Country Pasta

I don't know about you, but I really hate standing in a hot kitchen cooking dinner during the Summer months. When we are not outside grilling, I like to make quick, simple, easy dishes that require little use of the oven or stove. This recipe is prefect for a Summer dinner! I also love that it's not a heavy pasta dish and would be great served hot or cold!

Country Pasta with Mozzarella

From allrecpies.com

8 oz. rigatoni pasta (I used Rotini)

8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups broccoli florets, frozen

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a skillet cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned. Add the broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is slightly tender (about 4-5 minutes). Stir in the cooked pasta, mozzarella, Parmesan and cayenne pepper. Cook until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites and knew it was something my family would love-pasta, bacon, cream sauce! I did leave out the lemon in the recipe because no matter how many times I try it, I'm just not a fan of lemon in food! And the dried tortellini pasta that this recipe called for is amazing! It's dry so you don't have to keep in the fridge, it can sit in your pantry! I need to stock up on it!

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a micro plane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Creamy Beef Strogonaff

My husband is a big fan of Beef Strogonaff but I have never been able to find a great recipe that we both love. He loves the Hamburger Helper version because he grew up with it and I just can't bring myself to make it. I have tried a couple variations using cream cheese but we have never liked them. I got this recipe from my friend Natalie at work and it was a huge hit! We loved the sour cream in it! It has a much better consistency than cream cheese.

1 pound of ground beef

Onions And/Or Mushrooms

1 Large Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

8 oz. Sour Cream

Garlic Salt, Salt and Pepper to taste

Cooked Noodles of your choice (I used 1 bag of egg noodles)

Brown the ground beef with the onions and mushrooms and seasonings. Add in the soup and cream cheese. Cook until warm and serve over cooked noodles.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

I think that I could say that Olive Garden is one of my Top 5 Favorite restaurants! I love Italian food and pasta and carbs and cream sauce and this dish has all of that in it! This is a copy cat recipe for Olive Gardens Tuscan Garlic Chicken, which I have never tried (I usually order spaghetti and meatballs). But this pasta was great! I would double the sauce or triple it if you like it really saucy. I made the recipe as is and had to make more sauce for us!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Don’t scoot the chicken around once you lay it in the hot oil! Let the oil work it’s magic to sear the crust on the chicken. If you get all antsy and try flipping too early and/or moving the chicken around the pan, the breading is lightly to fall off. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Chicken Corn Chowder

I know that we have talked about this before but my husband hates soup, he is a total meat and potato guy. But every now and then I can convince him to eat soup. I saw this recipe on Buns in the Oven and knew he would love it and I was right! It was easy to put together and had wonderful flavor! I used the can corn since it was easier but will be making this with grilled corn this summer, can't wait!

• 6 ears of fresh corn, husked and silks removed (or 1-30 ounce can corn and 1-15 ounce can cream corn)
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 8 scallions
• 3 medium potatoes (I use Idaho potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 small can (4 ounces, I believe) chopped green chile's
• 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded (a Rotisserie chicken from the deli works great for this!)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• handful of grated cheddar, for garnish

In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside.

Peel and chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks. Slice the scallions very thin and separate the greens from the whites.

Place the potatoes and white scallion pieces into the stock pot and cook over medium heat until the scallions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.

Pour in the milk, chicken stock, Old Bay, thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn (If using fresh corn, cut from the cob with a sharp knife. Use the back of your knife to release the pulp from the cob.), chicken, and green chile's. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with scallion greens, bacon, and cheddar cheese.

***I was worried about finding the Old Bay seasoning but Target carries it!

Pork Crown Roast

I have always wanted to make a Crown Roast and decided that this Christmas would be the perfect time! I was scared though and had no idea where to start. I did a Google search and found a couple of recipes that I liked that seemed simple. I decided to go with Tyler Florence's recipe on Food Network and it was the perfect choice!

Now this is not a roast that you can just go and grab at the grocery store, it needs to be pre ordered and takes a couple of days notice for your butcher to prepare. I live in Utah and got my meat from Harmons Grocery Store. They charge $3.99/lb which was the cheapest I could find. They did an amazing job at preparing the roast for me and all I had to do was season it and cook it. I had 8 people that I was serving and asked for an 8-9 pound roast. I ended up with an 11 pound roast and this was plenty! Everyone went home with leftovers!

