Meals Mommy Makes

I had a lot of fun doing "Menu Monday" but as you can see I didn't keep up with it every Monday! So I have decided to start doing "Meals Mommy Makes" so that I can share it with you when I find great recipes, anytime, and when I have time! :)
Below are few recipes that I have cooked lately and the have be FABULOUS!! My new favorite things to cook are slow cooker items and meals that I can make extra of and freeze. So these are the best from what I have been cooking lately :)

EASY POT ROAST AND VEGGIES
*I am always looking for different varieties of Pot Roast. I found this one and added a few of my own ingredients and one that was a suggestion from the grocery store. Put them all together and this was "the best pot roast you have ever cooked" -the hubby!
6 servings
3-4lb, chuck roast
4 med. size potatoes, cubed
4 med. size carrots, sliced or 1lb baby carrots
2 celery ribs, sliced, optl (i left out and added bell pepper)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 cups water (this is where i substituted the ingrd from the store, 1 can beefy mushroom)
PUT poat roast, potatoes, carrots, and celery in slow cooker
ADD onion soup mix and water (soup)
COVER and cook on low 6-8 hours.

CREAMY COOKER CHICKEN
*We just had this one tonight and the chicken was literally falling apart! You can serve over rice or noodles to make this a complete meal, or pair you favorite veggies with it to make a wholesome meal!
6 Servings
1 envelope dry onion soup (works great bc comes in a two pack!)
2 cups sour cream
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
COMBINE soup mix, sour cream, and cream of mushroom soup in slow cooker.
ADD chicken pushing it down so it is submerged in the sauce
COVER cook on low 8 hours

HOMINY TACO CHILI
*Here is a great spin on the traditional "colds night" dinner. The extra ingredients in this dish make it burst with flavor!! I would make it every week if Dustin would let me :) And it also freezes great!
4 Servings
1lb ground beef/turk
1 onion, chopped
1 can hominy, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 sml can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (i opt out)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (i opt out)
1 cup water
1 envlp taco seasoning
1 envlp ranch dressing mix
1/2 tspn garlic salt
1/2 tspn pepper
Corn chips, optional, serve with

COOK beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. drain, stir in the next 11 ingredients
BRING to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 mins. Serve half of the chili with corn chips if desired.
FREEZE remaining chili in a freezer container for up to 3 months.

CHEDDAR POTATO CHOWDER
*This is one of Dustins favorite dishes and so good even after frozen (up to 3 months) It is also a great dish to have around the holidays because you can use left over ham in this recipe!
6 Servings
2 cups water
2 cups diced unpeeled red potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk (2%)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 cup cubbed fully cooked lean ham
COMBINE the first seven ingredients (on stove top) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10/12 mins or until veggies are tender
MEANWHILE place flour in a lg saucepan, gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese, stir until melted. Stir the ham an dht cheese sauce into undrained vegetables until combined.

CHEESY SPAGHETTI BAKE
*Another one of Dustins faves! This is a spin on the traditional spaghetti dish! It is very light with the tomato soup, but very heart and filling. This meal also freezes great for up to 3 months, just double everything and make all at one time!
6 servings
1lb uncooked spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pcs
1 1/2 to 2lbs ground turk/beef
onion, chopped
green pepper, chopped
1 cup milk (or 2 if you want a creamy sauce)
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
COOK spaghetti according to pckg directions. Drain and place in tow greased 13x9x2 baking dishes, set aside
COOK the beef, onions and green pepper over med. heat until meat i no longer pink, drain. Add to pot, milk, tomato soup, mushroom soup and 1 cup cheese. Bring to a boil.
SPOON over spaghetti (will absorb during baking) Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
BAKE, uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 mins or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.

Well I guess this makes up for the weeks I have been missing now!! I hope that you are able to use some of these recipes and you family loves them as much as we do!!

ENJOY!

~**~NICOLE~**~

New Recipe

We had the most tasteful dinner tonight, so I just had to share it :) And the best part of it was, it all cooked itself in the croc pot!!

