Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad

I tried this new recipe for company when I hosted the 4th this year. I couldn't find wagon wheel pasta at Walmart, Kroger or Publix. I didn't think to try Whole Foods but will next time. Anyway, this was definitely a winner! Mexican makes a different, spicy flavor for a pasta salad.

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
from Cara's Cravings
1lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn (I don't even bother thawing it, because I always make this at least a few hours before serving, so it plenty of time to defrost)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.
In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I remember the first time I had these at my Great Aunt Mary's farm. I was probably 5 or 6 years old. My mom uses this same recipe. I really don't have a specific recipe because it's one of those dishes that I just make.
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
1 pound beef or turkey
4-5 bell peppers
1 onion
rice (however much you want to use - I just used a microwaveable pouch of Uncle Ben's Garden Vegatable rice to save time)
2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup pasta sauce
cheese (however much you want to use.)
Dice onion and brown onion with ground beef. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove tops and insides of bell peppers, boil to soften while preparing the other ingredients. Once meat and onion is browned, add diced tomoatoes to the pan and heat through. Prepare rice and add rice to the mixture. Remove peppers from boiling. Stuff peppers with the mixture, pour pasta sauce over the stuffed peppers. Bake peppers for about 55 minutes, add cheese to tops of stuffed peppers and bake for 5 more minutes to melt cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Burritos

So, I wanted to make chicken, but not the usual baked chicken or chicken on the George Foreman grill, etc. I found this recipe and, since I just made tacos Monday night, was able to use the remaining tortilla shells, lettuce and tomatoes. I also added to these tacos some salsa from Trader Joes. Yum I love their salsa, it's like fresh pico.
Chicken Burritos
from Cook Like a Champion
Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts (I used 2)
4 tablespoons minced red bell pepper (I used a whole red pepper)
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup frozen corn (I used 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons canned jalapenos, diced (Omitted)
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
9 flour tortillas (I don't think we used 9)
lettuce
tomato
Directions
1. Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
2. Grill until chicken is cooked through. (I cooked it in a saute pan and then used that same pan to cook the vegetables.)
3. Allow chicken to cool slightly and then shred.
4. In a medium skillet, add red pepper, onion and garlic and cook over medium high heat for one minute. (I cooked this for much longer, probably 7-8 minutes, adding the garlic towards the end.)
5. Add shredded chicken and remaining ingredients through red pepper flakes and cook until warmed through.
6. Meanwhile, microwave tortillas in a damp paper towel for 15-20 seconds.
7. Add cheese, mixing until incorporated. (I just topped ours with the cheese...I forgot to mix it in!)
8. Fill tortillas and eat immediately or wrap in foil to freeze. (If freezing, burritos take about 3 minutes to reheat.)

Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding

Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding from Good Housekeeping

I am not a huge quiche fan but wanted a breakfast-type casserole for dinner so I opted for a bread pudding since I needed to use up some bread. This was very easy. I cut it in half and will add more spices or salt next time or use a more full flavored cheese.

From Good Housekeeping triple-tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute

INGREDIENTS
6 large eggs
2 cup(s) (1%) low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground pepper
1 pinch(s)ground nutmeg
1 package(s)(10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup(s)(4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 slice(s) firm white bread, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. With rubber spatula, stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread.
Pour mixture into 13-inch by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Bake bread pudding 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove bread pudding from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

TIPS & TECHNIQUES
For a Mexican-style variation, replace Monterey Jack with pepper Jack cheese and add 4 ounces sliced pepperoni. Serve with salsa.


COOKING INFO
Recipe ingredient amounts have been adjusted. Cooking times and temperatures may be affected by increasing the amounts used, so please check food carefully during cooking.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving)
Calories
280
Total Fat
13g
Saturated Fat
6g
Cholesterol
233mg
Sodium
545mg
Total Carbohydrate
22g
Dietary Fiber
2g
Sugars
--
Protein
17g
Calcium

Chicken-Sausage (Turkey Kielbasa) and Asparagus saute over Cheese Grits

This is definitely the most Southern dish I've cooked yet! But I have to admit, even the grits were yummy and this interesting combo actually is quite tasty!

