Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Did you know that Olive Garden shares recipes on their website? I didn't either! You should check it out, I bet they have your favorite on there. Up until a few months ago I thought their alfredo sauce recipe was a well-hidden secret…then I stumbled across the Recipes tab and saw that they have several, if not all of their recipes listed on their website. Who knew?! I'm sure they remove one step or ingredient to keep their secrets well, secret, but still how cool is that? I've never heard of a big, famous chain restaurant like that actually SHARING their recipes with the public. Usually its all hush-hush. I don't know why this isn't big news, broadcasted and exclaimed about in every corner of the media. So here's my slightly tweaked version of Olive Garden's alfredo.

Makes 4 Servings

3 cups half and half

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Romano cheese combo

6 egg yolks

1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (to start, you may need more to taste)

Directions: 

Place egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl and beat slightly. Heat half and half in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until it starts to simmer. Keeping the pan on the burner, turn the heat off and slowly mix in the grated cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Slowly ladle a small amount of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Keep adding ladles of cream to the yolks until they're a light yellow and successfully tempered. Stir the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan and return the pan to the burner, turning the heat on medium-low. Stir continually until it reaches a simmer. Take off the heat and stir in seasonings, tasting and adding more as desired. Serve over warm pasta with additional cheese if you like.

So you'll notice in my photos that of course that is not fettuccine. Sadly, I was out of fettuccine and didn't realize it so we suffered through using angel hair instead. ;) Today was Early Release day (as is every Friday) for my kiddos so this made a delicious lunch for them to devour along with a little garlic bread. I'm positive my 4-year-old is going through another growth spurt because he kept asking for more, more, more, until finally on his fourth little bowl I had to tell him that was enough. Silly boy, he is just growing like crazy. Makes me sad. One thing you'll notice about this recipe is that it doesn't use heavy whipping cream, butter or garlic. I know, isn't it madness?! I couldn't believe it. That's why I added some garlic powder to it. I also used half and half rather than milk and cream…since, you know, that's what half and half is…half milk…half cream… Anyway, next time I make alfredo, I'm for sure going to tweak this recipe even further because I feel like it's just sacrilege to NOT have butter or real garlic in alfredo sauce. I mean, come on, garlic and butter are to alfredo sauce what tomatoes are to spaghetti sauce, ya feel me? It's like having the yin without the yang. Or like NYC without the Statue of Liberty. It's just not done. And I can't believe OG has gotten away with it for so long. I am going to choose to believe that that's the "secret" ingredient that they left out of the recipe on their webpage. And with that, I'll be able to sleep tonight. Have a great weekend, folks! :)

Chicken Stuffed Shells

So this was absolutely delish, but if I could have my way, it would've had spinach in it. Since I have a couple picky eaters and we'd been out of town for several days prior, I knew everyone was starving for some good home-cookin'. So I decided to be nice and leave out the spinach. Next time though, [Annabelle] better put her game face on and be ready to ingest some spinach. ;) 

Makes 24 shells

1 box jumbo pasta shells
4 cups cooked, chopped or shredded chicken
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use my homemade substitute)
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
1 cup evaporated milk
2-4 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar this time but will def try mozzarella next)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta in salted water 12 minutes; leave in the pasta water to avoid sticking. Meanwhile mix chicken, ricotta and seasonings until well mixed. Taste and add additional seasonings if desired. In medium saucepan, heat cream of chicken soup and cream cheese over medium heat until cream cheese has fully melted and incorporated. Stir in evaporated milk. Taste and add seasonings if desired. (My homemade cream of chicken substitute had plenty of flavor, but if I used the canned stuff, I'd want to add some salt, pepper, garlic, onion and oregano for sure.) Spread about a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking dish. Fill shells with chicken mixture and lay evenly on top of sauce in pan. (Squish those babies in there if you need to!)  Sprinkle 1-2 cups of shredded cheese on top of shells, then pour sauce evenly over the top of all the shells, making sure it delves into those corners and hard-to-reach areas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. 

