Chili Pasta Casserole

8 ounces uncooked wagon wheel or other pasta
1 pound lean ground sirloin or ground turkey (I used ground beef)
3/4 c. chopped green bell pepper (I didn't use it)
3/4 c. chopped onion (I used 1 TBSP dry onion)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add meat, green pepper and onion. Cook 5 mins or until meat is not pink, stirring frequently.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, black pepper, and allspice. Cook 2 mins. Stir in pasta. Spoon into casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake 20-25 mins or until heated through.

To freeze: Do not cook pasta completely, keep firm. Mix ingredients all together, freeze.
Thaw, put in casserole dish, top with cheese and bake.

Names and Numbers

I think it would be a good idea to put all of our names and phone numbers on the blog. I started a spot to the right under "chefs". Just click on the edit button and add your name and number if you would like. Thanks!

Beef Fajita Skillet

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. uncooked rice
2 c. salsa
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 1/4 c. water
1 c. cheese, grated

In large skillet, saute ground beef; drain fat. Top meat with rice, salsa, beans and water. Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes; stir occasionally. Top with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese melts. Top each serving with corn chips. Yield: 6 servings

If freezing, combine all ingredients except cheese before simmering and freeze. Thaw and cook in covered skillet for 25- 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese and heat until cheese melts.

Sides: We like corn or a salad with this. It's also good rolled up in a tortilla.

Barbequed Spare Ribs

2 lb. boneless spare ribs
12 oz. barbeque sauce
1 c. applesauce

Cut ribs inot serving-sized peices. Boil in 1 quart water for 1 hour; drain. Combine barbeque sauce with applesauce. Place ribs in slow cooker and top with sauce mixture. Cover and cook on low setting 8-10 hours or high seting 4-5 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.

For the freezer, I boiled the ribs then put them in bags with barbeque sauce/applesauce combination.

Side dishes: Baked or twice baked potatoes, veggie, green salad or fruit

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2-3 cups of cooked, diced chicken
6-8 flour tortillas
2-3 cups shredded colby jack cheese or cheddar
For the sauce:
1 can of cream of chicken
8-16 oz of sour cream (depending on how much you like)
1 can of diced chiles
1/2 cup of milk
a little salsa
a sprinkle of chili powder
(or you could even add a can of enchildada sauce)

Mix up the sauce until smooth. Layer stips of tortillas across bottom of a greased 9 X 13 pan (2-3 tortillas) (also you may want to put some sauce on the bottom if you like) Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the tortillas then sprinkle 1 cup of chicken over that and then cheese. Repeat the process with tortillas strips, sauce, chicken and cheese. Add one more layer of tortillas and then some cheese. Bake uncovered until bubbly at 350 for 30 minutes.

What I'm making for next exchange on June 4th

Melanie L: Beef (or turkey) Stroganoff with noodles
Linda: Marinated Pork Chops
TRACI: cheese manicotti
Lisa: Beef Fajita Skillet
Jen C: Chili pasta Casserole
Melanie N: not sure yet...maybe something with chicken since I don't see any
Jen S: Thinking about french bread pizza

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
2 cans creamed chicken soup
2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
Spaghetti, cooked
Parmesan cheese

Cook chicken breasts until done. Cut up in pieces. In large bowl, mix everything together except Parmesan cheese. In a casserole dish, layer with spaghetti mixture, then Parmesan cheese. Cook 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees in a 9 x 13 dish.
*I mix the noodles and the sauce altogether (instead of layering it), it makes it creamier and easier to dish up if you do it that way.

**Side** We do garlic toast and a green salad or green beans

Pizza Casserole

2 cups uncooked egg noodle(I used Penne)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped(I didn't use that much)
2 cloves garlic, minced(I didn't use that much)
1 green bell pepper(I only used half)
1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage(I didn't know what it was so I just used pepperoni)
16 ounces of pizza sauce
4 tablespoons milk(i forgot it hopefully it doesn't make a huge differance)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

IF FROZEN-thaw and preheat oven to 350* cook for about 20 min, sprinkle with cheese and cook for about 10 more min.

DIRECTIONS:

cook noodles according to package

in medium skillet over med-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onions, garlic and green pepper. Drain excess fat. stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. pour into a 2-quart casserole dish

bake at 350* for 20 min, top with cheese for 5 to 10 more min

French Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbls yeast
2 tbls oil
2 tbls sugar
1 egg
1 tbls salt
6 cups flour

Mix water, yeast, oil , and sugar and let sit until starts to bubble. Gradually add flour and salt until you can handle it well enough to knead-if you have a mixer knead by machine for 10, or by hand until smooth. Let rise until double (about 45 min). Divide dough in half. Roll each into a rectangle and roll into long loaf. Tuck the ends under. Cut slashes across top of each loaf. Smear each loaf with beaten egg white. Place on cookie sheet that is greased or sprinkled with cornmeal. Rise until double. Bake 20-30 mins at 350.

Quiche

4 eggs (I used 1 cup egg beaters0
1/4 cup flour
1 cup light Mayonaise
1 cup milk
8 oz cut and cooked bacon or 1 cup chopped ham
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheese
1 small tomato
* you can add just about anything you would put in an omlette
Mix first four ingredients, and then add the rest. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350.
*you can also use a crust if you want

** I serve with fresh fruit and french bread or corn muffins

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

1 box (6 oz) dry Stove Top stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tbs butter
3/4 lb. lean, low-sodium ham slices
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
3/4 lb. sliced, diced or shredded cooked chicken (2 cups)
2 cups sauce, optional (see below)
cranberry sauce, cherry tomatoes, parsley etc, optional garnish

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring water to a boil; stir in butter and stuffing mix; remove from heat, cover and allow stuffing to stand 5 minutes.
Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Layer ham slices in bottom of pan; sprinkle with shredded cheese; arrange chicken over cheese. Spread prepared stuffing over chicken slices. Bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through and stuffing is browned on top. Cut in squares and serve with optional sauce* and optional garnish.

Serves 6-8

Sauce:
1 can (10.75oz) condensed Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1-3 teaspoons lemon juice
2-4 tablespoons milk, as desired
Whisk together soup, sour cream and lemon juice. Dilute sauce to desired consistency by stirring in one to two tablespoons milk at a time; heat sauce before serving.

CHICKEN PACKETS

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 3-ounce package cream cheese softened( I just use the 8 oz and double everything else.)
1 T. chives
2 T. milk
salt to taste
1/2 cup crushed, seasoned crouton crumbs ( I just used bread crumbs)
2 8-ounce packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup melted margarine

Directions: Mix 1st 5 ingredents together in medium bowl(mixing with hands works best).
Unroll cresent rolls, and press down on perferations so that you have 4 regtangles. Place about 1/4 cup mixture into center of rectangle and pinch edges closed. Dip into melted butter then into
crumbs. Flash freeze and place into bags.

Do Not thaw place onto baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 30 minutes or until dough is done.

Preferences

Since we have some new members to our group and I also don't remember everyone's preferences, I thought it would be a good idea to have everyone put on this post what their family really dislikes and won't eat. Here goes:

peas
mushrooms (cream of mushroom is ok)
raw onions & green onions (sauteed is ok)

Chicken Pot Pie

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 carrots choopped
1/2 cup celery
1 potato, cut up
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken

PIE CRUST
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 tabl water

Place vegetables in skillet, cover with small amount of water until vegetables are tender-put aside. Place butter, salt and pepper in skillet until butter is melted. Blend in flour until mixture is smooth and bubbly, remove from heat. Stir in Chicken broth and cooked veggies. Pour into crust or pastry lined pan, cover with crust. Cook at 425 for 30-40 minutes

Taco Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. onion
1 1.25oz. envelope Taco Seasoning
1 2.25 can sliced black olives (optional)
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 8oz. can cresent roll dough
1 c. refried beans
2c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 10.50oz. bag corn chips
1 c. sour cream

Brown beef with onion. Add taco seasoning, olives, and tomato sauce. Unroll cresent roll dough and press together perforations. Press into bottom and up sides. Heat beans and mix with water to make spreadable. Spread over crust. Top with 1/2 of the cheese. Cover with 1/2 of the chips. Spoon meat mixture over chips. Cover with sour cream; sprinkle remaining cheese. Top with remaining chips.

