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.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

1/2 bag spinach
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 bag romaine lettuce
1/2 c. bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 purple onion
3/4 c. chopped tomatoes and/or mushrooms
3/4 c. swiss or parmesan cheese
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1 orange, peeled and cut up or sliced strawberries

Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl and toss. Serve with vinaigrette.

Strawberry Vinaigrette
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. poppy seeds
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
About 3/4 c. hulled strawberries
1/8 chopped onion

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Will keep 10 days to 2 weeks.

Braided Bread

1 tbsp yeast
1/2 c warm water
Combine and let rest.

1 1/4 c milk
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
Scald milk (bubbles on sides), than add butter, sugar and salt. Put 4 1/2 c flour in a bowl and add yeast & milk mixtures. Knead for 10 min in mixer or by hand.
Let rise 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. Braid into 2 loaves (fits lengthwise on a cookie sheet). Let rise 1 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min.

Baked Zitti

1 bag zitti pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
cooked meat (cubed chicken, sausage, ground beef) - optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pasta according to package directions. Put in 9 x 13 inch dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over noodles and stir to mix in. Stir in meat is using. Pour alfredo sauce over top. Spread evenly. Top with shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling about 20 minutes.

Braided bread is super yummy with this meal...recipe coming soon!

Lasagna

12 Lasagna Noodles (boiled until soft)
Hamburger Mixture (see below)
1 lg. container cottage cheese
3-4 cups cheese (I like mozzerella or Colby Jack)

Layer in sprayed 9x13 pan:
3 noodles
1/4 of hamburger mixture (1 lb. hamburger browned, drain grease, sprinkle 1 T flour, add 1 lg. can (about 28 oz) diced tomatoes (italian seasoned or add your own spices) and 1 sm. 8oz tomato sauce.
1/4 of cottage cheese
1/4 of cheese

bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 spice cake mix (mix only)
1/2 bag chocolate chips

mix together, bake 350 for 11 minutes
ENJOY

Maple Glaze:
3 T Butter
4 T Milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
melt until heated/dissolved, do not boil
mix in 2 cups powdered sugar

Homemade Pretzels!

These homemade pretzels were absolutely amazing! I got this recipe from http://myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com/ She has some really fun recipes over there so you should go check it out. Matt and Melanie both said to me that they tasted just like the ones at Sams Club. I can't wait for Kaitlyn to get home from school and try them. She is my true pretzel lover. We will definitely be making these again.





I know not the greatest picture, but believe me they are delicious. They look kind of funny because I left out one twist from them.

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007
Makes 8 pretzels 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I just used my table salt)
1 package active dry yeast 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (I used margarine)
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Pretzel salt (I didn't have any eggs or pretzel salt so I just shook my table salt on it and they were still delicious)

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

1 package mint or regular oreos
1/4 cup butter
1 (12 oz) jar hot fudge topping (warmed up so easy to pour)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream (softened)
8 ounces Cool Whip


In blender or food processor break apart 1/2 package of cookies. Pulse until they turn into fine crumbs.

Place in bowl and add 1/2 stick melted butter. Mix together and press crust into 9 or 12 inch pan (could also use a cake pan but you may need a little more ice cream).

Soften ice cream by setting out for 1/2 hour before making or place frozen ice cream in a large bowl and melt in 30 sec. intervals. (You just want it soft enough to spread, not completely melted.)

Spread 1/2 of ice cream onto crust and place in freezer while you get the next part ready.

Break the rest of the Oreos up into the blender and pulse until crumbs form. Add warm hot fudge to cookie crumbs in bowl and spread over ice cream layer. (If you let the first ice cream layer re-freeze a little the hot fudge will spread better on it.)

Spread the rest of the softened ice cream over the yummy crunch layer.

Cover and place in freezer for several hours or overnight.

Just before serving, top with Cool Whip. You can also drizzle some warm hot fudge over the top and sprinkle with Oreo crumbs.....if you have saved some aside!

You can dip a knife in warm water and run it along the sides of the cake to loosen, then slice and serve! DELICIOUS!!!

Lemon Chicken

I usually don't do this in the crock pot, but I tried it yesterday and it worked great!

Spray crock pot with pam
Put 8-12 frozen chicken tenders in the bottom of the crock pot

mix together
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
3 squirts of lemon juice

put mixture on top of chicken

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8

About 20 mins before you eat mix together 1 package of ritz crackers and melted butter. put on top and let it crisp up until you eat.

Serve over steamed rice.

The oven version all you do is you don't wait to put the cracker mixture on and you cook it at 350 for 35-40 min.

Orange Jello Salad

1 large box of orange jello
3 cups boiling water
Cool Whip

Dissolve Jello and wather then add 8 oz Cool Whip (scoop frozen cool whip by the spoonful into jello and whisk until melted and smooth)

Pour into glass dish or cake pan.

Refrigerate. The jello will separate into layers.

You can top it with thawed cool whip and mandarin orange slices.

Thea's Salad

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

10 oz. berries (any kind), cut up

8 oz. cool-whip

Whip cream cheese and sugar. Mix in crushed pineapple and berries. Stir in cool whip. ENJOY!

Sweet Pork!

This tastes just like the costa vida and cafe rio pork. SUPER YUMMO!!

1 pork roast
1 can of coke
1 bottle red enchilada sauce
1 cup of brown sugar

Put roast in crock pot and fill 1/3 full of water. Cook all night long. In the morning the roast should be tender and able to shred with a fork. After shredding, mix the rest of the ingredients and let simmer all day.

Hints:leave the lid off to thicken. If you want it sweeter add more brown sugar to taste. The red enchilada sauce comes in mild and medium so you can pick how hot you want it.


Side notes: I did this sauce with country style ribs in the crock pot all day instead and it worked great! I think you could do it with any kind of meat. I had to add more brown sugar too, but then again I like it sweet.

Yummy Veggies

Ok, these are so good, I know not the healthiest but super yummy! They are worth every calorie!


Steam
1 bag of mini carrots-I like to slice mine down the middle
3/4 head of cauliflower
2 1/2 cups of broccoli

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While the oven is heating make the sauce
1 1/2 cubes of butter
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 medium sized cube of Velveeta cheese.

Poor over veggies in a pan, and let cook till bubbly. This makes a heaping 9 by 13 pan-so it serves a large party.

Yummy Crock Pot Chicken

Lay chicken in crock pot.
Mix 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, 3 T soy sauce, 6 T water.
(I usually double the sauce)
Pour on top of chicken.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.