Million Dollar Spaghetti

This recipe has been all over Pintrest and so I thought I would try it out...  I have a recipe I have used in the past, Spaghetti Pie (one this blog), which is very similar to this recipe.  But I have to say, Million Dollar Spaghetti has it beat!   This recipe does call for cottage cheese, however, you do not taste it.  So those of you who turn up your nose at recipes with cottage cheese, I would still try it.  You will be surprised!

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb of ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
8 oz of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lb cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 pkg spaghetti
Grated cheddar cheese (I prefer mozzarella instead...)

Preheat oven to 350.  Boil spaghetti noodles until al dente (firm).  Drain and set aside until ready to assemble.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese until will blended.
Brown hamburger and when done, drain well.  Combine hamburger with spaghetti sauce.

Assemble:
Put a few slices of butter into a 9x13 pan and then pour half of your spaghetti on top. (I did not use butter when I made this.)
Take your cream cheese mixture and spread on top of noodles.
Pour the rest of the noodles on top of the cream cheese.  The recipe says to put more slices of butter on these noodles...  I omitted the butter...  This person must be related to Paula Dean!
Pour your spaghetti sauce/hamburger mixture over the noodles.
Put in the oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, sprinkle the desired amount of grated cheese on top and return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

We had this with garlic toast and green beans.

This would also be a great meal to take to a friend!

Cheese Tortellini and Sausage

The crock pot is in full force around here.  I have been busy painting and getting things done.  I really don't want to stop and take the time to make dinner or another mess!  The crock pot is so easy!  Here is a great meal I came across on Pinterest.  I highly recommend it!  

Cheese Tortellini and Sausage

1 (19oz) bag frozen cheese tortellini
1lb sausage (I used Italian)
1 bag fresh spinach
2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans low-fat chicken broth (I used low sodium)
1 (8oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes

1.  Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stove top until cooked and crumbled. Drain. 
2.  Add the sausage and remaining ingredients to a 6 quart slow cooker.  Stir to combine.
3.  Cook on Low for 5 hours, stirring twice during cook time.

We had this with garlic bread!  

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll-ups

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll-ups

www.iheartnaptime.net

Ingredients

1 jar pasta sauce

12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to the package directions

pepperoni, about 48 slices

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

I also used 1 container ricotta, was not part of the original recipe

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Instructions

1.   Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spread a small amount of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (pie plate, cake pan... doesn't matter).

2.   Lay all of your lasagna noodles out on your cutting board or counter top. (I spread the ricotta on first) and then, spread around 2 tablespoons of sauce on each noodle, all over one side. Repeat with the other noodles. Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the sauce. Place four pepperonis on each noodle, on top of the cheese.

3.   Starting at one end of the noodle roll it up like a cinnamon roll or jelly roll. Place the rolled noodle in the baking dish with the end of the noodle on the bottom so they don't flap open. Repeat with remaining noodles.

4.   Once all of the noodles are rolled up, use the rest of the sauce to cover the noodles. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until everything is hot and bubble and the cheese is melted. Let the dish cool for 3-5 minutes before serving hot.

Taco Pasta Bake

Taco Pasta Bake   www.canadianmomscook.com

Ingredients

1/2 – 3/4 of a bag of large noodle pasta like ziti
approx. 1lb of ground beef
1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning
1C water
1/2 pkg of cream cheese
1 1/2C shredded cheese (I used marble)

Directions

1. boil pasta until just cooked, drain, run cold water over it

2. brown ground beef

3. mix together taco season and 1C of water, pour over cooked beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced

4. add the 1/2 pkg of cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat

5. put pasta in your casserole dish or pot, mix in 1C of the shredded cheese

6. top pasta and cheese with beef mixture, gently mix until the pasta is coated

7. top with remaining 1/2C of shredded cheese

8. bake at 350 uncovered for approx 30 minutes

We had this with corn on the cob (kids' favorite) and chips and nacho cheese!

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti   By: Pioneer Woman

2 cups cooked chicken (I just used two chicken breast)

3 cups dried spaghetti broke into 2 inch pieces

2 cups cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained

2 cups chicken broth reserved from pot

1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup additional shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook cook chicken in boiling water. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Spaghetti Pie- Meatless

Spaghetti Pie

Tim Mallory

1/2 lb spaghetti

2 eggs

Parmesan cheese (about a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup)

Ricotta Cheese (container)

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce 

1 cup Mozzarella  Cheese

Grease 2 round pans (pie pans work well), cook spaghetti, mix eggs and Parmesan cheese to make a medium consistency, once spaghetti is done, mix egg mixture with spaghetti.  Distribute into pans, Spread ricotta cheese over noodles and pour sauce over cheese.  Cook for 30 minutes at 350.  Add mozzarella cheese and cook for 10 more minutes.

