Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2c - elbow macaroni
3 tbsp - butter
2 tbsp - flour
2 c - milk
2 c - SHARP cheddar cheese cubed

Cook macaroni in boiling, lightly salted water per package directions for al dente; drain and set aside.
In pasta pan, melt butter' blend in flour'; stir until golden brown. Then slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Add cheddar cheese; stir in until melted. Toss in cooked macaroni and blend well.
Transfer to a lightly buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes."

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

(See my edits below)

Ingredients

• 1 wholeCut Up Fryer Chicken
• 1 stick1/2 Cup Butter
• 16 ounces, weightWhite Mushrooms, Sliced
• ¼ cupsDry White Wine
• Kosher Salt And Pepper
• ¼ cupsFlour
• 2 cupsChicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
• 1-½ cupWhole Milk
• ¼ cups(additional) Dry White Wine
• 1 cupFreshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cupWhole Black Olives, Chopped
• 1 teaspoonKosher Salt, Or To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
• 1 poundThin Spaghetti

Preparation Instructions

Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Danielle's Edits:

- I did NOT boil a whole chicken. Sorry, too lazy. I just cut up some chicken breasts (three to be exact), and cooked them up in the frying pan, and set them to the side.

- I didn't have wine, and it didn't make a difference. I just had to add a bit more broth.

- I added red onions for flavor.

- Next time, I'd go without the olives. I don't like them personally, but I wanted to see if the recipe needed them. It doesn't especially if you aren't a fan.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 12 wholeCorn Tortillas
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• 1 can(20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
• 2 cupsSour Cream
• 3 cupsSharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
• 1 cupSliced/chopped Green Onions
• ½ teaspoonsGround Cumin
• ¼ teaspoonsCayenne Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don’t allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there’s any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

Danielle's Edits:

- I needed MORE enchilada sauce (P.S. If you make this, only Safeway carries enchilada sauce)

- I used flour tortillas instead of corn, and they didn't do well in the frying pan. I opted to just not do the dunking after about two.

- It's a little bland, so I added more spice.

- I also bough a chicken from the grocery store (pre-made ones), and added about a cup of shredded chicken to it. It was yum!

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 can chopped green chilies

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 cup chunky salsa

1 cup each mozzarella and cheddar cheese, divided

Catelli Express Oven-Ready lasagna noodles

2/3 cup water

Brown meat and onion until no longer pink. Add chilies, soup, salsa and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Stir until well mixed.

Layer in a 9x13 pan in this order: 1/3 dry noodles, 1/3 sauce. Do this two more times.

Drizzle water over top and top with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in 350-degree oven for 50 minutes. Once cooked let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole

1 can - condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2c - milk

1/4 tsp - black pepper

1 c - frozen mixed vegetables

2c - cubed cooked chicken

1/4 of a 12 on package medium egg noodles (~2 cups) cooked and drained

1/4c - Parmesan cheese

1 - shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, vegetables, chicken, noodles and Parmesan cheese. Spoon into a casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir and top with Cheddar cheese.

Three Cheese Baked Ziti with Spinach

1 box - tube shaped pasta (ziti)

1 bag - baby spinach leaves (4 cups washed)

1 jar Italian sauce

1 cup - ricotta cheese

1 cup - mozza cheese

3/4 cup - Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp - garlic powder

1/4 tsp - black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Add the spinach during the last minute of the cooking time. Drain. Return to saucepan. Stir in sauce, ricotta, 1/2 c of mozza cheese, 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper. Spoon pasta mixture into casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Beef and Rice Taco Casserole

1 lb - ground beef

1 can - condensed tomato soup

1 cup - salsa or pic-ante sauce

1/2 cup - milk

1/2 cup - uncooked instant white rice

1/2 cup - crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup - shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef in skillet, drain fat. Stir in soup, salsa, milk and rice into skillet. Spoon mixture into a casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the chips around the edge of the casserole. Sprinkle middle with cheese.

Tuna Casserole

2c - cooked macaroni

1-2 cans of tuna, drained and chunked

1-2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2c shredded cheddar cheese

(I also add chopped onions or dried chives, diced mushrooms or even peas. Sometimes all 3)

Mix together in a large bowl. Put into a casserole dish and cook for 20 min at 350 degrees.

Hamburger Soup

ground beef

1 med onion chopped fine

2 cups water

3 can consomme

1 can tomato soup

4 carrots chopped

1 bay leaf (i use dried basil)

3 sticks celery

parsley

1/2 tsp thyme

pepper to taste

3 tbsp barley

brown meat, sprinkle with paprika, montreal steak spice & oregano

add 1 pack lipton onion soup in stead of consomme

add diced/crushed tomatos & 1 can tom paste

add in a couple sun dried tomato's

add chopped garlic clove

A little Taste of Thai

1/2 cup chicken broth (you can do low fat)

1/4 cup peanut butter (you can do low fat)

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp basil, chopped

1 tbsp sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

12 oz fettuccine

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 large red pepper

2 cups snow peas, cut in half

Combine first 8 ingredients and blend for sauce. Cook noodles. Cook chicken. When chicken is ready add red pepper and snow peas. Cook for a few minutes.. add sauce, simmer for 5 & serve over noodles!

