Cheesy Burger Macaroni Skillet Dish

Here's a dinner my family enjoyed, with no complaints! It's a take off the boxed dinners (we once ate many years ago) and now I can make it gluten free so I can still have that comfort food when I crave it. I love that this comes together in no time and that it cooks all in one skillet. Check it out in motion!


Cheesy Burger Macaroni Skillet Dish
adapted from Spend with Pennies

1 lb lean ground beef 1 onion, diced
1 TBL chopped garlic
1 cup beef broth
2 cups milk
1½ cups uncooked (gluten free) elbow macaroni noodles
3/4 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 TBL cornstarch
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, sugar and paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese

In a small bowl combine cornstarch, garlic powder, sugar, pepper, salt and paprika. Set aside.
Brown ground beef (I also S&P mine as it cooks), onion and chopped garlic in a large skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Add milk, broth, macaroni and peas to beef. Stir in cornstarch and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 12 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

enjoy, 

Rachelle

Asian Noodle Salad

Since my oldest recently exclaimed that she wants to try Vegan, I've been searching online for recipes we can all enjoy. I have seen PW's recipe many times before but it came up on pinterest under the vegan tag so I finally thought I'd try it. WHY did I wait so long?? This salad is good!! It reminds me of a soba noodle salad I loved that we sold in the deli back in the day. I made ths recipe to be gluten free friendly too, which was not difficult at all. I have found the new Barilla gluten free pastas to be very good and they held up lovely in this salad. Also be sure to get a very large container so you can easily toss this together.

Asian Noodle Salad

Salad Ingredients:
1 pound package Fettuccine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled (gluten free spaghetti pasta)
1 small head Sliced Napa Cabbage
1 small head Sliced Purple Cabbage
1/2 bag Baby Spinach
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
1 bag Bean Sprouts
Cilantro, Chopped, To Taste
3 whole Scallions, Sliced 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
1 Cup Roasted Peanuts

Dressing:
1 whole Lime, Juiced
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (gluten free Tamari)
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Grated
2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek

Combine all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad. Enjoy this salad cold from the fridge.

 enjoy,

Homemade Gluten Free Pasta

I am so glad to have finally tried making pasta from scratch. Gluten free pasta even!! This recipe is so easy once you've made it you'll think "that was it??" Best of all it tastes so much better than any boxed brand, fresh is always better though, isn't it? I know my kids like it, but I finally got Mr. to try it and even he loved it more than the boxed gluten pasta!

I have had to adapt this recipe because I just cannnot get the dough to come together by hand on the counter top. I have also had to add an extra egg or two plus some oil for it to come together, using my mixer. In the end it came out lovely, and the dough is very workable but I doubt it would work in a pasta roller, so this is really made by hand! I can get 3-4 servings out of this (being diabetic I can't have a big bowl of pasta).

My Grandma's Italian Noodles

Homemade Gluten Free Pasta

adapted from No Gluten, No Problem, serves 2-4

2 Cups Gluten Free Flour Blend

1 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum

2-4 eggs (depends on your dough)

Drizzle of olive oil

In a stand mixer combine the flour and xanthan gum on a medium speed, then slowly add in 2 eggs and drizzle in the oil. The dough will turn to a dry sandy stage, if it doesn't seem to come together and look like dough, slowly add another egg and a little oil (depending on how it works for you, you may need up to 4 eggs). Once the dough combines and "cleans the bowl" it is ready.

Cut dough into two pieces, cover and let it rest up to 10 minutes. Roll out as thin as you can and cut pasta into desired strips (see below). Allow cut pasta to dry out, up to 10 minutes then it's ready to boil or place in the fridge, covered until ready to cook (up to a couple of days). Let boil about 10-15 minutes, or until your desired doneness. (mine seems to take the longer 15 minutes)

I have to mix min in the stand mixer. Roll out onto counter as thin as you can get it, then slice into desired pasta shape (usually a thin fettucini/spaghetti or lasagna sheets)

After rolling out, you can either roll it up like a log and slice circles and then unroll each little circle to make pasta strips, or roll it out and slice thin strips, or roll it out and cut large lasagna sheets like I have.

I have made this pasta a handful of times, using it for Lasagna, Cajun Chicken Pasta and my Spaghetti and well pretty much any pasta dish lately.

Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,

PW's Best Lasagna Ever

I forget how many lasagna recipes I have on my blog, but THIS one will be my go to for now on. I found it at The Pioneer Woman's blog and made one for the family and a smaller portion of their's gluten free for myself. I used a rotelle pasta and sort of layered it in a small baking dish. The flavors were so good and smoky and I liked the cottage cheese in it. That was something new to try for myself, I always use ricotta. It was great!


PW's Best Lasagna Ever
slightly adapted

1-1/2 pound 80/20 Ground Beef
1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage (Jimmy Dean)
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
3 cans (14 oz ea)Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
12 Ounces Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1/2 cup Grated (shaker can) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles (or gluten free pasta)

For directions, click here. I also drained all the grease from the meat.


Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I finally found some gluten free pasta shells, so I kept them in mind until I knew which recipe I wanted them for. When I saw this version of stuffed shells, I knew it was it. Mexican food always goes over well for all of us. I'm glad I found this recipe because it was a hit. I could eat the meat and cheese mixture by itself, Mmm.


Mexican Stuffed Shells
adapted from The Way To His Heart

1 lb. ground turkey
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (or 2 Tbl of our fave homemade version)
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells (can use gluten free)
2 cups salsa, divided
1 cup taco sauce (see here)
2 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
4 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°.
Pour 1 1/2 cups salsa on bottom of a sprayed 9×13 baking dish, set aside.
In a frying pan cook ground turkey; add taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup water to bring it all together. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa 1/4 cup shredded cheese, blend well. Set aside and cool completely. While ground turkey is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells open side up into prepared dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture (a good heaping tablespoon amount). Cover shells with taco sauce, cheese and green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil last 5 minutes to brown up a little.
Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa and olives.

Did you like this post? If so, please comment, share it and PIN it! =)

enjoy,

Shrimp Pad Thai

When friends talk about and post videos of a certain food, you want it. Today it was SHRIMP then Pad Thai. So this was dinner tonight. I've had microwave pad thai before and didn't like it, but this homemade version was SOOO GOOD. It's basically stir fried shrimp and noodles cooked in a garlicky spicy and sweet sauce. I am happy to say that my two little ones, Mr. and I LOVED it, my oldest doesn't like shrimp and said she didn't like the noodles. She's missing out. This recipe is a keeper.

Shrimp Pad Thai {Gluten Free and Diabetic Friendly}

adapted from EatingWell

4 ounces dried rice noodles

2 teaspoons canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

8 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined (I cut mine in half)

2 cups mung bean sprouts

1/2 cup sliced green onions

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons sugar (I used 2 Truvia packets)

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (I used 1/4 tsp Sambal Oelek)

2 tablespoons chopped dry roasted unsalted peanuts

Soak rice noodles in warm water to cover in a large bowl until they are limp and white, about 20 minutes. (I went ahead and cooked mine in boiling water for about 4 minutes, drained and rinsed)
Heat oil over high heat in a wok until very hot. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 10 seconds. Add the egg and cook, stirring, until scrambled, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and stir-fry until they curl and turn pink, about 2 minutes.

Drain the noodles and add to the wok, tossing with tongs until they soften and curl, about 1 minute. Add bean sprouts, scallion greens, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and chile-garlic sauce; toss until the shrimp are fully cooked and noodles are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately.

3 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each. For nutrition info see their site.

enjoy,

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

You know when you see someone in a TV show make something and you can't stop thinking about it? Well I was watching Khloe & Lamar (Oh shhh!) and she made a dish like this for her Father in Law and it was so simple and they loved it. Well I woke up thinking about it and had to find a recipe for it. A friend pointed this to me and of course I added my own little touch. I used gluten free sausage, broth and pasta. The bell peppers and onions were already sliced and ready to cook in a package my store sells for fajitas (Fresh & Easy stores).

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

adapted from allrecipes

1 pound gluten free Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
8 ounces gluten free penne pasta
3/4 cup gluten free beef broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

5 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/4 C. mozzarella, shredded

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.
While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and onions in large skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown and juices run clear. Set aside sausage mixture and add bell peppers to the pan, sautee for a few minutes until just tender, set aside. Pour in the broth, season with black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes, return the sausage and onions to the pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add peppers back to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with sausage sauce, sprinkle in cheeses and basil and serve.

ready to toss in pasta

 

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enjoy,

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

Welcome from Pinterest! I've got lots to share with you on my blog.

