Hamburger Noodle Bake

I made this last week and we loved it so I am making it again tonight for some friends. The recipe is made to be a dish for two, so I double the recipe. Who doesn't want to have leftovers anyway?

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1//8 tsp garlic salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup cottage cheese
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion
1 Tbsp chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink, drain. Remove from the heat, stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt, and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, and green pepper.

Drain the noodles, place half the noodles in a greased 1-qt baking dish. Spoon half of beef mixture over the top. Layer with cottage cheese mixture and remaining noodles. Top with remaining beef mixture; top with parmesan. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

This was from Taste of Home too. I added a tsp garlic to the meat, some Italian diced tomatoes, and used all reduced fat dairy. It's kind of like a lasagna dish.

Tomato Chicken Pasta

We have been blessed by some very talented gardeners recently who have kindly shared their produce with us. When Jeremy brought home some ripe, juicy, orange tomatoes the other night, I could not bear to waste them, so I looked up a recipe specifically to use a bunch of tomato. Pretty good stuff! I even have a picture to share because I thought it was pretty.


Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package radiatore pasta
1/2 pound bacon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup white wine
2 large tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning


Directions
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Set bacon aside to drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease, then saute chicken until no longer pink, and juices run clear. Break bacon into pieces, and return to skillet. Stir in wine and tomatoes. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Simmer until tomatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes. Serve sauce over cooked pasta.

I used about half a box of whole grain shells (from a 13 oz box) and it was plenty. I also followed recommendations and added a tsp of minced garlic to the chicken and a tsp of crushed red pepper. I probably would not use the red pepper again, or at least use less of it because it was a little hotter than I like. I also used turkey bacon and sweet Moscato wine. I stirred the pasta into the sauce to soak up the juices. Served with a simple salad and topped with parm cheese!

Hearty Macaroni Casserole

I just made this for dinner and it was SO GOOD that I had to post it right away! Found this in my Taste of Home magazine. :) First, I'll post the recipe as printed and then I'll add my adjustments.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) macaroni and cheese dinner mix
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup French-fried onions

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to the prepared macaroni. Stir in tomatoes.

Divide half of the mixture into a greased 3 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Add the other half of the mixture and cover with second cup of cheese. Top with french-fried onions. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

In an effort to make this dish healthier, I used 99% fat free ground turkey (cooked with a tsp. of fresh garlic, a tsp. of chili powder, 1/2 tsp. of cumin, and a 1/2 tsp. of paprika--since ground turkey tends to be pretty bland, instead of beef. I used Velveeta Shells & Cheese made with 2% milk. I probably only needed between 1 and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese to cover adequately. We loved it! Next time I might hide a little more veggies in there too. :)

Picante Chicken Rice Burritos

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce, divided
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Directions
1.To Make Chicken Mixture: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute green onion and garlic until soft; stir in chicken, chili powder, 1/4 cup broth and 3/4 cup picante sauce. Heat through, then set aside.
2.To Make Rice: In a large saucepan, bring rice and remaining 2 1/4 cups broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups picante sauce, cover and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes or until rice is tender.
3.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4.To Assemble Burritos: Stir chicken mixture into rice, then add olives and 2 cups of the cheese. Mix well. Spoon 1 cup of filling onto each tortilla, off center. Fold sides and ends over filling, then roll up. Arrange filled tortillas in two 9x13 inch baking dishes and sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top.
5.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Yummy! I will recommend lowering the oven temp to 300 and removing them before the tortillas stiffen. I used black beans instead of olives since I don't like them and used whole wheat tortillas. I only made a half recipe. Oh, and I used white onion instead of green since thats what I had. Enjoy!

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

I started making this recipe without realizing it was a lighter version of someone's grandmother's made from scratch recipe. We really liked them.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions
1.In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg, milk, oil and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill greased or paper-line muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

I followed the suggestions of some of the reviewers and added 1/2 tsp of almond extract and extra oil (someone recommended using a 1/4 cup). I added a tablespoon of applesauce and used all whole wheat flour. I also added some extra brown sugar since someone suggested using it and that the recipe wasn't sweet enough. And they were done in 20 minutes. The batter looked a little weird but they tasted great!

Herb Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This was our anniversary dinner last night!

Ingredients
3 pounds pork tenderloin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Directions
1.Cut a horizontal slit in the pork tenderloin, leaving the halves attached. Rub tenderloin with olive oil.
2.Insert garlic into the slit and on onto the fatty part of pork. Press thyme and rosemary into slit. Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper.
3.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
4.Lightly oil the grill grate. Place pork on grill. Cook approximately 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes, to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).

I think this would have turned out great, except that it was way too much salt and pepper for me. Noah cried because it was too much for his little tongue too. Oops. I used kosher salt, which I thought is supposed to be less potent. I will try cutting that in half maybe next time. I let the meat marinate in the fridge for about an hour and used the oven some too to help cook a little more. Also had to use dried thyme and added some fresh parsley since I had it. Something different and good for the grill! And now we have a TON of meat leftover so I recommend sharing!

Apricot Chicken

And I'm back! I finally tried a new recipe that turned out good! And an Asian one too!

Ingredients
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chicken broth or sherry
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup salted cashews
Hot cooked rice

Directions
1.In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer to a shallow microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring once.
2.Add green pepper and cashews. Cover and microwave on high for 2-4 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, stirring once. Let stand for 3 minutes. Serve with rice.

OK, admittedly I could not foresee this recipe turning out well if cooked in the microwave, so I made it on the stove. I didn't have cashews, so I omitted that but will definitely add them next time. I also added snow peas, at another reviewer's suggestion. Next time, I will double the ginger, add maybe a tsp of garlic salt, and a tbsp of honey (suggested by another reviewer). It needed just a bit more flavor but Jeremy and I both really liked it anyway!