This recipe took me about 45 minutes from start to finish. Not bad at all! I put chicken breasts in the crockpot all day to cook so I'd have those ready by dinnertime. A rotisserie chicken would save some time and be delicious in this dish as well. Next time I want to stir in some shredded cheese and chopped, cooked spinach into the filling because I think it would be dynamite! This was a good, quick weeknight meal that our family loved. Those four remaining shells in the photo were taken by my older three kids for their school lunches the next day. Two birds, meet stone! Yes!! :)

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has way too many of these in my pantry!!

...rolled-up bags of chips that are 3/4 consumed, leaving a handful or so of chips and crumbs in the bottom of the bag! I don't know what it is about my kids, but apparently they're afraid to completely finish something. They leave handfuls of chips, half a cup of cereal, two gulps of milk, one slice of cheese, etc., etc., etc., in my pantry, fridge and freezer ALL the time! The chips almost always get tossed and it drives me crazy watching all that money and food go to waste. So one of my favorite ways to use up chip crumbs is to sprinkle them on top of casseroles. The oven bakes them up crispy again and they add a nice crunch and flavor to chicken, tuna or veggie casserole dishes. So Saturday night I was in the mood for a tasty, comforting casserole for dinner. I had about a cup of broccoli in the fridge from when hubs made his Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes and these FIVE bags of rolled-up chip crumbs in my pantry. So throwing together a few other yummy ingredients along with these resulted in a good, old-fashioned casserole like grandma used to make. Now, I don't claim this to be low-fat by any means. You could certainly cut back on the fat by using low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt and reduced-fat cream soups and cheese as well if you so desire. But this casserole certainly comes in handy for those busy nights when you need something filling that cooks up in under an hour!

Ready for its first bout in the oven!

On my plate about to be devoured...

Makes 6-8 Servings

16 oz egg noodles

2 cans of cream of chicken soup (or the equivalent of two cans of my homemade Cream of Chicken soup mix)

1 cup sour cream

2 cups milk

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked & cubed

1 1/2 cups of broccoli, cooked/thawed and chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2+ cups of potato chip crumbs, any flavor you want

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta for 7-8 minutes and drain. In a large bowl combine the noodles, sour cream, milk, soup and seasonings. Stir in chopped broccoli, chicken and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Take casserole out, sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with potato chip crumbs and spread evenly. Bake another 10 minutes until chips are lightly browned on the edges. Serve.

Yet another one of those amazingly versatile recipes that you can really do so much with to create the flavor you're in the mood for. You could substitute peas for the broccoli. Adding in a half a cup of chopped onions would be amazing also. You could use tuna instead of the chicken or even cubed ham if you had some on hand and needed a quick dinner. Like I said, you can easily lower the fat content by using lower fat ingredients if you want. I always use fat free dry milk when making my cream of chicken soup mix, so that's already lower in fat than the original canned stuff. This was a hit and my kids all had seconds! Only a small serving, enough for one person, was put away as leftovers, so this will definitely be added to the repertoire of regulars! So what did everyone do this weekend? Happy Monday!

Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad

Happy 4th of July! 

 

Fireworks off of Flagler Beach. Photo credit: Daytona Beach News-Journal / David Massey

Happy Independence Day, America! My very favorite place to watch the fireworks is Flagler Beach, pictured above. There's just something so wonderful about sitting with my toes in the sand and listening to the pounding of the surf along with the pop-pop-boom of the fireworks while taking in the beauty of the colorful lights both in the sky and reflected on the surface of the ocean. Breathtaking. This year we won't be watching them in Flagler though, but instead we will be having a blast at our friends' annual bash for the fourth and we're super excited for that too! Our friend Kevin, who we affectionately and jokingly refer to as a pyromaniac, loves to entertain all of us with an impressive display of fireworks each year and so far they've gotten better and better every year so we're really looking forward to tonight's display. Kevin and his wife Lindsey, one of my best and longest-known friends, provide burgers, dogs and chicken all freshly grilled and delicious, and the rest of us bring side dishes to go along with it. Every year it's a big decision to figure out what I feel like bringing. One year I brought buffalo chicken dip and ham roll-ups...last year I think I brought deviled eggs and broccoli casserole maybe? I can't even remember, it's terrible. This year I'm excited to bring my Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad, which is similar to my Basic Macaroni Salad with a few additions, like BACON. Making a delicious dish even better!

