Chicken Pasta Bake

I found this recipe here. But I altered it to our liking- changes are in parenthesis. Our whole family chowed down. It's like a chicken version of Company Casserole. Yum.

• 8 oz. penne pasta
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (used leftover shredding chicken)
  
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (didn't add because I used tomato, basil and garlic spaghetti sauce and italian style tomatoes)
  
• 1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 3 oz. package cream cheese
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and patted dry with a paper towel (no spinach on hand, didn't add this)
  
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (husband hates Parmesan, so didn't add this)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.


2. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente." Drain. Pour into prepared baking dish.


3. Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. While oil is heating, cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. (used leftover shredded chicken)
   


4. Brown chicken in oil. Add Italian seasoning, half of the spaghetti sauce and the drained tomatoes. Let simmer 2-3 minutes.


5. Cut cream cheese into small chunks. Add to chicken and tomato sauce mixture. Simmer until cream cheese is melted.


6. Stir in spinach. Cook another minute, until spinach wilts slightly. (skipped this step)
   


7. Pour chicken mixture over pasta. Top with one cup of the shredded mozzarella. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.


8. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
   
   

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Chicken Enchiladas

The enchiladas that I grew up on. That my family LOVES. That Julia has requested 3 years in a row for her birthday dinner. I think my mom got this recipe from my Aunt Cindy originally.


3 chicken breast, cooked, shredded
¾ c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
¾ c. salsa
12 corn tortillas
2 c. shredded cheese

Mix soup, milk & salsa. Heat in microwave on medium heat, 3 minutes. Add sour cream, heat 1 minute. Heat tortillas by wrapping 4 at a time in wet paper towel and heating in microwave for 1 ½ mins. Take 1 tortilla & place in greased 9x13 pan. Put 1 ½ Tbsp. chicken, 1 ½ Tbsp. cheese, 2 Tbsp. soup mix in the middle and roll up placing edge on bottom of pan. Reserve about 1 c. soup mix and 1 c. cheese to cover entire casserole. Bake at 350F for 30-40 mins or until bubbly (may be covered for more moist enchiladas).

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Spaghetti Pie Ole

I found this recipe here and tweaked it a bit. It was super good. Everyone in my family loved it!
With the cumin it has a bit of a spanish taste to it (hence the name Spanish Pie Ole).

7 ounces spaghetti, uncooked
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, or cheddar, shredded ***I used cheddar***
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 ounces canned chopped tomatoes with chili, undrained **** instead of this I used spaghetti sauce*****
3/4 cup sour cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Whisk together egg, half the salt, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and 1/3 cup cheese. Add pasta and toss. Arrange in 9 inch pie dish, pressing to form shell. Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef and brown 4-5 minutes, breaking up into 3/4 inch crumbles. Pour off drippings. Season with remaining salt and remaining garlic powder. Add cumin and stir in tomatoes (I used spaghetti sauce here). Bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally. Reserve 2 Tbs. beef mixture for garnish. Stir sour cream into remaining beef and spoon into pasta shell. Place remaining cheese in center, leaving 2 inch border around edge. Spoon reserved beef mixture onto center of cheese and bake 15 minutes or until heated through. YUM!!!

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Saturday Meatloaf

Another version of meatloaf. From the ward cookbook. With a sweet taste (from the sauce). Good stuff!

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2/3 c. dry bread crumbs
1 c milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sage
Catsup sauce

Combine all ingredients except sauce. Shape in loaf pan. Spread with catsup sauce. Bake 1 1/4 hours at 350.

Catsup sauce:
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp. Dijon mustard

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Maple Salmon

My husband likes fish. Me? not so much. Love sushi but not fish- go figure (I really like spicy mayo and eel sauce to dip into that could be why I like sushi).
Josh wanted salmon when we were at Costco on Sat so I went for it. I knew my dad used to barbacue salmon with lemon. That's all I knew about it.
When I finally decided to make it, I had no lemons. Oops. So I found this recipe in a ward cookbook and went for it.
My youngest ate every last bit and he's picky. I liked it. It was good and EASY.
Enjoy!
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 T. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. salmon

In a small blow, mix all ingredients minus the salmon. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish and coat with the mix. Cover dish and marinate in the fridge for 30 mins, turning once. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake salmon for 20 mins or until easily flaked with a fork.

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Asian Salad

I found this recipe here and made it for our frugal Enrichment night. It was a hit- everyone especially loved the dressing. I love Prudence Pennywise because not only does she share great (healthy) food but she does it on a budget and gives some great tips. I would've never thought to make the crispy won ton strips myself but it's so easy and cheap! Do it!

