Beef Stroganoff

It's been a few years at least since I made this recipe but it's a favorite of mine and it tasted wonderful tonight so Here goes!

(Serves 6-ish)

1 lb ground beef
1 med onion diced fine
1 pkg sliced mushrooms (for me I leave them sliced for the family I chop them very small!)
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 can's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Milk
8 oz tub of Sour Cream (or half of the 16 oz container etc. you may like it with more or less...)
1 T Worcestershire sauce (or more!)
2 t. Parsley Flakes

salt
Pepper


Proceedure:
In a large Skillet
Brown 1 lb of ground beef When it is about 2/3 Cooked add:
Onions
Mushrooms
Cook till they are soft and add Salt and Pepper to taste
NOW add the minced garlic...yum
Add the Worcestershire sauce
(If your meat had a LOT of fat you may wish at this point to drain that off and add a little more sauce)
When the meat is all cooked add:
Soup
Milk
Cook for 10 min on med/low to a nice consistancy

This is a good time to boil your noodles! I use a 1 lb bag of curly noodles. I have heard that mashed potatoes or rice will work too.

When your noodles are done add the sour cream and Parsley Flakes to the gravy and stir to combine. Serve over the noodles and enjoy!

Lasagne

For Christina and Lindsay!

I think everyone has their own perfect vision for lasagna. The following is mine! My female children prefer this without the cottage/ricotta cheese layer....poor misguided souls....

Make a big batch of your favorite spaghetti sauce! When it's done and simmering away boil 9 or 12 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Layers in a 9x13 pan:

very light amount of sauce on bottom of pan

3 noodles

Sauce to cover each noodle well

Generous amount of mixed cheese (I like cheddar/jack/mozzarella)

3 noodles

Cottage cheese or Ricotta mixture (1lb container of cottage cheese, one lightly beaten egg, 1 tsp itallian seasoning, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese mixed together)

3 noodles

Sauce to cover each noodle well

Cheese

if your pan is deep enough:

Sauce to cover each noodle well

Bake for 30 min at 375

cover with generous amount of cheese and bake an additional 15 to 20 min or until cheese is the way you like it.

LET IT REST! Cover loosely to keep the bugs (husbands) away.... Serve with garlic bread or rolls! YUMMM

Cheesy tortellini casserole

I can't believe I have never posted this recipe! One of our family favorites.

This recipe can be found here also:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cheesy-baked-tortellini-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce (homemade is good, but canned works too)
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (or room temp cream cheese works too)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pound purchased cheese tortellini (I prefer the Costco cheese ones)
• 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Shells with Crispy Bacon and Spinach

For Christina!

This is the link on Food Network Site.

We swap out the pancetta for Bacon and Small curd cottage cheese for Ricotta.

Enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/shells-with-crispy-pancetta-and-spinach-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Shells:

• 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
• 1 cup grated asiago cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Tortellini Salad

Adapted from my good Friend Karen Rule. I LOVE this salad! She served it very elegantly on a beautiful butter lettuce leaf. We don't get that far...it just gets consumed! Her recipe calls for chicken but we have omitted that in ours (you can add it if you would like a more hearty dish)

Tortellini Salad:

4 whole Chicken Breasts cooked, chopped in 1 inch pieces (Completely Optional!)

1 Pkg of Costco Cheese Tortellini (comes in the double pack I used one side save the other for Tortellini casserole! Or toss in the freezer!) Cook the lowest time (8 min), pour into strainer then I pour the liquid out of the marinated artichoke hearts over the pasta and stir. Let it sit there for a few min then pour into your large salad bowl to cool.

Add;

1 C. red grapes halved

1 C. green grapes Halved

2 C. baby spinach leaves rough chopped

1/2 C. Snow peas halved (0ptional, I don't use these anymore)

1 lg. Celery Heart with leaves chopped fine (about 1/2 Cup is all my kids like)

1 6 ounce jar of Artichoke hearts chopped

1 English Cucumber chopped

2 Kiwi peeled, sliced,

Reserve One can of Mandarin Oranges till time to serve.

Dressing:

1 1/3 C. Mayonnaise

1 C. grated parmesan Cheese

2/3 C. fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Note: the Parmesan is usually salty enough for me so I just grind some fresh pepper into the dressing and it's enough

My Macaroni Salad

This salad is my adaptation of the one my mom made. Hers included Chicken which my kids did NOT Like so I have omitted that. I also use Paprika sprinkled on the top before being served.

4 C. Cooked Macaroni (I like small shells or salad macaroni) Cook, Drain, Add:

1 bottle of diced Pimento (liquid and all, it keeps the macaroni from sticking together)

Add:

1/2 C. finely Chopped Celery (cause the kids complain if pieces are too big, it works either way)

1/4 C. finelyChopped onion (whichever kind you prefer I have used all of them they all work)

1/2 C. Diced green pepper (or a variety for more color)

4 or more (I use 6) hard boiled eggs chopped up

Dressing:

1 C. Miracle Whip (NOT Mayo)

1 T. yellow mustard

1 1/2 T. Vinegar (I like rice vinegar)

1 T. Sugar

Mix together add to salad

Sprinkle paprika over top.

This salad is good, but its GREAT if left overnight!