Four Cheese Chicken Pasta

If you like pasta with chicken and alferdo sauce you will like this recipe.  This is a family favorite and the boys get so excited when they see me making this.   (sorry I don't have a picture)

4 Cheese Chicken Pasta
what you need

• 1 box of Bowtie Pasta
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 8oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 4.5 oz sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• Topping:
• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 or 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

make it

Cook pasta according to package. Meanwhile, combine soup, cream cheese, mushrooms, whipping cream, butter and garlic powder. Stir in cheeses, cook and stir until melted. Add chicken, heat through. Drain pasta & add to sauce. Transfer to a shallow, greased 2 1/2qt baking dish. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over chicken mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover, bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Notes

Can be made ahead, but you will need to adjust baking time so that the dish is heated through.

Homemade Pizza

 We LOVE to make pizza at our house.  I must confess I buy the dough,  but the boys love it all the same. It's just a fun thing to do as a family.

Does anyone else like to make homemade pizza?

YUM-O!!!!

Mozzarella Beef Roll-ups

I even make a bunch up and put them in the freezer for Mike's lunches and about 30 minutes before Mike comes home to get his lunch I throw them in the oven on low.

Mozzarella Beef Roll-ups

what you need

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 med. green pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (8oz) pizza sauce
• 28 pepperoni slices
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 6 flour tortillas (10inch), warmed
• 6 cheese sticks

make it

In a large skillet, cook the beef, gr peppers, and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in pizza sauce, pepperoni and oregano.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of beef mixture off-center on each tortilla; top with a piece of string cheese. Fol on side of each tortilla over the filling and roll up from the opposite side. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Notes

I usually chop up the pepperoni instead of leaving them as whole slices.

Mini Meatloaves AKA BBQ Cheeseburger Cupcakes

We had these for supper tonight, and once again I was amazed the boys gobbled these up. 

what you need

Take 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, 1 pkg. (6 oz.)  Stuffing Mix and 1 cup water and mix & match your recipe from these options...

	seasoning options	add-in choices	cheese possibilities
	1 tsp. Italian seasoning	spaghetti sauce	Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
	2 tsp. chili powder	Salsa	Mexican Style  Four Cheese
	1 tsp. dried oregano leaves	chopped roasted red peppers	Feta Cheese
	1 tsp. garlic powder	Barbecue Sauce	Shredded Cheddar Cheese

then follow these 3 simple steps:

HEAT oven to 375°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and seasoning until well blended. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.

MAKE indentation in center of each with back of spoon; fill evenly with 3/4 cup add-ins.

BAKE 30 min. or until meatloaves are done. Top with 3/4 cup cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Let stand 10 min.

Packing Lunches

The past two weeks I have had to pack three lunches each school day because this mom forgot to hand in the School Hot Lunch Form.  How easily I forget what a plan in the butt it is to making lunches that are quick, simple and interesting all at the same time.  Of course I didn't remember until today (the last day of that two week period) that my little people haven't been getting milk either..basicially they haven't been drinking anything at lunch.  Today I can pat myself on my back...I put juice boxes in their lunch boxes.

So I guess what I'm trying to ask for with the post is what quick tips do you have for making lunches, whether it's for yourself, your little people, or your spouse?

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I love Fall. Especially when it comes to cooking with apples and pumpkin.  Yesterday I made an apple crisp..so good, and this morning before 7 am I was mixing together ingredients for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread...YUM!!!!  

And that's the recipe I want to share with you today.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.

3 cups Flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

pinch of salt

4 eggs

2 cups Sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients -  flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt; set aside.  In another bowl, combine beaten eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin.  Stir in Dry Ingredients just until moist.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in greased pans.

Homemade Seasonings

A few weeks ago, the boys wanted tacos, after I thawed and fried the hamburg I realized I didn't have any taco seasoning so I searched the internet for a taco seasoning I could make from scratch.


Taco Seasoning Mix

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp garlic salt

1-1/2 tsp paprika

1-12tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

dash of cayenne

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place

I also found this fajita seasoning mix, really liked this one.

Fajita Seasoning

• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon cube
• 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix.