Mexican Stuffed Shells

 Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Pizza Puffs

Ingredients

• 
  3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 8 strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 cubes ice, crushed

Directions

1. In a blender combine strawberries, milk, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Toss in the ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and serve.

Stutso Baked Beans

1 can Kidney beans
1 can Black beans
1 can great white northern beans
one large can bushs baked beans, home style or country style
1 lb sweet Italian sausage cooked
1 1/2 chopped cooked bacon
1 large onion cooked in bacon grease and drained
1/2 to whole red pepper small diced and cooked. You can cook it with onion. 
3 tbsp Mustard
3 tbsp A1 sauce
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt ( seasonall)
1/4 tablespoon pepper


Put in big dish, covered for first hour at 350, and stir every 15-30 minutes. Then cook uncovered for 1 to 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-30 min to make sure it doesn't stick. 
Make sure you drain bacon sausage and onions very well so beans aren't overly greasy.

Taco Seasoning

I use this exclusively now for tacos.


3/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons paprika
6 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon pepper


Use as much as you want mixed with water.

Macaroni & Cheese with Kielbasa

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

1 Pkg polish Kielbasa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
   
2. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
   
   
   Quarter Kielbasa then cut strips in to 1/4 inch pieces. Fry over medium high until browned. Add to pasta.
   
   
3. Make roux: You must begin with low heat and the mixture must be stirred constantly to avoid scorching the flour. Start by melting the butter over low heat. When the foaming begins to subside, add the flour (do not include the salt and pepper yet) and stir constantly, watching the color of the mixture. It should become a light, nutty brown color. This may take five minutes or so. Do not go by the clock, but rather by the color. If the process is stopped too soon, while still white, it will taste like raw flour. If it gets too brown, the flour has scorched and it will taste burnt. As soon as the color is right, slowly add the room-temperature milk/cream in increments, continuing to stir constantly. When all of the milk has been added, turn the heat up to medium high and continue stirring until it begins to bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer and and continue stirring until it thickens. You now have the basic white sauce, béchamel, upon which many other cream sauces are built. In this recipe, that is a cheese sauce. Add the salt and pepper at this point and continue the recipe.
   
   
   Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
4. 
   
5. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
   
   
6. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
   
   
7. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
   
   
8. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Alfredo Chicken Tortellini

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
1 boneless skinless chicken breast half (6 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 bacon strips, chopped
1/8 teaspoon adobo seasoning (see my recipe)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped sweet red pepper
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained


Directions

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook and stir the chicken, bacon and adobo seasoning over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
In a small bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream and cheese; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.
Drain tortellini; add to chicken mixture. Stir in broccoli; heat through.

Crockpot Chicken

The Ingredients:

1 chicken fryer
1 TBSP Coconut Oil
Garlic Powder
Fresh or Dried Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano)
Lemon Pepper
Lemon Slices (optional)

The Directions:

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Put chicken in the crockpot and top with all the seasonings.

Cook on low all day. Turn off the crockpot and take out chicken. Let cool before taking out the bones.

Tip - take out all the bones while the chicken is warm. It falls apart and doesn't take much work to clean out all the meat.

Chicken and Dumplings with Sage (WW Value 7)

Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp table salt
1 medium onion(s), chopped
2 medium carrot(s), chopped
2 stalk(s) (medium) celery, chopped
3 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 medium uncooked potato(es), russet, (8-ounces), cubed
1/4 cup(s) uncooked string beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup(s) frozen green peas
1 2/3 cup(s) Bisquick® Reduced-Fat Baking Mix, all-purpose, or other brand
2/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1 1/2 tsp dried sage, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground


Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; sprinkle with the salt and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl; set aside.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the same Dutch oven, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and potato; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the browned chicken and the peas; heat through, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the dumplings, combine the baking mix, milk, sage, and pepper in a bowl until a soft dough forms.

