Spicy Tex-Mex Pizza

We had this pizza last week and have been enjoying the leftovers too. We love pizza and it's great to have a mexican style pizza.

1 - 12 inch thin-crust Italian bread shell (10 oz Boboli) or Italian flat bread (12.5 oz focaccia)

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese with peppers or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 11 oz. can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

2 to 5 T. chopped pickled jalapeno peppers (optional - I do not use these)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place crust on an ungreased pizza pan or cookie sheet. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, all of the beans, corn and jalapeno peppers, if desired. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve. Makes 6 servings.

** We added salsa to the top when served. Also could add sliced/diced/shredded chicken. **

Red and White Pasta Bake

This is such an easy and delicious recipe. Since I've changed the layout of this blog I wanted to repost this recipe in individual recipe form rather than within a weeks plans.

Red and White Pasta Bake

4 cups penne noodles

1 (15oz) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu)

1 (24oz) jar Marinara sauce (I used Ragu)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Refrigerated Bread Sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.

3. Mix the two sauces together in a large mixing bowl.

4. Add mozzarella cheese and combine. Add drained pasta.

5. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes. (I also added some basil to mine before serving.)

Tomato Spiral Toss

While in college I subscribed to Quick Cooking magazine. I loved this magazine as it always had great ideas for meals. One recipe I found years ago was for Tomato Spiral Toss. I made this pasta frequently but had forgotten all about it in the past few years. When I was searching the Taste of Home website a few weeks ago I saw this recipe and was super excited! We had this for dinner last Friday night. One of the best parts is the apple cider vinegar you add to the pasta which gives it a flavor that you do not normally find in a pasta dish but it works so well. Yum!!

• 6 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked spiral pasta
• 2-1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and basil in a serving bowl; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drain pasta; add to tomato mixture. Drizzle with oil mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Chili Spaghetti

Another wonderful recipe we found last week from Taste of Home was for Chili Spaghetti. The entire family liked this one including our two year old. Next time I would even consider adding canned tomatoes or canned corn. I did use a little extra tomato juice as I used thin spaghetti rather than regular spaghetti.

Chili Spaghetti

• 6 Servings
• Prep: 15 min. Bake: 65 min. + standing

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups tomato juice
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish; stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 65-70 minutes or until spaghetti is just tender. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

Turkey Fettuccine Skillet

Taste of Home again tonight helped me get a delicious dinner on the table. I substituted chicken for the turkey as I used the other half of my rotissurie chicken from the night before. I would also suggest adding a little more seasoning. I added more salt, pepper, garlic salt, and a little lemon pepper to the dish. Otherwise very good!!

• 6 Servings
• Prep: 10 min. Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Stir in the milk, seasoning blend and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Combine cornstarch and half-and-half until smooth; stir into skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese just until melted.
• Stir in turkey. Drain fettuccine; add to turkey mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

I searched Taste of Homes website recently and found some great recipes we are going to try all this week. Broccoli Chicken Casserole was the choice recipe of the night. Tonight's recipe scored a 9.5/10 from my husband. He said if it would fit he would eat the entire casserole.

I used a rotissurie chicken for tonight's recipe which I reheated in the microwave. I cut up about half of the chicken and will save the other half for another recipe we are trying this week.

• 6 Servings
• Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 package (6 ounces) chicken stuffing mix
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed broccoli cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in stuffing mix. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, layer chicken and broccoli in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Top with soup. Fluff stuffing with a fork; spoon over soup. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Another Food Network recipe, this time from Ina Garten. This was very good. I could have saved myself lots of time if I would have been more careful when picking out my bag of shrimp. I had to peel and devain all the shrimp. Not so bad to do just time consuming. Next time I'll read the bag more carefully and find uncooked shrimp that are already peeled and devained.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, zest grated
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe I found on the Food Network website. It's a delicious recipe from Paula Deen. I didn't use the eggs as she calls for in this recipe. My sister has also made this recipe several times and has used potatoes instead of eggs.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper, optional
• 1 1/2 cups instant biscuit mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 stick melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a greased 2-quart casserole, layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This recipe I found on the food.com website. We found it to be really good and what made it easier to make was the fact I used a rotisserie chicken from grocery store. I used half for this recipe and the other half for quesadillas.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

