New recipes coming...

I've been on hiatus as I'm finishing grad school, but I'm still cooking  :)

Vanilla Rich Chip Cake

 I made this on Christmas day, and it was a huge hit!  I originally bought ice cream to go with it, but this cake is so good by itself, you don't even need ice cream.  I can't wait to make it again!


INGREDIENTS:
* 1 pkg (18.25-oz) yellow cake mix
* 1 pkg (3.5-oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 4 eggs
* 1 T pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Vanilla Butter Glaze:
* 3 T butter, melted
* 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 3 T water
* 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl with mixer on low just to moisten.  Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
2.  Stir in chips.  Pour into greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan.
3.  Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Invert cake onto wire rack.  Cool completely.  Drizzle with Vanilla Butter Glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.


Vanilla Butter Glaze:
1.  Mix ingredients together until smooth.  Let stand 3 minutes or until thickened.

Tater Tot Chili Bake Casserole

 Another recipe from Candace Anderson's The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook.  Evan, our picky eater, even loved this!  And of course, anything with tater tots in it is a huge hit with Nate!  Love that it can go from the freezer into the oven without thawing!


INGREDIENTS:
* 1.5 lbs lean ground beef (we used 2lbs)
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 (16-oz) can whole kernel corn
* 1 (15-oz) can chili with beans (we used turkey chili w/beans)
* 1 pkg chili seasoning mix
* 1 (2lb) bag frozen Tater Tots
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (we used reduced-fat)

DIRECTIONS:
Freezing Day--In skillet, brown ground beef and onion.  Drain.  Stir in corn, chili, and chili seasoning mix.  Prepare a 9"x13" casserole pan/aluminum pan for freezing.  Lay the Tater Tots along the bottom of Pam-sprayed pan.  Top them with meat mixture, and top that with shredded cheese.  Wrap tightly and freeze. (If preparing for same day, bake at 350 degrees for 45-55min (I covered it with foil for most of baking).


Reheating Instructions--Frozen casserole can go straight into the oven.  Cook @350 degrees for 1hr 30min to 1hr 45min, or until it is heated all the way through.

Chicken Cacciatore

This is a great low-fat meal, and it's so easy to make!  We served it over pasta.

I found this recipe in Candace Anderson's The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook.  I'll be making this for our February freezer cooking get-together this month. 

INGREDIENTS:
* 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1 onion, sliced into rings
* 1 green bell pepper, sliced
* 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 (6-oz) cans tomato paste
* 1/4 cup red wine
* 1 cup water
* 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes with liquid
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp dried basil
* 1/2 tsp salt (used a little more)
* 1/4 tsp black pepper (used a little more)

DIRECTIONS:
Freezing Day--Put chicken, onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a freezer bag.  In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.  Freeze.

Reheating Instructions--Defrost in refrigerator overnight.  Put in slow-cooker and cook 7-9 hours on low.  Add additional water if needed.

Chicken Parisienne

This was my contribution to January's freezer cooking session.  Super easy to make, and love that it's a "dump" meal, meaning that you dump all ingredients in a bag, freeze, thaw, and into the crock pot it goes!  This recipe came from the Don't Panic---Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook (by:  Martinez, Howell, and Garcia).


INGREDIENTS:
*1/2 cup white wine
*1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10oz (used reduced-fat)
*1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
*1/4 cup flour
*1 cup sour cream (used reduced-fat)
*6 boned chicken breasts (used 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts)
Serving Day:
*Salt, pepper, and paprika

DIRECTIONS:
1.)  Mix wine, soup, and mushrooms together.  In a separate bowl, stir flour and sour cream together, then add to soup mixture.  Place mixture together with chicken in freezer bag, mix together.  Freeze, using freezer bag method.

2)  Serving Day:  Thaw overnight in fridge.  Place mixture from bag into crock pot.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over top.  Cover, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Serve with pasta or potatoes.

Annie's Jalapeno Popper Dip

I wish I had a picture to post, but this stuff didn't last long in our house!  It was amazing!  I could've eaten the whole dish myself...hehehe.  It goes great with pita chips, veggies, and tortilla chip scoops.  I found this on Annie's Eats.  She is my hero.