Drop the dough, by rounded tablespoons, onto the simmering stew, making a total of 6 dumplings. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Then cover and simmer until the dumplings have doubled in size and are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Yields 1 cup stew with 1 dumpling per serving.

Amish Sugar Cookies & Frosting

Description
Keep it simple with this recipe for Amish sugar cookies. This is the recipe for best softest sugar cookies.
These easy to make cookies are sweet popular treats that work great as Easter cookies, Christmas
cookies or simple everyday cookies.

Yields: 78
Cooking Time: 12 min
Ingredients

 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
 1 cup butter
 1 cup vegetable oil
 1 cup granulated sugar plus extra for stamping
 1 cup powdered sugar
 2 large eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with kitchen parchment paper or grease
lightly.
2. In medium bowl, mix together flour, soda, and cream of tartar.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter, oil and sugars until completely blended and mixture is creamy. Add
eggs and vanilla and beat well. Stir in dry ingredients until well blended.
4. Drop dough, using a cookie scoop or level measuring tablespoonfuls, on prepared baking sheets.
Flatten each ball to 3/8-inch thickness using a cookie stamp or the bottom of a pretty glass
dipped in granulated sugar.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Do not over bake.
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

FROSTING

Sugar Cookie Frosting
Courtesy of AllRecipes

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners’ sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Lasagna (totally bad for you and delicious)

1.5 lb ground beef
sliced pepperoni
2 jars Barilla garlic spaghetti sauce
1 large block mozzarella
1 small block cheddar
1 pk sliced munster
1 med tub ricotta cheese
1tb basil
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

Brown beef. Drain. Add sauce.
Grate block cheese. Combine the 2 shredded cheeses.
Mix basil with ricotta.
Lube large dish with 1 spoonful of sauce.
Spoon ricotta onto noodles - line pan.
1 layer of pepperoni.
1 layer of sauce
1 layer of munster
1 layer of cheese
repeat - you should have 2-3 layers.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes with foil. Remove foil and bake for an extra 10 minutes.

Serve with a garden salad.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza

Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons whole milk
1 cup prepared stuffing
1 roasted turkey or chicken thigh, with skin
1/4 cup chunky cranberry sauce
1/4 cup gravy


Directions
Put a pizza stone or upside-down baking sheet in the oven; preheat to 500 degrees F. Stretch the pizza dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Dust a pizza peel or upside-down baking sheet with 1/2 teaspoon cornmeal and put the dough on top. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornmeal. Slide onto the hot pizza stone or baking sheet and bake until golden on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the mashed potatoes with 1/4 cup cheese and the milk in a bowl; set aside. Roll tablespoonfuls of the stuffing into 1-inch balls to look like meatballs. Shred the turkey meat and julienne the skin.

Slide the crust back onto the peel. Spread the cheddar mashed potatoes over the crust, then top with the shredded turkey. Spoon the cranberry sauce over the pizza and drizzle with the gravy. Arrange the stuffing balls on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the turkey skin.

Return the pizza to the oven and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 more minutes.

Asparagus

4 servings; 38 calories per serving









Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
1 tsp extra- virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon each: dried thyme, oregano, basil and black pepper
Optional garnish: diced tomato

Directions
Heat oven to 350degF. Toss the asparagus in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a shallow 3-quart casserole pan with the olive oil, kosher salt if desired, thyme, oregano, basil and black pepper. Arrange asparagus in a single layer in the dish. Bake uncovered 12 to 13 minutes for thin asparagus or 15 to 18 minutes or thick asparagus, or until crisp-tender. Garnish with tomato if desired.

Nutrition Information
Total fat 1.5 g
Saturated fat 0.2 g
Healthy fats 1.1 g
Fiber 1.4 g
Carbohydrates 5 g
Sugar 1.8 g
Protein 2.9 g

Mark loved it. Right now I think I like it better boiled. Crisp asparagus was not appealing to me. Flavor was okay.

Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 6 servings




Ingredients

2 tbsp heart-healthy butter blend
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp coarse, grainy mustard
1/2 cup flour
2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups (1/2-in) diced, peeled sweet potatoes
1 cup diced cooked chicken
3 cups cooked, fresh vegetables or 2 cups frozen vegetables
2 cups reduced fat all-purpose baking mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Butter-flavored cooking oil spray

Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add in the olive oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, 1 tbsp of the poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp of the salt and pepper, and the mustard. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions soften. Stir in the flour and cook stirring constantly 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock, water, and the Worcestershire sauce until the mixture smooth.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add in the sweet potatoes. Cook on low, stirring frequently until sweet potatoes are tender, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and the vegetables and remove from the pot from the heat. Spray an 8 x 11 in (2 qt) baking dish with the cooking oil. Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the pan.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 ° F. Whisk together the baking mix, buttermilk, egg and the remaining 1 tbsp of the poultry seasoning, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of the salt and pepper. Mix until well blended. Spoon the batter over the chicken and vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the juices bubble around the edges of the pan.

Recipe courtesy of Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva and author of The Kitchen Diva Cooks.

Note: This was just okay for me. Mark ate 3 helpings. He loved it. The children picked but I think it was because of how it looked as the biscuit mix was pretty soft. Certainly worth making and trying, especially if you are unfamiliar with sweet potato, like I was. 

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons low fat sour cream
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup low fat milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen corn, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves


Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine milk, egg yolk, butter, and sour cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef and onion. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat and onions. Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute.

Saute corn on med-high with a small amount of olive oil until the sweetness is released, about 3 minutes.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat mixture. Add the layer of corn. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and
bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until evenly browned.

Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut-up
1 handful onion, chopped
1 handful carrots, chopped
1 handful parsley
1 handful celery, chopped
1 pkg. No Yolk wide noodles
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 chicken bullion cubes


Instructions

Place chicken parts in slow cooker, covering with 8 c water. Add salt, pepper, cubes, onion, carrots, parsley and celery. Cook about 8 hours on low.

Add cooked noodles. Season to taste. Serve.

I couldn't get enough of this soup! I will be making it again soon and freezing a bunch for later.

Navy Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb bag of dry navy beans, soaked overnight.
1 med onion minced
2 carrots chopped small
8 cups water
1 1/2 cup minced ham
5 chicken bullion cubes
pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste



DIRECTIONS:

Dump it all in the slow cooker and cook it on low for at least 8 hours.  I put mine in at midnight and ate it for dinner the next day. Serve with a buttered slice of fresh Italian bread to make it feel like you're eating my gramma's bean soup.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 8 medium carrots, cut into thirds
• 2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. In slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Add carrots and onions; season with salt and pepper, and toss.
2. Sprinkle roast with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables, and drizzle with Worcestershire. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).
3. Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain. Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices.

Split Pea soup with ham

Ingredients
1 bag dried split peas
8 c chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds ham bone or 1c minced ham
1 onion thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
tbsp minced garlic
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 potato, diced

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. put half of soup in blender to thicken 1 cup at a time and then add back to unblended half.

Turkey Lasagna

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1  pound  extra lean ground turkey breast
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2  cups  water
• 1  (26-ounce) bottle fat-free Italian pasta sauce (such as Healthy Choice)
• 3  cups  (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2  cups  1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2  cup  egg substitute
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 9  uncooked lasagna noodles

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook the turkey in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Combine 2 cups mozzarella, cottage cheese, and next 4 ingredients (cottage cheese through pepper) in a bowl.
Spread 1 cup turkey mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over turkey mixture; top with 1 1/2 cups turkey mixture. Spread half of cheese mixture over turkey mixture. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining turkey mixture.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information 1 serving - 8 servings total recipe

Calories:385 (24% from fat)

Fat:10.4g (sat 6.2g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:39g

Carbohydrate:32g

Fiber:2.3g

Cholesterol:62mg

Iron:2.5mg

Sodium:902mg

Calcium:481mg

From Cooking Light