TRI-COLOR PASTA SALAD

I love this Pasta Salad and make it often during the Summer months. It is light enough to be a salad, but hearty enough to fill you up. It goes together quickly and keeps well in the fridge. With the busy life that a Preacher's wife leads, those are certainly 2 bonus features of a good recipe!
If you like pasta salad even just a little bit, you'll love this one!

TRI-COLOR PASTA SALAD

2 (1 lb) boxes tri-color rotini pasta
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 container grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 (8 oz) bag pepperoni, cut in 1/4's
1 (8 oz) chunk colby jack cheese, cut into small cubes
1 (16 oz) bottle Italian dressing

Boil noodles al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Place cooked noodles in a large mixing bowl.

If you are serving the same day: that you mix this up - then add next 5 ingredients and stir gently to combine. Pour entire bottle of Italian dressing over salad and stir gently again to incorporate dressing into salad. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

If you are serving the next day: After noodles have cooled, pour 1/2 of the bottle of Italian dressing over noodles and cover tightly and refrigerate. Place other prepared ingredients individually in ziploc baggies and refrigerate. The next day, mix everything together and pour in remaining 1/2 bottle of Italian dressing. Stir gently to combine. Serve chilled.

Feeds: An Army!

SOUTHWESTERN MAC-N-CHEESE

Here is a cool spin on an old favorite - Mac-n-Cheese! Try it with a Southwestern flair! It's delicious and so hearty, you could serve it as the main entree for dinner and the whole family would be happy! Well unless you have a hubby that is a "meat and potatoes" man like mine is! *wink*

SOUTHWESTERN MAC-N-CHEESE

1 (16 oz) pkg. uncooked elbow macaroni (or pasta of your choice)
1 lb Ground Beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 pkg. Taco seasonings
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (8 oz) brick shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 (8 oz) brick shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Pace Picante, medium

Toppings:
Extra Shredded Mozzarella and Pepper Jack
Tortilla chips, crushed
Sour cream
Salsa

Cook macaroni according to pkg directions. In a separate skillet, brown 1 lb of ground beef with 1 medium diced onion, 4 oz can of chopped green chiles and 1/2 cup diced tomatoes. When the hamburger is done, stir in the packet of taco seasoning. Meanwhile in a dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat, stir in cheeses. Drain macaroni, and pour into cheese sauce in dutch oven. Stir in ground beef mixture and Pace picante. Top with more shredded cheese and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Top with crushed tortilla chips. Serve with extra salsa and sour cream, if desired.

CREAMY CHEESY PASTA

My daughter made this pasta dish a couple of weeks ago and it was so delicious, I asked her to snap a pic so I could add it to my blog. It was heavenly and creamy! So good! I couldn't stop eating it! The original recipe called for it to be made into Mac-n-Cheese, but we discovered that you can use any pasta you want and it will turn out equally delicious. She used egg noodles.

CREAMY CHEESEY PASTA

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or any pasta you want - egg noodles, bow tie pasta, or rotini)
1/4 cup butter plus 1 Tblsp. (divided)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 tsp. salt
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 brick cream cheese, cut into chunks
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (can use any that you wish)
1/8 tsp. paprika

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and place in greased 2 1/1 qt. casserole baking dish. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt 1 Tblsp. butter over med-high heat. Saute onion until tender about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced by half.
Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk & 1/1 & 1/2. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in salt and 2 cups cheese. Continue to stir just until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese chunks and sour cream. Pour over pasta and mix well.
Combine remaining cheese, bread crumbs and paprika. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes or until bubbly.

Yeild: 8 servings

ROASTED CHICKEN SOUP w/ NOODLES

Have you ever made something for no good reason, and you weren't sure why you did it? I seldom boil the carcass down from our Sunday roast chicken, but this past Sunday, I did. When the family started smelling the aroma late Wednesday night, they all asked what I was making. I just kind of shrugged and said, "I don't know, I figured I'd boil this down for some good stock, and then make a pot of chicken & noodle soup out of it." They all just kind of said, "Oh" and left it at that. haha Anyway, I finished the soup up, let it cool down, put it in the fridge and went to bed. I suppose I intended to warm it up the next day for my hubby and I for dinner, with a nice hot loaf of crusty bread. But, I forgot about it, until a phone call from my hubby reminded me that our deacon's wife had had foot surgery today, I realized then, WHY I made the soup last night! It was for her and her hubby! I put that ALREADY MADE pot of yummy soup on to simmer and whipped up another caramel apple galette (I had made one Sunday for our family). Then hubby and I headed over to deliver the meal to a very happy and grateful couple! I love it when the Lord works in your heart to do something, and you don't understand why at the time, until later. I'm so glad I listened!
This soup has tremendous flavor - if you've never made homemade chicken & noodle soup, you really should give it a whirl! There's nothing like it!

ROASTED CHICKEN & SOUP w/ NOODLES

Good stock is like the foundation of a house - it lays the groundwork for a delicious soup, stew or pan sauce. Trouble is, many packaged versions are drowning in sodium (often 1,000 mg per cup!) The answer to this dilemna - make your own!

Start by making your stock - you can either do it this way, or you can make a whole roast chicken for dinner one night, and boil the carcass and leftover skin the next day to produce your stock. When you are done eating, just wrap up the bones, and the carcass to cook down the next day. Save any leftover chicken to put into the soup. This is a creative way to use leftovers.

1 Tblsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
3 - 4 cups chicken stock
1 cup sliced carrots
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 bag of egg noodles

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over med-high heat. Add chopped onion, celery and garlic. Saute 5 minutes, or until onions are tender. Stir in flour, basil, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add water and broth and stir with whisk to combine. Add bay leaf and carrots. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add noodles, cook 10 minutes or until noodles are done. Stir in cooked chicken. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Mmm! I think this Caramel Apple Galette turned out better than the one I made Sunday! It smelled so good as we drove it over in the car! It felt awfully nice and warm sitting on my lap too! It's soooo cold here in snowy Northern MI right now!

