Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

This is a great week night dinner. Easy to throw together, delicious, and great for leftovers.

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

Source: Woman's Day Magazine

Ingredients:

8oz uncooked ziti pasta

2tsp oil

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 cubanelle peppers, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

12oz spicy or sweet Italian sausage

1c part skim ricotta

1 1/2c shredded part skim mozzarella

1/4c grated Parmesan

2c marinara sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta according to directions on box.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion, and sausage. Cook until sausage is browned. Remove from heat and cut sausage into 1/4in slices.

Mix ricotta, 1c mozzarella, and Parmesan in large bowl. Drain pasta, toss with cheese mixture, sausage mixture and 1c marinara sauce.

Pout pasta mixture into a 2qt shallow baking dish. Pour remaining marinara on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

This is my go to lasagna recipe. It is also the best lasagna I've ever had. I love this recipe and will not be switching. Betty Crocker knew what she was doing when she wrote this one!

Italian Sausage Lasagna
Source: The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker
Ingredients:

1lb bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2c)
1 garlic clove, crushed
3tbs chopped fresh parsley
1tbs chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1tsp sugar
2c diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
1c (15oz) tomato sauce
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12oz)
1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese or small curd creamed cottage cheese (2c)
1/4c grated Parmesan cheese
1tbs chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2c shredded mozzarella cheese (8oz)
1/4c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook sausage, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, sugar, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.

Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and the oregano.

Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce mixture and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Honey Chicken Marinade

I modified this recipe from one I found on allrecipes.com. It was really good. The honey gives the chicken a nice sweet taste, but is also really subtle.

Honey Chicken Marinade

Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/4c soy sauce

3tbs honey

2tbs cider vinegar

1 1/2tsp garlic powder (I used 3 cloves garlic)

1 1/2tsp ground ginger

3/4c olive oil

2 green onions, chopped

1tsp black pepper

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together. Marinate chicken breast for at least 2 hours, but not longer than overnight. Cook in your favorite way (I prefer grilling).

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Yum! What a treat these were. The perfect combination of yummy pork chops and sweet apples. We will definitely be making these again. I enjoyed my apples and pork chop with a baked sweet potato and a glass of sparkling apple cider.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops
Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1/2c soy sauce
1c apple juice
olive oil
4 3/4in thick pork chops
2tbs brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8tsp ground nutmeg
2tbs butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:
Marinate pork chops for at least 2 hours in the soy sauce and apple juice.

Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle pork chops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast pork chops for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let juices settle.

While chops are roasting, combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add butter to a warm skillet and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops.

Continue cooking sauce until slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over apples. If desired, sprinkle with pecans.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

This was actually fairly easy to throw together and is pretty healthy. I'm not a huge fan of chicken parmesean so I thought it was just ok, but my husband enjoyed it. If you like chicken parmesean, you will probably enjoy this dish.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

10oz frozen, cut spinach, thawed and drained

2oz cream cheese, softened

1/4c shredded parmesean cheese

1/2tsp dried basil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4c egg product (I omitted since I usually coat chicken without egg)

12 crushed wheat crackers (I used breadcrumbs)

2tsp dried basil

1/2tsp pepper

1c pasta sauce

1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap, gently pound chicken to 1/4in thick.

Mix spinach, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/2tsp basil, and garlic. Spread about 1tbs mixture on each chicken breast. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks.

Place egg product in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix cracker/bread crumbs, remaining basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture and then coat with crumb mixture. Place seam side down in baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Pour pasta sauce over chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 to 15 more minutes until chicken is done.

Homemade Pizza

Yum! This was really good and is such a versatile dish made up of things we almost always have on hand. I think we will be making more homemade pizzas in the future. Next time, I am going to play with some spices and/or cheeses in the crust to give it a little something more. The recipe I used for the crust can be found here.

Homemade Pizza
Source: Betty Crocker
Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 1/3c flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2c milk
2tbs olive oil

For the sauce:
6oz tomato paste
8oz tomato sauce (more or less depending on how much sauce you like)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Italian seasoning to taste

1 1/2c shredded cheese of your choice (we used and Italian blend)
Toppings (We used sausage crumbles on my husband's side and a bell pepper, onion, and tomato on my side)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400.

In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk and olive oil until a soft dough forms. On lightly floured surface, knead dough ten time. Shape into a ball and cover with bowl for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Place dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and roll out to a 12in circle. Bake 8 minutes.

Spread sauce over crust, top with your choice of topping and cheese. Bake and additional 15 to 20 minutes until crust is light golden brown and cheese begins to brown.

