Broccoli Stuffed Shells

I don't know where I found this recipe... it was something I found when looking through the recipe books at Mama's.
I love the idea of stuffed shells, but I haven't liked any of the stuffed shells recipes we've tried. This one was OK, it just had too much spaghetti sauce. If I changed that, and maybe added more seasonings, it would have the potential to be pretty good.
Until you re-heat it.
Now remember, my mother taught me well--I HATE wasting food. Hate it. But this was one of those meals that, when re-heated, Nate & I looked at each other and suggested that we get that frozen pizza out of the freezer. It was GROSS.
So... overall rating? Not very impressed.

Broccoli Stuffed Shells


12 jumbo pasta shells
14 Ounce spaghetti sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Margarine
1/2 Pound ricotta cheese
1/2 Cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 egg
5 Ounce chopped broccoli
1/4 Cup shredded parmesan
1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat sauce, pour enough to cover the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Mix margarine, ricotta, egg, broccoli, and 1/2 of the cheeses. Stuff shells, arrange in pan over sauce. Add rest of sauce and sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.


Serves: 4
Serving Size: 3 shells
Prep Time: 20 m
Cook Time: 40 m
Total Time: 1 hr

Warm Savory Cheese Spread

This was another mildly failed attempt at cooking. It was OK, but not something I could have more than a few bites of.
I am not a fan of mayo, so that may have had something to do with it. Maybe we will try it again, when there are more people to taste test? See if anyone else enjoys it more? It had an interesting taste....
We'll see.

(Note: I used my hearty whole wheat bread recipe for this!)

Warm Savory Cheese Spread (TOH)

2 Cup mayonnaise
2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Large onion, finely chopped
8 bacon strips, crumbled
1/2 Cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 Cup finely chopped green pepper
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 round loaf (1 pound) bread

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Cut the top fourth off the load of bread; carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1" shell. Spoon cheese mixture into bread shell.
Wrap in a piece of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until heated through. Serve with crackers.

Serving Size: 4 cups
Prep Time: 15 m
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 m

Chicken & Noodles Skillet

So, you may be wondering why it's been almost a month since I posted last.
I haven't disappeared from the face of the earth.
I haven't stopped cooking.
I just have been accumulating the pile of 'recipes to post' rather than actually posting any recipes.
On the plus side, I should have enough for quite a few posts, without having to cook anything new. :)


This is something I made a little while ago, from some chicken we cooked in the crock pot. You can mix & match with veggies... and make it very interesting!

Chicken & Noodles Skillet
(Betty Crocker)


1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Pound chicken breasts, chopped
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Cup veggies
1 Cup uncooked egg noddles
14 Ounce chicken broth
10.75 Ounce condensed cream of chicken soup
Parsley

Instructions: In a 12" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken and onion in oil for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and onion is just tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5-8 minutes longer, stirring occassionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center and noodles are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
Prep Time: 40
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 40

Kielbasa Bow Tie Skillet

Nate loves kielbasa, so I was searching for recipes to try with it--eating it all as snacks just seemed a little too bad. :) I found this recipe at TOH, and it was a clear winner! We'll tweak the recipe over time, and try different veggies (I don't remember what we tried the first time, and I can't seem to find a picture), but it is definitely worth trying again!

Kielbasa Bow Tie Skillet
(TOH)

8 Ounce uncooked bow tie pasta
1 Pound kielbasa, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 Cup mushrooms, sliced or chopped
2 Teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 Cup milk
1 1/2 Cup snow peas
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the sausage, mushrooms, and garlic in butter.
Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; gradually add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta; add to the sausage mixture. Stir in peas and cheese; cook until cheese is melted.

Serves: 4

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

I don't remember where I got this recipe, but I probably wouldn't try it again. I've tried a couple different potato soups, and this was the least satisfying. It was not thick enough, and had very little flavor. The Italian seasoning is something we added as we were eating, to try to get it to taste better.

We had this when my little brother was visiting for the weekend... his comment? "Why don't you just use Mom's recipe? Her'ss is amazing."
...my reply is that I probably will next time. Maybe this is what I get for trying to perfect something that's already perfect. :)
(We had this with the cheesy onion breadsticks! At least THOSE turned out great!)

On another topic, does anyone else always want to spell 'potato' with an 'e' at the end? It's probably because plural is 'potatoes', but I have to erase the 'e' every darn time I spell that word singular... oh well. :)


Slow Cooker Potato Soup

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 Large onion
1 carrot, cut into 2" chunks
1 Stalk celery, cut into 2" pieces
1 Tablespoon Parsley
5 Cup water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 Tablespoon salt
pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Cup milk

Instructions:
Place all ingredients but milk in a slow cooker. Cook on low 10 to 12 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add milk.

Yumm!

Cheesy Onion Breadsticks

This is something I made with potato soup when my little brother was visiting over the weekend. The soup was slightly disappointing (recipe to follow), but this turned out AMAZING. Very quick, and Nate rated this almost as good as my Cheddar Biscuits. And those only rate behind cheesecake and his herbed wheat muffins! (I'm making the muffins soon... recipe to follow!)

The recipe calls for onion, but I made it without, and it turned out just great. I think I will try it with onion at some point, however.

Cheesy Onion Breadsticks
(Cooking for Two)


1/2 Cup Bisquick
2 Tablespoon milk
1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/8 Teaspoon garlic powder
2 Teaspoon butter, melted

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the bisquick, milk, cheese, onion, and garlic powder. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Roll into a 4x6 rectangle. Cut lengthwise into four strips. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter.


Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 breadstick
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 20

Mmm.... yummy meal!

Chicken a la King

This was one more recipe where I used chicken from the whole chicken we cooked! This was surprisingly easy, and surprisingly amazing. I was expecting the green pepper to be a little overwhelming, but it wasn't. Nate was very pleased with this one, also-- definitely something I would make again!

Chicken a la King
(TOH)


1/2 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 Cup chopped green pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup milk
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 1/2 Cup cubed cooked chicken
2 slices bread

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, saute mushrooms and green pepper in butter for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the flour, broth, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Add the chicken, heat through. Serve with toast.


Note: The original recipe called for turkey vs chicken, and called for 2 t diced pimientos, added with the chicken. We had chicken, so I used that, and for the life of me, I can't EVER find pimientos in the store, so I just never add that.