Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 jars spaghetti sauce
2 bags mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped dried 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

In a lightly sprayed 13X9 baking dish, place some of the sauce in the pan. Place half the pasta in. Add the spaghetti sauce and spread mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and sour cream on. Repeat layers till mozzarella cheese is on top.Sprinkle with basil.

Bake in preheated oven Covered for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly.

The Results:

This was so simple to make. I've never made ziti with sour cream and thought I would give it a try. It gave the pasta a different kick then ricotta and was really good. I served this with salad and garlic bread. Oh and my pasta wasn't ziti but I can't remember what it is called. Any round noodle should work. Enjoy! :)

Beef Stuffed (or not) Sopaipillas

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup evaporated milk ( I just used milk)
1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil (I used vegetable oil)
Additional oil for frying

FILLING:
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

SAUCE:
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in water milk and oil with a fork until a ball forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently for 2-3 minutes. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Divide into four portions; roll each into a 6-1/2-in. circle.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry circles, one at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salt, garlic powder and pepper.

In a large saucepan, combine the soup, broth, chilies and onion powder; cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Cut a slit on one side of each sopaipilla; fill with 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Top with cheese. Serve with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

The Results:

These were suppose to be stuffed with the ground beef but when I cut into the sopaipilla it split on top. Darn it! Oh well these were still good. They were like a fried bread taco. We have never had something like these so I thought they turned out pretty good for the first time. I figure if you fold it up like a taco they would be just as good if I had filled them. I got this recipe out of my Taste of Home 2002 recipe book.

Hot Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Pull all that good bread out and go feed it to the ducks.
Now fill them up
Of couse put cheese on top
Now wrap them all safe and tight.
Ohhh yeah!
I know my sandwiches are smoking. Hey like I say we couldn't wait to eat them any longer.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lean ground beef
salt and pepper
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 or 1 whole can of olives (depends on how many olives you want in it)
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup ketcup
2 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
7 french sandwich rolls (I like Francisco roll)
2 cups of shredded cheese
7 sheets of tin foil

Directions:
Brown meat in skillet with onions and green bell peppers. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
Scoop of the bread inside the rolls to make room for the meat mixture. Add the meat and cheese to the rolls and wrap them in foil.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

The Results:
I love these sandwiches. Maybe because my mom use to make something like this or maybe just cause they are quick and easy. I served them with celery sticks and called it dinner. ;) They are just too good not to try. The oven gives the rolls a little crisp and the cheese melts right on in. YUM!

Deep Dish Lasagna

Sorry, I didn't clean up the picture. The sauce draining down the plate makes it more real, right?

So as you can tell by most of my pictures they are quick and in a hurry. With no background or anything. What can I say my family can not wait for the dinner. My husband sighs every time I break out the camera. We had company the night I made this lasagna and they asked "Why are you taking a picture of the food?" I just laughed because I know it looks kinda weird. Oh well, I do it for the viewing pleasures of you guys. I just wish my family didn't have to starve an extra 5 minutes longer.

INGREDIENTS :
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I used half ground beef and half sausage)
2/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10 ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze dried
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage with the onions, garlic and 1/2 the parsley; drain. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil; mix well. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
In a bowl, combine remaining parsley and Ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper; mix well.
In lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish, spread 2 cups sauce mix. Begin layering with 4 noodles, 1/2 cheese mix, 1/3 remaining sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layer again and the last layer will be noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered in a preheated oven at for 45 minutes. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

The Results:
I made this for company a couple days ago. It was really good. I did change a couple things. I did half ground beef and half sausage and I added about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to the sauce. Also you only need 10 noodles. Everything else was just perfect. Yummy! I served it with a salad and garlic bread. Also if you wanted just use your own spaghetti sauce. You can make it or pour it out of your favorite bottle of sauce. I won't judge you.:) I got this recipe from allrecipes.

Skillet Noodle Lasagna

Click on Skillet Noodle Lasagna to get the recipe.
The Results:
This really is quick, easy and good. Served with garlic french bread. I used sausage in this one and I made my own Spaghetti Sauce .But I have made this exactly how the recipe is before and it is just as good.

Green Chili Casserole

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
1 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 can of Cream of Mushroom
1 can of Cream of Chicken
1 small can green chilies (4 oz)
1/2 can corn
Cheddar cheese, grated
Directions:
In a large skillet cook ground beef and onions. Mix the rest of ingredients together and add to cooked ground beef and onions. Heat mixture through. In a 2 quart pan lay down the corn tortillas,the meat mixture, cheese, tortillas, meat mixture and 4 more tortillas. Top with cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
The Results:
This may look like a mess but it was good. It was kinda like the white enchiladas that I had made except this was made with corn tortillas and it is a casserole. I thought this was a really good and quick meal.

Mixed Up Tacos

I wanted to show you what they looked like before I added on all the fixings.

So tonight I came home and couldn't think of anything to fix. So I went with all the quickest meals in my memory bank. TACOS! They are always quick. For some reason I decided to be brave and try to make up a recipe on my own. So here is an introduction to my new taco.

