Meatless Monday: Baked Pasta

This can be made WITH OR WITHOUT meat, generally chicken.   We have had it both ways, delish either way!


1 1/2 cups multigrain Penne Pasta (I just use regular pasta, anykind!)
1 pkg Fresh Spinach leaves (I use frozen, just make sure its defrosted first)
1tsp dried basil leaves
1 jar (14 1/2oz) of Spaghetti or pasta sauce (any kind)
1can diced tomatoes
2 oz (1/4 of a 8oz brick) cream cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzerella cheese
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375.

Cook pasta, adding spinache to the boiling water for the last minute. ** In another pan, add sauce, basil,  and tomatoes, bring to a boil. simmer 3 minutes.  Stir in cream cheese.

Drain pasta, return to pan.  Add sauce mixture and 1/2 of shredded mozzerella.  Spoon into a 2qu baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 3 minutes.

**TO ADD THE CHICKEN:  take 1 lb of chicken, (about 3 or 4 breasts) cube them, and brown them in a separate pan while the pasta is cooking.  Add the basil, THEN the sauce and continue according to the directions.

Southwest White Chicken Chili

Saw this in All You Magazine, its a Campbell's ad. 

Prep time 10 mins. Cook 20mins. Makes 6 Servings

• 1tbsp. Vegetable oil
• 4boneless skinless chix breasts, cut into cubes
• 4 tsps chili powder (I'm only gonna use 2 because my kids will probably complain about the spiciness)
• 2 tsps ground cumin (Again, cutting it to 1)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1medium green pepper chopped
• 1can (10/3/4 oz) condensed cream of Chicken soup
• 3/4cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel Corn
• 2 cans (15oz each) of white kidney beans (cannelloni) rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese 

1. Heat oil in 4qt sauce pan over medium heat. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, onion, and pepper and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, stirring often.

2. Stir soup, water, corn and beans in saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

I will also serve with is cornbread.   Enjoy!

Broccoli Bacon Quiche

As promised, here is a recipe for the Quiche I made on Christmas Morning.  It was delicious!   And  I did get compliments from my guests.   You CAN make this up ahead  as I did, and then reheat it, it came out fine.

4 Slices of bacon 

4 Eggs

1 Cup half & half

1 cup grated Swiss cheese (I used cheddar instead)

2 Cups broccoli (frozen is fine!) 

1/3 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder (I grated up some fresh) 

1/8 tsp. lemon pepper (I used plain black pepper) 

1 9inch premade pie shell

 

1 Cook off the bacon, then crumble them in a chopper. 

 

2 Beat eggs with the half and half cream and the Swiss cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in broccoli, salt, garlic powder, and lemon pepper.

3. Add about half the crumbled bacon  into the mixture. Pour into a pie shell.  Top with remaining bacon and a bit more cheese.

4 Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.


Enjoy!!

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Talapia with Buttery Crumb Topping

This is my 'Almost' Frugal supper tonight.  I was able to get Talapia  for 5.99 for a 2lb bag of frozen fillets.  With my girls gone tonight, I'm only cooking four of the them.  I'm matching this meal  up with fresh zucchini and yellow squash that I threw in a can of diced tomatoes.  YUMMY!

 http://southernfood.about.com/od/tilapiarecipes/r/r71228b.htm

To make the squash, I just chopped them up into slices.  I added olive oil and basil to a skillet.  I put in a chopped onion first, and cooked them about 5 minutes. Then I added the squash.  Right before it was done, I added a can of diced tomatoes. 

I paired this meal with Minute Rice Ready Rice, Brown rice.  Precooked rice that cooks in the microwave for 1 minute.  Just add butter! 

Enjoy!

Have a great night!!

Impossibly EASY Cheeseburger pie

OMG  I have taken an extended break from blogging, I don't know why! 
Things have gotten pretty crazy here, school starts for us in one week, soccer has started, cheerleading has started, and my fall mind loss has started.  SO I need to keep my meals FRUGAL and EASY.  Anything that requires me to use too many ingredients and have too many steps, I just don't have time for right now.  SO here is one of my favorites, and my old stand bys.  (Note to self: I'm out of Bisquick! Make sure I put some on the grocery list this week!)

Bisquick recipes are great, they use minimal ingredients, and are usually fairly cheap to prepare.  This one I changed just a bit, I added some green peppers when my meat was browing, and then I threw  a can of diced tomatoes  just before it finished.
Click this link:

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef



1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)


1/2 teaspoon salt


1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)


1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix


1 cup milk


2 eggs


1.Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.


2.In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.


3.In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.


4.Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
 
Enjoy and have a great night!

Taco Skillet Meal

Here is my 'too hot to cook', 'I'm not turning on the oven', frugal meal for today.
I took a recipe that I enjoy and have used in the past and tweaked it to become a 'skillet' meal. I have an electric skillet that I use several times a week, especially in the summer in an effort to avoid turning on my oven and heating up the house. I love my skillet! LOL

Here is the original recipe in case you would like to try it as is.

Taco Bake (Serves 6)
1lb ground beef
1 half green pepper, diced
1half onion, diced
1packet taco seasoning (any kind)
1 14oz package of Mac and Cheese (any kind)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa (any kind)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with the diced onion and pepper.  When browned, season with taco seasoning  as directed on package. In another pan, make mac and cheese as directed.  Add the sour cream to the mac and cheese. Grease a casserole dish, and layer the mac and meat mixture, alternating layers. Top with  salsa and cheese and bake at 325 until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Here is my variation to not use the oven:

In a skillet, brown ground beef with onions and pepper, season with taco seasoning. In another pan,  made mac and cheese as directed, but instead of milk, just add the sour cream.  Pour into skillet with meat mixture.  Pour  salsa on top, then sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover then turn off heat and let cheese melt for about 5 or 6 minutes. 

And whats the perfect veggie to serve with this?  Why Mexican corn, of course!  Heat up some frozen corn, but to that add some diced green and red peppers, some butter and season with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!


Have a Great Night!!

Homemade Frugal Tomato Soup

I was looking for a recipe for tomato soup, and couldn't find one I liked with ingredients I had on hand. SO I took a recipe I found and modified it to what I did have and its GOOD!!

1Tsp Olive Oil
1 Med onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ( I used BBQ sauce)
1Tbsp Sugar
1Tbsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste.

In a large sauce pan, saute oil, onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add carrots and saute again for another 5 minutes or until veggies are soft.
Add tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce to med to simmer for 20 minutes. Add Salt and pepper to taste.

You can mix with an immersion blender or blend in a blender to puree, I left is as is. Add a quarter cup of cream, and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

I prepared this with common ingredients, and for less than $2. I'll serve with Grilled Cheese for a nice frugal dinner for this hot evening. Enjoy!!

Have a great night!!