Cheesy Garlic, Sausage, and Bacon Pasta

My husband absolutely loves it when a recipe contains more than just one meat.  And I love anything with a cream sauce.  So this recipe makes us both happy!  I got the idea from this recipe, but the whole carbonara process seemed too time consuming to try out with a fussy baby on my hip so I just added some flour and cream to the bacon and sausage drippings to make a normal cream sauce for the pasta and it was delicious!  But I'm sure actually making it as carbonara wold be wonderful as well so feel free to give yourself more time than I did and try it out.

• 3 Tablespoons of flour
• 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pound of spaghetti - cooked
• 1 lb of sliced smoked sausage
• 1/2 pound of bacon - after cooked cut into pieces
• 1- 2 teaspoon of minced garlic *depending on taste
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 extra cup of Italian blend cheeses* (can be the mixed bag style in stores)

Directions:

Fry bacon and use drippings to brown sausage. Reduce heat and add garlic to simmer with sausage.  Add a few tablespoons of flour to create a roux and mix well.  Add cold cream and stir til the sauce thickens. Add Italian blend cheese.  Add bacon and pasta and combine.  Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve.

Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Pasta Skillet

Yummy!  Thanks to Yellow Bliss Road for this simple recipe!

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
• 8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.
4. Makes about 4 servings

3 Cheese Stuffed Shells

The Pioneer Woman gives us another great recipe!  My husband liked this so much that I used the filling for my lasagna as well!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 8 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided
• 1/2 cup Grated Romano Cheese
• 1 whole Egg
• 12 leaves Basil, Chiffonade
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 pound Italian Sausage
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• 1 whole (28 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 whole (15 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley

Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two. 

Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasonings; can add crushed red peppers if you like a little heat.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined. 

To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with crusty French bread.

Creamy Salmon Pasta

I recently had some leftover salmon and decided to stretch it into a meal for my family.  I basically just made a yummy cream sauce to go over it with some pasta.  My husband loved it so I thought I'd share.  Unfortunately, I didn't measure anything, so I'll put my estimations in parentheses :)

Ingredients:
butter (about a half a stick)
sweet onion (about half of a medium size)
sweet red pepper (about half of a medium size)
garlic (about 2 or 3 cloves)
salt (about 7 shakes)
flour (about 1/4 cup)
leftover cooked salmon (about 1 cup worth)
milk (1 1/2 cups or more if sauce is thick)
parmesan (about 1/2 cup)
pasta of choice

Directions:  Sautee onions and red pepper in butter til cooked.  Add flour and mix well.  Add milk and stir well til sauce begins to thicken.  Add parmesan and stir til mixed well.  Add salmon.  After heated, serve over hot pasta.  Can also add peas or asparagus.

Pasta with Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch

My husband loves bacon and ranch so when I saw THIS recipe on Pinterest, I knew I should try it.  It was very simple and good and I will be adding it to my list of favorite dinners.  I changed it slightly... I don't use store-bought Ranch because I try to avoid anything containing soy, so I used my own homemade version.  I always use brown rice pasta for my gluten-free daughter.  I also reserved the bacon to cover the top of the casserole to ensure that it got really crispy and because my husband likes any recipe that is covered with bacon on top :)  I actually did not have any cheddar cheese, and I'm sure it would have been delicious, but we just sprinkled some Parmesan on top and it was also delicious.

Ingredients:
10 oz cooked pasta
2 cups cooked chicken
cooked bacon (I used about 3/4 a package and saved the rest for some mashed potatoes the next day)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cream or milk
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup Ranch dressing ( I mixed together some Ranch seasoning, softened cream cheese, yogurt, and olive oil)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we sprinkled parmesan on top since we were out of cheddar and it was quite good!)

Directions: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once roux is ready, add cream and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.  Mix together in a casserole dish with cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, and cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

New Favorite Recipe: Sausage Pasta Presto

I've had this recipe in my "recipes to try" file for a while now, and I am so glad I finally tried it! It is now one of my favorite "go-to" recipes! It is simple to put together, can feed a lot of people because of the noodles, and very tasty. I'm going to have to start keeping my freezer stocked with cooked sausage so I can throw it together even faster whenever I am pinched on time. I added some sweet onions and cooked them with the red peppers because we love them. I also was out of feta cheese, so I just sprinkled on some parmesan cheese instead. And we don't like black olives, so we just skipped them. And Mark loved it! But I'm sure the feta is absolutely delicious as well. Thanks to Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking for another great recipe!

1 package (16 ounces) brown rice penne pasta (preferred due to the low amount of phytates over other whole grain pastas, unless sprouted)
2 teaspoon olive or coconut oil (coconut is best over high heat)
4-5 cups (1/4 inch thick) sliced red bell pepper (approx. 4 large bell peppers), each cut in half crosswise (I have also used various colored bell peppers in combination together with great results!)
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
16 ounces Italian sausage (I love this with chicken Italian sausage from our local Trader Joe’s – delicious! I usually get by just fine with 1/2 pound)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (about 1, 5-6 oz small container) crumbled feta cheese
1 (15 oz can) black olives, sliced (or kalamata, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Undercooking is best, as it will continue cooking when you add to the other ingredients.

Saute the bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 2 minutes in olive or coconut oil. Remove casings, if necessary, from the sausage. Add sausage, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook for 4 minutes until sausage is done; stirring to crumble. Add pasta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cheese, olives, and black pepper; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Creamy Salmon Pasta

My husband says this is my best recipe yet! He said it was like he was eating at Red Lobster :)
I actually enjoyed it even though I typically don't like seafood because I had a love affair with the yummy sauce :) My toddler liked it and I even gave the sauce to my baby, who liked it almost as much as her Daddy!!!! If only salmon were cheaper and we could eat this every night!

Ingredients:
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 clove Garlic, Finely Chopped Or Pressed
* 6 whole Green Onions, Finely Chopped
* 1 pound, 1-⅔ ounce, weight Smoked Salmon, Sliced In Small Pieces
* 1 cup Heavy Cream
* 1 cup Table Or Light Cream
* ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg (freshly Grated If You Have It)
* ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
* 2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan, Plus Extra For Serving

Directions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add garlic and green onions and saute for 1 or 2 minutes.

Add salmon and saute until slightly opaque (about 2-3 minutes).

Stir in cream, nutmeg, basil, and pepper; continue stirring until sauce slightly thickens (still over medium heat).

Add Parmesan and reduce heat to low, continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Serve over fettuccine or your favorite noodles and garnish with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

Recipe can easily be doubled; if using frozen smoked salmon, make sure to thaw it in the fridge before using, otherwise the sauce gets watery.

# Prep Time 20 Minutes
# Cook Time 15 Minutes
# Difficulty Easy
# Servings 6

Recipe found at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/creamy-smoked-salmon-pasta/

Mom's Simple and Frugal Beefaroni

Whenever my Mom had a busy day, she would make this easy and frugal meal for dinner. And I always loved it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup noodles of your choice
1 can tomato sauce
4 slices American cheese (or whatever cheese you like best)
shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions: Cook pasta while browning ground beef. Drain water from pasta and grease from ground beef. Add pasta and tomato sauce to beef in pan, cook on med heat til sauce is bubbly. Turn heat down to low. Add in American cheese; stir til melted and well-mixed. Serve with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top.

K & W mac and cheese

I'm not sure how my grandmother got the recipe from K & W, but this is probably the easiest and yummiest mac and cheese ever. I used to make it for my brother and his friends in college and they loved it when I added diced ham to it and would eat it as a complete meal :)

Ingredients:
8 oz macaroni, uncooked
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. Salt

Directions: Cook macaroni according to package; drain. Mix all ingredients, reserving ¾ cup cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top. Bake in buttered baking dish until bubbly on top; approx. 35 minutes at 350

Creamy Spinach Chicken Dinner

This is one of my new favorites that I found in one of my cooking magazines :)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups uncooked pasta

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

½ cup chopped onion

2 tsp olive oil

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup heavy whipping cream

10 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach (we just used a box of frozen spinach)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/8 tsp pepper

*garlic powder

*salt

*Parmesan cheese

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet or Dutch oven over med heat, cook and stir chicken and onion in oil for 5 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Stir in soup and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cheese, and pepper; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and cheese melted. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat

*I added in some salt and garlic powder at the same time I added the pepper to give it more flavor. I also sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top when I served the plates

Super Baked Ziti

My dear friend Mary Vargas gave me the idea to make all my pasta recipes more rich and creamier by mixing a can of Alfredo sauce with the tomato sauce. Oh, its so good!!!

Ingredients:
1 box ziti noodles
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 can alfredo sauce
1 Cup shredded cheese
*Can add 1 lb browned ground beef, sausage, or meatballs

Directions:
Boil noodles. Mix alfredo sauce and spaghetti sauce together. Add noodles. Pour into baking dish, top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350

Rich and Easy Manicotti

Mark says he likes this more than what we get at Italian restaurants :) It also freezes well, so I always double it and have one for later:)

Ingredients:
1 pkg manicotti noodles
1 pound ground beef or sausage
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions: Cook pasta, rinse and drain. Drain diced tomatoes; mix with tomato sauce in a small bowl. Brown ground beef; stir in cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups moz cheese. Spoon into manicotti shells, place stuffed shells in greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over shells, sprinkle with remaining moz cheese. Bake at 250 for 20 min til bubbly. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mom's unbeatable Lasagna

We ate this regularly growing up and it is undoubtedly the best lasagna ever! And it freezes great, so make 2!

Ingredients:
2lb ground beef
1 pkg. Onion soup mix
1 cup water
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp. Oregano
¾ lb mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can tomato sauce
2 lb cottage cheese OR ricotta cheese

Directions: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or pot; drain. Add onion soup mix, water, spices, sugar, tomato sauce, and paste. Bring to low boil and simmer one hour. Stir often. Arrange in a long baking dish in the following order: meat, noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella. Make two or three layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if desired. Bake at 350 for ½ hour. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Brian's Study Break Chicken Casserole

My friend Brian would make this for several of my friends and me whenever we were stressed with exams and didn't have time to cook. Yummy comfort food!

Ingredients:
Cream of chicken soup
Cream of _____(your choice )
Cheddar cheese soup
16 oz. Sour cream
3 chicken breasts or more
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 bag egg noodles
ritz crackers

Directions: Cook chicken and noodles; shred chicken. Mix everything except 1 cup cheese, dump in baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and crumbled ritz crackers. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Mama Bob’s Baked Spaghetti

This is a recipe from my sis-in-law, Terra, that I love because it has velveeta cheese in it and it is easy :)

Ingredients:

12 oz. Spaghetti

1 can tomato soup

1 can tomato sauce

12 oz. Velveeta Cheese cut into slices

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Bring large pot of water to boil. Break spaghetti into thirds. Cook as normal. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Drain spaghetti and combine with mixture. Place in ungreased 2.2 qt. Dish; cover and bake 45 min. Remove cover. Bake until top looks crusty – about 15 min