8 fresh won ton or 6 egg roll sheets
cooking spray
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large orange, peeled, or canned mandarin oranges
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts
Ginger Soy Dressing: Recipe Below
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat won tons with spray and cut into strips. Bake on foil lined cookie sheet until crispy, turning once, about 8 minutes; sprinkle with sesame seeds. On serving plates, layer greens, chicken, oranges, avocado, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, and won ton strips. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Ginger Soy Dressing:4 tablespoons rice vinegar4 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons soy sauce1 generous teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger2 tablespoons canola oil1/2 teaspoon black pepperpinch of saltWhisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

**I didn't add the roasted peanuts that night for fear of someone having a peanut allergy. But I will when I make it for my family. And I'll take a picture next time or you can just go look at hers and drool. ;)

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And I'm back...

So last time I said I was done hibernating...I guess I wasn't. This time, it's for reals.
I'm back to cooking. And it feels good.
I'm trying out some new stuff.

Tonight I made these recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks (HUGE fan of hers):
she has pictures on her blog so I won't post any here- plus we all ate it too fast to take a pic!
Try these ones out. She was right- these two dishes go perfectly together. Yum. Yum.

Fluffy New Potatoes
9 or 10 medium to large new potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse and dry the potatoes, then place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and massage to coat. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Place the sour cream, cream cheese, Monterey Jack, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Cut each potato in half lengthwise.
With a spoon scoop out inside of the potatoes, leaving a very thin rim of potato inside the skin. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Using a fork, gently mash the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth. Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells.

Bake the potatoes in a 375 degree oven until thoroughly warmed through. The potatoes will soften, “melt”, and fill the potato shells as they bake. It took mine about 20ish minutes- I just watched them.

Ranch Style Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Thick cut bacon
Bacon grease
HoneyDijon Mustard
Lemon juice
Paprika
Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Canola oil
To begin, mix together 1/2 cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with 1/2 cup honey. Add juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy.
Whisk it together until smooth.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry.
Pound the chicken breasts so they have a more uniform thickness, which means they’ll cook more evenly and won’t be dry around the edges.
Place one chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper…
Lightly pat the waxed paper so it adheres to the chicken. With a mallet or a rolling pin (you can also use a heavy can!) lightly pound the chicken breast so that the thickness is uniform. By the time it all evens up, it’s usually around 1/2 to 3/4″ thick.
Next, just add all the chicken to the bowl with the marinade. You’ll want to cover this with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
While the chicken is marinating, go ahead and fry up some bacon:
any kind of bacon will do; just keep in mind that the bacon will eventually go into the oven, so you don’t want to get it too crisp in the skillet.
Next, and this is important, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, and go ahead and clean out the skillet. Otherwise, it’ll get too smoky.
When you’re ready to prepare the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade into the sink. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high to high heat. (We want to sear the chicken, not cook it completely.) When the grease is sufficiently heated, add a batch of chicken to the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the skillet—just 3 pieces is usually enough.
Watch the chicken, and when it starts to get brown/black on one side…
Flip it to the other side. Cook just until brown/blackish areas appear. Each side should cook for a maximum of 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Repeat with all the chicken breasts, then set them on a large baking sheet. If you look a little closer, you’ll notice the chicken is definitely not fully cooked.
Go ahead and throw the pan of chicken into the hot oven for about ten minutes to continue cooking. Then remove the pan from the oven…
And lay a couple of bacon slices over each chicken breast.
Next, grab some grated sharp cheddar and sprinkle it over the top as generously as you’d like.
Just return the pan to the oven for an additional five minutes, or until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling.
Then serve immediately…

Next I plan to make these recipes. I'll let you know how they go.
Oh and I also made these but made them cookies instead of bars. Really good.

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Sweet n Sour Chicken

This recipe comes from my Aunt Lisa and is one of Josh's very favorites. I'm planning on making it sometime this week so look for a pic.

2-3 chicken breasts
1 white onion
1 green bell pepper
1/2 c. ketchup
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
5-6 tsp. Worchestichire sauce
2 c. pineapple juice
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 can pineapple chunks

Saute onion and bell pepper. Combine ketchup, garlic salt, pepper, W.s. sauce, pineapple juice (reserved from can of pineapple chunks), brown sugar and flour in a separate pan and heat until thickened. Add sauted onion, bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Pour mix over chicken and place in oven at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours til chicken is done. Serve over white rice.

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What I'll be serving...

*****Edit: The barbecue was a hit. My SIL and MIL ended up bringing over a bloomin onion maker and a deep fryer for the onion rings and here's how they turned out. They tasted divine. I made some fry sauce (mayo & ketchup mixed) to eat with them. YUM YUM. And we had Angel Lush for dessert. We were STUFFFFFFED.