INGREDIENTS:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (used reduced-fat)
1 cup mayonnaise (used light)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray


DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, and shredded cheeses.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined.  Spread the mixture into a greased (I used Pam cooking spray) baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches, I used 8x8).
2.  In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork until combined.   Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Chocolate lovers, come on in!!!  These are so good!  I'm trying so hard not to eat them all!  I found this recipe in our family cookbook, and my cousin shared this recipe.  Don't know why I haven't tried these before!

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 bag of large marshmallows
* 1 3/4 cups flour
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (Hershey's)
* 1/2 cup oleo (used unsalted butter)
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
* 2 cups confectioner's surgar
* 5 T unsweetened cocoa
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 3 T soft oleo (butter)
* 4-5 T milk


DIRECTIONS:
1.  Sift together the following:  flour, salt, baking powder, and unsweetened cocoa. 
2.  Cream together:  butter, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla.
3.  Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients. 
4.  Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven, and press 1/2 large marshmallow, cut side down, on top of each cookie.  Bake 2 more minutes.  Cool, cover with frosting.

Frosting:
1.  Stir ingredients together until smooth, beat.  Frost cookie to hide marshmallows.

Thanksgiving Dinner

This is going to be a LONG one...most of them came from the Pioneer Woman's website...lots of yummy food!  My brother joked with me that I went all out, making everything from scratch...but used Heinz Homestyle turkey gravy (runs to the corner in embarrassment)...hahaha.  I also bought the cranberry sauce/relish from The Fresh Market, and it is worth every penny...I could eat it right out of the container!


Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS:

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half (we used 1/2 cup)
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt (we used 1 tsp)
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper (we used 1 tsp)

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

2.  Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

3.  Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

4.  Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.


Pioneer Woman's Thanksgiving Stuffing

This stuff was AMAZING...after making this and eating it, I can't go back to boxed stuffing.  No way.  This is worth making from scratch!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole Pan Of Cornbread (PW's Cornbread Recipe)
• 1 loaf French Bread, Somewhat Crusty
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 2 cups Celery, Chopped
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
• ½ teaspoons Thyme
• 2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
• ¼ cups Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• Salt To Taste

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Chop the cornbread and loaf of French bread up into 1-inch cubes. Spread them out on two baking sheets and let them dry for approximately 24 hours.

2.  Warm up a large skillet over medium heat and add one stick of butter. When it’s melted add the onion and celery and cook for a few minutes until onions are almost translucent. While it’s cooking chop up any fresh herbs you will be using.

3.  Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add ½ a teaspoon of basil, ½ teaspoon of ground thyme, a few teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary and ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley. Stir until combined.

4.  Place all of your dried bread cubes into a large bowl and mix them up a bit. Gradually ladle the broth mixture into the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture, tasting as you go and adding more seasoning and herbs if needed. Add salt carefully. You don’t want to over salt your stuffing. If the mixture is not quite moist enough add a bit more chicken broth and stir.

5.  Either stuff the bird and bake according to directions or place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.


Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash Puree

Next to the stuffing, this was probably my favorite dish!  Love, love, love!  My brother, who is pretty much anti-vegetables, loved this too!  I actually made this the Monday before Thanksgiving, froze it, then pulled it out to thaw in the fridge on Wednesday evening.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole Butternut Squash
• 2 Tablespoons (to 4 Tablespoons) Maple Syrup
• ½ sticks Butter
• 1 dash Salt

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Start by slicing one butternut squash clean in half. Scrape out the seed and membranes with a spoon. Place both halves, face down, on a baking sheet and pour a little water into the pan, about a cup. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven.

2.  Cut ½ stick of butter into pieces and throw into a mixing bowl. With a spoon, begin scraping out the flesh of the squash from the skin and place in the bowl on top of the butter. Don’t miss a scrap of it!