Chicken Taco Skillet

I completely forgot to take a picture of this delicious meal. Trust me though when I say that it was fabulous. It was quick, yummy, and healthy! It's a VERY adaptable dish. You can throw cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, etc. and it would still be great. We topped ours with a bit our sour cream and crunch up tostada shells

Chicken Taco Skillet
Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3c frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2c water
traditional taco toppings of your choice

Directions:
Spray large skillet with non stick spray. Cook chicken on medium high speed until no longer pink in the center, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water. Cook 10-15 minutes until thickened and hot.

Serve with your choice of taco toppings.

Crock Pot Lasagna

The last time I tried to make crock pot lasagna, I failed. Horribly. It turned out so burnt, that we could not even try it. I learned my lesson and I now know that I must make it while I am home so I can keep an eye on it. This turned out really well. The recipe says to cook it 4-5 hours on low. In my crock pot, 4 hours was plenty of time. Definitely let it sit, out of the heating element, for 20-30 minutes before servings so that it can thicken up.

Crock Pot Lasagna
Source: Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (I used 1/2 pound ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese (I used small curd cottage cheese)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.

Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)

Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.

Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. (I skipped the extra cheese on top)

Grilled Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

Sorry, no picture. These sandwiches were so yummy that I forgot to take one before chowing down! This is a great summertime meal, they were delicious. Definitely something we will be trying again as they exceeded both of our expectations.

Grilled Ranch Chicken Sandwiches
Source: Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1/2c ranch dressing
2-3 green onions, chopped
2tbs mayo
2tbs fresh parsley, chopped
hamburger buns
tomato, lettuce, cheese, onion, etc. to top sandwiches

Directions:
Stir together 1/4c ranch dressing and chopped green onions. Add chicken to mixture and turn to coat. Marinate 1-2 hours in refrigerator.

Cook chicken on hot grill as normal. Meanwhile, mix together 1/4c ranch dressing, 2 tbs mayo, and parsley in small bowl.

Spread mayo mixture on buns, add cooked chicken, and top with whatever you like. Enjoy@

Grilled Marinated Chicken

I love grilled chicken. Especially when it has been marinated. I enjoyed this marinade very much. It added a nice bit of flavor, without being overpowering.

Source: allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1/2c brown sugar
1/2c balsamic vinegar
1/2c soy sauce
1/4c olive oil
2tbs Worcestershire sauce
2tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
Whisk together the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper until the sugar has dissolved.

Place thawed chicken in marinade and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Grill as normal.

Pasta with Sausage, Veggies, and Cheese

Some nights, when I'm trying to clear things out of the cabinets, I just throw things together and make a meal out of it. The best ones always involve pasta and cheese. This one, happens to be the best one yet. In fact, my husband has requested that we put it on the menu in the future. I have to agree with him, it was very yummy. It's a very versatile dish. You can customize each ingredient to better fit your own taste.

Pasta with Sausage, Veggies, and Cheese
Ingredients:
2c dry bow tie pasta
1/2lb Bob Evans Breakfast Sausage
1 1/2c frozen mixed veggies
1/2c cheddar jack cheese

Directions:
Cooked pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in skillet. Drain.

While pasta and sausage are cooking, steam veggies to desired tenderness.

When all are cooked, toss together with cheese.

Chicken Enchiladas

I am the worst picture taker of food ever. :( Oh well, these were very very yummy and I will definitely be making them again.

Chicken Enchiladas
Source: Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices
Ingredients:
1 jar salsa verde
1/4c cilantro sprigs
1/4c parsley sprigs (I omitted)
1tbs lime juice
2 cloves garlic
2c chopped cooked chicken
3/4c mozzarella cheese
6 flour tortillas

Directions:
Heat over to 350. Grease rectangular baking dish.

Place salsa, cilantro, parsley lime juice and garlic in blender or food processor. Blend on high about 30 seconds, until smooth. Reserve half of the mixture.

Mix remaining sauce mixture, chicken, and 1/4 c of cheese. Spoon evenly among tortillas and roll tortillas around the filling. Place, seam side down, in baking dish.

Pour reserved sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkles with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until hot.

Caesar Tortellini Salad

This is a great summer meal for when you are short on time. I made this after Friday night softball and Matt and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure we will be making it again soon. It you want to add some extra protein, you can easily throw in some baked chicken too.

Caesar Tortellini Salad
Source: Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices
Ingredients:
1 bag light Caesar salad mix
9oz frozen cheese tortellini
1 tomato
Baked chicken (optional)

Directions:
Cook chicken and tortellini according to package directions. While cooking, mix up the salad according to the package directions and chop up the tomato. Mix the tomato into the salad. Rinse tortellini under cold water and toss with salad. If desired, toss in some baked chicken. Serve immediately.

Sausage Cheese Frittata

We love breakfast for supper in out house. We have it about every other week. I've recently found a love for sausage and egg bakes. This frittata did not disappoint. The original recipe from allrecipes.com called for bacon but I substituted 1/2lb Bob Evans pork sausage instead.

