherwise, I just made the recipe as is. I give it a 5!

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato, chopped

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning until well blended. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of the cheese mixture evenly into each pasta shell.

COMBINE spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; spoon half of the sauce mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells, filled sides up, in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce mixture over shells. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have officially become a magazine mom. I subscribed to Family Fun magazine and just love it. That is where last night's recipe came from. I looked at it last week before I needed to go grocery shopping because there were things in this recipe that I have never bought before but have always wanted to cook with like tomatillos. Some of the mexican restaurants around here have great salads with this tomatillo ranch dressing that is amazing! If I find a good recipe for it I'll let you know. Anyway this was an amazing dish! We just had leftovers for lunch and there is only one enchilada left so you know this was good. Tim raved about all night! That always makes you feel good. Even Aiden gobbled it down. I do have to say that this wasn't an easy recipe meaning it took longer than my normal 30 minute meals since you have to prepare the sauce and then the enchiladas. But it was worth it. This recipe is a lot easier if you own a food processor of some sort or a blender. I give this recipe a 5!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:
2 pounds tomatillos
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

For the Enchiladas:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used burrito size flour tortillas)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. To make the sauce, husk the tomatillos, and rinse them under warm water to remove any stickiness and dirt. Broil the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet 1-2 inches from the heat, turning them once, until they are softened and slightly charred, about 7-9 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white onions and saute until golden brown about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender and add the sauteed onions, cilantro, green chilies, cumin, sugar, and salt and puree until smooth.

4. Return the tomatillo sauce to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the broth and cream and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened and not watery, about 5-8 minutes. Add more salt if desired. (This sauce has more of a sweet taste to it).

(I skipped this next step since I used flour tortillas instead of corn)
5. To make th eenchiladas, brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and lay them on a cookie sheet in stacks of two. Heat them in a 375 oven just until they're soft and pliable, about 3 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, half of the cheddar, half of the monterey jack, the chopped onion, and the salt. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.

7. Spread a third of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the other tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the casserole.

8. Bake the casserole at 375 until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 20-30 minutes. Severs 6-8 people.

Creamy Lemon Squares

Since I've gone through all the dinner recipes I wanted to use from this issue of Kraft Food and Family, I decided to make some of the desserts from it. I was craving sugar like mad since I had to sort of fast for some physical...so I made a dessert to take my mind off food. Sounds nuts right? Well it helped a little because I knew I'd be able to eat it later. So anyway, I love lemon bars (especially from a box) but when I saw this recipe and saw that I had all the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try. It was great! Never have I had lemon bars come out so good! I definitely give this dessert a 5!

20 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold margarine
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

MEANWHILE, beat Neufchatel cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in
refrigerator.

All in one pot saucy pasta

That's quite a long name for quite a tasty dish. Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Foods website (I already exhausted the dinner recipes from the magazine). And I finally got to use my brand new pan! It turned out great and my pan was fantastic (although I did have to use a cookie sheet as a lid). There were plenty of leftovers, not because we didn't like it but because the one pot meals usually make a ton of food! Aiden liked it because it had mushrooms in it and then decided the wall needed a new coat of paint....spaghetti sauce red. Nice... I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (any pasta would work here)
3-1/2 cups water
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped red peppers
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

BROWN meat large deep skillet; drain. Add onions; cook until tender.

ADD pasta, water and spaghetti sauce. Bring to boil; cover Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and red peppers; cook 5 min.

SPRINKLE with cheese.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Tonight's meal was again from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I have always loved breakfast foods for any time of day....I'm weird like that...but Tim doesn't like to eat pancakes, waffles or french toast for any time other than breakfast. So I compromise by making things with eggs so I can get my breakfast fix whenever I want....maybe it's the pregnancy. Anyway, this quiche was great! My tweaks: I don't ever buy green onions so I never have them on hand. I just sprinkled the mushrooms with onion powder while I cooked them. I also added 1 can of diced green chiles for a little more flavor. Again, Aiden just picked out the mushrooms and got one bite of eggs in there but Tim and I ate to our hearts content...ok so maybe just Tim did. It was a great dish though for any meal. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 cup sliced green onions (about 5 medium)
1 cup chopped tomatoes (about 1 medium)
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (4 oz.)
12 eggs
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 325ºF. Reserve 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes; set aside. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-covered plate, reserving 1 Tbsp. of the bacon drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Chop bacon. Add to mushrooms along with the onions and tomatoes; mix well.

