Penne Rosa

A while back, my husband and I went to Noodles & Company for lunch, and I ordered the Penne Rosa. It was SO good, that I looked for a recipe online when we got home. I found one and improvised it a little. It might not taste exactly like the Penne Rosa at Noodles & Company, but it is VERY delicious!


(Note: If you want to add meat to this dish, here is a recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Chicken to serve on top of the pasta.)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 (1 lb) box penne pasta
1 (8 oz) box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced italian-style tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz) container sliced mushrooms
red pepper flakes
additional parmesan cheese

Directions:
Fill a pot with water and add red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and add penne noodles and cook according to directions on the box. Drain and place in large serving bowl.


Saute the mushrooms and set aside.


For the sauce:
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushroom, spinach, and more red pepper flakes (to taste), and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

Serving directions: 
Place some pasta on a plate. Pour some sauce over the pasta (like you would with spaghetti). Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, if desired. If you have Parmesan Chicken, cut up some of the chicken and serve it on top of the pasta. Enjoy!

Mrs. Huddlestun's Potato & Corn Chowder

This is a recipe I got from a friend's mom. She used to homeschool my friend and I when I was little, and I remember having this soup for lunch on a few cold days in Oregon at their house. It's hearty and delicious!

1 (12 oz) package of bacon (or you can buy 1 lb and use about half), cut into pieces
half a small onion, chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bag frozen corn
1 can creamed corn
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper (to taste)
cheddar cheese

Directions (exactly as she wrote them):

If you are putting bacon in it, cook a pkg. of bacon (12 oz) and then saute about a half of a small onion in the grease. Drain it with the bacon. Peel and cook about 6 potatoes (cubed). Drain most of the water off (Leave a little) and add a bag of frozen corn. Then add a can of creamed corn, and about a 1/4 of a cup of milk. If you want the soup to be thicker, add some instant potato flakes. About a handful at a time, and stir until it looks thick enough. Season it with salt and pepper and THEN put back in the bacon and onion. Shread a mess of cheddar cheese over the top, and sprinkle it with a little bit of parsley or chives. 

Flavorful Taco Casserole

(Another one of my own recipes, except I made this one up without any "backup" recipe)

Ingredients:

1 recipe of homemade refried beans

tortilla chips

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 lbs ground beef

2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar and colby jack)

4 tsp taco seasoning (I use homemade taco seasoning)

For homemade refried beans:

1 can black beans (rinsed, drained, and divided)

1/2 cup water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

several drops of tabasco sauce

Beans directions:

In a medium saucepan on the stove, heat half of the beans with all of the water on low heat until heated through. Meanwhile, make a paste out of the remaining beans by smashing with a fork (in a small bowl). Once the beans on the stove are heated stir in bean paste and add garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and tabasco sauce. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Casserole directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Crush enough chips to cover the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Spread evenly. On stove, mix tomato sauce into refried beans, and warm on low heat. Brown the meat, drain, and add taco seasoning. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water if meat is too dry. Cook for a few more minutes. Spread refried bean mixture over chips. Spread taco meat evenly over refried bean mixture. Sprinkle cheese over the whole casserole, and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Chocolate Chip-Toffee-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

(this is my own recipe!)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup Heath toffee bits
1/2 cup sweetened coconut

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, chocolate chips, toffee bits, and coconut. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pizza Macaroni Bake

Ingredients

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 cup elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash pepper

Directions

In a skillet, cook sausage, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the macaroni, tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, water, oregano and pepper.
Transfer to a lightly greased 1-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and casserole is heated through.

(2 servings)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Macaroni-Bake/Detail.aspx

Old-Fashioned Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted



Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Good-Old-Fashioned-Pancakes/Detail.aspx

Southwestern White Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cans great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1 1/3 cups milk
4 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles (one small can is the right amount)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

DIRECTIONS:

In saucepan, saute onion and pepper in oil till tender. Stir in next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in chicken. Heat through.

(about 6 servings)

Savory Meat Loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup crushed saltine crackers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
• 1 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground beef

sauce topping

• 1/4 cup ketchup
  
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar , not packed down
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Crush saltine crackers in ziplock bag with mallet or rolling pin until finely crushed.
3. Combine the first 8 ingredients together in large bowl and mix well with your hands.
4. Place and form meat loaf into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes.
6. Combine sauce ingredients and spread over top of meat loaf.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes longer, until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
8. Let meat stand 10 minutes before slicing

Delicious Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix water and sugar together in small pan.
   
2. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 5 minutes.
3. Add cranberries and bring water back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.
   
4. Allow cranberries to simmer for 15-18 minutes.
   
5. Pour cranberry sauce into a small bowl and chill before serving.
   

Crock Pot Apple Butter

INGREDIENTS

• 3 quarts (12 cups) apples, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups sugar
• Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice to taste
• Canning jars, washed and sterilized
• Canning lids and rings, washed and sterilized
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Place peeled and sliced apples in crock pot and cook 8 hours on high. Do not remove lid or stir until 8 hours is up.
2. Remove lid and stir apples, removing any apples from the sides of crock pot that may have gotten too dark.
3. Stir in sugar and spices to taste.
4. Cover and reduce crock pot to low. Cook for 6 hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
5. Place in canning jars while still hot. Place lid and ring and set on flat surface covered in a dish towel until they seal. Another option would be placing the filled jars (with lids and rings on) in a hot water bath for ten minutes.
   

Fruit Fluff

INGREDIENTS

• 1 container of Cool Whip
• 16 oz vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup red grapes (cut)
• 2 cans mandarin oranges
• 1 can pineapple chunks (sliced)
• 1 small box vanilla pudding

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt and pudding mix for about 2 minutes.
2. Fold in Cool Whip.
3. Fold in fruit.
4. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Homemade Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 6 Tbs shortening
  
• 1 pkg dry yeast
  
• 1 cup warm water (105 degrees)
  
• 6 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
  
• extra flour
  
• extra shortening
  
• softened butter or salad oil
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Scald milk.
   
2. Combine scalded milk, sugar, salt and shortening in the pan in which milk was scalded. Let cool to lukewarm.
   
3. Crumble yeast into warm water in a very large mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved.
   
4. Stir milk mixture into yeast.
   
5. Add 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour, beating and mixing to incorporate all flour.
   
6. Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic.
   
7. Grease mixing bowl with shortening. Warm bowl slightly by dipping in warm water.
   
8. Place dough in bowl and brush top with softened butter or salad oil.
   
9. Cover with folded kitchen towel and let rise in warm, but not hot (about 85 degrees), free from drafts, place, until doubled in bulk.
   
10. Punch dough down in bowl and turn out onto floured board.
    
11. With sharp knife, cut dough in half.
    
12. Cover the 2 pieces with a towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
    
13. Grease 2 (9x5x3) loaf pans. Shape each loaf with hand to fit length of pan and place in pans.
    
14. Cover lightly with towels and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes or until center is slightly higher than edges.
    
15. Start oven at moderately hot (400 degrees).
    
16. Bake loaves about 50 minutes, or until crusty and browning and loaf has shrunk slightly from side of pan.
    
17. Remove loaves from pans as soon as taken from the oven, turning out onto clean towel and uprighting loaves.

Chicken/Stuffing Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package (either bag or box) of stuffing
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• package of cheddar or mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cook chicken. Pull apart into small pieces. Spread into pan.
3. Cook stuffing.
4. Mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream together and then pour over the cooked chicken.
5. Spread cheese on top.
6. Spread stuffing on top.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Kathie's Favorite Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.