This recipe calls for the stuffing to be prepared in the roast which I did not do. I have issues with cooking stuffing in meat, so I did it on the side. I served with a brown gravy as well.

The roast was amazing! It was juicy, it had amazing flavor and the right amount of herbs. The roast did taste a lot like a pork chop so I'm not sure that it was worth the money considering pork chops are way cheaper. But it was cool to say that I cooked it and I would do it again!

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch thyme, leaves only
• 1/2 bunch fresh sage, leaves only
• 2 cloves garlic, gently smashed and paper removed
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 pounds pork rib roast (about 12 to 14 ribs)
• Apple Pecan Stuffing, recipe follows
• Watercress, for garnish, optional
• Special equipment: roasting pan fitted with roasting rack

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set rack on the bottom third of the oven so the roast will fit completely inside.

In a small mixing bowl or mortar and pestle, combine thyme, sage, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and mash to break up herbs and garlic. Add oil, about 1 cup, and combine with pestle.

Take crown roast of pork and if your butcher hasn't already prepared it, clean the bones of meat with a boning knife (French them) and make a small cut into the meat in between each rib so you can wrap it into a circle easily; save the scraps. Rub the pork all over with the herb mixture. With the ribs on the outside, wrap the rack around onto itself so the ends meet and secure with kitchen twine so it holds its crown shape. *Cook's note: if you are doing this by yourself, using a skewer to help hold its shape while you wrap the kitchen twine around the roast.

Place in a roasting pan. Add the scraps into the bottom of the pan alongside the roast. This will help add flavor to your sauce. Set aside to bring the pork to room temperature prior to cooking.

Fill the cavity with Apple Pecan Stuffing.

Cover the stuffing and the tips of the rib bones with foil then place the whole roast in the oven and bake for 2 hours and 20 minutes, an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should register 150 degrees F when done. About 30 to 45 minutes prior to doneness, remove the foil to brown the stuffing and create a crust. Remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before cutting. Serve with Apple Pecan Stuffing and Gravy. Garnish with watercress if desired

Stuffing Recipe

Hearty Beef Stew

Winter is here in Utah! Which means that it's cold and when it's cold you need warm hearty comfort food and that means Beef Stew! This recipe is so easy, so good and will warm your whole body up after plowing your driveway or playing in the snow with your kids! I suck again and didn't think to take a picture until it was too late and in my belly, sorry!

Beef Stew

From Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup flour

2 Tablespoons oil

1 bay leaf

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 onion, chopped (opt)

I use Onion powder or flakes instead to taste

2 Knorr Beef Bouillon cubes (any brand will work)

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup sliced celery (opt)

4 lg. potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

4 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

Coat meat with flour; set excess flour aside. In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In slow cooker, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, chopped onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, sugar, potatoes and vegetables. Pour water over all. (Almost to the top of your slow cooker). Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Turn control on high. Thicken with flour left over from coating (about 1/4 cup) dissolved in a small amount of warm water. Cover and cook on high 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings.

***This recipe called for 4 cups of water and then states to pour water almost to the top of the crock pot. I used 5 cups total and it was fine.

Chicken A La King

It is November and it is snowing at my house right now! The weather is getting colder and that means warm comfort food is needed and this dish is the perfect comfort food. Chicken, creamy sauce, cheese and buttery puff pastry, what is not to love? This dish is really similar to a pot pie, but it's in a little puff pastry shell which I think is better!

Chicken A La King

From Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Ingredients:

Chicken-cooked and cut into bite size pieces

Vegetables-you can use steamed fresh vegetables or I just used about 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables, un thawed

1 Box of Puffed Pastry Shells-6 come in a box

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups grated or shredded cheddar cheese

***You can also add 1/4 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon celery salt***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your puff pastry shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water. Brush the egg mixture over the shells. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the centers from the shells and set aside. Continue baking the shells for another 5 minutes.

While the shells are baking, make your sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the broth, seasonings, milk and cornstarch mixture. Stir until sauce has thickened. Turn to low heat and add your cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and combined. Do not let the sauce boil. If it gets too thick add more milk or broth. Add in the chicken and vegetables and stir warm, about 5 minutes. Fill your shells and top with cheese!

***We had leftover sauce and I had it the next day over egg noodles-so good!***

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Do you ever have those days where you don't really want to cook so you just stick a frozen pizza in the oven and call it dinner? I think I do that too often! If that ever happens again try making Stuffed Pizza Rolls. They are way better than frozen pizza and each person can customize their own! I think that husbands might like these even more than the kids!

