Pasta Caprese Salad

Source: food network

Time: about 30 minutes

Servings: a ton as stated in the recipe, the photo above is with the recipe halfed

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound pasta, such as campanelle, penne or fusilli
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or buy the pearl mozzarella 
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions: 

Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, shallot and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and gently toss. Marinate at room temperature about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook at the label directs. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and toss. Stir in basil and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving. 

Verdict: 

This pasta salad is great, easy to make and easy to transport and leave out at a cookout. The kids love it too. They sometimes pick out the tomatoes, but the eat the noodles and cheese and then ask for more!

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean hamburger meat
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups beef broth (or water)
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 minutes until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until light brown in color. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture and stir to combine.

Verdict:

This was SOOO spicy! I have no idea why it was so spicy, i used mild Rotel and original taco seasoning. Even I could barely eat it. But other than being spicy it was really good. I'm going to try to make it again using regular diced tomatoes and mild taco seasoning because I think it could be really good. The kids didn't touch it, cute plates and all. But I think they'd like it, if it weren't so spicy.

I'll update when I make it again.

Swedish Meatballs

Source: simply recipes

Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Meatballs (I used frozen turkey meatballs - you could make your own using your favorite meatball recipe, but I don't have time for that!)
• 3 T butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups beef broth/stock
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• egg noodles or other noodle to serve with meatballs

Directions

1. Cook meatballs according to package. I baked mine on 350 for about 20 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta. 
3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. 
4. In another small pan, heat beef broth over medium heat. 
5. When melted, add flour and stirring often cook flour until it's the color of coffee-with-cream. You've just made yourself a classic roux!
6. Slowly add hot beef broth a little at a time stirring constantly. Keep stirring and adding broth until you've added it all and most of your lumps are gone. 
7. By this point your meatballs should be almost done. Mine had maybe 4 minutes left on the timer. Take them out of the oven and put them in the sauce you've just made. 
8. Cover and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Add a little pepper to taste if you'd like. 
9. Take out the meatballs and place in a serving dish, leaving the sauce. 
10. Finally, add your sour cream to the remaining sauce and stir until blended. This should only take 30 seconds or so. 
11. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with noodles. 

Verdict

This was really good and super easy, especially since I didn't make the meatballs. The kids ate it pretty well, especially the noodles, not so much the meatballs, which is another reason not to slave away in the kitchen making your own meatballs!

We'll definitely have this again. And bonus, this was a last minute addition to our menu and it's one of those recipes where I already had everything I needed stocked in the house to make it. Win!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

source: skinny taste.com

Servings: 6
Total Time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped and steamed 3 minutes until soften
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast 
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 4 oz shredded  sharp cheddar 
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

Note about chicken: I cooked 3 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot all day while I was at work for the cooked, shredded chicken.  Place in the crock pot with salt, pepper, a quartered onion and 2 inch pieces of cut celery. Cover with water and cook 8-9 hours on low. Use the cooked water as the chicken broth!

Directions: 

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Verdict: 
This was really good. It's a lot like making mac and cheese, so a little time consuming, especially for a week night. Allison is kind of against broccoli right now, but did eat the noodles. I liked it and since I'm the cook, I get to pick if we have it again. We will. 

Beef Macaroni

Source: simplyrecipes.com

Servings: 4-6
Total Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition per serving (based on 4 servings): 442 cal; 6 g fat; 61g carb; 35g protein; 5g fiber

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 t seasoned salt (I used lawry's)
Dash crushed red pepper
1/2 t celery seed
1-28oz can diced tomatoes (I used 2-14.5 oz can tomatoes with green peppers)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups uncooked macaroni

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni according to package.

2. In a skillet, brown beef in a tablespoon of olive oil. Once browned, add onion and cook until soft.

3. Add crushed red pepper, seasoned salt, celery seed, Worcestershire and canned tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add cooked, drained macaroni and parsley. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Verdict: 
This was better than I thought it would be. I knew the kids would love it, and they did. But i'm surprised at how much I liked it. And looking back at the picture, I realize I forgot the parsley, and it was still really good. My parents first made this for the kids when Dave and I were in Mexico and they told me how much they liked it. I'm just now getting around to making it and am now wondering why I waited so long. It's a great alternative to regular spaghetti and will definitely have a place in our future menus!

Easy Shrimp Lo Mein

Source: allrecipes dot com

Time: 15 minutes TOTAL!

Servings: 4 small - this fed the four of us for dinner with no leftovers

Ingredients:

10oz shrimp (I used frozen)

1 T sesame oil

2 - 3oz packages Oriental flavored Ramen noodles

1 - 16 oz frozen stir fry vegetables (I used a snap peas mix)

1.5 cups water

1 T soy sauce or fish sauce (I used fish because I was worried about it being salty)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in wok over med-high heat. Add shrimp and fry until brown, about 3 minutes per side. 

2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil. Add ramen noodles, reserving the seasoning packets. Boil for about 2 minutes, just long enough for the noodles to break apart. 

