Beef Stroganoff II

1 Can Roast Beef

2  Packets Brown Gravy Mix

1/2-3/4 Cup Sour Cream

Diced Onions

Sliced Mushrooms

1 Tbls Olive Oil

1 Package Long Wide Egg noodles

-Make gravy according to instructions on gravy packet. Stir sour cream into gravy till well blended. Drain juice off of roast beef then add roast beef to gravy. Allow to heat for a few minutes.

-Saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil.

-Cook noodles according to package directions.

When noodles are done, drain them, then top with gravy and mushrooms/onions. ENJOY!

This recipe switch up came from my Mom!

This recipe is similar to my other Beef Stroganoff recipe. My Mom found that canned Roast Beef is low in sodium so she bought some and used it for Beef Stroganoff. She added the sauteed mushrooms to hers too. Then she used the long wide egg noodles. I am not a fan of mushrooms but my hubby is, so I added them for him. I definitely like the chunks of roast beef! Good for a switch up from using ground beef!

*And yes, the Canned Roast Beef came from Costco. It comes in a 4 pack!

Blind Mom Blog/Hamburger Noodle Casserole

I just have to share this. I noticed on FB yesterday that some friends were "liking" a page...so I went and checked it out. The first thing I noticed was this Mom is from Cedar City, Utah. I have a spot in my heart for Cedar after going there for sporting events while in high school and living there a few months while in college. I read her husbands post to get the full story of why people were "Liking" her page. After watching her movie I was overcome with emotion. Her story touched me and I immediately "LIKED" her page.

I continued scrolling down her blog and found that she posts recipes too! WOW! She is blind and she cooks! Amazing! I asked her if I could feature one of her recipes that she posted. With her permission, I am sharing one of her dishes that looks SCRUMPTIOUS!

**Please go to her FB page and "LIKE" it!

**Read her story and check out her recipes on her blog!

Thanks Nicole for inspiring us! Best wishes to you and your family!

Here's her recipe for Hamburger Noodle Casserole.



1 pound of hamburger
approx. 1/2 package of egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato sauce
Shredded Cheese

Boil and drain egg noodles. Brown hamburger. Mix in the cream of mushroom soup, and tomato sauce into browned hamburger. In a greased casserole dish layer half the noodles, then half soup mixture. Now layer remaining noodles, and remaining soup mixture. Top off with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min and enjoy.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

I got this recipe off of a friends cooking blog. Kate'sKitchen! 

She has some yummy, savory, recipes.  Go check out her blog!

1 pint heavy cream
1 stick REAL butter {not margarine}
2 Tbs cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan
1-2 cloves garlic {1 big or 2 small} crushed, pressed or finely chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:

Melt the butter slowly in the pan, add the garlic and then bring the temperature up to just above medium low heat, allowing it to fry a bit. Stop the frying and bring the temperature back down to medium low before the Butter browns.

Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and season with salt and pepper

Stir frequently until cream cheese is all melted When you do not see any more solids add Parmesan, turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

**This is such a yummy recipe!  Great for dipping breadsticks in too!  It was a hit with the kids and came together faster than I thought it would.  I did top mine with a little pepper and grated parmesan cheese for the picture.

Creamy Homemade Mac-N-Cheese

8 oz macaroni, shells, farfalle...which ever you prefer, (I used radiatore)

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp corn starch

1 cup of shredded sharp chedder cheese (can use other if you prefer).

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil water in a medium saucepan and cook noodles to package directions, set aside.  Warm one cup of milk in a small saucepan, add two tablespoons of cornstarch to warmed milk and stir together with a whisk.  Then add one cup of shredded cheese to the warm milk mixture and whisk until completely melted and smooth.  Continue whisking while allowing cheese sauce to simmer and then pour over noodles, stir until combined.  Let the mac 'n cheese stand for a few minutes and the sauce will thicken and become nice and creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

**This recipe came from a blog that I check out. Smashed Peas and Carrots!  How can you turn down HOMEMADE MAC-N-CHEESE?!  When I first saw the picture on HER BLOG , there was no question, I had to try this.  And, I had all the ingredients!  Even Sharp Cheese which I never buy...it was bought on accident.  It is even just as quick to make this recipe as it is to make the boxed stuff.  Try it and let me know what you think!