BEAT eggs and sour cream with wire whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture and cheeses.

BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Sprinkle with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting into pieces to serve.

Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad

Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I of course tweaked it a bit to my liking but it turned out great and had amazing flavor. Now I think this is supposed to be served lukewarm to cold (like most pasta salads) but I really wanted something hot for dinner so I thawed my frozen shrimp in a collander and when it was time to drain the noodles and asparagus, I drained them over the cold thawed shrimp, thus making everything warm and toasty! The cheese melted into it too making it extra good. The only thing that wasn't cooked or warmed were the tomatoes that were mixed in after. The only downside is that Aiden wouldn't eat more that 3 noodles out of it....too much flavor for him I guess. Tim and I loved it though and there were plenty of leftovers to go around. I give this recipe a 4.5!

3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked (I used garden rotini)
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 lb. cooked large shrimp (20 to 25 count) (I used a lb. of the small shrimp)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used regular tomatoes)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Natural 2% Milk Reduced Fat Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese Crumbles (I used regular shredded cheese)

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

MEANWHILE, mix dressing, oregano and lemon peel.

PLACE pasta mixture in large bowl. Add dressing mixture, shrimp, tomatoes and cheese; mix lightly. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

A new toy!

I wasn't sure which blog to post this to but then I realized, if you're like me and you love the all-in-one pot meals, then you'll definitely appreciate my latest find. I am all about never paying full price if I don't have to, which is why I frequent stores like TJ Maxx and Ross dress for less. What I love is that these stores are like Walmart (they have everything) but cheaper if you can imagine it. So a couple weeks ago I had my eye on a 12" deep skillet. I've been wanting one ever since I discovered the all-in-one pot recipes, however, my 12" skillet isn't deep enough and the food always slops over the sides. Thus started my search for a deep skillet. And I found it at Ross. Everytime I went to the store after I found it I would walk down that aisle and it would be there waiting for me to buy it. And today....I finally broke down and bought it! Not too shabby for $14! It's a non-stick Farberware 12" deep skillet and I can't wait to use it! The recipe I made tonight I thought was an all-in-one pot recipe but it turned out not to be so I have to try out my new skillet another night. But would you look at this beauty!

Quick-fix Beef Burrito Skillet

It's that time of year again! The time when the new Kraft Food and Family magazine comes out. They only come out about 5 times a year so when they do I had a ton of new recipes to try! I love this magazine. If you don't already get it, sign up for it, it's free! Anyway, off my soapbox....I love the recipes that are all in one pot/skillet/pan. That way there's less dishes to do at the end. So this one was definitely going to be tried. It turned out great and Aiden loved that it had beans in it. One of his favorite foods...next to pizza. I give this recipe a 4.5! (oh and by the way, you don't have to use the brand name ingredients it calls for...just whatever you normally buy!)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about 1 large)

BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat;
drain.

ADD seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.

STIR in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Nona's Yummy Lasagna

So I made this recipe a couple days after my family left (just haven't had time to post it) and loved it! This also comes out of the ward cookbook. I just love lasagna (except for that nasty seafood one I tried a while back) and this one was easy...and delicious. I had it for lunch the next 2 days afterwards until all the leftovers were gone. Yeah it was that good....I thought about it all the time. Tim was bummed when I told him I had finished off the lasagna...good thing I had some other left over he wanted to eat instead. So I definitely give this recipe a 5!

9 lasagna noodles
1lb. ground beef
Desired amount of onions (I loved
that I got to pick!)
2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce
1/8 c. Italian seasoning
1 to 2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
grated cheese

Boil water. Cook the lasagna noodles until tender. To make the meat
sauce, brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Stir in the tomato
sauce and Italian seasoning. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Add
the cottage cheese and sour cream. Lightly grease a large baking dish. Spoon in
enough meat sauce to lightly cover the bottom of dish. Top with 3 strips cooked
noodles. Spread meat sauce over noodles and sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat
layers, ending with meat sauce (I actually ended with cheese on top). Bake
covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes to set layers.

(Note: You can use dry noodles instead of boiling the noodles before hand. If you do this, pour 1/2 cup water over the layered lasagna and let it sit for 15-30 minutes before baking.) -Natalia Magnusson

Taco Soup

This was yet another recipe from the ward cookbook. It was so easy to make and turned out great! I give this recipe a 5!

