Baked Ziti

My Aunt Kathy brought us this recipe and we have loved it for MANY years! It is easy to put together and the kids LOVE it! A great lasagna alternative. I've altered a few things to make this point-friendly!

12 oz. Ronzoni Smart Taste rigatoni noodles
8 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
2 C spaghetti sauce
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles. In a separate bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Once noodles are cooked, mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9x13 pan . Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 8
7 pts+

Oven Fries

I LOVE french fries. LOVE them. :) And I LOVE that there is a healthier way to make homemade fries without a big pan of grease--that actually taste DELICIOUS!

2 pounds red potatoes (sliced into steak fry size bites)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Cut each potato into 1/2 inch fry-size pieces. Rinse well and pat dry. In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, paprika and pepper; add potato wedges and toss to coat. (or you can also do this in a gallon ziplock bag to coat them)
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and add fries in a single layer. Bake on lowest oven rack at 475° for 20 minutes. (your oven may vary, so just watch them the first time you make these to make sure). Turn potatoes; bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

makes approx. 14 ounces total.

Serves 7 (2 oz. servings)


2 pt+

Bacon cheeseburger rollup

I like to think of this as our wintertime burger--it's fast, easy, no grill needed...and it fits the bill when you're wanting the burger taste, but not the burger calories!

1 pillsbury classic pizza crust

8 oz uncooked lean ground beef (7% fat)

1/2 C hormel bacon pieces (or 7 pieces of turkey bacon cooked crisp and crumbled)

1 C reduced fat cheddar cheese

1/2 small onion, diced

In nonstick pan, cook ground beef with onion--let cool.

Meanwhile, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and roll out pizza crust. Gently flatten dough with your fingers (the goal is to make it a little thinner, but not TOO thin). 

Once the meat has cooled, sprinkle it over the dough, leaving approx 1/2-1 inch around the edges. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over meat. 

Starting from one edge, roll up horizontally like you would when making cinnamon rolls (you want to have a long roll, not a shorter one), Pinch the seam together and place underneath the rollup on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for a few minutes, and then slice to serve! We usually cut into 9 slices--1 slice per serving. Dip in whatever sauce you like. Perfect for little fingers! :)

SERVING: 1 slice  5 pt+

Resurrection Rolls

This is one of our favorite Easter recipes--and also is a great teaching method for helping kids understand the religious side to Easter...HOWEVER, these are also SUPER tasty and would be great any time of the year.

But for the sake of Easter and teaching, here's how we do it in our house.

INGREDIENTS:

-cinnamon/sugar mixture

- 1/2 c melted butter

- refrigerator rolls (or crescents) or homemade dough

-large marshmallows

(the amount of the marshmallows and dough will depend on how many you are making--)

We always let the kids help with this part...

Dip your marshmallows in the butter and then in the cinn/sug mix. This represents Christ's body after he died, and when his disciples put oil and spices on his body.

If you are using refrig rolls, make sure they are flattened out to 4-5 inches wide--and then place your marshmallow in the center and pull the dough all the way around it, sealing tightly. If using crescents, roll up your marshmallow and tuck in the sides tightly. This represents Christ being placed in the tomb.

Bake as directed on the package (we talk about the 3 days during this time). Remove from oven and let cool briefly, then open. Your marshmallow will be melted, or as kids see it--GONE. This is where we talk about how the tomb was empty, and how Christ had risen!

Yogurt sundaes

I don't know that I can really call this a "RECIPE", but I put it here because it's something my kids LOVE. :)

Yogurt for breakfast is okay...but yogurt sundaes are gobbled right up. I have to admit, I think they are pretty tasty too. You could add any kind of toppings you like, but for us we use:

-About half a cup of Danon Light and Fit yogurt (you could choose any you want, but this is pretty much the only kind I can get at my grocery store)

-banana (cut how you like)

-Cool Whip

-fun sprinkles

-cherry on top

Tasty, tasty...the kids go wild!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is SO easy and SO impressive. Who ever would have thought that marrying canned cinnamon rolls and apple pie filling would be SO GOOD???

-2 cans of refrigerator cinnamon rolls (whatever brand you like) The ones that come in a tube

- 1 can of apple pie filling

Spray muffin tins and put one slice of cinnamon roll dough in each muffin spot. Press gently up the sides of the tin, forming a little cup. Fill with apple pie filling. Continue until your tin is full. Bake as per directions on roll dough. Remove from tin to cool and drizzle the frosting from the cinnamon rolls package on your apple cinnamon rolls.

