Tuna Noodle Cups {Adventures in Toddler Food}

Oh how I've missed cooking. For some reason I either forget to take pictures of my new meals or I just make the same meals we know and love night after night. And this wonderful blog gets neglected. Well... I'm going to try and take some time to update over the the next few weeks with the fun recipes we've tried over the summer and the fun inventive ways we've turned our favorites into new dishes.

This tuna noodle casserole is something I make often. However I usually just top with a bit of cheese instead of mixing it in. And I usually make it in a casserole dish. But I received a little inspiration from a blog I've started following called Muffin Tin Mom. And figured it'd be a great way to portion control our meals if we made them in smaller containers. Plus how cool are her muffin tin meal ideas? Genius for toddlers kids!

Inspiration: Dinner with Danielle Original Reworked

Tuna Noodle Cups

• 8 ounces Wacky Mac Noodles (or egg noodles)
• 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can tuna in water, drained
• 2 tablespoons 1% milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance Light

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the Wacky Mac as directed on the package, drain and set aside.

While noodles are cooking open the can of tuna and soup and measure out the milk, cheese and peas. Let your child combine the soup, tuna, milk, cheese, peas and seasoning in a large bowl with a spatula.

Add cooked noodles to the mixture and let the child stir just until combined (or switch kids and let another stir in the noodles). Grab a measuring cup or cookie scoop and let your child scoop the noodle mixture into a muffin tin pan. Sprinkle each "cup" with parmesan, bread crumbs and small pieces of the Smart Balance.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the top of the cups are golden and a little crisp. Remove from the oven and let the noodle cups cool in the pan for 5 minutes. This will allow them to keep their shape when you remove them from the pan. Take a spatula and work around the edges of each noodle cup before removing them from the muffin tin pan.

Serve and enjoy! My son enjoyed his Tuna Noodle Cups with a yummy salad of greens and his favorite ranch dressing.

Serves 13 | 4 WW+ Points 

Do you see his little tongue sticking out? He's concentrating!

Italian Meatloaf Parmesan {7 WW+ Dinner}

I had exhausted all of my ground turkey and ground beef recipes and needed something that was different but would satisfy me and the husband. So I went to a blog that I knew wouldn't disappoint. Joelen always has the best spins on recipes. I knew if I tried something from her that I could please everyone in the family. And I was right!

This dish was great! Perfect and flavorful. I may just use this for our new meatball recipe. Plus I can double it up and freeze left over meatballs for future meals! I love being able to do that. Makes dinnertime that much easier with options in the freezer. If you have some ground turkey or ground beef in the fridge or freezer ready to use then try this one out!
 
Inspired by What's Cookin', Chicago? 
Originally from Michael Chiarello

 

Italian Meatloaf Parmigiana

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups marinara sauce (jarred or homemade); divided
• 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the marinara and shredded cheese.

Form 6 large patties* from the meat mixture and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Top with 1 cup of the marinara making sure to spread evenly over the top. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes to ensure it's cooked through.

Remove from the oven and top with shredded cheese; return to oven for 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Toss your favorite pasta with the reserved sauce. Serve meatloaf on top of the pasta.

Serves 6 | 7 WW+ Points (not including pasta)

* You can also form 12-18 meatballs instead of patties if you want a smaller portion of meat. I formed 2 patties and made the rest of the meat mixture into meatballs to use later. Worked out perfectly for lunches the next day.

Roasted Tomato & Asparagus Pasta with Chicken and Feta {10 WW+ Dinner}

After yet another busy weekend (surprise, surprise) I hadn't yet meal planned for the week (Still haven't! Someone please kick my butt!) and had to scour the cupboards and fridge yet again. Luckily I roasted an extra piece of chicken this weekend so I had one chicken breast to work with. It's kinda hard to make a meal out of one chicken breast so I decided on a pasta dish. That way I could dice up the chicken into small bites and make it go farther with the pasta. Well, it worked!