Slow Cooked Enchilada Dinner
6 Servings, 20 Min prep, 2 1/2hrs cook

1lb lean ground beef/turkey
1 sml onion, chopped
1 can (15oz) ranch style beans, undrained
1 can (10oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1/4 cup chopped green peeper
1 tspn chili powder
1/2 tsp each salt, ground cumin, pepper
1 cup (4oz) shredded mont jack cheese
1 cup (4oz) shredded cheedar cheese
6 flour tortillas (6 inches)

IN a large skillet, cook meat and onion over md heat until meat is no longer pink. drain.
STIR in the beans, tmtoes, grn pepper, powder, salt, cumin, and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, set aside.
IN a 5qt slow cooker coated with cooking spray, place two tortillas side by side, overlapping if necc.
LAYER with a third of the beef mixture, and chese. REPEAT layers twice.
COVER and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until heated through.

TIPS:
*As always, make it your own and do the meat of your choice and add and take away ingredients that you like
*I exchanged taco seasoning for the chili powder for more of a mexican taste.
*I did not want to by mont jack cheese and reg. cheese, so I just bout a taco blend and did 8oz of it
*Since this meal is mostly cooked on the stove top, I only put my croc pot on keep warm. I have made this once before and when put on low, I noticed that the edges burn.

Menu Monday!!

IT'S BACK AGAIN!! Yay, I am finally taking the time to do a Menu Monday!! This week I thought I would do one of my favorite types of food, Mexican!! Can you tell from the previous post!! haha. This dish is like not other of its kind and makes for a great summer dinner. It is pretty simple and not too many ingredients, but just enought to make it burst with taste! I love how it takes a traditional taco salad and turns it into a curious adventure for your taste buds :)

Crowd Pleasing Taco Salad

1lb ground Turkey (or your choice of meat)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tspn dried oregano
1 tspn chili powder
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small bag lettuce (shredded)
2 md tomatoes, diced
1 can shredded taco (mexican blend) cheese
1 can (2 1/4oz) olives *optional
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup taco sauce
1 pkg (10 1/2 oz) corn chips

Tips:
*As always, choose the meat that you like best, turkey, pork, chicken, or beef
*For a little less spice, try using taco seasoning instead of chilli powder
*For a cheaper way out on lettude, get a head of lettuce and shred
*If you keep diced tomt's on hand, you can substitute one can for the 2 fresh tomt
*As always with my recipes, I like to encourage you to make it your own.. so add other ingredients, such as onions or bell peppers, that you think would compliment this dish :)

Glad to be helping you out at the dinner table again!!

~**~ENJOY!!~**~

Nicole

Tasty Thursday!

Ok, I know, so giving it a different name doesn't hide the fact that I missed Menu Monday AGAIN!! I am very sorry and actually have a semi good reason for it. Haileys first bday is coming up soon and I have been planning for it like crazy. One of my main goals is to finish her scrapbook for the party. Well lets just say I have my job cut out for me! So with that said, here is a delicious dish that we just had last night and loved!! I think that it can even be made into an apetizer if you take out the beef as a Spinach dip

Spinach Beef Dish
6-8 Servings Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions
INa large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the mushrooms, salt, oregano and pepper. Add the spinach, soup and sour cream. Stir in half of the cheese.

TRANSFER to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes.

SPRINKLE with the remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1-1/2 cups) equals 269 calories, 16 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 66 mg cholesterol, 835 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein.


ENJOY!!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

I am going to do something a little different for this recipe. Dustin loves to have Breakfast for dinner sometimes! So this is a great casserole to make for one of those kind of nights. You can pair it with some meat and it makes for a good and fulfilling meal :)

Makeover Sunday Brunch Casserole

Prep 20 min Bake 30 min 8 Servings
6 bacon strips
1 sml onion, chopped
1 sml green pepper, chopped
1 tsp canola oil
2 cartons (8oz ea) egg subsitute
4 eggs
1 cup fat free milk
4 cups frozen shredded has brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced fat cheaddar cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dill weed

IN a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain. crumbe bacon and set aside. In the same skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender; remove with a slotted spoon.
IN large bowl, whisk the egg substitute, eggs and milk. Stir in the hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture and reserved bacon.
TRANSFER to a 13inx9in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.


TIPS:
*Add diced tomatoes to this dish to make it a little juicier. Make sure to drain them before adding so it still cooks the same
*If bacon isn't your favorite, take it out and substiture another meat that you like. Ground Turkey or Turkey sausage in small pc. would be great with this.
*Make it a complete meal by adding grits/oatmeal, meat (if you don't add to recipe), pancakes, and fruit for a sweet taste as well!