OVEN READY LASAGNA

Mmm! Have you ever used the Oven ready lasagna noodles? I used them for the first time the other night, when I made a pan of lasagna for the family. I don't think I will ever use the kind that you have to boil, ever again! This went together in a snap - so easy! It could also be made the night before and just popped in the oven the next day.

OVEN READY LASAGNA

1 (12 oz) pkg Oven ready lasagna
2 (15 oz) containers Ricotta cheese
2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmasan cheese, divided
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp dried Basil
2 (27 oz) jars pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 lb lean ground beef, cooked, crumbled and drained
1 lb lean Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained

Preheat oven to 375. In medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, eggs, and basil. Mix well. In skillet, combine cooked ground beef, cooked Italian sausage, pasta sauce and water. Combine to mix well - heat until simmering. Then remove from heat. In a 9 x 13 pan, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce. Place 1/3 of the oven ready lasagna over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over lasagna noodles, top with 1/3 of the meat sauce. Repeat layering until ingredients are all in pan. Top with remaining lasagna then sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes sealed in the foil before cutting and serving. Makes 9 - 12 servings.

FETTUCINE ALFREDO

I finally got to use my new, cool, pasta bowl tonight! I picked it up from the clearance rack for $4. My family loves Alfredo, and it is so stinking easy to make. It's a nice side dish for those nights when you need something in a hurry. It tastes like you labored over it for a good while. You can take all sorts of liberties with this dish. Add cooked, cut up chicken, broccoli, etc... We like it "on the side" with chicken as the main dish. I'm sure there is a "skinny" version out there, somewhere, in WW land. But for me, I'd rather have the real deal and just eat a smaller portion.

FETTUCINE ALFREDO

1 stick REAL butter
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 lb Fettucine noodles

Cook noodles according to pkg directions, but leave them al dente. Drain them, return them to the pot they cooked in and toss in a little butter to keep them from sticking together. In a separate saucepan, over med-high heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and stir for a minute or two. Just long enough for the garlic to infuse the butter. Add the whipping cream and Parmesan cheese and stir constantly to combine. Do not boil. Once it is well combined and hot, place pasta in pasta dish, pour sauce over noodles, and toss gently with a pasta rake to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with your favorite cut of meat.

*NOTE* Usually when I make this, I'll double the amount of sauce it calls for. We like our noodles to be really creamy with the sauce.

HOMEMADE MAC-N-CHEESE

I apologize for the pic. We had midweek service last night and I didn't have much time to play with the set up for this. So it's not a very good pic, but it sure is a GOOD dish!
I know everybody has their own version of Mac-n-cheese, with funky toppings and all that. But I don't like to play with it much, we love the original, unaltered version - the creamy, dreamy kind!

HOMEMADE MAC-N-CHEESE

4 Tblsp butter (the real stuff)
4 Tblsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 lb Elbow macaroni
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to the pan you cooked it in and toss with a few teaspoons of butter.
In a separate saucepan, melt the 4 Tblsp of butter, add the flour and stir with a whisk until it is combined. Do not let it brown or burn. Add the milk and chicken broth, stirring after each addition. Let it simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't get lumpy. If it seems too thick, add a bit more chicken broth. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the cubed Velveeta chunks. If you leave the pan on the heat after you add the Velveeta, the cheese will sink and stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch (I know this from experience!). Stir until the cheese is melted and combined with the white sauce. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni in pan and stir to combine. Now add a cup of the shredded cheddar and stir that in. Pour macaroni into a sprayed casserole dish and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes - just long enough to get it bubbling. Pull it out of the oven and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar and return it to the oven for about 5 or 10 minutes more, until the cheese melts and gets a nice light brown color on top. There's something about a light, crispy, baked top on food, that people love.

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKES

I know, I know, you're thinking, Artichokes? Blech! I thought the same thing when I first saw this recipe. But then I thought, well I love spinach artichoke dip, so why not? I'm game. I'll try anything at least once. And the honest truth is, none of us liked the artichokes! LOL
The rest of the dish though, was quite YUMMY! I'll definitely be making this one again. I found this recipe in one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I LOVE my small, but growing collection of those. They are probably one of my favorite sets. I love all the little tips and decorating ideas they put underneath the recipes.
Also, the original recipe calls for chicken breast strips. I like to make my Honey happy, so I bought a whole chicken for .69 / lb. and cut it up myself, and used whole chicken pieces for it. I would recommend that. He's such a good sport when I try a new recipe on him. I told him that I would keep it to one new recipe a week though. I don't want to shock his "meat and potatoes" system too badly! *hehe*

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKES

1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
2 Tblsp butter
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole chicken, cut up. (Or you can use: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 2 inch strips)
Lawry's seasoned salt
McCormick grinders, Italian seasoning
1 (14 oz) jar marinated artichokes, drained
1 (16 oz) pkg. rainbow rotini, cooked
Garnish: Shredded Parmesan cheese, Flat leaf parsley, chopped

Season both sides of the chicken pieces with Lawry's and Italian seasoning. Rub into the meat. Set aside. Combine sour cream, soup, chicken broth and cheeses in a bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, and then drizzle with olive oil. Saute' minced garlic for 30 seconds. Add the seasoned chicken pieces, skin side down, to the skillet and cook until done. About 10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your pieces. If you are using the chicken breast strips, you will only need to cook them for about 5 to 7 minutes total. Pour sour cream mixture over chicken, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add artichokes, heat for an additional 5 minutes. Serve sauce and chicken over cooked pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.