Spur of the Moment Noodle Bake

It was dinner time, and I had no idea what to make. I was thinking lasagna, but I didn't have half of the ingredients to put one together. So, I improvised. I really enjoyed the finished dish, and as we were eating dinner, a miracle occurred. The teenager said, "Mom, this is really good."  I got up from dinner, took a picture of the dish-with-no-name, and sat down to write the recipe out. So, here is the teenager approved, spur of the moment noodle bake. Or some other clever title to be determined.

Ingredients:

4 oz. of cream cheese (1/2 of a block)

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese (shredded)

1 tsp of ranch seasoning (dry)

8 oz. of mozzarella (shredded) 

1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz.)

1 lb. of ground beef

½-1 tsp of Italian seasoning

¼-½ tsp of garlic powder

½ tsp of salt

12 oz. of pasta (I used elbow)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Boil the pasta according to the (al dente) directions on the package, then drain.

In a medium sauce pan, brown the ground beef. I sprinkled it with salt, Italian seasoning and garlic powder while it was cooking (that’s why my measurements aren't exact). Drain the cooked ground beef, and return it to the pan. Add the tomato sauce and the rest of the Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt to taste. Heat the sauce on low until you are ready to assemble.

In a bowl, with a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan, and ranch seasoning.

To assemble, use a 9x9 pan. I like to put down parchment paper or oven paper in the bottom of the pan. Put a small amount of sauce over the parchment paper, and spread it out. Pour about half of the cooked pasta in and all of the cheese/sour cream mixture. Stir it into the pasta to coat it evenly. Top that with half of the sauce/meat mixture, followed by half of the mozzarella. Pour the other half of the pasta on, then the rest of the sauce/meat mixture, and top with the rest of the mozzarella.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Cathy's Pasta Salad

Cathy's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb of pasta (I use Rotini)
2 Diced tomatoes
1 carrot grated
1-2 stalks of celery chopped 
1 Can of small black olives (chopped, sliced, or left whole)
Wishbone Italian dressing
Salad Supreme seasoning (McCormick)
Grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Hass Avocados 

Directions:
Boil pasta according to the package directions. When it is done, drain it, and rinse it thoroughly with cold water until it is chilled. While pasta is cooking I cut up my veggies, and add them to a large bowl. Add chilled pasta. Next, sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and Salad Supreme over pasta. Stir into the salad to coat the pasta. 

At this point, if you are making it ahead of time, this is when you would want to cover and refrigerate. Add the Italian dressing just before serving. I start with small amounts of dressing, stir it in, and add a little more until it looks and tastes how I prefer it. Be careful not to use too much, or it will overwhelm the other flavors. Top with avocado after the salad has been mixed. 

For leftover pasta salad, refrigerate in plastic container, or Ziploc bag. To eat later, you may need to add a little more dressing, as it soaks into the pasta after a while.

Sinfully Indulgent Mac and Cheese (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

Slow cooker liner (optional, but really convenient)
1 lb box of penne pasta
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 qt half & half (whole milk could be substituted)
8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 lb Velveeta (cubed)

Directions:

Place the slow cooker liner in the crock pot. Cut the butter into small cubes, and add it to the cooker.

In a mixing bowl add half & half and soup, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the shredded cheese, and cubed Velveeta.

On the stove boil water for the penne pasta. Once the water is boiling add the pasta, and switch off the heat. Let the pasta sit in the water for 1-2 minutes, then drain and add to the crock pot. Stir the pasta and butter until the butter is melted, and the pasta is coated. Add the cheese/half & half mixture, and stir everything together.

Place lid securely on the crock pot, and set to low. After the first 45 minutes stir the dish, then continue cooking. Stir every half hour. When it has been cooking for 3 hours, test the pasta to see if it is done. My slow cooker cooks the pasta in about 3 hours (this was when I snapped the photo), then I turn the knob to the "keep warm" setting until I am ready to serve. This allows it to thicken up, but the pasta shouldn't get mushy.

Notes:

Don't try to make a low fat version of this dish. Replacing dairy products with reduced fat ones will cause the texture to be gritty, and it will not turn out well. Trust me. I have experienced enough complaints in this department. Also don't cheat and buy a bag of shredded cheese; the additives (mainly cellulose) may alter the texture.

Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Soup

Cheese Tortellini And Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)

1-2 cloves garlic minced

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (if using spicy sausage, you may want to use less)

1 teaspoon onion powder (I have picky eaters, but you could use 1/2 onion diced)

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups of water plus 6 chicken bullion cubes)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (could sub milk or half & half for a thinner base)

1 bag frozen cheese tortellini (mine was 19 oz.)

2 cups kale (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste (I like white pepper, but black pepper is fine)

Directions:

In a large saucepan add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, onion powder and sausage. Brown the sausage completely, then drain and return to pot. Add oregano, parsley flakes, broth and cream. Simmer for about 10 minutes, but do not let it come to a full boil. Add tortellini, kale, salt and pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes (until tortellini is done).