creamy parmesan roast beef pasta.

This is a super easy dinner recipe reminiscent of beef stroganoff- just without the mushrooms. I get so tired of cooking chicken or browning and draining ground beef. Since the beef came from the deli, no meat-cooking was required! Win! 

This dinner pairs perfectly with a green salad or a dish of fresh green beans. Let me know if you try it- I hope you enjoy it!

~

creamy parmesan roast beef pasta 

from back for seconds blog

Ingredients

• 10oz small pasta, i.e. shells or bowtie
• 1 lb deli roast beef, chopped
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta as directed on box. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot (enough to hold 4+ cups of liquid and other solid ingredients), saute onions and roast beef until onions are soft and beef is heated through. Take out onions and beef and place in separate plate or bowl.
3. In the same large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until thick paste is formed. Keep stirring for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly add in milk and other seasonings. Whisk until smooth for several minutes. 
5. Stir in beef stock and continue cooking and stirring until sauce bubbles and thickens. 
6. Add parmesan cheese and let sauce sit for a few more minutes to thicken more.
7. Add pasta, beef, and onions to creamy parmesan mixture. Stir to coat.

mexican sausage alfredo.

This is the second time I have made this but the first time we ate it before I could get a picture. So of course, I had to make it again so I could share it with you all!

This is my sister's recipe. I did make a couple adaptations but for the most part, it's the same. This recipe is seriously the bomb. It has a rich alfredo sauce combined with spicy, flavorful seasonings PLUS mild Italian sausage. Does Ital-ican really get any better than this?! ;)

Oh and if you are curious, the Garden Delight aka veggie pasta doesn't taste different than normal pasta. I just thought all the colors would look pretty for this dish specifically. :)

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Ingredients:

• 16 ounces spiral pasta (I used 12 oz Ronzoni Garden Delight Rotini)
• 4 tablespoons butter (I used coconut butter)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 12 pieces
• 2 1/4 cups milk, divided
• 2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 pound mild italian sausage
• 1/2-1 cup chopped onion (however much you prefer or feel like cutting ;)
• 4 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided (I made my own) 
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup frozen corn

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil. While you are waiting, start on the alfredo sauce.
2. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn. 
3. Add cream cheese piece by piece, stirring until smooth through each addition. Mixture will probably look curdled, but don't worry and keep stirring. It will become smooth in just a couple minutes.
4. Next, slowly add a total of 2 cups milk in 1/4 cup increments. Make sure the milk is fully incorporated before adding the next 1/4 cup. 
5. Then, stir in 1 cup parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon pepper, mixing until cheese completely melts. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until it is thickened, then cover and remove from heat.
6. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, you can start cooking the sausage.
7. Cook sausage, onion, remaining pepper, and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning to the pan. Keep sausage going until it is cooked all the way through. Then, pour in Alfredo sauce [if it's homemade, give it a good stir first] and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk, remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, salsa, and corn. Mix well, then pour into an ungreased 9×13 inch baking pan.
8. Drain pasta and fold into sausage mixture. Bake (covered or uncovered) for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. :)

Recipe Source: my lovely sister- The Pajama Chef :)

chicken & noodles.

Mmm...ultimate comfort food right here, people. 

This is an incredibly easy recipe I found for chicken and noodles. Grant and I ate it over mashed potatoes and it was seriously awesome.  Our grandma makes homemade noodles so we were spoiled and didn't have to use store bought noodles. Also, see my note about the cream of chicken soup. It yielded a lot so we enjoyed it over many lunches and dinners :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup* 3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 2 cups diced, cooked chicken

2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon seasoning salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 (9 ounce) packages egg noodles

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. 
2. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. 
3. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. 
4. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
   
   *I made my own cream of chicken soup with Stacy Makes Cent's Recipe. It is delicious, easy, and much healthier than the canned stuff- triple bonus! :)

Recipe Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/incredibly-easy-chicken-and-noodles/

light fettuccine alfredo.

This recipe is much lighter than most alfredo sauces. You won't find a whole stick of butter or a whole brick of cream cheese in this recipe (not that there is anything wrong with that!). The small amount of heavy cream, butter, milk, and cream cheese blend together wonderfully to make a thick yet still creamy sauce. The cheese and garlic give it rich flavor. We ate this pasta dish with chicken parmesan the first time and had leftovers with plain cooked chicken. Both times it was delicious!

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 8 oz. fettuccine pasta, uncooked (I used whole grain linguine)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder, to taste
• 1 1/2 oz. freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp slightly packed)
• 2 oz Neufchatel cheese (aka 1/3 less fat cream cheese), diced into cubes
• freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
• finely shredded Romano cheese for serving, optional 

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions listed on package. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Once fully melted mix in flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add in a little milk at time, whisking vigorously until smooth after each addition. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt and garlic powder. While stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, cook sauce until mixture thickens and begins to gently bubble.
• Reduce heat to low, add in Parmesan cheese and Neufchatel cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Stir in a few tbsp pasta water to thin sauce if desired. Drain cooked pasta well (DO NOT rinse pasta with water or the pasta sauce wont stick) then pour drained pasta into sauce and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately garnished with ground pepper, optional parsley and Romano cheese.

[adapted from http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/12/light-fettuccine-alfredo/]

Grandma's lasagna.

I am sharing my Grandma's lasagna recipe and it is one you'll definitely want to try! It's the best lasagna I've ever had! Actually it's just about the only lasagna I'll eat. It's a classic lasagna recipe bursting with tomato sauce, flavorful oregano, and lots of cheese. 

