Pasta Fagioli SOUP

Pasta Fagioli in the Crockpot~ just like Olive Garden
2 lbs ground beef  (I used 1 lb)
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano (I used a bit less on the spices)
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta (little round tubes), Ditalini

Directions:
Brown beef in a skillet.
Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Add pasta the last 30 minutes. 

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

So this is a no measurement recipe

Any type of cooked cut up chicken, broiled, grilled or you can even use the rotisserie chicken from sams.

Next aded some celery, chopped

Green onions, chopped

Slivered almonds, Cashews are yummy too

Add some cut up purple grapes

Add a dash of garlic salt and pepper

Add a few dashes of lemon juice

Add softened cream cheese and mayo . . . maybe equal parts

Mix it all together, making sure that htere is plenty of the may/cream cheese mixture . . so it doesn't taste dry, and serve ona a croissant or any kind of roll you want. Pitas are really yummy too.

Pier 49 Penne Pesto Pasta

1 package (16 oz) cooked penne pasta
1 cup pesto sauce
2 cups alfredo sauce
2 tbslp. garlic butter (I just use melted butter and shake in some garlic powder)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (optional)

Mix pesto, alfredo, and garlic butter until smooth. Place cooked pasta in 13x9 inch dish and mix with sauce. Top with cheeses. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 min or until cheese is melted and browned. Sprinkle with sun dried tomatoes.

Granola

14 cups whole rolled oats(quick oats work great)
1 cup powdered milk
2 tblsp cinnamon

Stir, then add:
1 cup oil (can use canola or olive or some of both)
2 cups honey
2 tblsp vanilla

Stir, then place on 2 cookie sheets. Cook at 200 degrees for 2 hours. (I like to stir and rotate half way through.

Add raisins and nuts of your choice.

Makes enough to fill 2 #10 cans.

Ranch Style Chicken

4 chicken breast
12 strips of bacon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
juice on 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
shredded cheddar cheese
canola oil

Mix Dijon, honey, lemon juice, paprika and salt until smooth.
Pound chicken to 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Add to marinade. Cover, refrigerate at least one hour. (I do it overnight.)
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Fry bacon. Set aside on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup grease and clean out skillet. (I use Oscar Mayer turkey bacon - you have to add oil to the pan to fry it because it isn't very fatty, but it's really good!)
Heat 1/8 cup grease and 1/8 cup canola oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot add chicken, cook until browned and transfer to baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Lay a few pieces of bacon over each breast and top with shredded cheese. Return to over for 5 min or until bacon is sizzling and cheese is melted. SO GOOD!

Amazing Toffee

Handful of sliced almonds
2 sticks butter (not margarine)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
Handful chopped pecans

Sprinkle almonds onto pizza pan, set aside. Mix together butter, sugar, and water in heavy sauce pan on highest heat. Stir constantly until mixture thicken and turns the color of a brown paper sack. Pour candy into pan over almonds. Wait 5 minutes and sprinkle chocolate chips in top of candy. When chips have melted spread evenly and then sprinkle pecans on top. Break into pieces when cool.

Christy's Homemade Rolls

Mix Dough:
1. Sprinkle 2 yeast packages ( 1 pkg = 1 TB) in 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Set aside. Stir.
2. Place 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large mixing bowl.
3. Heat 3/4 cup milk in microwave for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cube margarine to hot milk. Stir to melt.
5. pour milk/margarine mixture into sugar/salt mixture in large mixing bowl. Beat.
6. Beat 3 eggs and add to mixture in large mixing bowl.
7. Add dissolved yeast. Beat.
8. Stir in 4 1/2 cups flour. Dough is very soft.


Let Rise
Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface (or spray with PAM). Cover, let rise in warm place for 2-4 hours.
(you can also put the dough in the fridge for overnight and roll the rolls out in the morning, believe it or not this really does work.)

Shape Rolls
Turn dough onto floured board. Knead slightly. Divide dough in two halves. With a floured rolling pin, roll one half of dough into a circle about 16 inches in diameter. Spread with softened butter. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut the circle into 16 pie-shaped edges. lightly grease baking sheet. Roll each wedge from wide end to point. Place point down two inches apart on cookie sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.

Let Rise
Cover rolls with dry dishtowels and let rise i warm place 1 hour.

Bake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Bake rolls in oven for 12 minutes.