Velveeta Sausage Bake

Velveeta sausage Bake.

Here's what you need.....
1 1/2 cups penne pasta, uncooked.
1 lb Italian sausage
3 cups halved zucchini slices.
 1 red pepper, chopped.
1 can (8 0z.) pizza sauce.
1/2 lb. (8 0z.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup Kraft grated Parmesan cheese.

How to make it......
Heat oven to 350.
Cook pasta as directed, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, brown sausage in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to break up sausage.
Drain: return sausage to skillet, stir in zucchini, peppers and pizza sauce: cook 5 to 6 minutes. or until veggies are crisp tender, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture with Velveeta: mix lightly.

Spoon into a pre-greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Top with Parmesan.

Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

And now Craig's modifications......
Use extra lean ground beef instead of sausage.
Add 1/4 package of low sodium taco seasoning when browning meat.
Use 2% Velveeta cheese.
Use 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup zucchini instead of 3 cups zucchini.
Used fat free shredded cheddar cheese on top instead of Parmesan.
Garnish with diced green onion and diced tomato when serving.
It was delicious! and enough for leftovers too!

Herb Chicken and Squash

Herb Chicken and Squash.
4 skinless chicken breasts.
2 tbsp chopped rosemary, divided.
1 tsp salt, divided.
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided.
1 lb of peeled, seeded, cubed butternut squash.
2 tsp of canola or olive oil, divided.
3/4 lb sweet onions halved if large.
3 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided.
cooking spray.
2 tbsp apricot preserves.
2 tsp Dijon mustard.
2 tsp chopped ginger
1 clove garlic chopped.

position rack ion  lower third of oven.
Heat oven to 400.
Season chicken with 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
 In a bowl, toss squash with 1 tsp oil. In a second bowl, toss onions with 2 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp oil.
Coat a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray.
Place chicken on pan. spread veggies around chicken in a single layer.
Sprinkle veggies with remaining rosemary, salt and pepper.

Roast 15-20 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine preserves, mustard, ginger,garlic, and remaining 1 tsp vinegar.

Flip chicken and baste with apricot/mustard sauce.
Turn veggies.
Roast until chicken reaches 165, approximately 15-25 minutes.

Serve with a green veggie of choice for an eye appealing, tasty meal!

Grilled, roasted, veggies

Grilled roasted veggies.
Use 1 cup of Zesty Italian Dressing, or 1 cup fat free Italian Dressing and 3 Tablespoons olive or Canola oil.
3 teaspoons garlic powder.
3 teaspoons basil.
Assorted veggies cut into bite size pieces.
I used for this meal, yellow summer squash, red pepper, mushrooms and onions.
Put everything in a zip lock bag, seal, and turn to coat veggies. Let stand for about 30 minutes turning bag every 10 minutes.

Put veggies on skewers and cook on top rack of grill over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, or until slightly burnt on edges.

Serve as a side dish with any meal.  :-)

oven fried veggies

Oven Fried Veggies.

Ingredients....
1/4 cup flour.
1 cup panko bread crumbs.
1 cup Parmesan  cheese.
 2 eggs.
seasoning to taste.
zucchini.
cauliflower.
mushrooms.
Marinara sauce.

 Mix panko, Parmesan cheese, and your favorite seasonings in a bowl. I used garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
Heat oven to 425.
Cut ends off zucchini, slice in half lengthwise, and cut into spears.
Cut cauliflower into bite size florets.
Cut mushrooms in half.
Rinse veggies and leave wet.
Dredge veggies one by one in flour, than beaten eggs, then in Panko/Parmesan seasoned mixture and place on pre-greased baking pan.
Bake 15 t0 20 minutes until golden, turn and bake another 10 minutes or until golden.
Serve with marinara sauce,  or your favorite dipping sauce.

Beef stew

After 8 hours simmering in the slow cooker, this was one tasty meal!

