Ham & Cheese Buns

This looks like the perfect party/tailgate appetizer! Yummy!

2 TBSP dried minced onions
1 TBSP prepared mustard (I used honey dijon)
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
1 dozen dinner rolls or 2 dozen party rolls (I used King's Hawaiian Sweet rolls - 2 pkgs)
1/2 lb ham
1/2 lb thinly sliced swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325. In a small mixing bowl, mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, & melted butter. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open horizontally so that you have one solid top and one solid bottom. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet. Line bottom half of rolls with cheese slices & ham. Return the top part of the rolls & drizzle butter mixture evenly over top.Cover w/ foil & bake for 20 min. Use a sharp knife to separate the little sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Can be made ahead of time & refrigerated or frozen. Just thaw overnight and add 5 more min onto baking time.

Grilled Pizza

I have been wanting to try to make grilled pizza for awhile. The fact is - I was scared... I just pictured a screaming match between me and Tim (he mans the grill) because of dough running through the grates and it just wasn't going to be pretty. Well, I read up on the topic on a few of my favorite blogs and finally decided I would follow the instruction of Annie, from Annie's Eats blog. I followed her dough recipe and technique exactly and the pizzas were some of the best pizza I have ever had - I couldn't believe I had actually made them from scratch! I don't think we will ever use refrigerated or packaged mix dough again! It was very easy and my favorite part about the dough recipe is that it makes two batches, so you can freeze one and use the other for another time - maybe tomorrow night! I will say that I used tips from three different parts of her blog to make these little masterpieces, so I will post them all below.

Our toppings of choice tonight were prosciutto, wild mushrooms, goat cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese (we only had part-skim mozzerella and Tim "hates the way it melts") and fresh basil. I actually used Kroger brand pizza sauce as the base, mixed with a little olive oil, Italian seasoning and my basil in a tube to spice it up a little (the tubes of herbs can be found by the fresh herbs).

Annie offers two other recipes in these links below - one a chicken ranch pizza and the other with fresh veggies - both look good and I will have to try them eventually!

Oh and by the way - Tim and I did get into a mini-screaming match because he insisted that I was making them too small - but like I said, I followed her technique exactly and they turned out the perfect size. Moral of the story - don't listen to Tim, listen to Annie! Note on the picture - we made a total of four small pizzas - not pictured the BBQ Chicken pizza we made for the boys!

Pizza Dough Tutorial by Annie

Pizza Dough Recipe by Annie

Grilled Pizza Recipe and more Tips by Annie

Chili-Beef Skewers

Stacie made these for the June meal exchange and this was the first meal I tried! It had awesome flavors and was very easy. I served it with more veggies - frozen Asian Green Beans - super easy meal from the freezer!

yield: makes 4 servings

ingredients:

8 wooden skewers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 lb lean beef sirloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
1 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
Vegetable oil cooking spray Dipping sauce
1/2 cup lowfat mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce

directions:

Soak skewers for 30 minutes. Puree cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, orange zest, sriracha, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor. Transfer marinade to a resealable plastic bag; add beef. Seal bag, toss and set aside up to 30 minutes. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. Thread 4 pieces of pepper and 2 beef strips on each skewer, alternating beef and peppers. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; heat grill to high; cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

SELF, MAY 2008 - Adapted by Marge Perry
From: Epicurious

Chicken Shish Kababs

Deb made these for the June meal exchange - they sound easy and delicious. Love the summer grilling theme!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of cooking oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 skinless chicken breasts
Various vegetables for grilling

Directions:

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine all ingredients and marinate for 1 hour.

Thread chicken and vegetables on skewers and girll on each side for 4 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Serve with rice.

Grilled Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops

Susan made these for the June 2010 meal exchange and I think they sound great! Can't wait to try them!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked brown or long grain rice
1/4 cup snipped dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 TBSP apricot spread
1/4 tsp dried thyme, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
4 pork center loin chops, cut 1 inch thick
1/4 cup apricot spread

Directions:

1.) For stuffing, in medium bowl, stir together the rice, apricots, onion 1 TBSP apricot spread, thyme, and pepper. Trim fat from chops. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting horizontally from the fat side almost to the bone. Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing into each pocket. If necessary, secure the opening with toothpicks.

2.) Grill chops over medium heat until juices run clear, turning chops halfway through grilling time.

3.) Meanwhile, in sauce pan heat the 1/4 cup apricot spread until melted. Brush over chops the last 5 minutes of grilling time.