For Father's Day this year I wanted Josh to feel extra special (first year without his dad) so I've set up a barbecue for him with his whole family. His favorite genre of food would have to be steak (ironically my least favorite) so I set out on a mission to find a good recipe for cowboy steak. I think I have a winner in this one. SO here is my Father's Day suggestion (NOTE- it is not tried and true yet):

Cowboy Steak & Onion Rings, found here
courtesy of Coyote Cafe

4 rib eye steak, 1 1/2 inch thick bone-in (or t-bone steaks)
4 onions, cut into rings, 1/8th inch thick
3 cups milk
3 cups flour
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons paprika (hot Hungarian is best)
vegetable oil(for deep frying the onion rings)
salt and pepper salt and pepper
Directions
Bring steaks to room temperature before grilling.
Soak onions in milk for one hour, drain.
In a large bowl or pie pan mix together flour, chili powder, cornstarch, salt, cumin, sugar and paprika.
Dredge onions in flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan (cast iron works well) and heat to 360-degrees F.
Add onions in batches, cooking until golden brown --BE CAREFUL - they cook fast (30-45 seconds). Transfer onion rings to paper towels to drain off excess grease.
Meanwhile, season steaks with salt and pepper and place in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cook about 7-10 minutes per side, pouring off excess fat before turning. Finish cooking steaks on the grill (or skip the frying step and just grill steaks to desired doneness (10 minutes per side).
Serve steaks with onion rings, baked potatoes and salsa, or as desired.

My in-laws are bringing other parts of the meal. But dessert will either be this or this.
What will you be serving?

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Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Another find from the ward cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas- gotta love those ward cookbooks. I made it for the first time last night and broke the cardinal rule of never serving something you haven't made before to company. I thought it tasted great. I did alter the recipe a bit. I'll put the exact recipe below and then my adjustments under neath.

4 medium chicken breast halves

3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 c. chopped peanuts

1/4 c. bacon pieces

salt & ground black pepper

paprika

ranch dressing

Preheat oven at 350. Skin chicken, if desired. Using a sharp knife, make a pocket in each breast by cutting horizontally from side to side, leaving edges intact. In a bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, peanuts and bacon. Spoon filling into pockets, packing lightly (pockets will be full). Place chicken, bone side down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Lightly sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 50-55 mins. Drizzle ranch dressing over chicken breasts before serving.

Ok here's what I did different from the recipe:
*used boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*didn't cut slits, I flattened the chicken breasts and spooned the mix onto the chicken, then wrapped them and used toothpicks to hold them together. Put in dish seam side down.
*omitted peanuts (Josh doesn't like nuts)
*baked for only 47 mins.
*served with ranch-to dip in it- not drizzled

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Beef Enchiladas

One of Josh's favorites. I can't find the exact recipe so this is from memory. But I made them tonight and they were good!


3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 (15 0z) can tomato sauce
2 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. shredded cheese (I used Mexican mix tonight)
8-12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 325. Mix first 4 ingredients til smooth in pot. Add next 4. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer while finishing other components.
Brown beef. Pour red sauce into bottom of 9x13 pan to cover.
Spoon beef into corn tortillas. Add cheese. Roll up. Place seams down. Then add remaining red sauce. Top with more cheese. Bake at 325 for 45 mins or until cheese is bubbly.
I serve this with sour cream on the side.

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Chicken- Chile Quesadillas

Quick, easy- whole family loves it. I make it on our skillet. Umm umm good.

1 package flour tortillas for burritos
2 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 cups shredded or finely chopped cooked chicken
1 can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup salsa

1. Top one half of each tortilla with cheese, chicken and green chiles. Fold other half of each tortilla over filling; press down with back of pancake turner. Lightly brush melted butter on both sides of each filled tortilla.

2. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 filled tortillas at a time 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and hot. Cut into wedges. Serve with salsa.

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Poppyseed Chicken

Not for the anti-casserole person. This is indeed a casserole. One I happen to like. Pic next time.

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 (4 ounce) packet Ritz cracker
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine chicken with soup and sour cream in a bowl.
In another bowl add crushed crackers and poppy seeds to melted butter.
Mix well.
Mix half of cracker mixture in chicken.
Put in casserole dish.
Spread remaining cracker mix on top.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cover for first 15 minutes and then uncover for last 15 minutes.

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"Turkey Tetrazzini"

I put it in quotation marks because I use chicken and whatever pasta I have (usually egg noodles or spaghetti but I'm sure most would work). So it's not really Turkey Tetrazzini- it's more ChickenWhateverNoodle. My mom used to make this after Thanksgiving with left over turkey. I've always loved it. Last night J (my by far pickiest eater) went back for seconds :)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced onions
1/4 c. margarine
1/4 c. flour

2 c. chicken broth
1 c. 1/2 & 1/2 (I've used milk before and it was fine, also used whipping cream it was great)
1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 8 oz pkg spaghetti noodles (or whatever you have), cooked, drained

3 c. cooked, diced turkey (I always use chicken except right after Thanksgiving)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Lightly brown mushrooms and onions in margarine. Stir in flour. Cook until bubbly. Stir in the broth and cream. Add salt & pepper. Cook, stirring often until mix boils. Place a layer of noodles in a buttered 9x13 pan. Mix remaining noodles with sauce and meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins or until bubbly.