ENJOY!!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

The one dish wonder is sure to become a classic in your home. Everyone loves pizza night, and this is a way to "fancy it up" a bit. We love this casserole at our house and there are many variations of it, but this one has always been a pleaser!

PIZZA CASSEROLE
Prep 25-30 min Bake 30 min Serves 4

1 cup and 2 tablespoons uncooked egg noodles
5 ounces lean ground beef
5/8 onion, chopped
1-1/8 cloves garlic, minced
5/8 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon sliced pepperoni sausage
9 ounces pizza sauce
2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon milk
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
COOK noodles according to package directions. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper.
DRAIN excess fat. Stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well.
POUR this mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
BAKE at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, top with the cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

TIPS:
*Egg noodles are really soft, so if you want to add more of a chew and heartiness, try a differnet style noodle.
*Try ground turkey and turkey pepperoni to give this dish a healthier side.
*They now sell mini pepperonis, try these in the dish and to decorate the top to give it extra appeal if bringing to a party :)
*You can substitue any veggie or other addition you would like. If you are not a big bell pepper fan, try black olives
*For a little extra flavor, buy Italian blend cheese instead of just mozzarella
*Pair this meal with garlic breadsticks to make it complete!


ENJOY!!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

Well today I thought I would switch things up a bit! I am going to treat you to a great appetizer and end with a treat for your taste buds. Am I forgetting something.. nope, the middle, the main course, is for you to fill in. I have always been a appetizer girl and would never turn down a delicious dessert. So save these for a cook out with friends or potluck at church. Either way, they are sure please a crowd :)

**Velvetta Hot Broccoli Dip**
12 Servings Prep 15 mins


1 round sourdough bread loaf (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
Few drops hot pepper sauce

HEAT oven to 350°F.
CUT slice from top of bread loaf; remove center, leaving 1-inch-thick shell. Cut removed bread into bite-size pieces. Cover shell with top of bread; place on baking sheet with bread pieces. Bake 15 min. Cool slightly.
MEANWHILE, cook and stir celery, red peppers and onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Add VELVEETA; cook on low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Add broccoli, rosemary and hot pepper sauce; cook until heated through, stirring constantly.
SPOON into bread loaf. Serve with toasted bread pieces, RITZ Crackers and/or assorted cut-up fresh vegetables.

**Almost a Candy Bar**
36 Servings Prep 15 mins Bake 15 mins + cooling

1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
4 nutty s'mores trail mix bars (1.23 ounces each), chopped
1 package (10 to 11 ounces) butterscotch chips
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cups miniature pretzels
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips

LET dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, combine dough and trail mix bars. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. BAKE, uncovered, at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and marshmallows. Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Sprinkle with walnuts; arrange pretzels over the top. IN a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter chips, corn syrup and butter; spoon over bars.
In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread or drizzle over bars.
REFRIGERATE for 1 hour or until firm before cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.
*You can always subsitute nuts or remove them altogether

ENJOY~

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

Here is a little twist on a classic dish. Almost everyone I know loves Mexican. This is a great Nacho bake that has a little spice to it (that can of course be calmed if needed) I has a very hearty taste and can be great for a family meal or to bring with you to a friends or party :) I have put the bigger recipe below because it is always easier to downsize then to upsize to me

Spicy Nacho Bake
Servings 15 Prep 15 Mins Bake 20-25 Mins
1 lb ground beef/turkey
1 lg onion, chopped
1 lg green peppers, chopped
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15-1/2oz) hot chili beans
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 pckg (13oz) spicy nacho tortilla chips
2 cups (16 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

IN a dutch oven or large kettle, cook the beef, onions and green peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain/ Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, tomato sauce and taco seasoning/ Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. uncovered, fo 30 mins (mixture will be thin)
LAYER in a 13x9x2in baking dish, 2 cups chips, and 2-1/2 cup meat mixture/ Repeat layers. Top each with 1 cup cheese/
BAKE uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until colden brown


TIPS:
*You can always subsitute your favorite meat... ground chicken, turkey, beef, or pork
*To make this dish a little less messy, crush the chips before adding and then you can use utensils
*You can also subsitute taco sauce for tomato sauce.
*I sometime will add a layer of refried beans to add flavor.
*You can always take away or add ingredients that you like. We aren't big fans of beans, so we take them away. Some people like olives and add those
*Great toppings for this dish are Sour cream, guacomole, and shredded lettuce.

