Gnocchi/Kale/Sausage Soup

Found online, forgot where… My whole family loved this. It is super spicy with the spicy sausage, but no complaints here.

1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 small white onion (I always just do onion powder for little Juddy)
4 cups chicken broth
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1 pound gnocchi
1/2 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
top with parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and onion in pot.
Drain excess grease.
Add broth, red peppers, bring to simmer over medium heat, the reduce to medium-low heat. Add kale and gnocchi. Stir to combine. Stir in cream. Add pinch of salt and pepper.

Top with fresh/grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Chicken Pitas

Slice of pita bread (Costco)
smear it with spicy avocado hummus (Costco)
fill with sliced rotisserie chicken (Costco)
then stuff it with fresh garden veggies.
My favorites: cucumber, raw zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes

Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Zucchini

I grilled a pizza tonight on our Traeger. It was amazingly delicious.

I used this homemade whole wheat pizza crust. (I know I got the crust recipe online, but I can't remember where.)

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

1 t. white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 Tbs olive oil
1 t. salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour

Dissolve sugar in warm water, sprinkle yeast on top and let stand 10 minutes.
Stir olive oil and salt into yeast mixture. Mix in wheat flour and 1 cup white flour. Knead rest of flour in on counter for about 10 minutes. Coat dough in oil, cover with towel and let rise 1 hour. Form into ball and let rise for another 45 minutes.
You can break it into two pieces and make two pizzas with thinner crust or one pizza with thick crust.

As for my pizza, I just dumped 1/3 a bottle of Alfredo sauce on it, added shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco, sliced zucchini and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake (or grill) at 425 for 16-20 minutes.

Make it. Eat it. Love it.

Taco Salad

I made taco salad for dinner last night. It is one of those meals I forget about for a while, and when I make it again I wonder why I don't make it more often.
Taco salad doesn't really need a recipe, but here is what I put in mine…

1 lb ground beef (I buy the family packs, cook it all up at once, and then freeze it in 1 lb increments.)
taco seasoning (mom- kroger brand has no MSG)
lettuce
cheese
olives
peppers
tomatoes
kidney and/or black beans
corn
cheese
crushed Doritos
sour cream
avacado
topped with Ranch dressing

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

This is my own variation of a Weight Watchers recipe. (Each serving is 8 points for anyone who cares.) It makes 8 servings.

3/4 lb Sweet Italian Turkey Sausages, casings removed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

28 oz canned diced tomatoes

10 oz frozen green peas, thawed

2 T canned tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil 

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt to taste

fresh-ground pepper to taste

12 oz uncooked whole wheat ziti pasta, cooked according to package (or regular ziti if that's how you roll. I'm sure it tastes better that way.)

6 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage over medium heat. Drain off fat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened. Stir in tomatoes, peas, tomato paste and spices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta and half the cheese. Spread into 9x13 in baking dish. Top with remainder of cheese. Bake until cheese has melted, about 20 min, then turn oven to broil until cheese becomes brown and bubbly.

Sorry, no picture. Already put the leftovers in the fridge and don't feel like getting it out. Jared and I liked this a lot, enjoy!

Stroganoff Meatballs

This is one of the easiest and yummiest stroganoffs I have made. Roo, Jud and Logan inhaled it.

1 1/4 cups beef broth (I just did a whole can)
2 Tbs flour (I did heaping Tbs to make up for my extra broth)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
16 frozen meatballs
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbs parsley

Beat broth, flour and Worcestershire with a wisk. Add meatballs and mushrooms. Heat to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for 6 minutes. Cover while simmering. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and parsley. Serve over wide egg noodles.

This serves 3-4 people. Mom, if you are making it for the boys, I would suggest doubling it. :)

Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

I got this recipe from this blog. It has a ton of great crock pot recipes. This is what I'm making for dinner tonight. I hope it's good!

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom.
Layer chicken breasts over the sauce.
Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese.
Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers.
Sprinkle the stuffing on top, an ddrizzle butter over stuffing.
Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

Enchilada-style Burritos

(This homemade enchilada sauce is better than any canned sauce I have ever tried!)
6-8 frozen burritos (Lynn Wilson, etc)
2 T butter
3 T flour
1 3/4 c water
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t beef boullion
1 t salt
shredded cheese

Melt butter, whisk in flour. Then add water and cook on medium heat until it starts to simmer and thicken. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Pour over burritos and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 40 min. Remove foil and sprinkle cheese.

This can also be cooked in the microwave for 15 to 20 min.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

I made this up. Actually I was trying to copy the Firehouse version. It tastes pretty close, I think.

12 oz pkg penne pasta, cook
While it's boiling make this sauce:
Whisk together 1/2 c. sour cream with 1/4 c. flour. Add to 2 c. milk. Cook on med heat until thick. Then add 1/2 grated swiss cheese and 2 T. grated parmesan cheese.
In a 9x13 pan put the following:
2 c. diced cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie, but you can George Foreman your own)
6 slices deli ham, cubed
The penne pasta that you cooked.
Pour the sauce over the top.
Then top with 1 c. more grated swiss cheese and 1/4 c real bacon bits.
Broil on high until cheese is browned and crispy. Serve.

Tomato Leek Tart for 2 (MIchaelene Grassli)

1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury)(comes with 2)
4 oz of combined cheese: Gruyere, Provolone (Shredded)
1 lb Leeks, white portion only, thinly sliced
6 med Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t fresh ground pepper
1 c shredded Mozzarella cheese

Place parchment paper on cookie sheets. Place a pastry on each pan. sprinkle each with all cheeses, leaving 1" around the edges clear of filling.
Arrange leeks and tomatoes on the cheese. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Fold edges in over the filling to make a side crust. bake at 425 for 18 to 22 minutes. Serve warm.