Ingredients
1 bay leaf.
2lbs. beef, cubed.
1/4 cup flour.
1tsp paprika.
3 lg. carrots cut into 1/2" pieces.
2 stalks celery, 1/2 " pieces.
3 lg potatoes, cut into 1" chinks.
7oz. beef broth. (1/2 can)
1 1/2 tsp salt.
1/2 tsp pepper.
1/3 cup soy sauce.
1 small onion thinly sliced.
8oz. mini bella mushrooms, cut in half, no stems.
1 can tomato sauce. (8oz.)
2 tsp Italian seasoning.
1/4 cup barbecue sauce. (any flavor you want)

In a slow cooker, put bay leaf on bottom.
layer potatoes, then carrots. Top with meat.
Mix flour, pepper, salt, paprika and soy sauce.
Pour over meat.
top with sliced onions.
Combine beef broth, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
Pour over onions.
 Add barbecue sauce.
Top with mushrooms.
Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours.
Serve over biscuits., bread or oven rolls.

Manhattan Omelet

 Many years ago, we use to go out for Sunday breakfast at a place called the Evergreen Grill. They had this delicious omelet. The place is now long gone, but the omelet lives on.   :-)
This is what is called, a Manhattan Omelet.
A good way to use up left over corned beef from St Patties dinner.  :-)
Shredded corned beef, cream cheese, and Swiss cheese. Yummy!

This is a 4 egg omelet. I'm not very good at making omelets, but this is worth the effort.

Cook eggs, flip, turn heat to low and fill with corned beef...

add cream cheese...

fold and flip...

add Swiss cheese, cover to heat insides and melt Swiss cheese...

serve...Yummy

Sweet and Sour Pork Cutlets

Sweet and Sour pork Cutlets
 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless pork loin cutlets
2 tablespoons oil
1 can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1 red pepper, cut into slices
8 sugar snap peas, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup sugar, Craig used Splenda, cuts out 774 calories but not the taste.
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cold water
hot cooked rice

Put flour into a large resealable plastic bag.
Add pork cutlets, one at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, heat oil and brown pork on both sides.

Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.

top with pineapple, red pepper and snap peas; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, broth, vinegar, ketchup, and water. Bring to boil over medium heat; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.
Pour over chops.

Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 40-45 minutes. Serve with rice.

Potato Latkes

Yum! Potato Latkes!

 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion.
3 eggs, beaten.
2 Tbl flour.
1 1/2 tsp salt.
1/2 cup canola oil.

Line a bowl with several paper towels. add grated potatoes into bowl. Using more paper towels, squeeze out as much water as possible. Discard paper towels.
Add onion, flour, salt, and eggs, then stir to combine.

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, place large spoonfuls of potato mixture into pan. Flatten each to about 1/2 inch thick. Cook to a golden brown, (approx. 2-5 min.)

Then turn and brown other side.

Remove and pat dry with paper towels.

Serve warm.

Mushroom Lasagna

Here's another delicious dish!
If you love mushrooms, this is for you!
Now this is a good vegetarian dish, but Craig needs his meat, so he added a lb of cooked lean ground beef to the sauce, and it was a complete meal.  :-)

Ingredients

     1 cup boiling water
    1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
    1 tablespoon butter
    2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    1 1/4 cups chopped shallots (about 4)
    1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
    1 (4-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend
    1 teaspoon salt, divided
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
    1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
    6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
    1/2 cup white wine
    1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
    3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
    1 1/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
    Cooking spray
    9 no-boil lasagna noodles
    1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

    1. Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. Combine 1 cup boiling water and porcini. Cover and let stand 30 minutes; strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid and mushrooms.
    3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add cremini and exotic mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms are browned. Add thyme and 3 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and 1 tablespoon chives. Add reserved porcini mushrooms.
    4. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add remaining 3 garlic cloves to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add the reserved porcini liquid, 2 3/4 cups milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Combine remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to milk mixture, and simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk.
    5. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, and top with 3 noodles. Spread half of mushroom mixture over noodles. Repeat layers, ending with remaining sauce. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped chives.
This recipie was a bit more involed than Craig likes, but it was so good, he says it's a keeper.  :-)