3.  Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. With a potato masher, mash the squash until the large chunks are gone. Add a dash of salt. Place this mixture into your blender or food processor and give it a whir until it’s pureed.




Pioneer Woman's Dinner Rolls

This were so good!!!  I'm not going to lie, they were a lot of work and time-consuming, but they were oh-so-good! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups Milk
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 9 cups Flour
• 2 packages (4 1/2 Tsp.) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 2 Tablespoons Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Pour 4 cups of milk into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add one cup of sugar and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Now, turn the burner on medium to medium-low and “scald” the mixture/lukewarm (between 90 and 110 degrees).

2.  Before the mixture boils, turn off the heat. NOW. Very important stuff here: walk away. Walk away and allow this mixture to cool to warm/lukewarm. The mixture will need to be warm enough to be a hospitable environment for the yeast, but not so hot that it kills the yeast and makes it inactive. I don’t usually use a thermometer, but if you’d like to, a good temperature is between 90 and 110 degrees. I usually feel the side of the pan with the palm of my hand. If it’s hot at all, I wait another 20 minutes or so. The pan should feel comfortably warm.

3.  When the mixture is the right temperature add in 4 cups of flour and 2 packages of (4-1/2 teaspoons) of active dry yeast. After the yeast and flour are nicely incorporated, add another 4 cups of flour. Stir together and allow to sit, covered with a tea towel or lid, for an hour. After about an hour it should have almost doubled in size. If it hasn’t changed much, put it in a warm (but turned off ) oven for 45 minutes or so. When it had risen sufficiently add 1 more cup of flour, 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder, 1 scant teaspoon of baking soda and about 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir (or knead just a bit) until combined.

4.  Butter 1 or 2 muffin pans. Form the rolls by pinching off a walnut sized piece of dough and rolling it into a little ball. Repeat and tuck three balls of dough into each buttered muffin cup. Continue until pan is full. Cover and allow to rise for about 1 to 2 hours.

5.  Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes.


Pioneer Woman's Green Bean Casserole

This was good, but I think I may go back to the traditional one next year.
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off
• 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ⅛ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained
• Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.
Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they’re cool and set aside.

2.  Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

4.  Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

Hey Virginia! Mine is Better!! Meatloaf

I made this last week to trial it out for our monthly freezer cooking get-together, and it was a hit!  So good!  It makes great leftovers...especially, meat loaf sandwiches (I like to top it with provolone cheese).  I found it on food.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup

Savory Sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in mixing bowl and pat into a 9" round pie plate and pat flat.
3. Mix the "savory sauce" in a separate bowl and spoon over the meatloaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (sauce should be bubbling).
5. If frozen, thaw in fridge the day before, then bake as directed.

Chicken Taco Bake

One of my friends made this at our monthly freezer cooking session...and it was delish!  I topped it with some reduced-fat sour cream.

INGREDIENTS:
*2 c. cooked rice
*2 c. cooked shredded turkey or chicken
*1 can tomato sauce
*1 envelope taco seasoning
*1-2 cans refried beans
*1 c. grated cheese (freeze separately, and we added more)

DIRECTIONS:
TO FREEZE: In a 1-gallon freezer bag, place the cooked rice. In another bowl, mix taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Add shredded chicken and coat it well with tomato mixture. Add mix to the bag. Freeze. 

TO SERVE: After thawing, place rice and chicken mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. "Frost" with the refried beans. It may take up to 2 cans for that, especially if you want a good thick layer. Top off with grated cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until hot all the way through and the cheese is nice and bubbly.

New recipes soon...

Have lots of new recipes I've tried out from Thanksgiving and a few freezer cooking sessions.  Now that school is pretty much finished for the semester, I plan to get them on here in the next few days  :)

Hot Dog Enchiladas

My friend Amy made this for our monthly freezer cooking session last month, and it was a hit in our house.  So quick and easy to make!  I'm actually make this for dinner tonight, serving it with tater tots (for Nate) and green beans.  Yum!


