Week 42: Recipe #2--Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

This recipe comes from Paula Deen's website (see link below).  I have quite a few recipes similar to this one on this blog, but I love to try new ones because spaghetti is always a hit with this family.  This did take a bit of time to make, so it's a good weekend recipe.  It is not difficult, just time-consuming.  Also, I didn't use the Paula Deen's Seasoned Salt--I just kind of created my own with what I had in the spice cupboard.  Other than that, I followed it pretty closely.  It turned out well; lots of flavor and the husband and kids ate it up.  I served it with a caesar salad and some fruit.  Makes 10 servings.

You'll Need:

• 8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 1/2 tsp. Paula Deen's House Seasoning (To make a batch of this, mix 1 c. salt, 1/4 c. black pepper, and 1/4 c. garlic powder)
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Paula Deen's Seasoned Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 c. tomato sauce
• 1 c. water
• 2 c. canned diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 c. monterey jack cheese
• 2 small bay leaves

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet.  Cook over med-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining.  Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot.  Simmer for 20 more minutes.
4. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. 
5. Cover the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan with sauce.  Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Tope the casserole with the remaining cheeses, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.  Cut into squares before serving.

Recipe and link:  http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/print_view/210/

Week 42: Recipe #1--Grilled Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes from a site called Real Mom Kitchen (see link below).  These were destined to be a win for my kiddos, who LOVE black beans and quesadillas.  Never thought to put them together, and they were great!  Plus, this was a super easy recipe to make on a busy weeknight.  I followed the recipe exactly and served it with a side of homemade guacamole and some applesauce.  Makes 5 large quesadillas (it calls for 10 tortillas), so I halved the following ingredients for my family of four.

You'll Need:

• 2 (15 oz.) cans of black beans, drained
• 1 c. salsa
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 c. shredded colby-jack cheese
• 10 (8-in.) flour tortillas
• optional garnishes:  sour cream, salsa, or guacamole 

Preparation:

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat.
2. In a bowl, add 1 can of your black beans and mash with a potato masher until beans are well mashed.
3. Add the remaining 1 can of beans along with the salsa and cumin to the mashed beans.  Stir until well combined.
4. Divide the bean mixture between 5 of the tortillas.  Spread evenly over the tortillas.
5. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese over the beans on each tortilla.
6. Top with remaining tortillas and place on the grill.  Cook about 2 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
7. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Recipe and link:  http://realmomkitchen.com/12300/grilled-black-bean-and-cheese-quesadillas/

Week 41: Recipe #5--Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes from a site called Recipe.com (see link below).  It was easy to throw together, and it was pretty good.  My husband especially liked it.  The meat was a bit spicy for my 4 year old, but the little one ate hers up.  They both loved that there were chips in it.  I served this meal with Mexican rice and applesauce.  Makes 5 servings.

You'll Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
• 1 jar (16 oz.) thick 'n chunky salsa
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
• 2 1/2 c. coarsely broken tortilla chips
• 1/2 med. green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 med. green onions, sliced
• 2 med. tomatoes, chopped
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. sliced ripe olives
• 1 c. shredded lettuce

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.  Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix.  Reduce heat to medium.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2. In ungreased 2-qt. casserole dish, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips.  Top evenly with beef mixture.  Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese, and olives.
3. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.  Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato, and remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips.

Recipe and link:  http://www.recipe.com/beef-and-bean-taco-casserole/

Week 41: Recipe #4--Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups

Yummmmm.....these were good!  Probably not the best if you're counting points, calories, or carbs, but they were GOOD.  And you can splurge every now and again, right?  This recipe comes from a blog called Mmm...Cafe (see link below).  I followed the recipe exactly, as well as making the homemade alfredo sauce.  Because of that, and having to cook the chicken (I'd get a rotisserie next time), this recipe was a bit time-consuming to make.  However, if you already had cooked chicken at the ready, and you used store-bought alfredo sauce, or had some pre-made, this would come together pretty quickly.  I can say, I wouldn't use store-bought after this sauce.  It was really tasty.  Loved it.  The whole meal was a huge hit with the husband and kids as well.  I served these roll-ups with green beans and applesauce.  Makes 9 roll-ups.  **The original recipe says that 3 roll-ups are a serving, so there are 3 servings.  However, my husband and I were satisfied with 1 roll-up each...I could maybe eat 2, but 3 would be too much.

