Yummy Stuff!

Unlike many of my friends, I am not an accomplished cook!  Sure, I have some things I cook up that the family loves, but I don't stray too far from the "every day" normal. So, when I find a delicious recipe that I can manage without too much chaos and kitchen upheavel AND it tastes great, I'm going to share it for everyone to try!  I hope you enjoy them too!

Yummy Spaghetti Bake!

I saw this wonderful recipe on Pinterest from salad-in-a-jar.com which is a great blog/website so check it out!  Anyway, this recipe has become one of my go-to "stars" and both "kids" like it! WOOHOO!!

Ingredients:

*  8 ounces of spaghetti cooked and drained
*  1 pound of ground beef
*  1 large can of spaghetti sauce (I used Newman's own -LOVE that proceeds go to charity and it's good, too!)
*  1 T butter
*  1/2 C chopped green or red peppers (you can omit completely if you are not a pepper eater)
*  1/3 C chopped onions
*  8 oz cream cheese (softened)
*  2 T milk
*  fresh grated parmesean cheese
* french fried onions - small can

Instructions:

1.  Cook spaghetti - drain and set aside
2.  brown ground beef (I sprinkle with some garlic salt and onion powder); drain
3.  Add spaghetti sauce and keep warm
4.  Combine onions, peppers and butter in a small bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes until soft
5.  Add cream cheese and milk to veggies and butter (smells wonderful) and stir completely
6.  Spram some Pam on the bottom of baking dish (I sometimes split this into two 8x8 and then freeze one for later- or use one 13x9).
7 Layers:  spread some of the spaghetti sauce on bottom of dish; add a layer of spaghetti; spread cream cheese mixture; remaining spaghetti sauce/meat; parmesean cheese to taste
** sometimes I also layer in some mozzo cheese with the cream cheese layer - YUMMO**
8.  I cover with almuminum foil so the spaghetti doesn't get dry and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; remove aluminimum for 5 minutes; add the French onions to the top and return the dish to the oven for 4-5 minutes until onions on top are browned BUT not dark!

ENJOY!



Crockpot Spaghetti and Chicken!

This is an easy recipe and you just throw things into the crockpot and most of the work is done hwile you are away! My daughter loves fetuccini alfredo, and this was close enough to it that she really enjoyed it! I used low fat cream of chicken soup and low sodium chicken broth and it was very good!

Ingredients:

3# of chicken breasts

1 package of italian salad dressing mix

4 T of melted butter

small onion

garlic clove (I used already chopped garlic)

1 can of cream of chicken soup

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 c of chicken broth

1 lb of spaghetti

Directions:

Place chicken pieces into crock pot and sprinkle Italian dressing mix on top.  Drip 2 T of the melted butter over chicken and dressing mix.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Melt 2 T butter in a sauce pan with the onion and garlic and sautee.  Add cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, and broth.  Stir until smooth. Add to crockpot, cook on low another hour.  Prepare spaghetti and serve together.

YUMMY STRAWBERRY DESSERT!!!!

This dessert is very easy and so refreshing and good!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 roll of sugar cookie dough
1 pkg of cream cheese
1/2 box of powdered sugar
Strawberry glaze
fresh strawberries sliced


First, put a roll and 1/2 of the sugar cookie dough on the bottom of cookie pan


Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Let cook completely
     

Mix package of cream cheese with about a 1/2 box of powdered sugar until creamy.
Spread mixture on top of baked cookie dough.


Spread strawberry glaze on top of the cream cheese mixture.



Slice up strawberries and lay them on top of the glaze.



YUMMY!!! ~ I served with coolwhip and it was so good!

ENJOY!!
Chicken Enchilada Recipe (okay bear with my photography haha)

This is an easy recipe and everyone in my family enjoys it! My friend Juli started me on it and I keep playing with it.  Sometimes I add Spanish rice inside the enchiladas, sometimes I add peppers to my chicken while it cooks This is the basic recipe!

Some of the ingredients

Ingredients:
10 Flour Tortillas
3 # bag of frozen chicken breasts
chicken bouillon cube
4 C bag of shredded Mexican Four Cheese
1 large can of refried beans
1 large can of enchilada sauce and cook it while I'm at work
1 large onion diced
1 can of black olives, sliced

1.  I put the thawed chicken breasts in the crock pot with some water and chicken bullion
2.  When I get home, I shred my chicken,  cut up the onion and olive, open the cans of beans and sauce and have the rest of my ingredients ready for building the enchiladas

I spread beans on tortillas, add chicken, cheese, onions and black olives and roll up the tortilla

I place the enchiladas in a 9x13 glass dish that I have sprayed with Pam nonstick spray and poured some enchilada sauce in the bottom

I fill the dish with rolled enchiladas

Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, with more shredded cheese, onions and black olives.

I then cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

(as you can see in the picture I had enough ingredients to make a 9x9 dish as well-I get carried away sometimes!)

When it comes out it looks like this!

YUMMY!

I have also frozen this and it turns out really well.  I wrap tightly in foil and put in a 2 gallon freezer bag and freeze!

Chocolate Cobbler Recipe

This recipe was SUPER easy! I made it for the girls at lunch and it was a hit!

Ingredients:

2 sticks of margarine (I always use Imperial)

1 1/4 C sugar

1 1/2 C self-rising flour

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C milk

Chocolate Layer:

1 C Sugar

6 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 C boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, melt 2 sticks of margarine in the oven.

2. In a bowl, mix together 1 1/4 C sugar, flour, vanilla and milk. Once margarine is melted, pour the batter over the margarine, but do NOT stir.

3. In a separate bowl mix together the cocoa and the remaining sugar.

4. Sprinkle cocoa/sugar mixture on top of batter. Do NOT stir. = ) (I know it's hard not to, right?)

5. Pour the 2 Cups of boiling water on top of that (I know it's killing you, but don't stir) and bake for 30-45 minutes. I baked mine until the crust was nice and golden on top and it was bubbling chocolate. This took about 35 mins, but because it was my first time, I turned my oven light on and watched it closely for the last 5 minutes or so to make sure I didn't over cook (a big problem of mine).

And..........here it is! : )

I served it warm with some vanilla ice cream................YUMMY!