Ingredients:

1 jar spaghetti sauce (23-25 oz-ish)

1 lb lean ground beef- optional

8 oz lasagna noodles

8 oz shredded mozzarella

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 lb small curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook noodles according to package. Brown and drain ground beef.

3. Combine eggs and seasonings.

4. Add cottage cheese to egg mixture.

5. Combine spaghetti sauce and ground beef.

6. In a 9x13 baking dish, arrange layer of sauce/beef, layer of noodles, layer of egg/cottage cheese mixture, layer of mozzarella, and finally a layer of parmesan. 

7. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of sauce on top.

8. Bake for 1 hour. Cover with foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Let stand 15 minutes before serving (I usually can't wait this long though!).

meat lovers pizza casserole.

Who says you can't have pizza AND pasta?!

This is definitely the best of both worlds :)

Here's what you need:

8-oz small pasta (I used shells)
20 slices pepperoni
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1 lb ground beef

1/2 pepper (I used some green and some red), chopped1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz) can pizza sauce 
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Italian seasoning (divided)
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
8-oz mozzarella shredded cheese
5-oz fresh grated parmesan cheese

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 

2. Bring a covered 8 quart pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta. Cook according to package directions (approximately 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat when pasta is al dente. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

4. Heat precooked sausage and pepper in skillet. Slice and set aside.

5. In a blender combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Blend until smooth. (Blending is optional; I didn't blend them because I don't mind my tomatoes chunky but mostly because I was feeling lazy. I just mixed them with a spoon.)

6. Once pasta is drained, immediately add sauce, ¾ of both cheeses, ½ of the pepperoni, the sausage, and the ground beef to hot saucepan and stir with pasta until combined. 

7. Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 dish and cover top of pasta with remaining pepperoni. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

[adapted from http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/contributors/the-simple-kitchen/meat-lovers-pizza-pasta-bake.html]

baked penne & béchamel sauce.

[adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-rigatoni-with-bechamel-sauce-recipe2/index.html]

I'm not going to beat around the bush or even pretend this is a healthy dish...because it's not. But it may be one of the best pasta dishes your mouth will ever taste.  It is rich, creamy, and comforting to the max. 

My mom found this recipe while watching Giada on Food Network and it has become a family favorite for several years. And it is quite possible my favorite pasta dish EVER! My mom changed the recipe a little bit and I changed it too (surprise, surprise) so you can check out the link above to look at the differences, if you'd like.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups fat free half & half, at room temperature

1/2 cup low fat milk, at room temperature

Pinch fresh nutmeg

Ground black pepper

1 cup grated Romano cheese

14 oz [fully cooked] sliced smoked sausage

1 pound dry whole wheat penne pasta

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and 

whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the 

milk/half&half and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. 

Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take 

approximately 10 minutes. 

3. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup romano, sausage and season 

with pepper. Set aside.

4. In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. 

Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to 

make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. 

5. Return pasta to the pot and pour in béchamel sauce. 

Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

6. Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. 

Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup romano. 

7. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

8. Serve with garlic bread and salad [and enjoy, of course]!!!

P.S. For the garlic bread, I first melted some butter and mixed garlic powder into it.  Next, I brushed it onto whole wheat bread.  Finally, I sprinkled a little bit of mozzarella cheese on top and baked it...SO good!!!

*If you try out this recipe, please drop me a message & let me know what you think!*

spicy sausage pasta.

[adapted from www.wholelottaoven.com/?p=627]

I haven't mastered food pictures yet so I apologize for this picture (and for past and future pictures too) BUT believe me when I say this is one yummy dish.  (Plus I use my phone camera to take pictures so that doesn't help much either!) But anyway, I made a lot of changes to this recipe so if you 1) don't trust my cooking and/or 2) do not like straying from original recipes then you should go to the link above and use their recipe. :) (I would list everything I changed but that would take awhile.) I will not be offended at all if you don't make the changes I did, as long as you try this meal by one recipe or another!  ;)

Ingredients-

1 lb turkey smoked sausage
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 oz Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup fat free half and half
8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
black pepper
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions-

1. Brown sausage and onion in a non stick skillet. Next, add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, Ro-Tel, half & half, pasta, and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1 cup cheese. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Turn heat to low. Put lid back on for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

4. Eat up, my friends!!

An excited Grant ready to eat :)

taco pasta.

[adapted from http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/09/taco-pasta.html]

This is a super easy, delicious meal. This is the second time I've made this recipe since I found it in January. Grant loooves  Mexican and I love pasta so it's a perfect combo! It literally tastes like a taco.  We ate some of the less pasta-y bites with tortilla chips and that was also reallll good.  Enjoy, my friends!

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef 
8 ounce small dry pasta shapes 
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes) 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning (if you don't have this on hand, you can make your own! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/)
3 ounce cream cheese 
1/2 cup sour cream 
Salt and pepper
Shredded Cheese for topping

Note: I used less onion than this recipe calls for (probably just a few slices from a large onion).  I used 2 cloves of garlic because I looove garlic. Also, I used reduced fat sour cream and neufchâtel cream cheese (aka 1/3 less fat cream cheese).  

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain fat and mix in garlic.  Cook until fragnant, about 30 seconds.
3.  Mix in salsa and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and reserved pasta water. Continue to stir until cream cheese is melted. 
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I skipped this step).
6.  Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa, if desired.  Serve and enjoy!