Makes 6 Servings

1 16 oz. bag pasta, (I like corkscrews, elbows and ziti for this dish)

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped dried chives

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1 bunch scallions, chopped

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss in a large bowl with milk. Place in fridge to cool off for 10-15 minutes. Take out and stir in sour cream, mayo, garlic powder, chives, thyme, salt and pepper. Taste and add additional seasonings if needed. Toss in tomatoes, scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Mmm, this is delicious! There's something about biting into a chilled, creamy bite of pasta and getting a big bite of sharp cheddar cheese or crispy bacon along with it. I've also used other cheeses--swiss is good and monterey jack is really good too. I've served the pasta warm as well, but I just prefer it chilled at summer BBQs...too hot outside for hot pasta! Hope you have a great Fourth of July however you're spending it!

Perfect Grilled Chicken Marinade & Macaroni Salad

A few days ago I posted about summertime food and promised to post my favorite recipes for chicken marinade as well as basic macaroni salad. 

My preferred way to prepare the marinated chicken is grilled, but it would also be good pan-seared, blackened or baked. Really, this is such a good, basic marinade that it's delicious with pork chops, steak, just about any kind of meat. Hubs grilled up some chicken on the grill last night that I had marinated all day and then I made macaroni salad and Pioneer Woman's Fresh Corn Casserole to go along with it. That meal fed 8 hungry people and we were all stuffed and still had leftovers too. 

Man, I just love summer food!

My Favorite Chicken Marinade

Marinates 3-4lbs of meat

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dark balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons worcestershire

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Pour over raw chicken in a ziploc bag or container. Seal; shake and toss well and let marinate 4-6 hours, flipping every couple hours to ensure even marinating. 

Basic Macaroni Salad

16oz pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced

1/2 medium onion, finely minced

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions: 

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinsed for several minutes with cold water until cooled. Mix with mayo, tomatoes, eggs, onion, salt and pepper. If pasta is too dry, add more mayo 2 tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Chill until ready to serve.

Two of my favorite things! This basic macaroni salad is so good just as written, but it also makes a great jumping off point to create other variations. I've added chopped green onion, crumbled cooked bacon and cheddar cheese cubes. I've also added diced green pepper, shredded Monterey Jack and a few shakes of cumin. There are so many ways that you can make this and it's really a perfect side dish for summer since it's cold and filling. It goes perfectly with grilled meats, as a side dish for cold cut sandwiches or to bring along for a BBQ.

Cheesy Beef Vegetable Casserole

Makes 6 Servings

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
6 cups uncooked egg noodles
4 cups mixed vegetables, thawed
1-2 lbs ground beef
3-4 cups shredded cheese
salt
pepper

Directions:

Boil the noodles as directed. Brown the ground beef & season as desired (I use salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder). Spray a 13x9 glass baking dish. Drain the noodles. Melt the butter and slowly whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly stir in the milk to make a white cream sauce. Stir in the cheese, leaving a half cup or so our for the topping. Stir until cheese is melted and well combined and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I also like to add 1/4 cup or so of grated parmesan) Mix beef, vegetables, noodles and cheese sauce together in the baking dish then top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.



After reading a forum post about cheese sauce, I couldn't contain my craving for it and came up with this recipe in my head while driving to the mall...yes, I'm crazy like that! I whipped it up in about 20-30 minutes, and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it and my husband's eyes lit up like it was Christmas! (He is a huge casserole fan.) For weeknights when you are so busy and want a quick, easy and best of all, ONE dish meal, this is your winner!

Southwestern Baked Ziti

Serves 8-10

16 oz ziti pasta
2 - 10oz cans Rotel tomatoes
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (or monterey jack, or a combo of the two)
3/4 - 1 cup ranch dressing
1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper

Directions:

Boil pasta as directed for "al dente". Brown ground beef with garlic, green pepper and onion, adding seasonings after beef is about halfway browned but still pink. Stir well to combine. Drain pasta and pour into large greased baking dish. Mix in tomatoes, 2 cups of cheese, beef and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.