Great Lenten meal!

Sorry this is the first post in a long time.  Our house is up for sale and we have been eating out and eating crazy stuff trying to empty the freezers...  Hope to keep up with posting!

Baked Penne

Baked Penne

½ lb extra-lean ground beef or Italian sausage

½ cup chopped onions

½ cup green peppers (omit if you wish)

1 jar (24oz) spaghetti sauce

1 tub Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb cooking cream, divided

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese divided

3 cups cooked penne pasta

Heat oven to 350

Brown Meat with vegetables in large nonstick skillet.  Stir in spaghetti sauce, ¾ cup cooking crème, and ½ cup mozzarella; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.  Add pasta, mix lightly.  Spoon into 2qt casserole dish; top with remaining cooking crème and mozzarella.  Cover.  Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.  Uncover after 15 minutes.

We had this with green beans and garlic bread.  This recipe is very easy and the kids like it. 

Beef Ravioli Soup

Beef Ravioli Soup

1 c sliced celery

½ c chopped onion

1 c sliced carrots

2T vegetable oil

4c beef broth

1/8 pepper

¼ t crushed red pepper flakes

1 (15 oz) beef ravioli

¼ c chopped parsley

Grated parmesan cheese

In large kettle, sauté celery, onion, and carrots in oil for 3 mintues; add broth and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, covered about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in ravioli and heat through.  Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Fettucci Alfredo

Fettuccini Alfredo

2 stick butter

3 ½ cup heavy cream

1 c fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 pkg Fettuccini

Boil fettuccini until cooked.  Drain well.

Melt butter in large sauce pan.

Put fettuccini in butter and toss.

Add cream and cheese.

Stir over med/low heat for 10 minutes uncovered.

Cover to make thicker, leave uncovered if it is good.

Remember it will thicken up while waiting to be served.

I like to sprinkle some Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and  grated Parmesan on my serving to top it off. 

Tonight I ended up using whole grain linguine instead, since it was all I had around the house... 

We had garlic bread and strawberries to go with it!

This recipe is often requested when I bring a dish to places.  I cook it and put in a crockpot to take with me.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

2 jars spaghetti sauce 

1 pkg. spaghetti

1 lb ground beef

1 lb Italian sausage

1 c sliced olives  (optional)

Cheese Layer:

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp milk

4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

A couple of dashes of garlic powder to taste

Topping:

2 c Mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef and sausage and cook spaghetti.  Add 1 ½ jars of spaghetti sauce and olives to meat mixture.  Pour spaghetti into sauce and mix.  Put ½ of spaghetti mixture in 9x13 inch pan.  Spread cheese mixture over spaghetti.  Put remaining spaghetti mixture over cheese layer and top with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over top.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

I usually split this recipe in half because it makes too much the four of us.  However, you could freeze the other half and have it another night!

Tonight I am serving it with green beans and garlic bread.  When I serve green beans, I like to use fresh, but tonight I am doing can.  I rinse the green beans and heat them.  Then I sprinkle a little garlic powder and spray butter on them.  (My husband keeps his blood pressure under control with diet and this is why I rinse and use only garlic powder and spray)

I use whole grain pasta and I use Hunts Garlic and Herb pasta sauce in a can.  We have family who work for Conagra, therefore we try to support them as often as we can.  You can aways use fat free cheeses while making this. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ready in: 1 hour    Servings:6

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

6 oz egg noodles

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

Salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers

½ cup butter

(I also add a cup of shredded cheese, whatever I have on hand)

1. Poach chicken in large pot of simmering water.  Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes.  Remove from pot and set aside.  Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it.  Drain.  Cut chicken into small pieces and mix with noodles
2. In separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream, (and cheese).  Season with salt and pepper.  Gently stir together cream soups mixture with chicken mixture.  Place in a 2 quart baking dish.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat.  Stir in crumbled crackers.  Top casserole with buttery crackers. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top. 

***I just mix the soup mixture in the dish I am cooking it in and they add the chicken and noodles and mix in the pan to save on clean up.  I also melt the butter in the microwave…

Savings tip:  We are not a huge meat/chicken eating family.  So when making recipes with large amounts of chicken, I use half of what it calls for, or even sometimes less.

Time saving:  This would also be a great recipe to double and freeze the second one for later.

Picky Eaters!  My three year old is very picky right now.  So last night I made extra noodles and held them out before I mixed all of the noodles together.  I put some butter on them and some Parmesan cheese and she was happy. 

My little helpers:  My five and three year old love to help.  However, there is not always something for them to do...  Last night, my three year old crumbled the crackers in the bag and they both helped with the crescent rolls we had with dinner.  Crescent rolls are one of my kids favorite things.  We have them a lot; they are fairly inexpensive and they can make them on their own.