Pizza Casserole

8 oz  uncooked Wheel Shaped macaroni pasta

1/2 lb bulk turkey italian sausage

2 3/4 cup meatless pasta sauce (tomato)

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 (4 oz can) mushroom pieces and stems

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350º. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain. Cook sausage in skillet, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.

Mix macaroni, sausage, pasta sauce, olives and mushrooms in 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Cover and bake about 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*This is another BETTY CROCKER recipe.  I made this for my kids and they loved it.  I did leave out the mushrooms though because I am not a fan of mushrooms.  I actually double the recipe then split it in two pans and froze one for a later date.  I was able to pop the frozen one in the oven before I took the kids to piano lessons and when we got back it was all done baking.  It baked for 1 1/2 hours.

Tomato Macaroni Soup



2 cups macaroni pasta

1 lb hamburger

1 quart tomato juice or vegetable juice

2 tsp dehydrated onion flakes or 1/2 of a small onion diced

2 tsp dehydrated celery flakes or 1 stick of celery chopped

1 tsp parsley flakes

salt and pepper

Optional: 1 can sweet corn undrained

Cook macaroni in 8-10 cups of water.  When macaroni is done drain most of the water off, leaving enough in the pan that it just covers the macaroni.  Brown hamburger with onion in seperate fry pan, then drain off any excess grease off hamburger.  Add hamburger, tomato juice, celery, and parsley to macaroni.  Bring to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add corn if you want.  Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasional.  If it seems too thick you can add more tomato juice or add a few cans of tomato sauce til it is the consistancy you would like.  Enjoy!

**When needing a quick warm meal on a stormy spring day, this always does the trick.  I like to make fresh breadsticks or rolls to go with it.  The kids love that it has macaroni in it.  Anything "Pasta" is a hit with the kids.  Not quite like Tina's Tomato Mac soup at the cafe, but it's still good.

**I love Celery Flakes!  I hardly ever buy celery because no one in the family likes it.  I found a jar of celery flakes in the seasoning section and love them.  When I use them in soup they hydrate and look like fresh celery.  Celery adds alot of flavor to soup, so I always keep a jar on hand.



Baked Chicken Penne with Broccoli

Recipe taken from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

** See below for adjustments I made

Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.
Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

** We used regular mozzarella cheese.  We don't like too much spice/seasoning so we cut the tyme down to 1/2 tsp.  I also added only half of the jar of sundried tomatoes, knowing the kids wouldn't like them.  This meal was delicous!  Jim helped me fix it.  The kids were hesitant about it because it was something new.  My 2 year old loved it!  I will definately be making this again!

Spaghetti Pie

1 lb hamburger
1/2 of an onion (diced)
1 can (26.5 oz) traditional spaghetti sauce
2 cups macaroni pasta
1-2 eggs  (I use 1 when I make it, Jim uses 2)
1/2 -1 cup cottage cheese (how ever much you desire)
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
garlic powder

Brown hamburger with onion.  Drain off any excess grease.  Add spaghetti sauce to hamburger and bring to a simmer.

Cook and drain macaroni noodles.  Beat egg.  Combine noodles, egg, cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  Stir together.  Pour noodle mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle garlic powder lightly over noodles.  Pour hamburger sauce over the top off noodles.  Top with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbley and just starts to turn brown.

**This is a family favorite.  I first had it when I was dating Jim and I went to his house where his mom fixed it for dinner.  Later I found out that the recipe came from a family friend who is also the wife of the family dentist.  The kids LOVE it!  To be honest, it always tastes better when Jim makes it.

Homemade Egg Noodles

I have been thinking of Thanksgiving and all the YUMMY FOODS.  There is one thing that I LOVE with Thanksgiving dinner and that is my Mom's Homemade Turkey Gravy with Homemade Noodles in it.  Pour it over your mashed potatoes and OH Goodness! Obviously this isn't a picture of the gravy with noodles, but it has noodles and I wanted to share the recipe for the Noodles.