This is one of those recipes that I came up with on a night when we were short on time and overdue for a grocery trip so I needed to use things we had in the house already. I always have ground beef in the freezer and I always have cheddar cheese, ranch dressing and canned tomatoes on hand so this was what I decided to try out and it was delicious! I decided to give it a Southwestern flair when my eyes landed on the cumin and Cajun seasoning in my pantry. Then after I stirred the cheese, ziti, tomatoes and beef together, I felt like it needed something creamy but I didn't have any sour cream so I decided to try ranch dressing. That turned out to be a great idea because this casserole was SO delicious and even my kids loved it! If you don't like onions and/or peppers, you can always leave those out if you wanted. Also adding a can of corn is delicious, it adds a nice crunchy sweetness to it. You can experiment with different cheeses and if you don't like too much spice you can use regular diced tomatoes, but the mild Rotel was perfect for us. This took only about 45 minutes from start to finish...SO easy, so fast and definitely delicious. Doesn't get much better than that! ;)

Crockpot Lasagna

Makes 8-10 Servings

1 lb. lasagne, uncooked
1 32oz (2lbs) tub ricotta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1 26oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 cups water

Directions:

Mix sauce, tomatoes and 1 cup of water together in a bowl. It should be pretty watery...if not, add another cup of water. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella and seasonings together in a bowl. Spray crockpot well with cooking spray or spread with olive oil. Cover bottom of crockpot with sauce. Break pasta to fit and get as even a layer as possible, making sure pasta is pretty well "sauced". Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on top, then sauce, then pasta, then cheese, etc. Repeat all layers, ending in sauce then sprinkle extra parmesan and mozzarella on top. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.



Amazing!! Lasagna that is moist, cheesy and delicious from your crockpot! No boiling noodles or heating up that oven in the summer. I can't believe how easy and tasty this is and this has become our new regular. This recipe makes it extra cheesy and "gooey", and to us, this is perfect. Make sure all the lasagna noodles are submerged under the sauce or cheese and that no dry edges are sticking out or you'll get a hard piece. Mine brought it to about two inches from the lid and that was the perfect amount of space for steam to cook it perfectly. This makes enough to feed our family of six and still have half the pot leftover, so if you want less, the recipe halves nicely. I like to freeze the remaining half, or invite company over. YUM.

Easiest Shrimp Pasta Ever

Makes 8 Servings

2 Packages Frozen Gorton's Shrimp Scampi
1 (16oz) package of angel hair pasta
1/2-1 cup of pasta water
1/2 cup cream or half & half
1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan

Directions:

Boil pasta as directed. While waiting for water to boil, heat a skillet on medium heat. After adding spaghetti to water, dump contents of shrimp packages in skillet and saute until shrimp is opaque and cooked through. When pasta is done, turn heat off and move pan but do not drain. Using spaghetti servers, transfer pasta to skillet with shrimp and toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup pasta water, cream and parmesan and mix well. Add more water as needed. Taste and if it needs more seasoning, add garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Serve with additional grated parmesan.



Total cheater "recipe" here...this is one of my quick and easy go-to meals when I am pressed for time. It can't even really be called a recipe, but I figured I'd share it in case you guys are like me and never thought of doing this but need something fast and yummy like this. Since the shrimp is frozen raw, it tastes fresh and when they are BOGO at your store, combine that sale with a coupon and you're spending less than a dollar per serving, not to mention saving yourself a boatload of time! If you go order Shrimp Pasta at a restaurant you're paying $12+ per plate...you pay less than they for an entire dish full with this "recipe"! Quick. Easy. Cheap. Delicious. Does it get much better than that? If you want it to be creamy, you can always use 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup of the pasta water, as well as 1/2 cup or so of Parmesan. That's always yummy too.
P.S. I've also used Gorton's Grilled Shrimp Scampi too and it is delicious! Only problem is the tails, so you have to remove while cooking or while eating, but if that doesn't bother you, I recommend that product too. I've tried other brands, but they're not as good as Gorton's!

