Chicken and Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups ~ by Sarah

This is a Pinterest recipe I came across, but I modified it some.  Very easy and very delicious!  I definitely recommend!

 
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I boiled three chicken breasts and chopped them up)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (I used black)
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups marinara sauce (I think Barilla is the best...)

My additions:
fresh basil, chopped
mozzarella, shredded

Directions:
In medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper. Spread 1/2 cup mixture on each lasagna noodle; roll jelly-roll fashion. In a 13x9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce. Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in sauce in baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot.

My modifications:
I warmed up the marinara sauce in a pan and added the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes to get the herb's flavors.

I also baked it (covered) for about 25 minutes, then took off the foil, added the mozzarella, then cooked it until the cheese was bubbly.

Not my picture and not the picture from the website where I got the recipe, but it looks very similar!

Beefy Macaroni Skillet~by Kelsey

From the Campbell's Classic Recipes cookbook.  Quick, easy, cheap, and my kids love it.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked corkscrew macaroni (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked), or you could use elbow macaroni


In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain if necessary.  Add soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, cheese and macaroni.  Reduce heat to low and heat through.

Manicotti Italian Casserole ~ by Sarah

I found this on AllRecipes.com and it was a big hit with my family.  So delicious!  And easy, too!

*I have no idea why it is named this...it doesn't really resemble manicotti at all!


Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (I used "Hot" and it wasn't too spicy at all)
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained OR 1 package fresh mushrooms, sauteed
2 (32 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced pepperoni


Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Pour in rigatoni, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set pasta aside. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, remove beef and sausage to a large bowl. Stir mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and cooked pasta into bowl and mix with meat.   Pour mixture into large baking dish.  Sprinkle cheese and pepperoni over the top. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Penne With Chicken Thighs ~ by Sarah

I saw this on The Pioneer Woman's website the other day and wanted to try it because it looked quick, easy, and good!  It was delicious--who knew chicken thighs could be so tasty?!?

**Note...make sure you remember that you need to allow for 1 1/2 hours of baking time!

Click here for her step-by-step instructions with pictures all along the way: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/penne-with-chicken-thighs/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
• Salt And Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 jars (24 Ounces Each) Marinara Sauce
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling
• 16 ounces, weight Penne Or Rigatoni

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible.)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions Serve 1 chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. (For smaller children, you can cut the meat off the bone for them. Chicken is very tender!)

(Pioneer Woman photo)

Pasta Salad ~ by Sarah

I posted this recipe last year.  (You can see it here.)

But lately Wes and I have decided we like it better with bow tie pasta, so we have switched over from spaghetti.  It's a still a favorite wherever we take it!

Ingredients:
1 box bow tie pasta
2 packages Italian dry seasoning mix
tomatoes
cucumbers
sliced olives
Salad Supreme or Salad Elegance seasoning
red wine vinegar

*I didn't put specific amounts of some ingredients because it's all a personal preference.  I always use two cucumbers, two medium-sized cans of sliced olives, and a whole package of grape tomatoes or three regular-sized tomatoes.  With the salad seasoning and vinegar, add until it tastes right to you.  (Usually about 1/2 a bottle of salad seasoning and a few generous dashes of vinegar.)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and place in large bowl or Tupperware container.  Mix the Italian seasoning according to package directions, but mix it as if you were only adding one package of seasoning even though you're adding two.  Pour over pasta.  Chop tomatoes and cucumbers and add to bowl.  Add olives, salad seasoning, and red wine vinegar.  Toss well.  Toss well again before serving and use a spoon to scoop the "good stuff" back on top of the noodles because it tends to sink to the bottom.

Spaghetti Salad ~ by Sarah

This recipe came from Wes's mom, and it's always a favorite.  Take it to a barbecue this summer and I guarantee you'll have someone ask you for the recipe! 

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
2 packages Italian seasoning mix
tomatoes
cucumbers
sliced olives
Salad Supreme or Salad Elegance seasoning
red wine vinegar

*I didn't put specific amounts of some ingredients because it's all a personal preference.  I always use two cucumbers, two medium-sized cans of sliced olives, and a whole package of grape tomatoes or three regular-sized tomatoes.  With the salad seasoning and vinegar, add until it tastes right to you.  (Usually about 1/2 a bottle of salad seasoning and a few generous dashes of vinegar.)

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and place in large bowl or Tupperware container.  Mix the Italian seasoning according to package directions, but mix it as if you were only adding one package of seasoning even though you're adding two.  Pour over spaghetti.  Chop tomatoes and cucumbers and add to bowl.  Add olives, salad seasoning, and red wine vinegar.  Toss well.  Toss well again before serving and use a spoon to scoop the "good stuff" back on top of the noodles because it tends to sink to the bottom.

Variation:
Since Kelsey doesn't like tomatoes, she varies this recipe a bit.  Instead, she adds strips of yellow, red, and orange bell peppers and chunks of feta cheese.  A delicious way to change it up!