To serve: Thaw. Bake uncovered 45 minutes @ 375degrees. Makes 8 servings.

Pork and Green Chili Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 T. cooking oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1 c. quick cooking brown rice
1/4 c. water
2 T. salsa
1 t. cumin
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, saute pork in oil until no pink remains; drain. Add the beans, soup, tomatoes, chilies, rice , water, salsa and cumin; cook and stir until bubbly. Pour into an ungreased 2 quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes. Srpinkle with cheese; let stand a few minutes before serving.

Sides: This is good with corn or a salad and fruit. We like to eat it with tortilla chips too.

Baked Beans and Hamburger

3 strips bacon, diced
3/4 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. prepared mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon: drain on a paper towel, let cool, then dice. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and saute onions until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the fat. Mix in bacon and remaining ingredients, put in container, and freeze.
To Prepare for serving, thaw and bake uncovered in a large baking dish in preheated 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Make Ahead Lunch or Dinner Wraps

2 Cups uncooked brown rice
4 Cups water
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernal corn
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
16 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 pound shredded pepperjack cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
veg oil
onions

Saute onions and 1 T of taco seasoning. Add rice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 min, or until tender. Remove from heat and add the rest of the taco seasoning, and then let it cool.

Place blk beans and pinto beans into a colander or strainer, and rinse. Add corn and then transfer to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and green chiles and toss to mix. Add rice and cheese.

Put mixture onto tortillas and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in freezer bag and freeze. Reheat as needed in microwave.

Hamburger Chinese Casserole

This was one of the first things I made.

3 c. hamburger
1 1/2 c. onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 c. water
1 c. uncooked regular rice
2 T. soy sauce
Chow Mein noodles

Combine all ingredients except noodles. Put into freezer bag and freeze. When thawed, put into casserole dish, and bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove lid, cover with noodles and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Pizza Pockets

Use your favorite pizza dough recipe. Roll out to about 1/8 inch and cut into circles at least 4 inches wide. Place favorite toppings on one circle and then some sauce. Put another circle on top and seal it. I used my Pampered Chef sealer which worked okay. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Frozen pockets may take up to 20 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

(forgot about this one)
2 cups of cooked rice (I used long grain brown rice)
2 cups of diced, cooked chicken
2 cups of frozen or fresh veggies
1 can of cream of chicken
1 cup of cheese

Mix all of the above and put in casserole dish. Heat at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Should we include rice with our meals?

Last time we met we were talking about the rice issue because Lisa says she has a ton & doesn't need more. Anyone else feel the same way? After thinking about it, I don't need rice either. My meal this week is served over rice, so please comment on this post ASAP so I'll know if I should send rice or not. btw, I will not be there this week, I'll be sending my food with Melanie.
Thanks for the yummy food!

Cheese Manicotti

Ricotta cheese
Cottage cheese
1 egg
Italian seasoning
Mozzerella cheese
Spaghetti sauce
Uncooked manicotti (or shells)

Combine ricotta & cottage cheese with egg and Italian seasoning. Spray baking pan with Pam, then spread a little spaghetti sauce in the pan. Fill uncooked pasta with cheese mixture. Place filled pasta in pan, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with shredded mozzerella cheese. Cover with freezer foil. To serve: Thaw, bake covered at 350* for 45 minutes. Uncover, bake a few minutes longer or until cheese is melted. (We like our cheese to start to brown).

**Traci, here are the ingredients. I don't remember the exact measurements on how much ricotta & cottage cheese I used, just equal amounts of each, and I just sprinkled in the seasoning. You know me, I don't use recipes very often!

Cranberry Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 16oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup creamy French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix

Cut chicken into strips. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over chicken. Place in greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 mins at 350*.

To serve: Thaw, reheat and serve over rice. It might be good to add some stir fry veggies if you want.

NOTE: This recipe can be frozen prior to baking.