1 Egg

2 Tblsp Cream or Canned Milk

1 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp salt

Slightly beat the egg with Cream/Canned Milk.  Stir in salt and as much of the flour that you can then knead in the rest.  The dough will be VERY stiff.  Cover and let stand for 1/2 hour.  Roll out as thin as you can.  Cut into  1/4" strips (I use my pizza cutter) then allow strips to dry.  When adding to soups and gravy boil in broth for 20 minutes or until noodles are no longer chewy. 

Lasagna (Easy)

1 lb hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (32 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

3/4 cup water

1/2 package (8 oz) lasagna noodles UNCOOKED

2 cups (1 lb) ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 TBL parsley

3-4 cups mozzarella cheese (16 oz)

Brown hambuger with onion.  Add spaghetti sauce and water to browned hamburger.  In seperate bowl combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and parsley.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray then layer ingredients in the following order.  1/3 of the sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layer and finish off with the last 1/3 of sauce and mozzarella cheese on top.  Cover tightly with tin foil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.  Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Another kid favorite!  And mine also.  I love home made LASAGNA!  This recipe came from my mother-in-law.  When I make it I do like to add about 1 cup of cottage cheese to the ricotta cheese mixture also.  Then you can call it a 4 CHEESE LASAGNA!  It is simplified by not having to deal with cooking the noodles.  You can actually find "Ready To Bake" noodles at the grocery store now.   

Chicken Parmesan

For my Family of 6

6 Servings of Egg Noodles
6 Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders
1-2 Jars of favortie Spaghetti Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

Cook and drain egg noodles. Put egg noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer chicken breasts over noodles. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken and top with the mozzarella cheese. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

The first time I had homemade CHICKEN PARMESAN was just after I had a baby and a neighbor made it for me. Hers was so much better than mine.

Chicken Penne Alfredo with Broccoli

Penne Pasta
Frozen Broccoli pieces
Precooked Chicken (Crispy or Grilled)
Alfredo Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
.
Sorry there are no exact measurements for this. I just use what I have. Here is how I fix it.
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Cook Pasta and Broccoli (I cook them together) til done then drain. Heat PRECOOKED Chicken in the microwave and cut up into 1" chunks. Heat Alfredo Sauce. Mix Pasta, Broccoli, Chicken, and Sauce all together in a big bowl. When serving sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Make sure you have plenty of sauce....It's alot better the saucer it is.
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Another KID Favorite! They fight over who gets the last of it.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef

diced onion

2 packets brown gravy mix

1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream

egg noodles

.

Brown hamburger with onion and season with some salt and pepper. Make brown gravy according to the instructions on gravy packet. When gravy is made, add sour cream to gravy mixing until it is all blended. Add as much ground beef to the gravy as you want. Cook egg noodles according to directions on noodle package. Serve beef gravy over the noodles.

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When ever I ask the girls what they want for dinner, this is the first thing they say. There are usually not any leftovers when I fix this. I'm not a mushroom fan, but I'm sure you can through mushrooms in there somewhere.

Three Cheese Beef Pasta Shells

Yes, this is a Betty Crocker Recipe. I love stuffed pasta shells. This recipe was a hit with everyone in the family. When making it, make plenty so you can have leftovers. Kids will thank you!

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 jar (26 oz) chunky tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup water
1 container (8 oz) chive and onion cream cheese spread
1 1/2 cups shredded 6 cheese Italian cheese blend (6 oz)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta shells as directed on package.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. In large bowl, mix pasta sauce and water. Pour 1 cup of the pasta sauce mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. In medium bowl, mix cheese spread, 1 cup of the Italian cheese, the Parmesan cheese, egg and cooked ground beef. Spoon heaping tablespoon mixture into each shell. Arrange stuffed shells over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top, covering shells completely. Cover with foil.
4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese filling is set. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375°F.

For the best results, cook the pasta shells just until al dente (still slightly firm). They are easier to stuff, and they won’t be overcooked during baking.
If you can’t find chive and onion cream cheese spread, just stir 1 tablespoon of each, finely chopped, into plain cream cheese spread.

Grandma Norman's Corned Beef Casserole

6 oz 7 min. macaroni (I use 2 cups)
1 12oz can corned beef (cubed)
1/4 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (use the soup can)
1/2 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. bread crumbs


Cook macaroni til done. Add soup, milk, onion, and cubed corned beef to drained macaroni. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.