Burgers Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

This was my contribution to the most recent meal exchange (June 2010). When we made these on the trial run, Tim got the grill too hot and he charred them a little (sorry, honey - they were still good). The sausage has some fat and it is easy to get a good flame going on these, so either use lower heat for longer or maybe even cook them on the stovetop. I think if you cook them in a pan on the stove, with the lid on - they would cook through and retain all the juices vs. them all dripping out on the grill.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef sirloin
1/2 pound raw Italian sausage removed from the casing(s)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces soft goat cheese
3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 fresh basil leaves, sliced
4+ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Mix the beef, sausage and salt together. Be careful not to over-work the mixture. It can be helpful to coarsely chop the beef and sausage with a knife and then loosely toss together before mixing more thoroughly with the salt.

Divide into four equal 1/2-pound pieces. Remove about 1/5 of each half-pound portion and set the small pieces aside. Use your hands to shape each of the remaining four portions into a "flattened bowl" shape into which you can put the filling.

Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil and slice.

Place 1/4 of the goat cheese into each burger, and then top with sun-dried tomatoes and basil.

Flatten each of the four small reserved pieces of burger mixture into flat disks. Place a disk on top of the filling for each burger, and then work the burger mixture closed with your fingers.

Flatten the burgers further as much as possible without risking breaking the seal to the stuffing.

Throw them on the grill. Enjoy!

These burgers must be fully cooked because of the sausage used in the mixture.

Author: Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Tara's Sausage Egg Caserole

I am late putting this on here, but I just saw Tara's recipe from the December meal exchange, when I pulled our her casserole to serve it to my family this morning!

Ingredients:

6 slices of bread
1 pound of sausage, browned, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon, salt
pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cube bread and place evenly in greased 9x13 pan or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with sausage and cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in pan. May cover and chill overnight. (If left overnight, remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking). Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until set. Cut into squares to serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

I made this for the March meal exchange and tried ours the night that I made them. This was really tasty and we had it for leftovers the next day, however, next time I make it - I will add corn and beans to the chicken and onion layer to get some vegetables in there. Also - if you notice below - the original recipe has you microwave the casserole. For the meal exchange, since they are in foil pans - microwaving will not work :) Defrost the casserole overnight in the fridge and then cook covered for 35 - 40 minutes at 375 degrees or until bubbly. When I made mine, I baked it and think that it is just better that way vs. microwaving it! For the chicken in this casserole I made it ahead in the crockpot with some broth, the onion and a packet of low sodium taco seasoning. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided
1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce (I used green enchilada sauce)
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Chop cilantro. Place cream cheese in microwaveable bowl and microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well. Chop onion; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into mixing bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas; spread. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares.

Tarragon Turkey Burgers

Can't wait to try these - Deb made them for the May meal exchange!

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked. Serve on hamburger buns with desired toppings.

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2002

Mexican Pizza

This recipe is from Tara - she prepared it for the May meal exchange and since it wasn't frozen when I picked it up today - we just had it for lunch today! This was awesome and I will definitely make it again!

Need:

Pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
fajita seasoning
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (I bake chicken with fajita seasonings)
1 can black beans, drained and mashed a little
1 can corn, drained
1 can rotel, drained
1-2 cups shredded cheesesour cream (for garnish)

Cook pizza crust according to package directions. Before throwing in oven, I spread olive oil on it and dust a little fajita seasoning on it. Once crust is golden brown, take out and spread mashy black beans over the entire crust. Then sprinkle desired amounts of corn and rotel. The more rotel you use, the spicier it will be. You can use mild rotel if you want. Spread desired amount of cheese on top and then the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees until melty and heated through. We cut and serve with sour cream on the side. If you're going for presentation, pipe sour cream in diagonal lines over entire pizza before cutting. (that's how they do it at the restaurant we stole this from)

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

This was Holly's meal for the May meal exchange and I actually tried it out tonight and it was fantastic! Everyone loved it and Alex especially loved the chutney with the yummy apples and cranberries!

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and about 1/3 cup chutney)

Ingredients

Chutney:
1 tablespoon butter
5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled apple (about 3 apples)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pork:
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. To prepare chutney, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cranberries and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until apples are tender; stir occasionally.
2. To prepare pork, while chutney simmers, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); sprinkle over pork. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chutney.
Slender haricots verts are a pretty and quick-cooking complement to the meal. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces haricots verts to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned.

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Beer-Cheese Spread

Elizabeth just made this for her Keeneland tailgate last weekend and brought some extra to work today - it was delicious! Note the good idea of how to use the leftover cheese spread - Grilled Beer Cheese Sandwiches. We just had it with celery and carrots!

Yield Makes 5 cups
Ingredients



1 (2-lb.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-oz.) bottle amber beer, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: thyme sprig



Preparation



1. Beat together first 5 ingredients at low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended. Gradually add beer, beating until blended after each addition. Beat at medium-high speed 1 minute or until blended and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 2 hours. Garnish, if desired. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Abita Amber Beer. This spread can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator.



