Spicy Sausage and Pasta

I often feel that I am falling off the wagon with this blog.  I admit that it is not a priority but more of a catch all that keeps things organized for me whenever I get around to typing something or adding something.  Anyway, the point is, I am still trying new recipes.  I stumbled upon this one on Pinterest and give credit to the blog Kevin & Amanda for the picture, but it originally comes from the Best Simple Recipe cookbook.  As I always mention, a recipe is filed as a "keeper" and "blogable" if my son inhales the dish.  That was the case tonight.

Here is what you need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1.) Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2.) Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3.) Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings

It is a super fast and easy meal to make and it is super yummy.

Chicken & Cheese Lasagna Roll-ups

I found this recipe tonight on Pinterest. The only change I made was to the sauce. I used a jar of Alfredo sauce instead of the spaghetti sauce. It was SO good!!! RJ ate the entire thing without bribes and complaining!!!

Here is what you need:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1/4 cup milk
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups Prego Spaghetti Sauce

1) In medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper
2) Spread 1/2 cup mixture on each lasagna noodle; roll jelly-roll fashion
3) In a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce
4) Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in sauce in baking dish
5) Top with remaining spaghetti sauce
6) Cover and Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot
7) Serve, if desired, with additional Parmesan cheese.

Spicy Shrimp and Pasta Casserole

So, if you don't like shrimp or seafood, don't stop reading! We love shrimp and seafood and I am always looking for new ways and ideas to prepare it, AND most of them you can totally substitute chicken in for the shrimp. This is one of those...therefore, be happy you kept reading.

If you like spice, shrimp (chicken), and pasta, this is a VERY delicious meal. We LOVED it, and it was VERY filling. It is one of the few casseroles that when made in a 9x13, we actually had enough for an entire second meal.

Here is what you need:
2 lbs shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined (frozen "preready" shrimp works too)
16 oz of salsa
9 oz Angel hair pasta (about 3/4 of box)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp red pepper
1/3 Cup chopped parsley
1/3 Cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 Cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 Cup half & half
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (I used a Colby jack blend)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, Swiss, feta, parsley, basil, and oregano. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
2)Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread half of pasta in the bottom. Cover the pasta with the salsa, 1/2 the shrimp, and then cover it with the Monterrey Jack cheese.
3) Add the remaining pasta and then the remaining shrimp. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Johnny Carino's Bow Tie Festival

I have decided that this is probably my most recent FAVORITE recipe. Not only is it yummy, but it is another crock pot recipe :) It is pretty similar to the Italian Chicken one that I posted already, but I like this one A LOT better.

I got this recipe from a friend when a group of us was putting together a birthday dinner last week for our Church's Relief Society (ladies). She shared it on her blog so I decided to share it on my blog too :) I also stole the picture from her blog since I didn't have one.

Here is what you need:

• 4 chicken breasts (For my family, I would use 1 large or 2 or 3 small ones)
• 1 Jar 4 cheese Alfredo Sauce
• 1 Can cream of chicken
• 1 Can chicken broth
• 1 package Real bacon pieces (a small package)
• 1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 package dry Italian Dressing Mix (we used a whole one)
• 1 Cup Swiss cheese, cubed (I think shredded would work too)
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Shred chicken an hour before finished. Serve over cooked bow tie pasta.

We served ours with salads and french bread. It was DELICIOUS!