Tag Archives: recipe

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

  By Rachel | February 28, 2012 - 5:04 pm | Recipes
Leave a comment

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while.  I have been rather lazy with my cooking lately- relying on old favorites and throwing together hodge-podge meals.

But last night, I tried something new, and it was delicious.  We are not normally fans of Alfredo sauce, but I decided to try it and I am pleased to say this recipe has made the cut- and we will be having it again.

I found this recipe through a blog- Stop and Smell the Chocolates.

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

9 dried whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 (10 oz) containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce- (I used one jar and it still turned out great)
3 tablespoons lemon juice – (didn’t have this so I didn’t use it)
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
1+ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (if you don’t have this blend, just use whatever cheese you have- that’s what I did)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Stir in chicken, spinach, and red peppers.

2. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of dish. Top with one-third chicken mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over mixture. Repeat layers twice, topping with remaining cheese. Cover; bake for 45-55 minutes or until heated through. Uncover. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 9 servings.

*** I did not have anything to cover the dish with in the stove- so I put it in for 30 minutes instead at 325 and kept an eye on it.  It came out great, the top did not burn, and it was nice and warm.

If you try it let me know what you think!

***Direct Link to original recipe post, click here.

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

  By Rachel | February 11, 2012 - 9:22 pm | Recipes
1 Comment

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

I was feeling desperate this week.  Dealing with my first somewhat picky eater- and it is so frustrating when I make something and he won’t eat it- and then I am scrounging through the kitchen trying to find something that I know he will eat.

So, I got online and starting looking for some recipes that had veggies and were similar to the consistency of baby food- hoping that I could then make something that the rest of the family could also eat and thereby cutting down on the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen.

We tried this recipe on Tuesday this week and I LOVE it!  So simple and easy to whip up, all ingredients you probably have around the house already and makes enough for leftovers but you are not “swimming in it.”

I served this with chicken cooked on the stove top.

Here is the recipe from Allrecipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
  • 6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
    2. Cook spinach according to package directions. Place potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain, cool slightly, and mash.
    3. In a bowl, mix the spinach, mashed potatoes, butter, sour cream, onion, salt, and dill. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with Cheddar cheese.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly brown.

 

***Link to original recipe, click here.

Taco Dip

  By Rachel | February 6, 2012 - 9:11 pm | Recipes
Leave a comment

All right, I know you all are getting ready for your superbowl parties tomorrow.  Head out to the store or scrounge in your cabinets and pull together these ingredients for an awesome dip to serve with your favorite chips.  This has been a family favorite of ours for years- I got this recipe from my Mom.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. can bean dip
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 8 oz. sour cream
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 package Taco Seasoning
  • 1/4 c. water (add water slowly, may not need it all)
  • 1-2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 sm. onion (optional) chopped as fine as you desire
  • Black Olives (optional)
  • Guacamole (optional)
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese (any kind of cheese will work and use amount you wish)
  • Your favorite Chips for dipping

Method:

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix bean dip, cream cheese, and sour cream- layer in the bottom of 9×13 pan.  Brown meat, drain.  Add taco seasoning and water to meat and mix.  Layer meat over cream cheese layer. Chop tomatoes and onion, layer over meat mixture.  Add any other extras- black olives, guacamole.  Top everything with layer of cheese.

Put in oven and warm until cheese melts and heated all the way through.  Eat and Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

  By Rachel | February 6, 2012 - 8:49 pm | Recipes
Leave a comment

I have no idea who the original person was who thought up this delicious recipe.  My friend Erin shared it with me years ago, and I don’t know where she heard of it- but she raved about how delicious it was so I decided to give it a try.  This quickly became a favorite for the whole family.  Very easy to make and only six ingredients!

Ingredients:

  • 1 T butter
  • 1 rounded tsp. minced garlic (or more if you love garlic like we do)
  • 32 oz. chicken broth
  • 1 block frozen spinach, thawed
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz. dried tortellini

Directions:

Saute garlic in better until browned. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach and tomatoes and simmer 5 more minutes. Top with Parmesan if desired.

Calories per serving: 275, 6.5 grams of fat–This recipe makes 6 servings.

Tamale Pie

  By Rachel | February 5, 2012 - 5:06 am | Recipes
Leave a comment

This is another recipe brought to you by Crockin’ Girls.  The first time we had this dish, we had our first week of really cold weather and this was the perfect warm, soothing meal.  And, of course, the most important test- the kiddos loved it.  I made a few changes and will make a note of that in the recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cups red kidney beans (from 19-oz can), drained, rinsed (**I used black beans instead)

1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (**my kids don’t like spicy so we got mild sauce)

1 pouch (6.5 ounces) cornbread & muffin mix

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chilies, undrained

1/4 cup sour cream

4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup) (**not an essential ingredient- I have left it out)

Directions:

1. In nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in beans and enchilada sauce.

2. Place beef mixture in 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir cornbread mix, milk, margarine and egg just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir cheese and chiles into batter. Spoon over beef mixture in slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean.

Serve with sour cream and green onions.

 

How I Have Learned to Love Cooking

  By Rachel | February 3, 2012 - 7:24 pm | Random
Leave a comment

I have to confess that before I had children I spent very little time preparing meals in the kitchen. I would maybe throw a bunch of canned things together and add a little hot sauce, but that was about the extent of my cooking abilities.

Now that there are more mouths to feed and I have found it much cheaper to make meals rather than buying boxed things all the time- I have began exploring the internet world of recipes.
Let me be clear- I do NOT ever experiment with making my own recipes. That would be a disaster- of that I am certain. I rely on those tried and tested recipes readily available online.

Allrecipes has been one of my favorite sites for a few years- I love all the reviews of recipes- it helps to not only have a recipe but also have several reviews that give suggestions on how to tweak the recipe to make it even better. FANTASTIC. Very helpful for me b/c I would be clueless on how to make a recipe better- what to remove or what to add more of- really- I am not exaggerating- it would be hopeless.

I also have come to love my Crockpot- I got it for a wedding gift and had used it maybe two times before we had kids. Now I usually use it at least two times a week. Crockin Girls are awesome. If you have not discovered them please go visit their website right now. I love simple, fast and easy- and the crock pot does such a fantastic job making meat tender- and for young kiddos who still don’t have a mouthful of teeth, that can be really helpful.

I don’t like to spend more than 30 minutes preparing a meal.  I want to be with my kids- I love playing with them and spending time with them.  So if I can find a recipe, pick things up, and whip up the dish and let it cook the rest of the day- that takes a load off my mind.
I hope that some of these suggestions are helpful- and please share if you have some sites that offer quick, easy, and healthy family meal options. I am always looking for new suggestions.

Happy Cooking!

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

  By Rachel | February 3, 2012 - 4:54 pm | Recipes
Leave a comment

Shared from allrecipes.com.  By: Taste of Home’s Fast Family Favorites

I love this recipe and have made it on so many times I am close to memorizing it.  I never ate things with pumpkin until a friend urged me to try a pumpkin soup- now my two favorite breakfast foods contain pumpkin.  (pumpkin pancakes recipe coming soon)

FYI:  I make this without the Streusel.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped peeled apples
  • STREUSEL:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 teaspoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

***Direct Link to original recipe, click here.