After

Ingredients:

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium red potato (diced small)

1 carrot (cut down the middle and then sliced)

1/2 medium onion (chopped)

1/2 pound ground beef

1 1/2 tsps salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 TBS Pace Salsa ( or whatever salsa you like)

Directions:

Add the EVOO to a medium saute pan. Add the potato, carrots and onion. Saute on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Don't let them burn. If medium-low is to high turn it down to low. Once it is ready add in the ground beef, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and salsa. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until ground beef is done.

Slightly heat up some corn tortillas.

Serve with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and whatever else you want on your taco.:)

The Results:

I thought these turned out pretty good. You can sneak your veggies in it too. Isn't it nice when you can sneak them in?

Red Bell Pepper and Mushroom Hamburger

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg (beaten)
2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup onion (chopped really small)
1 1/2 TBS red bell pepper (chopped really small)
3 white mushrooms (chopped)
cheese
lettuce
tomato
ketchup
mustard
hamburger buns

Directions:
Add the first 6 ingredients together and make into patties. Place them on the grill for 7-10 minutes. Once they are done add everything onto your hamburger bun.

The Results:
These were good. The red bell pepper gave the hamburger a good taste. I think that next time I will saute up some onions and mushrooms on top.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or you can use Italian sausage)

1 cup onions (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (4oz) can mushrooms

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsps. Italian dried seasons

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

dash salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large ( big enough for the sauce and meat) pan cook your ground beef until done. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Once the onions turn translucent add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, water, Italian dried seasons, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover.Turn it on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then turn it down to low heat for about 2 hours. Covered. ( You can let a little steam out.So the lid is just off a little.) Stirring sauce occasionally. The sauce will have a thick consistency once done.

The Results:

This is my own recipe for spaghetti sauce and my family loves it. A good sauce is always nice to have. Serve with spaghetti noodles and top with parmesan cheese. Also if you want this sauce to take less time only use about a 1/2 cup or less of water. Letting this sauce simmer for 2 hours makes it sooo good though.:)

Skillet Noodle Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/2 pound wide egg noodles
1 container (1 pound) cottage cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 jar (32 ounces) extra-meaty pasta sauce ( *Use whatever sauce you want)
1 package (8 ounces) shredded pizza cheese blend (mozzarella and cheddar)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook noodles for 8 minutes, following package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and spinach.
3. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce over bottom of large (12-inch) skillet. Evenly arrange one-third of cooked noodles over sauce. Spoon half of remaining sauce over noodles. Top with another third of noodles. Spread cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese blend over cottage cheese. Top with remaining noodles; spread with remaining sauce.
4. Cover skillet. Bring to rapid hard simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle remaining pizza cheese blend and grated Parmesan over top. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
The Results:
** This meal is so fast and easy. I got it out of Family Circle magazine in 2003. I use to make this all the time when I came home from work. It was quick, easy and good. I served it with a salad and garlic bread of course.

Mini Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

2 TBS. olive oil

2 carrots, peeled & chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 egg beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

6 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups dried pasta (rings,broken fettuccini, or other shape)

1 pound washed fresh spinach,coarsely chopped

** I top the soup with either mozzerella cheese or paramesan**

Directions:

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery, onions, & bay leaves. Season with salt & pepper. Cover pot & cook veggies 5 - 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Uncover your soup pot & add broth & water to the pot. increase heat to high & bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit & start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup & stir. Cover & simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted in the soup, the soup is done & ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings.

The Results:

This soup is also so good. My husband loves it with mozzerella cheese in it. This is really tasty.

* from 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray

Deep Dish All-American Pizza

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Crust:
3 to 31/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package RED STAR Active Dry Yeast or Quick Rise Yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
3 TBS oil
Toppings:
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup of olives
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven 425Cook and stir beef, onion and green pepper in skillet until meat is lightly browned: drain if necessary. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic salt, and black pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.In large mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour yeast and salt: mix well. Add very warm water (120 to 130 F) and oil to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened: beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough.Knead 3 to 5 minutes on floured surface. Lightly flour surface and roll dough into 16 inch circle or 15 X 11 inch rectangle. Place in greased 14 inch round deep dish pizza pan or 13 X 9 inch baking pan, pushing dough halfway up sides of pan. Cover; let rise in warm place about 15 minutes.Spread sauce over dough. Put mushroom on top of sauce and olives. Sprinkle with Cheese . Bake 20 -25 minutes until edge is crisp and golden brown and cheese melted.
The Results:
* I used a 13 X 9 inch baking dish.
* I also used mozzerella and cheddar cheese
* It looks like alot but it was really easy to put together
* Serve with a side salad
* I should have taken a picture of it on a plate but I didn't. It still was good.

Jimmy's Mexican Pizza

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray.Place beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.Lay one tortilla in each pie plate, and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over each one, and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.Remove the plates from the oven, and let cool slightly. Spread half of the salsa over each top tortilla. Cover each pizza with half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place half of the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the jalapeno slices onto each one.Return the pizzas to the oven, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before slicing each one into 4 pieces.
The Results:
** This was so good. Instead of jalapeno peppers I used roasted green chile peppers. It would have been good with jalapeno peppers though. Served it with guacamole, sour cream and lettuce. So yummy!
** I also added about 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of salsa to the ground beef mixture.
** I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com