Crockpot Chinese Venison

• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lb boneless steaks or stew meat (venison, moose, beef or pork) cut into 2-inch cubes
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 small bunch green onions, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can (14.5 oz) broth (beef broth for venison, moose or beef; chicken broth for pork)
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 medium zucchini, cut in half along the length of the zucchini and sliced crosswise about 1-inch thick
• 2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat oils together just until hot. Add meat, about a handful at a time, and stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until the outside of the meat is just lightly browned (not pink - Don't cook too long). Add garlic and onions and stir-fry about another minute. Remove the meat from the pan, set aside, and keep warm - season with salt and pepper if desired.

In the same skillet, add broth and ginger, stirring up all the meat bits. Bring to a boil. Then remove from heat.

Add the meat and the broth to the crock-pot. Add the raw zucchini. Cook in crock-pot on low, until the meat is tender (5-7 hours). The longer I cook it the more 'shredded' the meat becomes - less chunky. Add the cornstarch mixture the last 45 minutes to an hour. Cook in the crock-pot uncovered to let the mixture thicken.

(I've seen this recipe with green, yellow, and red peppers - when you heat the broth, add the peppers to it at that point and once it's boiled, reduce heat and let it simmer for another minute or so before adding this mixture to the crock-pot with the meat.)

Serve with brown rice, steamed veggies and a salad.

Crockpot Lasagna

I add 1 lb of homemade meat sauce to this.....

• 3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic , finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)
• 5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Pantry Chicken Stew

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup flour

1 - 225g sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups baby carrots

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (10 fl oz) chicken broth

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained

1/2 cup Herb & Garlic cream cheese spread

toss chicken with flour in slow cooker

add all remaining ingredients except peas and cream cheese; cover

cook on low for 6-8 hours (high for 3-4), stirring in cream cheese and peas to cook for the last 30 minutes.

Tuna Pinwheels

Use your favourite recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits. Make it up and roll dough out like you would to make cinnamon rolls. Butter dough.

In a separate bowl, mix some tuna with chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add cayenne. Mix well.

Spread evenly on dough. Roll dough up, like you would for cinnamon rolls. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Lay on their sides in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is.

While it's baking, make up a white sauce and add cheese ... lots of cheese (if it's me!). Serve each tuna roll with a generous spoonful of cheese sauce! Yummmy!

Best when made fresh.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Stew

2lbs - cubed stew meat

1can - sliced mushrooms

1c - diced carrots

2 medium potatoes sliced

1c - frozen corn

1c - frozen peas

2 cans - cream of mushroom soup

1 small chopped onion

3 bay leaves

2tbsp - beef bouillon

1c - water

Place everything into the crockpot and cook for 12hrs.

Beef and Pasta Bake

1lb - ground beef

1tsp - basil leaves

1/4tsp - black pepper

1/8tsp - garlic powder

1 1/4c - Italian sauce

1 can - cream of mushroom soup

1 1/4c - water

1 1/2c - shredded mozzarella cheese

3c - cooked, drained shell shaped pasta

Cook the beef, basil, black pepper and garlic powder in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat until well browned, stirring frequently to separate meat. Pour off any fat. Stir the Italian sauce, soup, water and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese into the skillet. Stir in the pasta to coat with the sauce mixture. Spoon in to a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Pasta Primevera

3c - uncooked corkscrew pasta

1 bag - frozen veggies (combination)

1 jar - (10oz) Italian Sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions in a 4 quart saucepan. Add the vegetables during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. Draim the pasta and vegetables in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Stir the Italian sauce into the saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally until hot and bubbling. Top with the cheese.

Crockpot Supper Potluck

15oz - ground beef

1c - chopped onion

3c - sliced raw potato

1 1/2c - chopped celery

2c - sliced carrots

1 1/2c - frozen peas

2 tsp - Italian seasoning

1 3/4c - tomato sauce

Brown ground beef in skillet. Place potatoes, celery, carrots and onion into crockpot. Sprinkle peas over. Spoon ground beef on top of vegetables. Stir seasoning into tomato sauce and pour evenly over meat. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Crockpot Beef Dip

1 beef roast

1 jar - Heinz Chili Sauce

1/2 jar - water

1 pkg - onion soup mix

Combine last 3 ingredients. Pour over roast and cook for 10-12hrs on low. Serve with homemade buns.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

1 lb - FROZEN boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 c - cream of mushroom soup

16 oz - fat free sour cream

1 envelop of dry onion soup mix

Place frozen chicken in crockpot. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 7-9 hrs.