Oh Pinterest! Thank you for your dinner ideas. This was pretty good, everyone liked it. It's a Cheesy Chicken Lasagna, but really it's Chicken Ranch Lasagna because it's got a ranch sauce in it. Next time I make this I'll used cooked penne pasta (not the full box) and do a casserole with it. I served this with Garlic Knots (Pinterest also, and with those next time I'd use my own roll dough recipe, and for the topping use melted butter, garlic and parsley) and green beans.

*Recipe updated 2/3/12 to include it GF and as a casserole.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I used 9 noodles)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.  Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

This sauce may curdle on you when heating it, it's OK. Mine did not, because I kept it at a low heat after I let it come to just a boil, and stirred, stirred, stirred. You may not need the full 25 minutes, so when you can tell it's starting to thicken, it's OK to add to the dish. It may curdle after it's baked, but again, it's OK.

 FOR A GLUTEN FREE CASSEROLE STYLE:
(for non GF, use regular pasta)

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Any Gluten Free Dry Ranch Salad Dressing (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked gluten free penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time (probably about 5-6 minutes). Drain, add to prepared dish.
Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil then lower heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Layer pasta, chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish.  Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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enjoy,

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

I am going to call this our go-to mac and cheese. This has been the creamiest one I've made, and that's how I like it. Other baked mac n cheeses tend to come out dry and are horrible for leftovers, not this. I have to say I think it's the Velveeta in it, even though I'm not real keen on it, I'll use it for this recipe. I have made this a couple of times now and even the kids gobble it up. This recipe will make a big 9x13 pan, so I suggest halving it to fit either an 8x8 or round casserole for your side dish to dinner. Sadly I cannot give credit to where I found this, I always save the link in my Faves, but I can't find it there, and I had to hand write it since I don't have a printer now. SO, if I ever happen upon it, I'll add the link in.

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz macaroni pasta (any shape pasta you like, gluten free)
1/2 C unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C flour (gluten free blend)
3 1/2 C milk, warmed
1/4 C white wine (or sub w/chicken broth)
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 lb cheddar, cubed

Topping:
1/2 C panko bread crumbs (gluten free bread crumbs)
1 Tbl parsley
2 Tbl butter, melted

Heat 350' oven. Grease 9x13 glass dish ( 8x8 or round casserole, if making half the recipe).
Cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than called for, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 C butter, salt pepper, once melted add flour, stir until smooth. Let cook for 1 minute. Add milk, wine, bring to a boil, whisking. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over cooked pasta and add to greased dish.

Combine the panko, parsley and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle macaroni with panko topping, bake uncovered 30 minutes.

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enjoy,

The Best Ever Meatballs

Add these to your menu. Yep, I had to say that first before anything else. A friend and I were talking about spaghetti and meatballs on Facebook the other day, and she said her daughter loves this dish and gave me the link to the meatball recipe. It's Giada's of course. So tossing all my other meatball recipes aside, I gave this a try. So glad I did, because these are by far the best meatballs I have ever made. I made these into mini meatballs, using my small scooper, then cutting each meatball in half and rolling it. They were the perfect little size with a bite with pasta. Make up extras to freeze for tossing into sauce on a busy night.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

adapted from Giada

1 small onion, grated

2 Tbl dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil
1 large egg
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup Panko
9 ounces ground beef
9 ounces ground pork

Whisk the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and Panko. Mix in the beef and pork. Gently combine all. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake 350' for 20 minutes. Add to sauce before serving, about 10 minutes before, to heat through.


I served these with my Mom's Spaghetti Sauce recipe (just skip the meat part and make it marinara) and pasta. Delish.

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Skillet Lasagna

Here's an easy recipe for a weeknight dinner, no need for the oven it's an all in one dish for the stovetop. Use your favorite small pasta shape (I thought a big swirl pasta would be neat, but they just grew in size and was too big for this, lol). Don't freak out about the cottage cheese either, it kind of dissolves into this, or you could also do what I did, when combining Parm and cottage cheese, smash it up with the back of the spoon to break down those curds. Served with a salad, it's a great meal.