Chicken-Sausage (Turkey Kielbasa) and Asparagus saute over Cheese Grits
from Every Day food, adjusted to serve 4 instead of 1
Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 precooked chicken sausage, thinly sliced on the diagonal (I used 2 large links of turkey kielbasa.)
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (I used yellow onion.)
1/2 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch lengths (I used a whole bunch.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. grits or yellow cornmeal (I used 1 c. grits.)
2 tbsp. crumbled fresh goat cheese (I used about 1 c. sharp cheddar.)

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Cook sausage until browned, tossing occasionally, 1-2 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes.
3. Add asparagus, thyme and 1/3 c. water (I used about a cup and that was too much liquid. I would start with half a cup and add more as needed.) Cover and steam until asparagus is just tender and water has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
4. Add sausage and lemon juice, toss. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
5. In a small saucepan, bring 1 c. salt water to a boil. (I used 4 cups of liquid. 2 c. beef stock (chicken stock would work fine, too) and 2 c. water.)
6. Gradually whisk in grits.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 6 minutes.
8. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve sausage and asparagus over grits.
I topped grits with a touch of shredded cheese, too.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was very yummy! It reminds me of a Mexican Chili but with chicken and more flavors infused. Next time I may substitute ground turkey and see how that tastes. Friends ate almost all of it. It was a hit!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
From Good Thymes and Good Food

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy (I don't like hominy so I used chickpeas)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted as I did not want to purchase a huge package of it)
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (I roasted them at 425 for about 22 minutes.)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I had cheddar/jack and just used that.)c
hopped green onions
chopped red onion
lime juice
sour cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425.
Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a little chili powder.
2. Roast chicken for 22-25 minutes. When cooked, shred with two forks.
3. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.
4. Saute onion, carrot and celery in oil until soft.
5. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
6. Stir in chili powder, oregano and cumin. Coat vegetables.
7. Add tomatoes, broth, and water.
8. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top/garnish with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, chopped green onion, red onion, lime juice and/or sour cream.

Ham and Cheese Turnovers

The recipe is from Real Simple magazine. It's very easy with hardly any prep time at all and all the ingredients compliment each other very well. It's something different but just as easy as making a pizza, etc.

Ham and Cheese Turnovers

1 1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough (I used a tube of pizza dough.)
8 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced (I used Boar's Head low sodium ham - yum!)
4 ounces Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin rings
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (I used honey mustard.)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head romaine, torn into pieces

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles.
3. Stack a piece of the ham, cheese, and onion (I spread a bit of honey mustard on each triangle.) on the bottom of each triangle and roll the dough up around the filling. (Some of the filling will stick out the ends.)
4. Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
(I sprayed the parchment paper with non-stick spray.)
5. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
6. Combine the mustard and oil in a medium bowl and toss with the romaine.
7. Serve with the turnovers.

Make Ahead: These turnovers can be assembled, wrapped tightly, and then refrigerated up to 12 hours in advance. Once cooked, they will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if sealed tightly in bags or containers. Reheat in a 350° F oven until warm.

Yield: Makes 4 servings NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 561(36% from fat); FAT 22g (sat 7g); PROTEIN 28g; CHOLESTEROL 48mg; SODIUM 1346mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 60g

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole (Mexican lasagna)

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Show:
Emeril Live
Episode:
America's Wild West Texas Style

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound ground beef
1 pound diced stew meat
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
3 cups beef stock
10 flour tortillas
2 cups grated Medium Cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease a 9 by 9 by 2-inch square baking dish.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced meat and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the chili mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay two tortillas on top of the chili mixture. Sprinkle the top of the tortillas with the Cheddar and Jack cheese. Repeat the layering process until all of the chili, tortillas and cheese are used. (The final layer should be cheese) Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing.

Notes: Paula passed this recipe onto me because I had it at her house and loved it. There are a lot more flavors in this dish than in your typical mexican casserole. Daniel called it a Mexican lasagna because of all the layers and I like that name better than the gooey one. :)
I used turkey instead of beef and beef stew meat and the larger, burrito style rather than taco tortillas.
I served with restauraunt style tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole.

