Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

8 oz. cottage cheese

1/4 cup butter

8 oz. noodles

1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil noodles per package instructions.  Mix together cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese.  Mix very well (I used my kitchen aid.)  While noodles are cooking brown ground beef in skillet and drain off grease.  Once meat is browned add jar of spaghetti sauce and mix well.  Spray bottom of 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Layer half the noodles on bottom of pan.  Top with creamy mixture, spreading evenly over top.  Layer with the rest of the noodles.  Slice butter into 6 pieces and place on top of noodles.  Top with meat mixture.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*My creamy mixture didn't spread very well so I just mixed it in with the noodles and it worked just fine!! 

Black Bean Stacks

This is a great meatless recipe option and is really versatile....just throw in what you have on hand or what sounds good to you!

1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can diced green chilies
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup cilantro
Corn tortillas
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil in skillet.  Add onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until onions soften.  Then add black beans, green chilies, taco seasoning, water, corn and cilantro.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the moisture has been absorbed, 8-10 minutes.

Warm up six corn tortillas in microwave.  Place a corn tortilla on the bottom of cookie sheet, add 1/6 of bean mixture and top with cheese.  Repeat adding a corn tortilla and bean mixture until you have used 3 corn tortillas and 3 levels of bean mixture ending with cheese on top.  Makes 2 stacks.

Top with cilantro, avocado, salsa, sour cream....whatever your heart desires!!

Baked Fried Chicken

This was a  new recipe I tried and everyone loved it so I thought I'd share!  (For those of you that come from THE TEXAS with real good fried chicken you might not appreciate it as much ;))

Soak chicken breast tenderloins (I cut up 3 breasts into strips) in a bowl of milk for 20-30 minutes.

Mix in a gallon size ziploc or large bowl:
1 Tbl. season all salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup flour
2 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut 1/2 a stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9x13 pan.  Melt butter in preheated oven.

Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan.  Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure there are no dry spots.

Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix.  You can either shake the chicken in the bag until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.  Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes, or until cooked through.  Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken Linguine

I made this for dinner last night and thought is was so delicious, so I figured that I would share it! It is a very light sauce which is why I liked it so much. It didn't feel as heavy as pasta usually does.  I think it could be really good with just veggies instead of chicken too.

Lemon Chicken Linguine

Cooking time: 35 min

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound linguine or other long pasta shape
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

What to do:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; add the chicken and brown it 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken from the saucepan.
    
2. Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta and parsley, then bring to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    
3. Meanwhile, cut the cooked chicken into 2-inch by 1/4-inch strips. Add to the mixture, cover and simmer 5 minutes; stir.
    
4. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Soup

Michele gave me a butternut squash from grandpas garden and I made this soup out of it.  I thought it was tasty! 

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash, cubed
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot.  Add carrot, celery, onion and cook unitl onions become translucent (3-4 minutes).  Add squash, thyme, broth and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork tender (20-25 minutes). Use an immersion blender (your bamix!) to puree soup.  You can also let the soup cool slightly and add in batches to a regular blender being careful not to overfill.

We served this with grilled cheese to make it more kid friendly!
Recipe found here.

Chicken Gyros

Sauce:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream
3/4 cup peeled, seeded, finely chopped cucumber
1/2 tsp. dried dill

Rest of ingredients:
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 pitas
8 leaves romaine lettuce
2 small plum tomatoes
4 slices red onion

1- Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2- Combine chicken, lemon pepper, oregano and garlic powder in a medium bowl and mix well.  Coat skillet with olive oil and preheat.  Add chicken and cook until nicely browned and no longer pink inside.
3- Top warmed pitas (15 sec microwave) with sauce, chicken, and veggies.

Sausage Bread

2 loaves rhodes frozen bread dough
1 lb. sausage, browned
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
mozarella cheese
favorite spaghetti sauce

Thaw bread dough completely (2-3 hours on counter). 
Mix cooked sausage, parmesan, and egg in bowl.  Divide in half.  Roll out bread dough into two rectangles (amost as long as a cookie sheet).  Place 1/2 meat mixture into each rectangle, sprinkle with mozarella, roll lengthwise and seal.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 20 minutes.  Serve with warmed spaghetti sauce.

We eat ours with ranch...this is one of Jace's favorites!

BBQ Porkchops

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
3 Tbl. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbl. onion, chopped
Porkchops

Mix brown sugar, dry mustard, pepper, ketchup, vinegar, worcestershire, and onion.  Pour half of sauce in 9x13 pan.  Place porkchops on top and pour remaining sauce over top.  Bake for 1 hour at 350.

I usually do 3 or 4 porkchops and half the sauce recipe!

White Chicken Chili

6 regular cans white beans with juice
2 cans chicken broth
1 block mild pepper jack cheese, grated or cubed
1 onion, chopped
2-4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can mild green chilies
1 Tbl. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and simmer until cheese is melted.
Or throw everything in the crock pot and cook on low 4-6 hours (throw the chicken in raw if you choose this way!)
I half this for my family and we have leftovers.

Chile Colorado Burritos

1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat (or other beef cubed)
1 large can mild red enchilada sauce (at least 19 oz.)
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 can refried beans
flour tortillas
shredded cheese

Put beef, enchilada sauce, and bouillon in crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours (on high 3-4 hours). Remove beef (with slotted spoon) and shred when done cooking and place on a plate.  Heat up refried beans and put oven on broil.  Spread refried beans on your tortillas and place about 1/2 cup of the meat in each tortilla.  Roll up and place in 9x13 pan, pour some enchilada sauce from the crock pot, and sprinkle with cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly, 2-4 minutes.

Enjoy!  Makes about 5-7 burritos, depending on how full you make them.

recipe found here