• 1 cup preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup nonfat milk
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4 ounce) cans cream-style corn
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) boxes corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
• 1 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained
• cooking spray
• 1 (10 ounce) cans red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup nonfat sour cream

Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

1. 1Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. 2Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles), stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9?inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
3. 3Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

New Title and Design

I admit it! I can't keep up with the weekly meals. Although I plan the weekly meals for my family I just can't seem to find the time needed to type up the recipes and plans each week and get them out in a timely manner. SO....I'm changing the site. My new plan is to share the recipes we use here in my kitchen that we think are worth sharing. I usually try one or two new meals a week and depending on their success I'll share them with you.

As a mom of a 2 and 1/2 year old and one coming in a few months I am still focusing on quick meals that I can cook and get on the table in 30 minutes or less. There may be a few that take a little longer which I will warn you before you venture out to make them for your family. I have been blessed enough to take a one year leave from my teaching position. With that said, I am more than ever concerned about what we are spending at the grocery store.

My hope is that you find this site a great resource when you need a dinner idea! Enjoy!

Meals for the week of...August 23, 2010

Monday: Pizza

Tuesday: Tater Tot Casserole

from Momswhothink.com

Wednesday: Meatballs with Sweet and Sour BBQ Sauce, Rice, and Corn

adapted from a Heinz recipe

Thursday: Tuna Casserole

from Momswhothink.com

Friday: Corn Chowder

Pizza

Pre-made Pizza Crust such as Boboli

Pizza Sauce (mine came with the crust)

Desired toppings

Assemble pizzas and cook in oven according to package directions on pizza crust

Tater Tot Casserole

½ pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 ¾ fluid ounces skim milk (use the soup can - use less as this is too much liquid)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can French style green beans
½ (32 ounce) package tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat.
3. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, skim milk, garlic salt and green beans.
4. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

This recipe was a hit with my husband and son but I did add some extra seasoning to the casserole before topping with tater tots. Use less milk as it seems too watery (I had to add cheese and french fried onions to help soak up some of the extra milk - these tasted great in the casserole)

Meatballs with Sweet and Sour BBQ Sauce, Rice, and Corn

I adapted this recipe from a Heinz recipe I found in the coupon section of the paper one day. We liked the flavor but decided it needed some extra zip which we now get from the BBQ sauce.

These meatballs are served over rice and with a side of canned corn

1 package frozen turkey meatballs (any flavor)

1 jar chili sauce (the fancy ketchup kind)

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

BBQ sauce for flavor - approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Mix chili sauce, cranberry sauce, and BBQ sauce in a large saucepan and heat on medium until sauce is smooth. Add meatballs and cook for about 15 minutes longer.

You can also cook this in a slow cooker. Put meatballs in the slow cooker. Mix sauces and add to meatballs. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Tuna Casserole

2 cups macaroni

1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup

1 can tuna

1 small package cream cheese

½ teaspoon garlic

½ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ cup milk (add a little more as it was slightly dry when cooked)

1 small onion, chopped (I used 1/2 an onion)

¼ cup grape nuts

2 Tablespoons butter

1. Cook macaroni per package directions.
2. In casserole dish mix cream of celery, softened cream cheese, milk until smooth.
3. Add tuna, garlic, dry mustard and onion. Stir in cooked macaroni.
4. Melt butter and mix grape nuts into the butter. Spread mixture over top of casserole.
5. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Corn Chowder

1/2 a small onion, diced

1/4 cup butter

1 can whole kernal corn

1 can creamed corn

1/2 cup half and half (we use the fat free kind)

pepper for flavor

Saute the onions with the butter in a large saucepan until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. If serving more than 2 people you will need to double this recipe. Between my husband and I we can finish this recipe.