Along with some roasted vegetables I had left from another dish I made last week and some yummy flavored feta cheese I picked up on sale I threw together one of my more tasty last minute meals. This pasta dish is definitely perfect for the spring season. Simple, tasty and makes the ingredients stretch. Definitely budget friendly.

Roasted Tomato & Asparagus Pasta with Chicken and Feta

• 2 cups tomatoes, whole (small round varieties like grape and cherry are best)
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch sections
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or if you prefer roasted whole with vegetables)
• 8oz pasta, gemelli or fusilli 
• 1 roasted chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta, tomato and basil flavor
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place foil on a rimmed cookie sheet and put vegetables on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. (Alternative method - roast asparagus for 8 minutes on sheet and tomatoes for 20 minutes in glass dish. I'm lazy and did it all on one sheet).

While vegetables are roasting, boil and cook pasta.

Place roasted vegetables in a large bowl and add garlic, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Add pasta, chicken and cheese and toss. Top with fresh parsley and serve.

4 servings | 10 WW+ Points

Crock Pot Lasagna {9 WW+ Dinner}

I had high hopes for this recipe. I tried it once and kinda screwed up (didn't have ricotta on hand so used cream cheese in a pinch). And the results were not pretty. So I was determined to revisit this dish and try again.

Good thing I did cause this meal was mighty tasty! And filling too. Only one serving plus a side salad filled me up and kept me satisfied all night. I most definitely cannot wait till tomorrow's leftovers for lunch. I'm sure this dish will keep me happy two days in a row.

Inspiration: Two Pink Hippos

Crock Pot Lasagna

• 1 pound uncooked lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 2 ounces fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheeses, shredded and divided

• 6 dry lasagna noodles, no-cook
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine beef, onion and garlic. Break up meat with a wooden spoon while everything cooks, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes more to allow flavors to blend.

In a separate bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 2 ounces of part skim mozzarella cheese, and 2 ounces of fat free mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker. Break 2 lasagna sheets in thirds and arrange over beef mixture; top with 1/3 of ricotta mixture. Repeat with two layers and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cook on low setting for 4 hours. Turn off crock pot.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of reserved part-skim mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the lasagna. Cover the crock pot until the cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes.

Serves 6 | 9 WW+ Points

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Mac & Cheese {10 WW+ Dinner}

I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed this dish. I wasn't expecting much although many of my friends gave it rave reviews. I don't know... I guess I've done mac and cheese so much that one other way just didn't seem exciting to me. But this dish is definitely not your typical mac and cheese. It reminded me a bit of an alfredo almost and was definitely tasty. I think Joseph even approved.

Next time I make this version (and I do plan on making it) I'm going to add some broccoli to the mix as well so I don't have to serve a veggie on the side. It's always easier to make a complete meal in one dish. And it makes the broccoli taste that much better... cheese will do that to a veggie!

Inspiration: Cooking Light, March 2010 issue

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Mac & Cheese

• 8 ounces uncooked Fusilli pasta
• 3 slices pre-cooked bacon, cut into small pieces (reserve 1/3)
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 breast)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces 1% milk
• 1 can condensed 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup 
• 1 ounce Trader Joe's light shredded 3 cheese blend
• 1 ounce Trader Joe's organic shredded mozzarella
• 2 ounces Trader Joe's shredded pepper jack cheese blend, plus 1/8 cup to reserve
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to the pan and warm through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and Pepper Jack cheese blend. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serves 6 | 10 WW+ Points

Shrimp Marinara {9 WW+ Dinner}

I think I just found my new go to when we're out of ground beef and I want spaghetti. This dish was fabulous! I tweaked it a bit to add some more veggies and I decided to use my dutch oven instead of the slow cooker (I tend to have MUCH better luck with the dutch oven than with the slow cooker) and this recipe turned out better than I expected. I didn't have fresh shrimp, just a bag of frozen cooked shrimp from Trader Joe's but it worked great. And I can always keep some in the freezer so consider this an official staple meal in this household!