3. Microwave frozen vegetables in package for about 2 minutes. Add to wok with shrimp and season with one seasoning envelope. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, but not mushy.

4. Drain about half the water from the noodles and add remaining seasoning envelope. 

5. Add noodles to wok with shrimp and vegetable mixture. 

6. Add soy sauce or fish sauce and cook for a minute or two longer. 

Verdict: 

This was much better than I expected, coming from Ramen noodles. And not nearly as salty as I thought it would be, although I do like salt so my threshold for saltiness might be higher than others. Next time I might add another package of Ramen and some more shrimp so I have leftovers for lunch. But this meal was so fast an easy. The recipe originally called for tofu, but we don't eat tofu. But I'm sure you could use any meat or fake meat product. Shrimp is easy because it's so fast. The recipe said to fry the tofu for 15 minutes, which would have added a lot of time.  

I'll definitely make this again. 

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

Source: allrecipes.com

Servings: 6
Total Time:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon capers

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained

1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta

Directions

1. In a large saute pan, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in capers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with red pepper flakes to taste. Simmer gently for 3 minutes to thicken sauce. Fold in tuna, and heat through.
2. While sauce is cooking, add pasta to a large pot of rapidly boiling water; cook till just tender. Drain well.
3. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve.

Verdict:
This was pretty good. i think next time i'll use a different pasta, probably just spaghetti. But it was a really easy recipe using things i had on already in the pantry. (i used dried parsley instead of the fresh). And it was a good way to eat more fish. Allison thought it was chicken!

Chicken Dill Pasta

Source: Adapted from recipe at parents dot com

Time: 15 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
Dressing
3 T white vinegar
2 T light mayo
1 T honey
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 c olive oil
a few shakes of dried dill

Pasta
8 oz rotini, farfalle or other pasta of choice
1.5-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup peas, cooked
1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Dressing: Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.
Pasta: Cook pasta according to box. Combine pasta, chicken, tomato, peas and feta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.

Verdict:
I really liked this. Dave thought it was ok. Allison didn't like it. But since I really liked it and I'm that one that cooks, we'll have it again!

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach

Source: delish-blog dot com

Servings: 4
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients
2 9-ounce packages refrigerated gnocchi (or a 17.5-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi)
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 Italian sausages (~1/4-1/2 lb), casings removed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6-ounces baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
1. Cook the gnocchi according to directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling with a spoon until browned, 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the onion & garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan and toss

Verdict
We really like this one. Dave is a huge fan and it's super quick and easy.

Pasta Carbonara

Source: Real Simple magazine

Notes: It calls to serve it with 4 Italian sausage links (about 1 lb), but we'd already had sausage this week so I microwaved some bacon and cut it up and added it to the pasta. This could definitely be served with any type of meat you wanted added.

Servings: 4 small servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz pappardelle (or fettuccine, but papparedelle really makes this good)

1 cup frozen peas

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving

Kosher salt

black pepper

Choice of meat: 4 Italian sausage links or 5 slices of bacon or other

Directions:

* Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and peas, and return them to the pot.

* Meanwhile, cook whatever meat you plan on using. If sausage, heat in a little oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. We microwaved 5 slices of bacon, then cut into pieces.

*In a medium bow, whisk together the egg yolks, half and half, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

*Add egg mixture and reserved cooking water to the pasta and peas. Cook over low heat, tossing gently, until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the pasta

*Serve with meat and additional cheese.

Verdict: This was great! And super fast and easy. A great weekday meal. Dave, who is a big carbonara fan, really liked it. Allison was also a big fan of it and ate well. This will definitely be added into the rotation.

Creamy Taco Mac

Source: Delish-Food Blog

Servings: 4 big ones

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs ground turkey

8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved cooking water

1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning (4 T)

3 oz light cream cheese

1/2 cup light sour cream

salt & pepper

grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

*Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of water.

*Meanwhile, brown ground turkey until no longer pink.

*Add taco seasoning and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

*Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir well and simmer for an additonal 3 minutes until cheese is melty and well blended in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Top off with cheddar cheese to serve for extra cheesey goodness.

Verdict:

This was a really good, healthier take on hamburger helper, and just as easy. Plus it didn't taste like it came from a box like hamburger helper does. Plus it's got all the things that Allison likes, meat, pasta and cheese. Yum!

Garlic Chicken & Spinach Gnocchi

Source: Delish Food Blog

Serves: 2 and a half

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (17.5-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi

2 large cloves garlic, minced (~1 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped spinach

Cook the gnocchi according to directions.

Meanwhile, heat ~1 teaspoon of olive oil and add diced chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned.

Add minced garlic and cook until softened & fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Add remaining olive oil (~2 teaspoons), butter, drained gnocchi, salt & pepper. Cook until gnocchi are golden brown on the bottoms. Use a spatula to flip the gnocchi.

Add the spinach, tossing frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Verdict: Everyone loved this, especially Allison. It was quick, easy and yummy and will definitely have a place in our menu regular rotation.