Pasta Bake

This is a really easy, quick, and tasty pasta bake!

Ingredients

1 lb pasta of your choice (do not use lasagna noodles for this)

1 jar pasta sauce

1 jar water (just refill the pasta sauce jar)

2 lbs ground meat (you can use ground beef, turkey, chicken, sausage...or be authentic Italian and use a beef/sausage mix)

Shredded cheese ( I prefer colby jack but you can use any cheese you like that melts well)

*Depending on the type of pasta sauce you use you may wish to add some spices. I typically buy a plain pasta sauce and add garlic, oregano and whatever else I feel like at that time :) You can also add veggies such as squashes, mushrooms...anything that you think will taste good. It's a very versatile recipe and easily customized to you and your family's taste.

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. You're not looking to cook the pasta all the way, as if you were going to eat it. You want to cook the pasta until it's cooked JUST ENOUGH that you can bend it. You do not HAVE to cook the pasta first, however, I find you get a lot of crunchy bits if you depend on it to be cooked soley in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking cook your meat through until it is done and drain the fat.

Next, add the pasta to a glass cooking dish. put the meat in and then stir it to mix evenly with the pasta. Then add the sauce and water and stir so it is evenly distributed. Cover with aluminum foil.

Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the dish and foil carefully and top with cheese. Re-cover with the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

Let the dish cool for at least 5-10 minutes before eating so the sauce has time to thicken.

**UPDATE**

This heats up well in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes per slice. I tend to also re-heat things at home in the oven at 300 degrees and this should take about 10 minutes.

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Pot roast


This pot roast is super yummy and super easy!

Ingredients
3-5 lb roast
Baby carrots
Golden potatoes (quartered)
Celery
Onion
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1 packet Brown Gravy mix
Salt  & Pepper to taste

1 to 1 1/2 cup water (no more than 1 1/2 cups)

Place veggies on the bottom, place roast in crock pot, pour on packets and salt and water.

Cook on low 8-10 hours

I serve it with white rice, however, you could serve with mashed potatoes and it would be kinda like Shepherds Pie. I find this recipe very flavorful by itself, however, it's very versatile. You could add lemon, garlic, italian seasoning....anything that you like.

**UPDATE**

As with any roast, Brooks says that this was better the next day. He did sprinkle the top of his serving with salt to counter the reheating process of the roast. He said about 4-5 minutes on high.

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Tator Tot Casserole

Tator Tot Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of onion soup

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp Ketchup

3 cups Tator Tots

Shredded cheddar cheese

Seasoning salt, peper, onion powder

Step 1

Cook the beef until browned

Step 2

Create the sauce - Mix Soups, Worcestershire Sauce, Ketchup & spices (to taste) in a medium bowl.

Step 3

Combine beef and sauce in a 2-Quart baking dish.

Step 4

Add cheddar cheese on top of the sauce and add a layer of Tator Tots (take care to make sure all tator tots are laying flat in order to ensure even cooking)

Step 5

Cook at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

Step 6

Cover with another thin layer of shredded cheese and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

**UPDATE**

This recipe heats up well in the microwave about 4-5 minutes per pieces. If you have extra cheese left over you may want to retop with a little. I re-top with a little cheese in the oven at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Cook in the crock pot 2-3 hours.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

2/3 cups Brown Sugar

2/3 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

2/3 cups Ketchup

2 tblsp soy sauce

1 lb chicken (you can also use pork or shrimp if you like)

1 tbsp Canola Oil

5-6 cups White Rice (cooked0

1 medium Onion diced

1 medium green bell pepper julienned (i like using a trio of colors)

2 medium carrots diced

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp ground ginger

8 oz can of pineapple

Step 1

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce. Pour 1/2 into a large ziplock bag.

Step 2

Cut the meat into small cubes and add to the ziplock bag with the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 3

After 30 minutes drain the meat and discard the marinade.

Step 4

Add meat to a large pan and cook for 3 minutes.

Step 5

Add all veggies, giner and garlic and saute until the meat is cooked thoroughly.

Step 6

Add the reserved marinade and boil.

Step 7

Add in the pineapple (drained) and cook for 1 minute.

Serve over white rice with chow mein noodles.

**UPDATE**

Make sure you store this seperate from the rice. The Sweet and Sour Chicken does re-heat well in the microwave at about 4-5 minutes per serving. To re-heat the rice well I take a spray bottle and spray the bottom of the empty bowl, then spray the top of the rice and add about a 1/2 tblsp of butterto rehydrate. Heat the rice about 3-4 minutes.

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Left-Over Turkey Chili

Left-Over Turkey Chilli

This is a super easy way to use left-over Turkey!

Ingredients

2 Tblsp of Vegeatable Oil

1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey ( or chopped up left over turkey)

1 package of Taco Seasoning

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili powder flakes

6 oz tomoato paste

14.5 oz Beef Broth

7 oz Salsa

1 can Rotel

1 can chopped green chili

1 Medium Onion (diced)

1 Green bell onion (diced)

Step 1

In a large stock pot add 1 tblsp of oil. Add turkey and all the seasonings with the tomato paste.

Step 2

Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes. (if using raw ground turkey then simmer until the turkey is fully cooked)

Step 3

Add broth and salsa.

Step 4

In a seperate pan saute the onion and bell peper until translucent.

Step 5

Add cooked onion and bell pepper to the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and/or shredded cheddar cheese to top. Optional to servce over rice.

**UPDATE**

This re-heats well. Re-heat in the microwave at about 4-5 minutes per serving. IF you want to serve over the rice re-heat the rice by taking a spray bottle and spray the bottom of the empty bowl, then spray the top of the rice and add about a 1/2 tblsp of butterto rehydrate. Heat the rice about 3-4 minutes.

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Ham and Potato Chowder

This is a fairly simple recipe. I love to make this in November and December when it's really starting to get cold. It's always a crowd pleaser.

Ham and Potato Chowder

Ingredients
3/4-1 cup diced ham (non-sweet, I find black forest nice)
3-4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 bag frozen Mirepoix mix
3 1/2 cups of water
4 tblsp of Chicken Bouillon
10 tblsp of unsalted butter
4 cups of milk
10 tblsp of flour
2 tblsp of sour cream
Spices to taste - minced garlic, black pepper, celery salt, salt, cayenne pepper

Step 1
Saute mirepoix with garlic and celery salt. Add to pot with water, potatoes and ham and bring to boil (until the potatoes are tender).

Step 2
Add chicken bouillon, salt and pepper and other desired spices.

Step 3
While this the pot is coming to a boil in a saucepan melt the butter and slowly whisk in the flour. Add milk slowly to avoid curdling and clumps and continue to stir until thickens (about 5 minuntes over medium heat).

Step 4
Add sauce to the pot and and add the sour cream. Stir often until thick.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and/or crumbled bacon.

**UPDATE**

This does re-heat well, however, you really do need to stir it halfway through so that the butter and the milk/cream do not seperate. I recommend re-heating in the microwave for 4-5 minutes per serving, stirring halfway through. You can also re-heat in a pot on the stovetop at medium heat just until heated through HOWEVER i recommend re-salting and continually stirring. Cream and milk burn very easily.

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