Baked Ravioli

I got this one from my sister who got it from Martha Stewart. It is easy & one of my favorite dishes to make AND eat! Plus, the sauce is like a homemade marinara sauce & would be good with any Italian or pasta dish you like; chicken parmesan, spaghetti & meatballs, etc... I love it!


2 Tblsp. Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
2 lbs. store-bought cheese ravioli (I like the small round ones instead of the big square ones)
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
course salt & ground pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 425*. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion & garlic, & season w/ salt & pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes). Add thyme & tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, & simmer, breaking tomatoes with a spoon, until sauce is thickened & reduced to about 5 1/2 cups. (20-25 minutes)

Meanwhite, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling water (salted) just until they float to the top. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9x13 baking dish, & sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.


NOTE: I actually leave the thyme/oregano out. I don't always love those tastes very strong, and I think it tastes awesome without it. Also, if you want to add meat to this dish you can. I tried the other day adding 1 pound of ground sausage and it was really good! I cooked the sausage on the stove, tossed it with the ravioli & sauce & stuck it all in the oven. So you can have it vegetarian or add whatever kind of meat you'd prefer -the perfect meal! :) Enjoy!

Quick Chicken

I found this one online and it is great!

1 package chicken tenders
Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in glass dish. Slather dijon mustard, evenly over chicken, then pour teriyaki sauce evenly over all. Sprinkle bacon bits over chicken. Bake on 400 for about 30 minutes. About 3-5 minutes before chicken is done, add cheese to top. Let it bake and melt on chicken.

Yumm!

EASY Pepper Steak

1 pack McCormick Brown Gravy Mix
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2-2 lbs. sliced steak
1 tblsp oil
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 bell pepper (sliced)

Combine brown gravy mix, water and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet. Saute meat 8-10 minutes or until brown. Just before steak is done, add peppers and onions. Once done, stir in brown gravy mixture and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice, if desired.

Taco Salad

First, thanks for adding me to this blog. I love finding and sharing new, easy recipes.
Here is one of my family's favorites!

Taco Salad

1 lb. hamburger
1 pack Taco seasoning
1 head of lettuce
1 green pepper
1 tomato
Taco cheese
1 small bottle Catalina
1 bag Doritos (crunched up)

Brown hamburger and drain. Add taco seasoning, following directions on package. Cool completely. Tear up lettuce and chop green pepper and tomato. Crunch up Doritos (still in bad *but open it a little bit so the bag doesn't bust and Doritos don't fly everywhere*) Put hamburger, lettuce, pepper, tomato, and cheese in a large bowl. Just before serving stir in Doritos and Catalina.

So Yum-O!

Red Lobster's Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is from my best friend IN MIDDLE SCHOOL!!! She will be joining this blog soon!

1 pack of chicken tenders
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 green pepper (sliced)
1 red pepper (sliced)
1 package mushrooms
green onion (sliced)
1-2 cups heavy cream
1-2 basil leaves (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Linguine noodles (cooked)
Grated parmesan cheese

1.Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl or resealable plastic bag, toss or shake to coat.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat sauté chicken in butter until almost tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add peppers, mushrooms and onion; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat.
5. Add cream and seasonings; heat through.
6. Add linguine and toss; heat through.
7. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Absolutely wonderful and very easy!

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
3 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
1/2 C Melted Butter
3/4 Medium Tub of Sour Cream
1 can Cream of Chicken
Salt and Pepper

Boil your chicken and cut into cubes (or small bite size pieces). Mix the chicken with the cream of chicken soup and the sour cream. Also add salt and pepper to this mixture.

In another bowl, crush the 2 sleeves of ritz crackers. Mix in the poppy seeds and melted butter. Make sure it is all coated.

In a 9x13 greased pan, put a layer of the cracker mixture (very thin) on the bottom. Then add all the chicken mixture on top of that. Then add the remaining cracker mixture. Cover with foil and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. Just watch for it to be golden brown. Then it is ALL DONE!!!

Very simple and Fast!

Chicken Parmesan

This is a very quick and easy recipe for GOOD chicken!

4 Chicken Breast (or however many people you are feeding, one per person)
Mozzarella Cheese
Spaghetti Sauce (whatever kind you have on hand)
Bread Crumbs
Egg
Flour

Pound down your chicken until it is about 1/2 inch thick (for faster cooking in the oven). You can keep it thicker if you want. Then get 3 bowls and fill 1 with flour, 1 with 2 eggs (more if needed) just a little bit beaten, and then the other with bread crumbs. Salt and Pepper your chicken and then dip it in each bowl, beginning with the flour then the egg then the bread crumbs. Be sure the chicken is completely coated with the bread crumbs. Then place these on a greased 9x12 pan. Cover the pan with foil and cook at 350 degrees for about 30 or 40 mins. This just depends on how long it normally takes to cook chicken in your particular oven. Then when the chicken is almost completely done in the oven take the foil off and put spaghetti sauce and moz cheese on each peice. This make it all warm and SOOO GOOD. I also cook this with spaghetti and salad for a whole meal. So there you go, a very quick and easy meal.