Easy Lasagna Casserole

Makes 10 Servings

1 16oz box uncooked rotini pasta
1 32oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, or 4 cups of homemade sauce
1 32oz container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (It usually has 6 cheeses: Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, Romano and Asiago)
1/2 - 1 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Extra shredded Italian cheese blend for topping

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package directions and drain. Mix with a little sauce to keep from sticking and set aside. In a large bowl mix ricotta, shredded Italian cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in pasta with sauce. Spread a couple tablespoonfuls of sauce in a large 13x9 casserole baking dish. Stir remaining sauce into pasta mixture and pour into baking dish. (Mixture will appear soupy.) Top with additional shredded Italian cheese and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until pasta is bubbly and cheese on top is melted.



This was my little "experiment"...I planned to make spaghetti and meatballs but discovered I was out of spaghetti. So I improvised. I made a lasagna filling and mixed it with the rotini and sauce and the result was amazing yumminess. It tasted like lasgana but without the hassle of layering and spreading and it was much easier to fork it up in big mouthfuls. It was a hit in my household, so this was definitely a keeper! I also had already mixed and rolled the scratch meatballs so we served those with the casserole and they were delicious together. Recipe for meatballs will be following shortly. Buon appetito!

Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese

Makes 12 Servings

2-3 cups uncooked pasta
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated fresh Gruyere, Parmesan or Romano
1/2 cup grated sharp or mild Cheddar cheese, for topping
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a greased crockpot, combine the eggs, sour cream, soup and milk and stir well. Add the mustard, salt and pepper and stir well. Boil the macaroni according to package directions. Leave in the hot water to stay warm. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Then drain the macaroni and add it to the crockpot, pouring the melted cheese/butter mixture on top of the warm macaroni. Stir everything together well. Sprinkle with extra 1/2 cup grated cheese. Cook on low for 3 hours.



I love this recipe! I like to use penne or "curly-q" pasta for mine, but you can use pretty much any pasta shape you want. I also like to use the 1/2 cup of extra-sharp cheese such as Gruyere or Parmesan, but you certainly don't have to, you can always just stick to cheddar--nothing wrong with that! We like to serve this with some spiral ham or we've even cubed some up and mixed it right in with some peas to make it a one-dish meal. You can't really mess this one up, it is easily customizable and you can pretty much do whatever you want and it turns out delicious. This is a family favorite!

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Makes 6-8 Servings

4 cans chicken broth
2 cups uncooked cheese-filled tortellini pasta
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen peas
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
Dash cayenne
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan

Directions:

Pour chicken broth into large pot. Bring to boil and add tortellini, peas and tomatoes. Boil for 12-14 minutes, until tortellini is cooked through. Stir in remaining ingredients, except parmesan. Season to taste, adding more seasonings if needed. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle generously with parmesan. Serve hot!




This is a soup I just threw together the other night with ingredients I had on hand. My kids all had fevers and sore throats and all wanted soup, but of course this was the one time I was out of chicken noodle soup! This could easily be made into a one-dish meal if you wanted to add some cubed chicken, smoked sausage, cubed beef or even some meatballs if you like. You could also used canned diced, crushed or stewed tomatoes instead of the fresh. I know this can easily be tweaked with different pastas, veggies or seasonings. It's a very versatile base recipe. But it sure came in handy for my sick kiddos!

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Makes 4 Servings

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
pepper
dry mustard
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
Bacon bits

Directions:

Brown beef (or turkey) in large wok or skillet. Add 1-2 tablespoons butter, depending on how much grease is left after meat. Stir until melted and stir in flour with a fork until well blended and thickened into a paste around the meat. Slowly stir in milk, mixing constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted and blended. Add seasonings to taste and stir well. In separate pot, boil pasta until al dente. Stir pasta into skillet with meat and toss to coat, adding more milk and/or cheese if needed. Stir can of stewed tomatoes into pasta. Cover with remaining shredded cheese and bacon bits if desired. Cover until cheese is melted and serve.



This is a fairly quick and easy recipe that my kids like. It makes a great weeknight casserole and as long as there aren't any onions in it, my kids will eat it right up!