Inspiration: Two Pink Hippos

Shrimp Marinara

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 28 ounces can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp, tails off
• 30 ounces organic spaghetti

Start heating a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.

Add oil to dutch oven and cook on medium high. Add onions, carrots & zucchini. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add tomato paste, spices, & tomatoes into dutch oven and let cook until boiling. Once it's boiling, turn heat to low and let simmer.

Once pasta water is boiling, sprinkle with some salt and add pasta. Add shrimp to sauce. Cook pasta until done and drain. Shrimp will be warmed thoroughly as soon as the pasta is done. Plate pasta and top with shrimp marinara.


Serves 6 | 9 WW+ Points

Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta {9 WW+ Dinner}

I love trying a Weight Watcher recipe from their website and find that it actually tastes flavorful! So many times in the past I've tried one and it's just been waaaay too bland. Maybe it's just me but I always find myself adding lots of herbs and spices to their recipes.

Not this one. It was perfect. The onions and peppers were delicious when paired with the red wine and my son loved that the onions got stained "burple" from the red wine. The italian sausage was definitely the way to go with this meal. I think if you subbed anything else it wouldn't be as tasty without a LOT of spices thrown in.

And while I didn't absolutely love this dish, I'll probably make it sometime in the future. Just not every month :)

Inspiration: WeightWatchers.com

Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, extra-virgin
• 1 green peppers, cut into 2-inch long thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 15 ounce canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt 
• fresh black pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 3 links mild Italian sausage
• 8 ounces gemelli (or fusilli) pasta

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat with back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate.

Heat oil in same skillet. Add yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly colored and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and garlic; cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and browned sausage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes.

While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and basil; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving.

6 Servings | 9 WW+ Points

Lobster Lovin' {6 WW+ Points Lunch}

Another fabulous and easy meal from Trader Joe's is their lobster ravioli in the refrigerated pasta section by the cheeses (usually). This pasta is soo good. And if you go off of the nutritional info from the label you'll see that there are 2.5 servings in the package. But if you are neurotic and count how many ravioli are actually in the package you'll see that you can really get 3 servings out of one package and won't even be able to tell the difference because you'll still be full!

So if you go by the package, one serving is 7 WW+ points. But if you divide the ravioli into three portions you are brought down to 5 WW+ points. Plus you can add some olive oil to get in your healthy oils and add on one point to your meal as I did. Pare this with a salad or some grilled or sauteed veggies and you have yourself one delicious pasta dish!

Lobster Ravioli ala Trader Joes

• 1 package Trader Joe's Lobster Ravioli
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and salt water. Add lobster ravioli and cook for 5 minutes (longer if raviolis are frozen). Remove from water and toss with olive oil and seasoning.

You can also enjoy with your favorite sauce. Just adjust the recipe and figure out the adjusted WW+ points. 

Enjoy!


3 Servings | 6 WW+ Points

Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna {7 WW+ Points Dinner}

So I apologize in advance for a. not blogging and b. not snagging a picture of this wonderful meal. I find it so sad when winter comes (or has been here a while) because I have absolutely no good light in my kitchen once the sun heads down. The lights we have are just too harsh and I just don't like the way my pictures turn out so I don't want to post them. But then I'm in a dilemma. Do I not post a picture or do I wait till the next day and post a picture of leftovers? Sometimes I do the later... and I don't tell. Oh well. Do what you gotta do.

But seriously. Take my word for it and make this lasagna. Pretty darn good and I'm proud of it. I've made a few lasagnas in the past. As well as lasagna rolls and even though this lasagna was lacking in the "tons of cheese" factor it made up for it in flavor. I was full from my one slice, large salad & piece of garlic bread. And if I had enough points left I would have went for another one (see how I chose the garlic bread?). I'll definitely be making this one again!

Next lasagna recipe I want to try: Gina's Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Picture to come soon!

Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

• 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup portobello mushrooms, diced
• 2 cups spinach, cut
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef, 15% fat   
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano  
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley 
• 10 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese 
• 1 egg  
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg          
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper  
• 1 cup zucchini, shredded
• 1 jar of Trader Joe's Tomato & Basil Marinara (if using another sauce re-calculate points)
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, ribboned (or use 1 teaspoon dry)
• 1 cup tomato, diced (two small tomatoes)
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles   
• 10oz Trader Joe's Lite Shredded Mozzarella Cheese  
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided in 1/2

Saute mushrooms, garlic & spinach in 2 teaspoons of canola oil and set aside to cool. Brown meat and add oregano & parsley along with some salt and pepper if needed. While meat is browning mix together ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, egg, nutmeg & pepper and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a sauce pan and add shredded zucchini. Saute until soft. Add marinara sauce to the pan along with tomatoes, basil and drained meat.

In a 9x13 pan put 1/4-1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 3 noodles on the bottom side by side and cover with sauce. Add cheese mixture to the top of the sauce. Put three more noodles on the cheese mixture and repeat twice until you cover the last of your noodles with the remainder of the sauce. Cover sauce with remaining parmesan and the mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes so that the noodles absorb the sauce.

Serves 12 | 7 WW+ points per serving

Easy Peasy Lasagna

I've been pretty lax about trying new recipes lately. I think it's because I am craving all the comforts of my tried and true dishes. Or maybe it's because I've become a bit lazy when it comes to creativity in the kitchen. Either way I came out of my funk for a bit to try this dish passed on by a friend.

The original recipe did not call for any pasta as it is meant to be a low-carb dish but if you know me... you know I LOVE carbs. So I couldn't help but add some pasta to the mix to add a bit more. And I think Joseph would have looked at me funny if I served him just the meat and cheese portion.

I want to play around with the spices a bit more on this dish and maybe add some pancetta. But other than a few changes I was really digging how it turned out. Next time I may add the noodles into the layers and bake it all together as well to let the flavors meld together in the oven.

Source: Kendra Maurer

Deconstructed Lasagna  

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 bag noodle of your choice (or go noodle-less for a low carb meal)

Brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic; drain off the fat. Mix in the spaghetti sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste and heat until bubbly.

Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg and pepper with a spoon until well mixed. Blend in the spinach.

Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat.

It may not completely cover the top, but that's ok. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350º about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Fabulous Fettuccine

After a long hiatus I think I'm back! This pregnancy has definitely been different than my last. I am still getting nauseous and sometimes I just don't have the energy to cook. When I do cook, it's tried and true recipes from this blog.

Last night we had taco salad and on Sunday we had meatloaf (with beef instead of turkey) and both dishes were fantastic but I don't want to repeat meals I've already made on the blog. So I've finally gotten some creative juices going (at 23 weeks pregnant... about time!) and came up with this fabulous yet simple creamy sauce for the basil oregano fettuccine I bought at Harry & David (on clearance).

This dish was a great summer pasta dish. Not too heavy and definitely bowl licking good :)

Source: My Head



White Cheese Sauce with Basil Oregano Fettuccine

• 1 package Harry & David Basil Oregano Fettuccine (or your favorite pasta)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups parmesan, grated
• 1 1/2 cups fontina, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of nutmeg

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling add salt, olive oil and pasta and cook as directed on pasta package.

Pour milk into a small pan and heat on low just to get it slightly above room temperature (so it doesn't curdle when added to the roux).

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Once melted and a little toasty (browned) add the flour. Cook until the flour doesn't have a raw flour taste (about 3-4 minutes). Add garlic and cook another minute stirring continuously. Put a little of this mixture in the milk and stir. Remove butter/flour mixture from the heat and add milk. Stir like crazy so lumps don't form.

Put sauce back on low heat until almost boiling. You'll know it's done when you put the back of a spoon in the sauce, run your finger through it and the sauce doesn't fill in the gap you just made. Take the pan off heat again and add cheeses while stirring. Add in the salt, pepper & nutmeg to taste.

Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss in sauce thoroughly and serve. Enjoy!

Beautiful Bolognese

I knew exactly what I was going to make for Christmas dinner when my coworker Krista mentioned lasagna rolls that her mom made the night before. They sounded heavenly. And easy! And like something you could make in advance.

So I went searching for an easy recipe online and stumbled across Giada's recipe (yes, in this house we're on a first name basis with Giada). What could be more perfect? Spinach AND prosciutto. Heaven! When I saw marinara sauce in the recipe I knew I'd want to make something more than just a jarred sauce.

So I went to the place I knew I'd find great recipes. The Pioneer Woman. Everyone in the cooking blogosphere talks and raves about her. There are recipes galore that have been tested by just about every cooking blog I read from her site so I knew I could trust her. And I didn't even do a practice run.

The sauce was perfect for these lasagna rolls! And I can't wait to make it again for spaghetti night. The only thing I changed was switching out the ground beef for italian sausage.

My only regret? Not getting a shot of this sauce bubbling on the stove. I thought about it the whole 4 hours it was simmering on the stove but had so much to do in between that I didn't have a moment to stop and take a shot. It was lovely! Looked EXACTLY like the picture in the link below.

And there was only about 1/8 of an inch of room left in the dutch oven. I was sooo worried it'd boil over and we'd lose some deliciousness. Thankfully that didn't happen and all of the sauce was used up.

Source: Pioneer Woman



Bolognese Sauce

• 1/2cups olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1 whole red onion, diced
• 2 pounds ground Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups red wine (plus more for drinking)
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire
• 2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground sausage. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Saucy Changes

I've made a few changes to my homemade meat sauce and I'm liking it! The sausage gives it so much more flavor than the ground beef I normally use. And I'm trying to experiment with fresh vs. frozen/dried ingredients. So far this mix that I've been using has been giving excellent results. And I apologize in advance for the crappy picture... I took it with my camera phone because both cameras (SLR & point and shoot) had dead batteries :(

Source: My head



Meat Sauce (perfect for any pasta!)

• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can large whole olives
• 2 cubes frozen garlic (Trader Joes... in the freezer section)
• 2 cubes frozen basil (Trader Joes... same place as the garlic. They also carry cilantro!)
• 1 tbsp dried italian seasoning
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat & drain.

Mix all other ingredients in a pot, stir and set to medium low until meat is done. Add meat and let simmer for 30 minutes on low.

Toss with your favorite pasta and serve!

You can also toss, place in a oven-safe dish, top with cheese and bake for a baked pasta. YUM!

Tacos + Pasta = YUM!

When at the grocery store this weekend I was thinking "easy" for meals for the week. It's been pretty crazy in our home and sometimes we break down and just bring something home (i.e. fast food) instead of making a meal at home. And this is really cutting into our budget.

So I have been trying to stick with cooking at least 6 dinners at home. So far so good! And each meal I've been able to set aside a part of the meal (like cooked ground beef/1/2 can of kidney beans) to use in other meals for the week.

Now this meal was super easy (under 30 minutes!) and super tasty. The spices and chiles gave it a bit of a kick which I appreciate and the creaminess of the cheese just hit the spot. I'll definitely be improving this dish to put it in our rotation (I'm thinking maybe a touch of enchilada sauce... perhaps some sliced olives?).

Source: Inspired by Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations



Taco Pasta

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1/2 can kidney beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups rotini pasta

Place pot of water on stove to boil. Start browning meat and add spices in. Cook meat until almost done and add tomatoes and kidney beans.

Cook pasta & drain. Add meat mixture and cheese. Mix well and serve!