You'll Need:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 2 c. cooked, shredded chicken
• oregano
• garlic salt
• 3 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2/3 c. parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. For the sauce:  In a medium to large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add the cream cheese and whisk to smooth and melted.  Whisk in the heavy cream.
2. Season with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 15 minutes.  Stir in the cheese and when melted, remove from heat and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan with nonstick spray and pour in 1/2 cup alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  Boil 8-10 cups water in a large pan, cook lasagna noodles until al dente.  Drain the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other.  Then, lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.
4. Spread about 2 tablespoons alfredo sauce over each noodle.  Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of the sauce.  Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle.  Add approximately 3 tablespoons cheese.  To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings.  You will need to lift up the noodle a little to prevent squishing out the inside ingredients while rolling.
5. Place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone.  Once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes., or until the cheese is completely melted on top.

Recipe and link:  http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2012/01/chicken-alfredo-roll-ups.html

Week 41: Recipe #3--Chile Colorado Burritos (Crockpot Recipe)

I first saw this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes from a blog called Food Pusher (see link below).  These burritos turned out really well.  The best part was, there weren't that many ingredients, and it was literally just throwing 3 things into the crockpot in the morning.  Then it was super easy to put the burritos together that evening.  Great flavor, and we all loved them.  I served them with a salad and some homemade applesauce.  Makes 5-7 burritos.

You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. stew meat or other beef, cubed
• 1 large can mild enchilada sauce, at least 19 oz.
• 2 beef bouillon cubes (I used the granules, 2 tsp.)
• 1/2 can refried beans
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce into a crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until meat is very tender.  
2. When beef is done (flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired (I thought it was fine without adding salt).  Heat up the beans in the microwave, and put your oven on broil.  On a tortilla, place 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans.  Roll into a burrito and place in a baking dish.  Repeat with the other tortillas until you run out of the meat (I was able to make 5 burritos).  Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce form the crockpot over the burritos to cover them.  Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Recipe and link:  http://food-pusher.blogspot.com/2010/08/chile-colorado-burritos.html

Week 41: Recipe #2--White Pita Pizzas

Yum!  These were really good pizzas, and they took NO time at all to throw together.  Super easy.  I found them on Pinterest, and they come from a site called Prevention (see link below).  We all loved these pizzas, and I especially love anything with pesto.  Next time I might throw a tomato slice or two on top, but these were perfect just the way they were.  I served these with a green salad and fruit.  Great  meal for a busy weeknight!  Makes 4 servings (although I doubled this recipe because that didn't seem like enough--doubling it was perfect).

You'll Need:

• 2 whole wheat pitas, split horizontally into 2 halves
• 1 c. fat-free ricotta cheese
• 3/4 c. shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 Tblsp. pesto

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place the pita halves on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and garlic in a bowl.  Spread 1/4 over each pita.  Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto over the cheese on each pita.  Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Recipe and link:  http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/white-pita-pizzas.aspx

Week 41: Recipe #1--Samosadillas

I love samosas and quesadillas, so this recipe was a win-win from the beginning.  I found this recipe on a site called Go Dairy Free (see link below).  My girls are huge quesadilla fans, and even though there was no cheese in these samosadillas, they still loved them!  It was a great way to get them to eat some veggies.  I was worried it might be too spicy for my oldest, but she didn't seem to notice.  They definitely need a chutney for dipping, which I didn't have on hand (nor did I have time to throw one together).  I did, however, have curry ketchup--so I used that.  I will definitely be making these again.  I served these with fresh fruit.  Makes 4 servings.

You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 c. cooked diced potatoes
• 1/2 c. thawed frozen green peas
• 1/4 c. canned hot or mild diced green chiles, drained (I used mild)
• 2 Tblsp. raisins
• 1 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp. curry powder or paste (I used powder)
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 large flour tortillas

Preparation:

1. Mash the potatoes in a saucepan.  Add the peas, chiles, raisins, soy sauce, curry powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well and heat over medium heat until hot, stirring as needed, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Cut the tortillas into quarters.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each tortilla piece.  Fold one side over the filling and press lightly to flatten.  The filling will hold the tortilla in place.  Set aside.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
3. Arrange the samosadillas in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook until lightly browned and heated through, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes total.  Serve hot with chutney.

Recipe and link:  http://www.godairyfree.org/news/nutrition-headlines/samosadillas-in-the-snow