Skillet Lasagna

adapted from allrecipes

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water (may need more while cooking)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups uncooked small shaped pasta (I used a big Trottole shape)
3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, parsley, oregano and salt; mix well. Stir in pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, may need to add more water if it seems dry and uncooked.
Combine cheeses; drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto pasta mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

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Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

Here's another tried and try recipe we like. Again from the rceipe cards from long ago. I love the simple flavors of this, particularly the brightness of the tomato sauce. I had some issues with my noodles, most of the, broke while cooking. Luckily the recipe makes enough to fill 10 and I had 9 full tubes and the broken one, I just rolled closed. I was also having troubles stuffing the manicotti. I tried using a baggie, but the mixture just sort of ripped the noodle open more. Then I figured out that I could roll the mixture into a tube shape and stuff the manicotti that way.

Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

slightly adapted from Healthy Meals in Minutes recipe cards

1 package (8oz) manicotti shells (this recipes will use 10, prepare for torn shells)

14 oz reduced sodium tomato sauce (I used 24 oz)

6 oz hot or sweet (Italian) sausage, casings removed (I used Italian ground turkey)

15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 TBL chopped fresh parsley
Italian Seasoning grinder (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper


Preheat oven to 350'. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
Cook pasta according to package, but do not add salt. Drain pasts in a large colander.
To prepare filling, in a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring to crumble, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, sausage, egg, parsley, and pepper. Mix well. Add mixture to cooked manicotti. (TIP: this is how I did it: if the mixture isn't too wet, you can take a little and roll it into a cigar shape, then stuff each shell that way.)
Place stuffed manicotti in a single layer in prepared pan (I actually added a little tomato sauce & Italian seasoning to the bottom of the pan too). Spoon tomato sauce evenly over manicotti, sprinkle with mozzarella and more Italian seasonin. Bake covered until heated through, about 25 minutes, then uncover ans cook another 10 minutes.

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Spaghetti Casserole

Another recipe I heard of through Facebook fan pages, was this spaghetti casserole. Hers looked delish and even though the ingredients weren't really getting me, I went ahead and gave it a try. She said her family loved it so much and those kinds of reviews of recipes are ones I go for. This dish was so simple to put together. I had baked mine a little early before dinner time (I was hosting my Cholula Twitter Party), so mine had time to set up more thank what hers looks like. This was REALLY GOOD! All the ingredients worked great together, and I loved how the sour cream flavor came through. Mr. liked it and had seconds or maybe thirds, but the little ones didn't care much since there was "sauce" on it. I'll make it again!

Spaghetti Casserole
slightly adapted from Full Bellies, Happy Kids

1 pkg (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce (I used a roasted garlic marinara)
2 cans (8 ounces each) low sodium tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 ounces light sour cream
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

-Cook pasta for a slightly shorter time than directed on pkg (I did mine for 3-4 minutes), until just done.
-Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown beef ( I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, onion and basil) and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce.
-Remove from heat. Stir together cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.
-In two 8x11 freezer pans (I made one in a 9x13 and a small 6x9 freezer container), layer half the meat sauce, pasta, sour cream mix and cheese. Repeat layers.
-Bake 350' for 35 minutes, covered.

Freezer Cooking:
Cover tightly with foil and freeze up to 3 months.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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enjoy,

Pasta e Fagioli

This soup is one hearty meal, it's got it all in there! We loved it. This recipe as is will make a TON of soup so please feel free to cut it in half if you have no need for all that. I went ahead and made the full batch (it took my tallest stock pot!!), but I froze most of it in servings (minus the pasta) and will just cook the pasta once we eat that.

Pasta e Fagioli
slightly adapted from CopyKat Recipes

3 teaspoons canola oil
2 pounds Ground beef
12 ounces Onion; chopped
14 ounces Carrots; diced
14 ounces Celery; diced
48 ounces Tomatoes; canned, diced
2 cups cooked Red Kidney beans
2 cups cooked White kidney beans
88 ounces Beef stock (yes, that much!)
3 teaspoons Oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons Pepper
5 teaspoons Parsley; (fresh chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce sauce
48 ounces Marinara Style Spaghetti sauce (I used a non chunky style)
8 ounces tiny dry pasta Shell macaroni; or other small pasta (cooked separately)


Saute beef in oil in large 10-qt. pot until beef starts to brown, drain grease, return to pan. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, hot sauce, spaghetti sauce Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, cook pasta. When soup is ready add pasta to servings (so it doesn't overcook). Makes 9 qts. of soup!
Yes you may cut this recipe in half for smaller amount.

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enjoy,