Grilled Beer-Cheese Sandwich: Spread 1 tsp. softened butter evenly on 1 side of 2 bread slices. Place bread slices, buttered sides down, on wax paper. Spread 1/4 cup Beer-Cheese Spread onto 1 side of 1 bread slice. Top with remaining bread slice, buttered side up. Cook sandwich in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.



Therese Halaska, Portage, Wisconsin, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

Garden-Style Lasagna

This was Deb's contribution to the March meal exchange - I just made this tonight for dinner and it was excellent!

Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006


Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Bucatini with Sausage and Peas

I just realized that I never posted Holly's recipe from the March meal exchange as I am making it tonight! So sorry Holly! This recipe is from Food and Wine Magazine by Joe Sponzo.

Bucatini is a large, tubular pasta (think spaghetti with a hole in the middle). It’s great with thick sauces, such as this tomato-based one that Sponzo enhances with peas from his garden and wild boar sausage from his local butcher. “It’s a real guy dish and a favorite of Sting’s—when he’s eating meat,” Sponzo says. “Right now he’s macrobiotic.”

Active: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
Salt
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons shredded basil

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
Partially cover the saucepan and cook the tomato sauce over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese and toss over low heat for 2 minutes, until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese and the shredded basil and serve.

Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Mushroom Asparagus Quiche

Susan made this for the March meal exchange. She partially baked them because she didn't want the crust to be overcooked, so when reheating, turn oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes. You might want to cover the crust with foil so that it doesn't get too done!

Ingredients:

1 tube refigerated crescent rolls
2 tsps prepared mustard
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1/4 c butter, cubed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and rubbed sage

Directions:

Place crescent dough into 9 in pie pan. Spread with mustard
In a lrg skillet, saute the asparagus, onion and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is crisp tender. In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in asparagus mixture . Pour into crust. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in edge comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Classic Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

1 slice white bread
2 Tbs fat free milk
1/2 c ketchup
2/3 lb gr beef, extra lean
1/2 lb lean gr veal
6 oz lean gr pork
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c ch fresh parsley
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 lrg egg whites
cooking spray

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350
2 Place bread in food processor, pulse 10 times or until coarse bread crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups
3 Combine breadcrumbs and milk in large bow; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbs ketchup and remaining ingredients except cooking spray
4 Shape meat mixture into 9x5 in loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining 6 tablespoons ketchup over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 160. Let stand for 10 mintues

Very easy to double and freeze unbaked.

Turkey Meat Loaf

This meal is from Ariel - she made it for the March meal exchange! Can't wait to try it!

FOUR SERVINGS, PLUS LEFTOVERS
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
8 strips of bacon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the red bell pepper, carrot, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetables, turkey, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well. Place the meat mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and, using your hands, form it into a loaf. Cover the loaf with the bacon strips. Bake the meat loaf, uncovered, until cooked through, about 1 hour.
3. Pour off the melted fat, slice the meat loaf and serve.


From Every Day with Rachael Ray
February-March 2006
rachelraymag.com

Baked Ziti III

I made this for the March Meal Exchange, which will be the first meal exchange I have participated in - I am looking forward to it. We have eight participants, so I just made four of these and divided it in half (if you want one for yourself). I did modify the original recipe by using fat free sour cream instead of regular sour cream and dried basil versus fresh basil. This is a recipe that my sister, Krista has made several times and enjoys! For the frozen version - defrost in refridgerator overnight before baking according to the instructions - keep covered. These got a little messy on me in the foil baking dishes - I think that I got them too full - so make sure you put these in a plastic bag or on top of some paper towels in the fridge when defrosting. SO SORRY!

YIELD 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com Submitted by VERDIEIIIS

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The following three posts all come from Tara. These are a few of her staple recipes that she makes for her family! She says that she is a different kind of cook and kinda uses what she has to make up meals on her own! She has some recipes that sound great and some good time saving tips for making chicken ahead or using the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens! Tara also made this for the March Meal exchange for us to try!

In a large pot, cook about half a white or yellow onion (chopped) with a little EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil for all of those that may not be Rachel Ray fans) and some fajita seasoning (cumin, pepper, etc). Cook on medium heat just enough to get the juices flowing. Then dump in:
Shredded cooked chicken (half a breast of prepared rotisserie or 2-3 cooked breasts)
1 can corn
2 cans rotel (one regular, one mild- if you like a little spicy, both mild if you don’t)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can refried beans
Simmer on low at least 2 hours (I do 3-4 hours)
Serve with chopped scallions, shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips


Note: Tara recommends using the already cooked rotisserie chickens for this recipe. Another great tip to save time is to bake a large amount of chicken over the weekend (usually marinated in Italian dressing, baked at 350 for 45-50 min.) and use that through the week for recipes, over salads, etc.