Southwest Goulash

Makes 4 Servings

2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 15oz. can of tomato sauce
1 can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons parsley
2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack are best!)

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Brown the meat in a large skillet. Drain and return to skillet. Add minced garlic and both onions and saute until veggies are tender. Add rest ingredients except cheese and macaroni. Stir well and then stir in macaroni and 1 cup of cheese until well coated. Pour into a greased 13x9 dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*NOTE: You can skip the baking step if you are short on time. Just simmer in skillet for 15 minutes and then sprinkle with cheese and serve.



This is a delicious and easy dish that I can throw together on a weeknight in 30 minutes or less. I serve it with either some fresh bread or cornbread and a salad. It is a tad on the spicy side, so if you don't like yours that spicy, you can easily omit the green chilies and the spicy seasonings. I have also mixed in 1/2 cup of chopped green peppers to mine, adding them at the same time as the other veggies. My husband likes to put sliced jalapenos on his. Delicious!

Linguine & Clams

Makes 6-8 Servings

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans clams with juice
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1/2 - 1 lb. Fresh steamed clams, or two small cans
16 oz. linguine pasta

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add clams & juice and stir. Add seasonings and stir. Stir in cooked linguine and toss to coat. Spread fresh steamed clams on top, if desired. Use tongs to serve.



This is a classic Italian favorite that my Nana has made for years. Back when they had a house right off of St. John's River, we'd always get fresh seafood right off the dock in their backyard, but now we prepare this with canned clams...it is still quite tasty! Of course, I am a seafood girl. Every once in awhile we treat ourselves to fresh, and there is nothing like getting a flavorful bite of this pasta swirled onto your fork and then scooping some fresh steamed clams right out of the shell and into your mouth. This is a delicious dish and we like to have a salad and fresh Italian bread along with it. My husband isn't as much of a seafood lover as I am, so this is a very rare treat for me. My Dad likes to eat his with Italian tomato sauce on top, but I love mine just the way it is. You can't go wrong either way.

Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

Makes 10-12 Servings

16 oz. manicotti pasta, cooked
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/4 cup butter

Filling: 
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 garlic cloves—finely minced and made into a paste with kosher salt *see below*
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Saute chicken breasts in 1/4 cup butter in large skillet until slightly browned. Remove from fat and drain well. Melt 1/2 cup butter in saucepan along with the minced garlic paste. Use wire whisk to blend in flour; slowly add milk, a little at a time, whisking after each addition. Cook and stir over medium low heat until sauce is thickened and smooth. Stir in heavy cream and cheese, stirring until melted and combined. Add seasonings to taste. Put chicken in a large bowl and cover with about 1 cup of the sauce. Stir and let rest. Stir together 2 tablespoons of the parmesan, spinach, ricotta, egg and seasonings. Using your fingers, a fork, or narrow tongs, put one to two slices of chicken in each tube. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of moist filling into each Cannelloni on top of chicken, making sure each tube is well filled—I usually use frosting tubes or a baster for this part. Place in 13x9 pan, repeating until all pasta and filling is used up. Spread sauce on top, covering all the pasta, letting some spill over the sides and in between pasta. Sprinkle each layer with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and top is lightly browned. Serve with additional parmesan.

Garlic Paste:
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Mash together until a paste forms. Takes a few minutes so be patient!



I myself prefer to use flat pasta noodles and place all the filling in them, roll up and place seam side down in the pan, but I have to shop at the Italian market for that and manicotti is easier to find and works just as well. I’ve also done it with lasagna noodles in a pinch. You can of course use pre-made alfredo sauce if you’d rather.

Spinach & Tomato Tortellini

Makes 4 Servings

2 cups dried, refrigerated or frozen cheese-filled tortellini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed -or- 1 cup fresh chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped tomato -or- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup parmesan

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, tomato, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream and cheese. Cook until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cooked tortellini. Cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle more parmesan on top.



This is another family favorite. It's a regular on my menu and we sometimes eat it as is, meatless, and other times we add some grilled Italian sausage links or grilled chicken strips to the top of it. Either way it is a very tasty and fulfilling meal and you will leave the table stuffed!