Spaghetti Casserole

A group of friends and I participated in a freezer cooking session, and it was a lot of fun!  Little did I know how great freezer cooking is!  What a time-saver!  I definitely plan to dedicate a day every couple of weeks to cooking about 5 or so meals.

The recipe I chose was a spaghetti casserole I had found on Taste of Home, a great recipe magazine.  This was so good!  Evan even approved...he finished his plate!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Remove from the heat.
• Drain pasta. Combine soup and sour cream. In two 8-in. square baking dishes, layer half of the meat sauce, pasta, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.
• Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

7-Layer Taco Dip

Wow!  This was a hit at our 4th of July pitch-in at work---there was nothing left!  I wanted something simple to make that didn't need to be heated up...something I could just pull out of the fridge and serve when it was time to eat.  I could've made a meal out of this taco dip---so yummy!  Served it with regular and Baked tortilla scoops.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans (used a lower fat version...1.5g fat/serving)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (used reduced-fat)
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream (used reduced-fat)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (used mild)
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (only used a 2.5oz can)
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.
2. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
3. Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Found this at allrecipes.com---it looked liked something that Evan would enjoy and seemed easy to make!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup or Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (used reduced-fat)
• 1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 10 Mission® Fajita Size Flour Tortillas, warmed
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 green onion, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder.
2. Mix 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese.
3. Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over enchiladas. Cover.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with tomato and onion.

Honey Lime Chicken

Sorry I've been slacking with the recipes lately. We've been busy, and then I've been trying to eat healthier.

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine, which is an awesome recipe magazine! Lots of healthy, easy recipes! I did the marinating, then Nate took care of the chicken on the grill.  Served it with a 3-cheese rice side dish, and green beans.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

 DIRECTIONS:
1.  In a large resealable bag, combine the wine, honey, lime juice and ginger; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours, turning once.
2.  Drain and discard marinade. Combine the garlic powder, salt and pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Using long-handled tongs, dip a paper towel in cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Yield: 4 servings.