INGREDIENTS:
*8-12 hot dogs (we used 1 pack of  Oscar Mayer hardwood smoked turkey franks---no nitrates/nitrites added)
*1 block (7oz) of Colby/Monterey Jack cheese, reduced fat (or your favorite cheese)
*8-12 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
*1/2 cup tomato sauce
*1/2 cup salsa/picante sauce
*1-2 cans Hormel turkey chili with/without beans (we used 2 cans)


DIRECTIONS: 
1.  Slit hot dog down center and stuff with cheese (cut up pieces from block).  Roll hot dog in flour tortillas 

2.  Mix 1-2 can Hormel turkey chili with beans; 1/2 cup tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce; and 1/2 salsa/picante sauce.  Pour sauce over hot dogs and add shredded cheese (I shredded from block of cheese used to stuff hot dogs.  Bake covered at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Thanksgiving week!

So excited!  Thanksgiving week!!!  Did part of my shopping at Super Target today, and will finish the rest of it bright and early at Meijer tomorrow.  Have my shopping list and coupons ready to go!

Tomorrow's plan:
Grocery shopping
Make butternut squash puree and freeze

Tuesday:
Make cornbread for stuffing

Wednesday:
Buy last-minute stuff (dips, cranberry sauce) early in the morning
Brine turkey

Make the following and refrigerate:  mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, pumpkin pie, cinnamon baked french toast
Thaw butternut squash puree in fridge

Thursday:
Turkey
Stuffing
Green bean casserole
Bake everything else that was prepped in advance
...and EAT!

Thanksgiving Dinner menu

This is mostly for my reference, but planning our menu for turkey day, which is almost two weeks away!  This time is just flying by!

Breakfast:
Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Baked French Toast
Sausage

Appetizers:
Cheese ball and Wheat Thins
Artichoke/Spinach dip and pita chips
(I really wanted to make buffalo chicken dip, but I think I have a lot on my plate with cooking, especially since I work Tuesday)

Dinner:
Turkey (prepped with Williams Sonoma's Apple & Spices Turkey Brine)
Mashed potatoes w/gravy
Stuffing
Green bean casserole
Butternut squash puree
Fresh Market cranberry sauce
Yeast rolls

Dessert:
Pumpkin pie
Carrot cake (made by MIL)

Meat Loaf (Better Homes & Gardens)

I've made this recipe a bunch of times, and always have forgotten to post it on the blog.  It's my go-to meatloaf recipe.  I found it in one of our wedding gift cookbooks, Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook:  Bridal Edition.  It pretty much has everything in our pantry (except for the meat), and it's simple to make.  Makes great leftover sandwiches! 

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 beaten eggs
* 3/4 cup milk
* 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
*1/4 cup finely chopped onion
* 2 T snipped fresh parsley (we used dried)
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/8 tsp black pepper
* 1/2 tsp dried leaf sage, basil, or oregano (we used oregano)
* 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, lamb, or pork (usually use a combo of lean ground beef and pork)
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 2 T brown sugar
* 1 tsp dry mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a bowl, combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, oregano, and black pepper.  Add meat; mix well.  Lightly pat mixture into a greased/Pam-sprayed meat loaf pan.

2.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees.  Spoon off fat.

3.  In a bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and dried mustard; spread over meat.  Bake for 10 minutes more.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

(You can substitute 1/3 cup BBQ sauce for the ketchup/brown sugar/mustard topping)

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Nate has been complaining of eating chicken all of the time...at home and at the fire house...so...I found a great slow cooker beef recipe.  It's actually very healthy, since the cut of meat (sirloin) is lean and low-fat.  And a great way to incorporate veggies for my picky guys!  I found this off of allrecipes.com.


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
• garlic powder to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Firecracker Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Shrimp

I found this in a sales flyer at The Fresh Market.  It was different and very tasty  :)  Here is a link to the recipe.

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, White Cheddar, & Wine Sauce

This was amazing and such a hit at dinner time!  I didn't change anything about this recipe, and I give Annie's Eats all of the credit!  (the link goes to the recipe w/ingredients and directions).

So behind with blogging!

Have new recipes to post...hopefully, this weekend won't be too crazy and I can update this blog!

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).