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 can red beans (I used kidney beans)
1 can corn

Brown meat, drain. Add taco seasoning and all other cans undrained. Simmer till flavors are mixed. --Dixie Baker

I also added shredded cheese on top and a little sour cream. Then we ate it with tortilla chips. It was great!

Garden Risotto

I loved this recipe (also from the ward cookbook) since it used 2 chicken breasts which is what I usually use in a recipe even if it calls for more. I also love it because you cook everything at once, there's no 50 million steps to this recipe! This also made a ton of food which is great for leftovers. Unfortunately, we have no more leftovers they were gone the next day! That's how good this stuff is! I couldn't find Orzo pasta...dumb Walmart doesn't have it so you have to go to a regular grocery store to get it. It looks like rice but it's pasta so it's in the pasta section. Instead I used small shells pasta. The difference in cooking this way is it needs a little longer to cook and extra liquid maybe a cup more. But it still turned out great! I give this recipe a 5!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked and cut into bite size pieces
3 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can chicken broth
1 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil and brown the chicken along with it. Add chicken broth, uncooked pasta and broccoli. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Stir occasionally so the orzo pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan. This only takes a few minutes. STir in the corn, salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. --Jessica Mathews

Artichoke Dip

This stuff is amazing....if you've ever had any kind of artichoke dip at a restaurant you've been instantly hooked right? Well now you can make this addicting appetizer at home and it's really easy! We buy the spinach artichoke dip from Costco sometimes so I thought I'd try this since that stuff is gone so quick! It's great and next time I think I might try to add spinach to it. I give it a 5! I'd probably give it a higher rating but I only go up to 5.

8 oz. block of cream cheese (I used the neufatchel kind...less fat)
1 can of artichoke hearts (packed in water)
1 cup mayonnaise (I might try miracle whip next time for a less fat version)
6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften the cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Drain the artichokes and chop into small chunks. Place the chopped artichoke hearts into the mixing bowl with the mayonnaise and 4 oz. of the parmesan cheese. Mix well and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with crackers, sliced French bread, chips or your favorite vegetables. --Kim Fleming

Enchilada Stack

This recipe was also from our ward's cookbook. The first time I ate it (right after I made it) it was like eating homemade hamburger helper...not bad and definitely didn't taste like it came from a box. The 2nd time I ate it (leftovers) it was much more spicy than I remember...which is great since I like spicy foods but that explained why Aiden kept whining and sticking his tongue out when he ate it! I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (6oz) can enchilada sauce
1/2 small bottle taco sauce (I used a cup of salsa instead)
1 can copped green chiles
1pkg. corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas)
1lb grated Longhorn or Mild Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Add soups, enchilada sauce, taco sauce, and chopped green chiles. Mix thoroughly and heat through. Cut tortillas in fourths. Oil a 9x13 baking dish (I used cooking spray) and place a layer of tortillas, cheese, and meat mix; continue until all but 1/4 of the cheese is gone. Should make 3 layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer, until bubbly. --Jamille Sanford

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This recipe, as I'm sure others will, comes from our ward's cookbook. It seems like a normal casserole until you get to the curry powder part. It sounded weird but it tasted great! Tim even liked this one. Aiden ate it up too! The only thing I wasn't crazy about in this recipe was that everything was cooked beforehand and then baked for 30 minutes. I like when you can just put everything in a dish and then let it all cook on it's own in the oven. I give this recipe a 5!

3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
2 pkg. frozen broccoli spears, cooked
1/2 cup mayo
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Make sauce by mixing mayo, cream of chicken soup and curry powder. Layer in a 9x13 baking dish; chicken, cooked broccoli, mixed sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot over rice or noodles. --Kate Mortensen

White Bean Chili

This recipe comes from our ward's cookbook that they just put out. So if you bought it....then it's nothing new, just a review of the recipe. I'm a big fan of chili so I knew this would be good. I really liked it and it was pretty easy to make. Tim said it wasn't his favorite thing I've ever made. But then he's not much for chili. He did say that it's better than regular chili....and yet he had 2nds! Go figure. I give this recipe a 5!

1 lb chicken, cut up
1 med. onion chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
1 can green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream

Cook together chicken, onion and garlic powder until chicken is cooked through. Add the white beans, chicken broth, green chiles, salt, oregano, and pepper. Heat thoroughly on stovetop. Just before serving, add the whipping cream and sour cream. --Lucinda Hopkins