Sausage Cheese Frittata

Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 c milk
2 tbs butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/2 lb pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. (I used a pie dish) Sprinkle with onions, bacon and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Pasta with Bacon, Cheese, and Tomato

Yum! This is a weight watches recipes that I stole from another blog. I have to say, it is pretty darn good and very versatile. You can change up the cheese, pasta, and veggies in this dish fairly easily to fit your tastes. For us, it was perfect the way it was and with some pieces of baked chicken thrown in. A very good, healthy one dish meal. I cut the recipe below in half (except for the bacon) and it was a good amount for my husband and I to share.

Pasta with Bacon, Cheese, and Tomato
Source: Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:
2 c uncooked pasta
2 tbs flour
1 c milk
4 center-cut bacon slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c shredded Gruyere cheese (I used mozzarella)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh basil (I omitted)
3 c baby fresh spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, place the flour in a small bowl. Add milk gradually, whisking until well blended.

Cook bacon in a medium saucepan. Remove from pan and finely chop.

Drain excess grease. Add garlic to the pan, saute 30 seconds. Add milk and cook until thick, about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the Gruyere and seasonings, stir until well combined.

Add pasta, bacon, spinach, and tomatoes. Stir until spinach wilts slightly. Top with Parmesan.

Taco Pasta Skillet

100 posts!! Woohoo! This meal is a good way to celebrate. It is a great weeknight meal that provides plenty of yummy leftovers for lunch the next day. According to my husband: pasta? good. meat? good. cheese? good.

Taco Pasta Skillet

Source: modified from Family Circle (I think) magazine

Ingredients:

1/2lb ground beef

1lb small pasta (I used two kinds because that it all I had)

1 can (15oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5oz) no salt added stewed tomatoes

1 can (15oz) mild enchilada sauce

1tsp chili powder

1tsp red pepper flakes

1/4tsp salt

2c shredded taco cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package, drain.

While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. In a large skillet, brown beef. Drain and return to skillet. Add beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Break up tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add1/2 of cheese and simmer for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add pasta to skillet. Stir in hald of remaining cheese. Serve topped with extra cheese.

Lemon Chive Fettuccine

Yum! I love pasta dishes. Especially when they are fast, easy, and healthy!

Lemon Chive Fettuccine

Source: Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices

Ingredients:

6oz uncooked fettuccine

1/3c reduced-fat sour cream

3tbs chopped chives

1tbs grated lemon peel

2tbs lemon juice

1tsp margarine

1/2tsp salt

1/4tsp pepper

Directions:

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

Mix remaining ingredients. Toss with fettuccine.

Sloppy Jon's

No, you didn't read that wrong. I did call them Sloppy Jon's. Weird, I know. You see, growing up I was teased on Sloppy Joe day at school since my name is Jo. So, at home, my parents made up for it by serving Sloppy Jon's (my brother's name). It's something that has stuck and now, that's what I will always call them. Fun story, right?

Anyway, this is a simple recipe for the sandwich. They are very tasty and require only 5 ingredients plus buns. Top them off with some pickles and you've got anexcellent sandwich. Add some corn on the cob and fruit salad and you have a quick, summer meal that all those little kids out there named Jo will love.

Sloppy Jon's

Source: Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef or turkey

1/2c chopped onion (I used some onion powder since Matt doesn't care for onion chunks)

1 can reduced-fat condensed tomato soup

2tsp worcestershire sauce

3 drops red pepper sauce

hamburger buns

Directions:

Cook ground meat over medium-high heat until browned. Drain.

Stir in remain ingredients, except buns. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Chicken Stir Fry

This is one of the easiest and tastiest healthy meals. If you're short on time and don't want to hit the unhealthy drive thru try some stir fry.

Chicken Stir Fry
Source: Modified from Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices
Ingredients:
8oz chicken breast, cut in to bite sized pieces
1 bag frozen snap pea stir fry veggies
1 c frozen broccoli
1/2 c stir fry sauce

Directions:
Spray skillet with non stick spray. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Add veggies and stir fry sauce. Stir fry until veggies are tender crisp. Serve over rice.

Pasties

I got the idea for these from Mary. I had never heard of Pasties before but they sounded really good so I gave them a shot. I'll be honest, they didn't turn out quite how I expected. The filling just didn't get cooked long enough and I used crescent rolls which did not hold the amount of filling I wanted to use. I am confident that with a few modifications in my ingredients and cooking method, they will turn out perfect next time. So, I will give you directions based on how I will do it next time.



Pasties
Source: Modified from Life on 19th
Ingredients:
Puff pastry
1/2 lb ground beef
2 small potatoes, cut in to small cubes
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 c onion, finely diced
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until brown. Drain. Combine with the rest of the ingredients in the skillet and cook about 15 minutes until potatoes are slightly tender.



Spoon filling over half of puff pastry. Fold over remain pastry and crimp edges to make a pouch. Bake according to the directions on the pastry package.

Serve with brown gravy.