ENJOY!!

~**Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

ahhhh... you thought it was never coming back didn't you?!?!? Well I am finally getting back into things and decided to do a meal that is pretty simple but has SO MUCH taste in it!! It is also great if you are trying to watch your weight a little, but don't want to sacrifice the taste :)

Zucchini Boats
Servings 4 Prep 15min Bake 25-30min

2 medium zucchini (about 8 inches)
3/4 lb ground beef/turk
1 small onion
1/2 cup lg fresh mushrooms, chopped(optl)
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup (4oz)shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tbls ketchup
salt and pepper for taste

TRIM the ends of zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/2 in shell. Finely chop pulp. In skillet, cook beef, zucc pulp, onion, mushroms, and peppers over med. heat until the meat is no long pink; drain. remove from the heat
ADD 1/2 cup cheese, ketchup, salt and pepper; mix well. Spoon into the zucc shells. Place in a greased 13inx9inx2in baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
BAKE, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 min or until zucc is tender/

Editor's Note: When scooping out the pulp for zucc boats, a teaspoon is just the right size. Use you food processor to finely chop the pulp quickly

TIPS:
*You can add or take away anything you want to this recipe to make it your own. Sometimes I like to add carrots.
*Every once in a while when I make this, I add bread crumbs at the to give it a crunch.
*Throw a bowl of mash potatoes with these to make it a complete meal... don't forget to bake the bread :)
*Use tin foil when cooking this recipe for easy clean up
*You can also freeze these for up to 3 months.

ENJOY!!
~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday (on Wednesday!)

I got so busy on monday uploading and doing the 9 month post that I totally forgot about Menu Monday!!! I was going to let it slide until next week but then made a delicious meal tonight and just had to share it! :) It was my first time making it and it was very simple. Also, most of the cook time is done in the oven, so that makes it even better :) I paired it with green beans as a side and within 30 mins we were eating dinner...

Chicken Crescent Bundles
8 Servings Prep 10 min Bake 20-25 min

2 pckg (3oz each) cream cheese, softnened
4 tlbs butter, melted, divided
2 tlbs minced chives
2 tbls milk
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tubes (8oz each) refridge. crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing

IN a small bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 tbls butter, chives, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken.
UNROLL the crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about a 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down.
TRANSFER to two ungreased baking sheets. ***Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; trans squares to a covered freezer container. May be frozen for up to 2 months.*** Bake remaining squares at 350 for 20-25 min or until golden brown.
***This is optional if the amount is great than you want to make..

Tips:
*If you are not a big fan of chives like me, you can subsitute with any of your favorite spices. I used an italian blend of spices that I make when preparing spaghetti
*You can add garlic to your mixture bowl to give it a kick of flavor.
*At the end, use spray butter to substitute for melted. Spray crescent roll, sprinkle with bread crumbs, spray again so they don't burn.
*Use a seasoned bread crumb (like herb) to give it extra flavor on top!

ENJOY!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes :)

Makeover Nacho Beef Bake
prep 25 min Bake 20 min 12 servings

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef/turk
1 can (15oz) blck beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
2 tubes (8oz each) refridgerated reduced fat crescent rolls
1 cup (8oz) reduced fat sour cream
1 cup(4oz.) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
4 oz. baked nacho tortilla chips (about 2 cups) crushed
3 cups shredded lettuce
3 md tomatoes chopped (or one can diced tomatoes)

IN a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. add the beans, water and taco seasoning, mash slightly. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until heated through; set aside
UNROLL crescent dough and press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray; seal seams and perforations. Spoon beef mixture over dough. Spread sour cream over beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese and chips.
BAKE, uncovered, at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pc = 357 calories. 15g fat (6g sat. fat) 41 mg cholesterol, 728mg sodium, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 20g protein.