This can be made ahead and refrigerated until baking time.

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Chicken *Parmesan Bundles

Yeah- another successful new meal to added to my favorites. Not too much work and it's good. I got the recipe here -again Kraftfoods is a great, quick, easy resource. If you haven't already, check it out.

4 oz. PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained ***I used a bit less
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Mozzarella Shredded Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Parmesan Grated Cheese, divided **I used fresh grated Romano
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb./750 g), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups pasta sauce, heated

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.
BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the pasta sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

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Lasagna Roll Ups

I found this recipe here. Just a tad different from regular lasagna. Super yum!

15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. bread crumbs
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
12 lasagna noodles
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ c. salsa
*****I just used spaghetti sauce instead of tomatoes & salsa****
½ c. shredded mozzarella
Cook lasagna noodles according to package and lay on cookie sheet to dry a bit. Combine 1st seven ingredients to make filling. Spread 1/3 cupful down each noodle, leaving a little tab at the end to make it stick. Roll up and place in a 9x13 dish. Original recipe says to let it sit overnight covered, but if your noodles are dry enough, they will stick to themselves and you won’t need to. Combine tomatoes & salsa (or spaghetti sauce- just till it looks covered), and spread over rollups. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Immediately sprinkle with ½ c. mozzarella and serve. The filling is freezable as well as the sauce, but I recommend you do not freeze the rollups themselves. As soon as you close the freezer door, they attack each other and end up shredded to pieces! Serves 12 adults or 6 teenage boys.

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Chicken Amandine

I found this recipe here. We had it for dinner last night. It was good and a little different from what we normally eat. I would use less water chesnuts next time. And I didn't have swiss cheese, so I just used mozarella. Also Josh doesn't like nuts so I only put almonds on half of it so he had nothing to complain about!! I served it with cooked carrots and broccoli.

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom soup

1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, sliced and drained

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (8 oz.) package crescent roll dough

2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2-4 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the first eight ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until hot and bubbly. Pour into an ungreased 12 x 8 baking dish. Unroll the crescent roll dough into two long rectangles. Place over the hot chicken mixture. Combine remaining ingredients and spread over the dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serves 4-6.

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Cheese Enchilada Chowder (with chicken added)

Just made this for dinner tonight and Josh said it was his favorite that I've made ever (which is big- I've made all kinds of soup). I didn't have the yellow,green or red pepper (somehow I forgot it at the store!?!) and I added chunks of baked chicken. It was SOOOO good. I got it here. Picture next time. Oh and it has some kick to it- I added a lot of sour cream to my kids dishes and they were fine.

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green or red sweet pepper
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, if desired, and finely chopped
1 19-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
dairy sour cream (optional)
guacamole (optional)
tortilla chips, coarsely broken (optional)

1. In a 3-1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker combine black beans, tomatoes, frozen corn, onion, sweet pepper, and jalape?o pepper. In a large mixing bowl whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese until melted. Ladle into bowls. If desired, top each serving with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips.

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Masters Meatloaf

Not a big meatloaf fan here. I don't know why but I've never really liked it. I decided to make Heidi's version called Master Meatloaf. It was a sweeter version (probably why I liked it more than usual). Josh seemed to like it. And the kiddos too. No picture- sorry. Next time.
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1.5 pound lean, ground beef
1 c. oats (quick or regular)
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 TBS. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix above ingredients well. I like to blend mine together with a fork.Place meat in 2 loaf pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and baste with:Savory Topping (mix all below ingredients until smooth)6 TBS. brown sugar1/2 c. catsup1/2 tsp. nutmeg1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper2 tsp. prepared mustardPlace pans back in oven for 15 minutes.

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Baked Mac N Cheese

I found this one from RecipeZaar (great resource). Super yum. Josh was in charge of getting the "macaroni noodles" and so we ended up with small shells. But it still tasted good.

1 (12 ounce)bag elbow macaroni
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 (8 ounce)bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce)bag shredded four cheese blend
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onions (walla walla or vidalia if available)
garlic powder
ground black pepper
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Bring water to boil, then add pasta. Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes (as directed on package).
While macaroni cooks, chop onions to desired consistency.
Drain pasta and rinse with hot water.
Place pasta back into pot with 2 tbsp butter and stir to cover so pasta does not stick.
Stir in onions and cheese.
Pour in heavy whipping cream and stir until nicely mixed.
Add garlic powder and black pepper to taste.
Scoop mixture into covered casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes, then check for desired bubbliness. ;).
Enjoy!

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