Grilled chicken teriyaki pasta salad (Janine Rogers)

Make the dressing first and sit it out at room temperature so the sugar can dissolve.
Dressing:
1 T. fresh garlic, grated
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. rice vinegar

Salad:
1 small bag baby spinach
1 (12 oz) pkg. bow tie pasta - cooked and cooled
2 - 4 T toasted sesame seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seed (salted)
1 can chopped water chestnuts
3 grilled chicken breasts, seasoned w/ lemon pepper ( or rotisserie chicken)
1 can bean sprouts

Don't pour the dressing until ready to serve or spinach will wilt.

Chicken Enchilada Nachos

This recipe was on Studio 5, I think.

1 can chicken breast
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 small can diced green chilies

Heat in a saucepan and serve over tortilla chips. Garnish with cheese, olives, sour cream. (And I put some diced tomatoes on mine, too)

Best part of this, it can be made in minutes. And it is actually great as a main dish or a snack.

Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Mix together and form into balls. Cook in skillet until cooked through. Add sauce below and heat.

Sauce:
1/4 c. peanut butter (I used Adams chunky)
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. sugar
1 t. sesame oil

Italian Chicken Pasta Bake

Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 c frozen chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 small zucchini, diced
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned/chunked (I used the leftover chicken legs we cooked on the smoker)
8 oz mozzarella or Italian cheese, divided
9 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic, saute one minute. Add mushrooms and zucchini and saute for 5 min. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar, stir. Remove from heat, add chicken and 1 cup cheese, stir. Spread pasta evenly in bottom of baking dish. Top with chicken/veggie mixture, making sure all pasta is covered. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake uncovered for 20 min until cheese is bubbly. Let stand 5 min before serving.

Creamy Baked Ziti- from Allrecipes

4 cups ziti or penne pasta, uncooked
2 cups pasta sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
185 grams cream cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
3/4 cups parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside. In large saucepan, combine the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and cream cheese unil heated through and cream cheese is blended in. Put pasta in the saucepan and combine with sauce. Pour half of the mixture in a 9x 13 pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese over it. Then pour the rest of the pasta mixure on top. Top with remaing mozzarella cheese and parmasan cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 min. or until heated through.

Baked Spaghetti

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked
1 Tbsp. Worchesershire sauce
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 can tomato soup
Juice from 1 can of green or black olives(save olives and slice for top)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 lb. grated mild cheddar cheese
Tomao juice or V-8 juice ( optional)

In saucepan, brown ground beef with onions. Or you can just add some onion powder. Add tomato soup and juice from olives, chili powder, Worchesershire sauce, garlic salt and pepper. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Prepare 8 ox. spaghetti according to directions. Combine wih sauce in casserole dish. Spread mushroom soup on top and layer with cheese and sliced olives. (in that order) Bake a 350 degrees covered for 30 min. This is really good served with a green salad and French bread.

Turkey Loaf

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. I happened to have leftover turkey from a turkey breast I made for Sunday dinner.

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed. Or you can make your own dough, which is what I did in my breadmaker on the dough cycle.
1 cup cooked turkey or chicken
one 8 oz cube of cream cheese

Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12" by 18" or so. (If you roll it out on tin foil then it is easier to transfer to a pan. Also, then you don't have to wash the pan. haha)
Then cut strips on both sides of the dough, leaving an uncut section in the middle. Spread the cream cheese on this and sprinke the turkey on top of the cream cheese. Then fold over the strips row by row like you are braiding the bread. It will look like this when you are done:
Melt 1/4 c. butter and brush over the dough. Sprinkle parmesan cheese, garlic powder and rosemary over the top.

Bake for 20-30 min, or until browned, at 375 degrees.

While it is baking, make up the following sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. sour cream

Little bit of milk to thin it.

Slice the loaf and serve with sauce poured over it:

Easy Chicken Pie Bisquick Style

1 to 2 c. cooked chicken , chopped or shredded .(I used a rotisserie chicken from Costco)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3 potatoes, cubed
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 small can mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Boil the potatoes, carrots and corn till tender. Spread in a 9x13 pan, along with the chicken pieces. Spread soup over top ( can sprinkle with a little onion salt if wanted). Mix the bisquick, milk and eggs in separate bowl and spread over other ingredients. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Broiled Salmon with Herb Glaze

I made this one the other night and when I went to take a picture my camera was dead. It was really good though.

Ingredients
2 Garlic Cloves
3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, stems removed
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves, stems removed
1 Tbsp Dry White Wine
1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Whole-Grain Mustard
Nonstick Olive Oil Cooking Spray
6 (6 to 8 oz.) Salmon Fillets
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
6 Lemon Wedges for Garnish.

Using the bowl, add garlic, rosemary, thyme, wine, oil, and both mustards. Blend until the mustard sauce is combined, about 30 seconds. Set sauce aside. Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets. Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the fillets to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Enchilada Bake

I haven't made this yet, but got it off of Carly's food blog. It sounds easy and good.

4 1/2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 1/4 c. (10 oz) sour cream
9 corn tortillas (6 in.) cut into pieces
4 c. shredded cheese

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking oil. Layer half of each ingredient, then repeat. Cover and bake at 375 for 40 min, uncover and bake 10 more minutes.