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

From The Girl Who Ate Everything Blog

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Mozzarella cheese, diced or grated (diced is the least messy to use when stuffing the rolls)

Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind. *Don't put marinara in the rolls. Save it for dipping.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.
Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Chicken Stir Fry

I have never made stir fry before but decided to give it a try! My husband is not the biggest fan of vegetables, but he was willing to try this recipe out. This recipe was really easy and had great flavor!

BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN STIR-FRY

SAUCE:

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if desired)

1/2 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1/4 Teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Orange juice, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, oil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, ginger and cornstarch. Reserve.

Set a wok over medium high heat and coat bottom with 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil shimmers and pops, add 10 to 15 pieces of chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces.

Add the chicken back to the pan along with the sauce, and let simmer until sauce has reduced down a bit and thickened. If the sauce doesn’t get as thick as you would like, simply mix : 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup Cold water, and slowly add this mixture to your sauce.

Add the steamed veggies, toss and serve over rice or noodles.

***I doubled the sauce recipe and it was the perfect amount!

Ohh Fajita!

This is the best thing that I have cooked in the kitchen in a long time! I have wanted to make fajitas for a while now but didn't think that my husband would eat them because of the vegetables in them. He said he would try them and guess what? He liked them! This recipe could be a staple at our house now because it was so quick and easy! Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas

Cook Time: About 15 minutes

Makes: 6 fajitas

1 large steak, cooked to your liking and cut into thin strips

1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

1 package Fajita Seasoning Mix (Plus water and oil to make it)

Mozzarella Cheese

Ranch Dressing

Tortillas (we used the small ones)

Combine the Fajita Seasoning Mix, water and oil and put into pan on stove. Add the green peppers and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the steak and heat for just a minute or two to warm the steak up. Layer your tortilla with cheese, fajita mixture and ranch dressing. Eat and Eat and Eat!

Creamy Carbonara

I have been trying to write this post and can't really think of anything to write about this pasta except that it's dam good and you should make it! So there you have it!

CREAMY BACON CARBONARA

2 eggs

1/4 cup Cream

1/3 cup Parmesan

Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

*(I doubled the Sauce recipe, and it was perfect)

1/2 lb. bacon

1 small onion, chopped (opt)

3 mushrooms sliced (opt)

1/2 lb. Pasta

DIRECTIONS:

Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. I just used a fork. Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside. With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden. Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms. Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.

French Dip Subs

So I have a secret to share...I actually don't like roast beef or french dip subs but I thought that my hubby would. So I made them and I ate one. And it was alright! It's not something that I would crave or normally want, but it was good. This recipe was super simple and easy!

From Favorite Family Recipes

4 Hoagie Rolls
1 package Au Jus Gravy Mix (I used McCormick)
1 pound Deli Roast Beef
Cream Cheese (to taste)
Provolone Cheese

Prepare the Au Jus Gravy as per package directions. Place the roast beef in the gravy and simmer for about 10-20 minutes. While beef is simmering in the sauce prepare the hoagie rolls by spreading cream cheese on the bottom bun of each hoagie and 2 slices of provolone cheese on each top bun. Place tops and bottoms of hoagies face up in the broiler for a minute or two until the cheese melts. Remove from the broiler. Using tongs, pull out some of the roast beef from the Au Jus and place it on the bottom bun. Cover with top bun and serve with remaining Au Jus graving for dipping!

Oh My!

I found THIS recipe for a great steak marinade and thought I would try it. I think that I will always marinate my steaks because this was the best steak I have ever eaten!

You HAVE to try it out!

Salty Flavorful Steak

1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon Daragel Grilling Herbs (or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, and 1 tsp. dried parsley)

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour over steak and allow to marinate for 2 or more hours.

*** I just used a grilling seasoning that I found at the store and I only had 1 hour to marinate it and it was still amazing!

Marinated Flank Steak

My husband is a meat and potatoes guy, but sometimes I get sick of cooking and eating meat the same way. I have wanted to try flank steak for awhile but had no idea how to cook it. I had been blog hopping and found the perfect recipe, printed it off and then lost it. I know, sad. But luckily my friend Ariel found me this recipe and it's the exact same recipe I had lost! I made the steak for dinner last night and it was AMAZING! I let the steak marinate all day and it made the steak really juicy! Again, no picture, sorry!

For a picture and the recipe click HERE!