Cabbage Casserole

I really don’t have an exact recipe for this, it was given to me word of mouth by via a friend's older sister. It's very simple and tasty!

You will need:
1 cabbage
Ground beef or turkey
Shredded cheese

Chop up 1 cabbage and cover with water
Salt and pepper
Cook until done
Drain the cabbage but, save the broth that you boiled the cabbage in.

In a deep skillet , brown 1lb of ground beef or however much you want to use

Remove from the skillet

Melt 1 stick of butter or margarine
Mix with 3/4 cup of flour until it is all incorporated
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the broth from the cabbage a little at a time until thickened

Layers for the casserole:

first layer of cabbage
Ground beef
Cheese
White sauce
Finish with cheese on top

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 mins

Quick Tater Tot Bake

This is easy and good. :)

Quick Tater Tot Bake

3/4 to 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package (16 oz) frozen tater tot potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 soup can milk or water
1 cup (4oz) shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, brown the meat and onion. Drain any fat. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a greased 1-1/2 qt. to 2-qt. casserole. Top with potatoes. Combine soup and milk or water; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

20 Minute Quick Chicken Parmesean

This is definitely the easiest chicken parm recipe I've ever come across. It was good, too. I served it over penne pasta with a salad on the side.

20-Minute Chicken Parmesan

This is so easy and fast, yet it tastes so good! Great for a quick weeknight dinner.
The recipe is enough for 4 people.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp. margarine
1 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce (you can use the stuff in a jar, or make your own marinara in advance and just reheat that)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Flatten chicken with palm of hand. Dip into egg then into crumbs to coat.
2. Brown chicken in hot margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add sauce. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cheeses, cover, and simmer 5 minutes/until cheese melts.
Serve with hot spaghetti and salad.

French Fry Casserole

So this isn't the healthiest meal to make but it was good! I thought I would try it in place of the tater tot casserole I make and liked it better. It definitely has more flavor and is a quick, easy meal. I did use turkey to make it a little healthier as a meal.

French Fry Casserole
1 lb. ground meat (lean beef or turkey)
1/2 a medium onion - chopped
1 clove fresh garlic - chopped finely
salt & pepper to taste
1 can cream/mushroom soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup ----- (I could only find Campbell's Spicy Nacho Cheese Soup at the grocery store but it worked fine)
shredded cheddar cheese
frozen french fries ----- (I used the thin fast food style rather than the thick crinkle fries)

Brown beef, along with onion and fresh garlic. Drain, add back to pan along with salt, pepper, and soups. Heat through & pour into casserole dish. Top with frozen fries. Sprinkle top of fries with seasoning salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until fries are golden brown. Spread handful of cheese on top & put back in oven until melted.

Alfredo Pasta Bake

This came out really good so I thought I would share it!

Alfredo Pasta Bake
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms
1.5 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or diced
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls butter

Directions:- Preheat oven to 350 degrees - Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and alfredo sauce until combined. Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

This is an easy chicken recipe that is yummy!

GARLIC CHEDDAR CHICKEN
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2 cloves)
3 tbsp dry bread crumbs (I used Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs and omitted the seasonings below)
1/8 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp shredded Cheddar cheese
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Mexican Casserole

A friend's brother forwarded this recipe on to me. I tried it and it was good - that's a lot of doritoes though! :)

Mexican Casserole

3 chicken breast
1 can of rotel
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 bag of nacho cheese doritoes
shredded cheese(however much you want to put on it)

Uncle Bens 90 second mexican rice(if you want rice on on the side)

The layers for this are crushed doritos, the soup and rotel mixture, shredded chicken and cheese. Only do 2 layers for each in a sqare Pyrex pan.

Cut the chicken into pieces and cook. Put the Rotel, and soups together in separate pot and cook that. After everything is cooked you will follow the layers above. You will have to shred (pull apart) the chicken with your hands or you can cut it with scissors. After you have the layers done put in the oven on 350 for about 20 minutes or so. You kind of just have to guesstimate if it looks ready.