Very simple and very easy... it is a lot of servings, but it is so good that I usualy make the whole thing, just divide in half when moving to a baking dish and put one in a throw away freezer dish :)

ENJOY!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

I didn't do a recipe for last Monday because we were suppose to be out of town and then just got really busy! so here is this weeks Menu Monday


This weeks dish has been one of my favorites for a while! It is so simple, yet packed with so much flavor. And the best part of all is that almost all of the ingredients are things I always have on hand. I don't know if you are like me, but I keep canned veggies and boxes of rice and pasta on hand... so this is one you can throw together if you needed to :)

BAKED RICE DISH
4 Servings
15 mins prep 15-20 cook time

1 lb Ground Turkey
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced rip olives, drained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 tspns chili powder
1 tspn garlic powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded chd. cheese, divided
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tspn butter, melted

IN a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over med. heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, tomat, corn, olives, bacon, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Bring to a boil; remove from the heat, add 1 cup of cheese. stir until melted

TRANSFER to a greased 11x7x2in baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Toss bread crumbs with butter. sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 15-20 mins or until cheese is melted

Helpful tips:
*Note that the rice is COOKED so you dont get to the mixing and forgot about it (which i am speaking from experience!)
*You can substitute any meat for the Ground Beef. I like to use Turkey Sausage to give it more of a Jambalaya taste.
*You can substitute the long grain rice for spanish rice to give it an extra flavor.
*Use diced tomat. with chopped green chili's to give it a spicier flavor.
*The great thing about this dish is that you can take out or add anything that you want. I don't use the olives or bacon, but add zucchini and sometimes celery.
*Instead of melting butter, spread bread crumbs on top and then use spray butter to coat them.
*You can freeze left overs for up to 3 months

ENJOY

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

Well I had a yummy meal in mind for today, and at the last minute, changed it up! Why you ask... well my goal is to give easy recipes that are fast and can be done with kids/mulit-tasking. I am living proof of how easy it is to multi-task while making this delicious meal... I woke hailey up, fed her with one arm, checked Dustins online banking (while still feeding HB!) and talked on the phone while cooking this meal. haha! Now of course it did not have to be this complicated... but when do we ever make things easy at the Floyd house! Here it is...


Sausage (Grnd turk!) Corn Bake
6-8 Servings
Prep 15 min Cook time 30-40 min

1-1/2lbs bulk pork sausage (i subst grnd turk)
1 md grn pepper, chopped
1 md onion, chopped
4 tbls butter, divided
3 tbls all purpose flour
1/2 tspn white pepper
1/2 tspn salt
1-1/2 cups milk
3-1/2cups (10 oz) egg noodles, cooked and drained
1 can cream style corn
1/4 cup shrd cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dry bread cumbs

IN a large skillet, cook the sausage, grn pepper, and onion over md heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt 3 tlbs butter over md heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk; stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened. Stir in corn. Add corn mixture and noodles to sausage mixture. Mix in cheese.
TRANSFER to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. *Melt remaining butter; *stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserold. BAKE, uncovered, at 325 for 30-40 mins or until heated through.
*Two things that I did different and to make it easier is, we like crunchy toppings and french fried onions are cruchier and a little tastier than bread crumbs... so if you want this texture, try those. To skip a step, just sprinkle bread crumbs without melting butter and use spray butter once you have topped casserole.
**You can also add bread crumbs and mix in the casserole to give it a thicker consistency... we liked it much better this way.
***If you are feeding a family of two and thinking this recipe needs to be downsized.. here's a tip: Go ahead and make the full serving size and bake half now and place the other half in a foil baking pan and freeze it for up to 3 months! (don't sprinkle bread crumbs until thawed and ready to bake)

Enjoy!

~**~Nicole~**~

Menu Monday

I have been enjoying trying a lot of new recipes lately and have decided to start Menu Monday! I love going to different sites where people have a certain day for certain things.... and so I came up with Menu Monday. I will try (and don't hold me to it EVERY monday!) to put a new recipe up every Monday. Most of these will be easier recipes that don't take too long or you can BAKE, my favorite!! Being a new mom has provided new obstacles for me in the kitchen, so I love new recipes that are easy to do! I found this recipe at Kraft Foods

Cheesy Chicken Italiano
Prep time 10 min Total time 20 min
Makes 4 servings
You will need:
3 cups rotini pasta (or whichever is your favorite!)
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1lb)
1 jar (14oz) spaghetti sauce
6oz. VELVEETA pasteurized prepared cheese product, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Make it:
COOK pasta as directed on package
MEANWHILE, heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spary on medium-high heat. add chicken; cook 2 min on each side. add sauce; cover. simmer on low heat 10 min, or until chicken is done (165 degrees) add VELVEETA; cook and stir until melted.
DRAIN pasta; top with chicken and sauce.

ENJOY!

~**~Nicole~**~