Serves 6 | 6 WW Points

Skillet Fun

I found this recipe while going through the latest Williams Sonoma catalog and drooling over the things I can't have. I'm not quite sure I'll make it again as it was just "eh" but it was filling and made tons! I want to add a few things and remove a few things the next time I make it to hopefully get it to be perfect. Perhaps a little more seasoning would do this recipe good! I might just try it in a skillet next time too... I used my dutch oven because I didn't have a skillet big enough :)

Source: Williams Sonoma



Skillet Lasagna

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh sage
• 9 dried lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 3 lb. butternut squash, neck portion only, peeled and
• sliced into wide, thin sheets

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.

In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.

In the fry pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on paper towels, then add to the onion mixture.

In the fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese, the 1/4 cup parsley, the sage, salt and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/3 cup sauce on the bottom of the fry pan and top with a single layer of 3 noodles. Top with 1/3 cup sauce, 1/3 cup sausage and a layer of squash slices. Repeat the layering of sauce, sausage and squash 5 more times, replacing the squash layer with a layer of noodles after every 2 layers of squash. Top with the remaining sauce and the 1/4 cup cheese.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the lasagna is browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the 1 Tbs. parsley. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 8 to 10.

Dinners in the Freezer!

Yesterday was definitely a success! We got so much accomplished and I feel like I can relax now knowing that we won't be living off of boxed mac and cheese for the next month :) I stuck to my list as much as I could. I didn't get a shot of all of the meals so I'll share the other recipes with you as we start to heat and eat.


Turkey Chili | Recipe adapted from The Bobby Pin

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 30oz can kidney beans (I used a 15 oz can)
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 packet chili seasoning
• 1/2 onion, chopped & sautéed
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped & sautéed
• 1 clove garlic, chopped & sautéed

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan and saute onions, bell pepper & garlic until onions are translucent. Add a pound of ground turkey and brown. Add in a 30 oz can of kidney beans. Add 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and 1 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes.

Add chili powder, cumin, paprika and Lawry's chili seasoning. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before placing in a freezer safe dish.

When ready to eat, put dish in fridge in the morning and than by night time it should be thawed enough to either put on the stove to heat up or to spoon into individual dishes and cover with cornbread mix for a chili pot pie (this is what I plan to do!) YUM!

Thanks, Natalie, for the great recipe. Miranda and I tried the chili yesterday and it was sooo good. Perfect for the rainy day we had. I always add shredded cheese and broccoli to my chili because you can't have enough fiber in your diet :) And adding more vegetables just makes me feel better.


Broccoli & Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast | Recipe courtesy of my head

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 2-4 chicken breasts, flattened
• Salt & pepper

Add cheddar and broccoli to one side of flattened chicken breast. Fold over breast and use toothpick to hold the ends together. Salt and pepper each side and slide chicken breast in vacuum bag. Vacuum pack the chicken and throw in the freezer until you want to use.

When you're ready to use it throw it in the fridge the morning of. At night open the bag, place chicken on an oven safe dish or sheet sprayed with non-stick and bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done. If you want you can add some shredded cheese to the chicken for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking for more cheesy goodness.


Chipotle Rub Pork Chops | Recipe courtesy of McCormicks Grill Mates

• 2-4 pork chops
• Chipotle Cinnamon McCormics Grill Mates rub
• Olive oil

Lightly drizzle olive oil on both sides of each chop. Sprinkle about 1/2 a tablespoon of rub onto each side and rub in. Place chops in a vacuum bag and vacuum seal. Throw in the freezer until ready to use.

When ready to use thaw meat in fridge. Open bag and pan fry the chops for about 2-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Place in oven safe dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30-35 minutes or until pork is done.


Stuffed Peppers (a last minute add) | Recipe adapted from Spice N It Up

• 4 large bell peppers
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 small clove garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper chopped
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Dash of red pepper
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Cut thin slices from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top, seeds and membranes. Rinse peppers. Cook beef, onion, chopped pepper and garlic over medium heat in skillet until brown. Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper. Stir in rice. Divide beef mixture evenly among peppers. Place in oven safe/freezer safe packaging and cover with foil. Freeze until ready to eat.

Pour water into 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker; stand frozen peppers upright in cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until peppers are tender. Garnish with cheese. (You can also throw these in the oven for about 10 minutes so the cheese melts).