Just a little tip I picked up from a chef on TV. When you are dipping chicken in egg or butter or whatever you do to get bread crumbs or over things to stick to you chicken, be sure to put your chicken in flour first. To make the crumbs stick to your chicken better it needs to continue a pattern of wet, dry, wet. Since the chicken is already wet by itself you need to dip it in flour to make it dry, then egg or butter to make it wet, then crumbs to make it dry again. Just a cooking tip for anyone!

Veggie Cheese Chowder

I got this great recipe from my mom. It's one of my favorites, and I'd always request this one for my birthday meal.

• 4 cups cubed potatoes
• 2 cups sliced carrots
  
• 2 cups chopped celery
  
• 1/2 cup minced onion
  
• 2 tsp. salt
  
• 4 cups water
• 1 10oz. package frozen broccoli
• 3 Tbsp. chicken base
• 3 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 1 lb. Velveeta cheese

Prepare first 4 ingredients. Place in large stew pot, add salt & water. Cook until veggies are tender (about 20 minutes). Add broccoli, chicken base, & milk. Simmer 5 more minutes. In a separate pan melt margarine. Add flour & mustard to margarine to create roux. Add roux to soup & stir until thickened. Cut cheese into cubes; add to soup. Stir until cheese is melted. Keep hot (do not boil!) until ready to serve. Yummy!!!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

I adore this one because it is so dang easy and very tasty!

4 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 large bottle of Pace Picante sauce (the huge plastic ones)
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Tortilla shells

Put chickens breasts frozen or thawed in crock pot and pour picante sauce over the top of them untill they are about 1/2 covered or more. (I usually go by the rule of one chicken breast per person eating with us.) We use mild because certain people in my home cant handle spice. If you like Medium or hot then feel free to use that. Allow to cook about 4 hrs on high or 6+ on medium. Those are honestly guesses. I leave mine on medium all day cause I put it in before I go to work in the morning. When cooked thouroughly put chicken breasts in bowl; they should be falling apart. Shred with a forks. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sour cream and picante sauce from crock pot (you decide). Spoon mixture into the middle of tortilla shells, add shredded cheese, roll into enchiladas and place in a 9x13 pan with edges on bottom so they stay closed. Cover enchiladas with Picante sauce from crock pot and top with more cheese. Throw in oven at 325-350 until cheese is melted on top; about 10 mins. Enjoy!

Penne Pasta

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes!!! So yummy!

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped ham
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 small can sliced olives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb. (16oz.) penne pasta
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter and olive oil mixture. Stir in ham and chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is brown. Stir in whipping cream, olives, parsley, and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Cook penne as directed on package. Mix penne and cream micture; top with cheese.

Cranberry Pork Roast

This one is super easy. Just throw it in and have a yummy dinner when you get back from running errands or whatever is on the agenda.

1 (1lb.-3lb.) boneless rolled pork loin roast
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 (16oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 C honey
1 t grated orange
1/8 t ground cloves
1/8 t ground nutmeg

1.) Cut roast in half (don't have too) and place in a slow cooker; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. (or just cut into it and if it looks good, there you go!) Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

Chicken Roll Ups

Sorry Cassie, I know I got this recipe from you, but I made it last night so here it is for anyone.

4 chicken breasts
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cans of crescent rolls
bread crumbs

Boil your chicken until it is cooked. Cut up the chicken in little pieces (I like to shred mine). Mix the cream cheese and chicken in a boil. Make sure all the chicken in covered and there is not too much cream cheese in one area (I have problems with this sometimes). Open your crescent rolls and put a big scoop of the chicken/cream cheese mixture in each crescent roll. Close each roll around the chicken and make sure there aren't any big holes in the roll. Roll the crescent roll in melted butter and then in bread crumbs. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for 10 mins at 400 degrees. They should be completely done at this point, but just watch them. Make sure they don't burn on the bottom. They should be golden brown.

Cassie and I both like to serve these with real mashed potatoes and gravy. The gravy is just a can or two of cream of chicken soup cooked on the stove. Add milk to make it as thin as you would like. Put this gravy on both the potatoes and the chicken roll ups!

ENJOY!!!