Mom's Turkey Meatloaf | Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger

• 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk (I used 1%)
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 2 lbs ground turkey breast
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1-8 oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk and allow to soak while you get the rest of the ingredients together, at least 3 minutes.

Thinly slice one-quarter of the onion into rings and set aside. Finely chop the rest of the onion.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, oatmeal mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish that is freezer safe (I used an aluminum loaf pan that you can buy at the supermarket) and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Cover with plastic wrap and with foil to insure a proper seal (and protection from freezer burn).

Remove loaf from freezer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 F, about 1 hour – 1 hour 20 minutes (may be longer if you don’t allow loaf to thaw).

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Another simple one...

I love when I find a quick recipe that turns out tasty as well. This meal was definitely done in under 30 minutes and was flavorful and satisfying. Sadly Joseph couldn't find any basil at Trader Joe's when he went after work so I had to improvise. Luckily I had picked up some frozen basil cubes (they also have cilantro and garlic cubes) in the freezer from an earlier TJs run.

If you want easy... this is the recipe for you :)

Source: Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats



Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used frozen basil cubes from TJs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Simple Favorites

I can't believe I haven't blogged my tuna casserole before. This recipe isn't quite what I usually make but I had to make some spin on it since I accidentally purchased cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of celery soup. I usually go right off of the cream of celery can for the recipe (minus the pimentos... eww) so if you want to stick with traditional just grab a can of cream of celery and you'll be set.

This is one of Joseph's favorite meals. In between trying new recipes I always have to go back to what Joseph likes because too many new recipes doesn't always make him happy. He's been really great with my trial and errors but I can tell when he just wants good old stand by's. This spin was pretty tasty. Can't wait for left overs tomorrow!



Tuna Cassrole

• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1 can cream of mushroom (or celery)
• 1 can tuna
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup peas (I used frozen)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water and add noodles. Cook until done. While noodles are cooking mix tuna, cream of mushroom, peas, salt & pepper & Mrs Dash until fully mixed. Drain noodles and mix with other ingredients.

In a small bowl mix butter and bread crumbs until little pea-sized crumbs form. Spread noodle mixture in an 8x8 dish. Top with cheese and bread crumb mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and bread crumbs are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes and than enjoy!

Oooey Gooey Mac and Cheese

I saw this recipe all over my GR when I got back from vacation. It seems as though every blog I follow has joined Barefoot Bloggers. It's a weekly blogging event where they make a recipe from Ina Garten. This one was AMAZING! I think it is the best mac and cheese I've ever had. And I'm a bit of a mac and cheese connoisseur. And this pregnancy has made me love all things carb loaded and full of cheese :)

Source: Ina Garten



Grown-Up Mac and Cheese

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (I used 2 ounces)
  
• 3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (I used 2 ounces)
  
• 2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled (I used 4 ounces of Fontina)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Perfect and Simple

I went shopping at TJ's this weekend and found some great looking lobster ravioli. Just the packaging looked amazing and I knew I had to buy it. So I threw it in my cart and bought the rest of the items I went shopping for.

We already had dinner planned for the weekend so I decided to try out the ravioli during the week and tonight was the night. After asking around on The Nest's What's Cooking board I decided on a simple browned butter sauce to pair with the ravioli. And I've been craving asparagus so I roasted some for the side.

This dish was rich and savory. The sauce complimented instead of overpowered the pasta. And the asparagus was cooked just right. Don't you just love an easy, quick meal that tastes amazing?
Source: My Head with the help of TJ's



Lobster Ravioli in a Browned Butter Sauce

• 1 package lobster ravioli
• 1/4 stick of butter (2 tbsp... I think)
• 1/6 cup of heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil water on medium high. Add ravioli and cook according to package directions (5 minutes). Around 3 minutes into cooking start melting the butter in a skillet and reduce until it starts to brown. Add cooked ravioli and top with heavy pepper. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!