EASY Chicken Rice Soup

Got this recipe from a gal over at Apron Girl's. I am going to post her original recipe and then the variations I made. :)

Chicken Rice Soup

1 boneless skinless chicken breast,cut into cubes
1 large can of chicken broth
1/2 a box of Uncle Ben's Long grain wild rice (Use half the rice mixture and half the seasonings mixture and save the rest for another time)
cut up some carrots

Put it all in a pot and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.


OKAY, My variation:
-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (already cooked--I cook them ahead and freeze them) Cut into cubes.
-1 large can of Chicken broth (plus a little more water added at the end of cooking--you can decide how much to add as per how much rice you decide to use.
-1 whole box of uncooked Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice, using all seasonings as well.
-half a bag of frozen cut carrots.

This was seriously 20 minutes. Hardly any prep. Done. :) And it was SO delicious. Because I used the whole box of rice, I did add a little bit of water with a bullion cube at the end and let it dissolve before serving, just so my soup wasn't too thick with the rice. But I thought it was PERFECT.

Pizzadillas

I was totally unhappy with how the picture of this meal turned out, so I will add it later. I am sure we will eat it again VERY soon!

Perhaps someone out there has heard of this, read the recipe somewhere, or even made it. But I sure hadn't...it was my little stroke of genius *that probably wasn't genius after all) in the middle of dinner one night when my 3 small children were trying to eat pizza.

I realized it would be SO much easier to eat if the sauce were Off the pizza instead of ON the pizza. And so, pizzadillas were created. A perfect blend between pizza and quesadillas.

SO SIMPLE...perfect lunch in a hurry. All you need are:

-tortillas
-cheese
-pizza toppings
-pizza sauce for dipping (I like to buy this in the squirt bottle so I am not wasting anything)

Preheat pan to low-medium heat. Take one tortilla and put cheese and toppings on on half. Fold over and place in pan. Because cooking heat varies so much, just keep an eye until your tortilla is golden brown, then flip it over and cook the other side.

Remove from pan and let cool, for a minute. Cut into wedges with pizza cutter. Serve your tasty pizzadillas with a little mound of pizza sauce for dipping.

DELICIOUS! :)

Stuffed Pancakes (cream cheese filling)

What I REALLY wanted to eat was stuffed french toast...but with no bread on hand, my dream was not realistic. And so stuffed pancakes was born...

I know IHOP and other breakfast places do the same type of thing but I couldn't find the recipe online for how to make the DIVINE cream that goes in between the layers.

So I made my own--and I was quite impressed. :)

If you alter this, I would love to know what you do so I can try it out. This was a one time try but I loved the difference it made for my pancakes! :) PLEASE leave a comment if you have something to add or change.

4 oz cream cheese

1 small box of french vanilla pudding (though, I imagine regular vanilla would be fine too--I just had the french vanilla on hand)

1 1/2 C Milk

1/4 C powdered sugar

cinnamon to taste

Mix the pudding and milk together until smooth, add cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mix through.

Add on your pancakes or french toast while warm and serve with fresh fruit and whipped topping. Store covered in fridge.

***One thing I might change for next time I make this, is to add some whipped topping to make it a tad bit lighter while mixing. So, if you try that let me know!! :)

Snickers Salad

I know, I know...risen from the dead. I am sorry to have gone M.I.A. for most of the summer...we haven't done a whole lotta cookin'. That's a real confession right there. :) A true confession.

But I am back on track--my meals are planned for the month and I have some exciting things to post here in the next few weeks.

I thought I would start with a barbecue favorite...snickers salad. The perfect blend of the good stuff (fruit) and the good stuff (chocolate). I don't know if this is classified as a fruit salad (side dish) or a tasty dessert...so, we eat it as a side salad (gives us a reason to eat something different for dessert...are we horrible or what?!)

EASY, EASY, EASY...Kind of reminds us of carmel apples because as the snickers sit and soften in the creamy mixture, the carmel starts to "melt" and mix with the apples...yummm...

1 small box of vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup milk
12 oz. whipped cream
1 bag of snickers miniatures (unwrapped and chopped)
2 granny smith apples and 2 red delicious apples (I know some people only use the granny smith, but I love red delicious...so that's my variation)

In a bowl, mix the pudding mix and milk together beating until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Add the chopped snickers and chopped apples pieces and mix together. Let sit in fridge for about 2 hours.

Serve...if you are really okay to share. :)

oh, and side note...make sure to clarify with people that this is not potato salad. It kind of looks like it if you are just glancing at the dishes. :) That's why I add shaved chocolate on top!

Chewy Popcorn Balls

3/4 C brown sugar

1 stick of butter or margarine

10 Large marshmallows

1-2 bags unbuttered popcorn (though, I just used 9 cups of regular popper-popped corn)

Melt brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows in a saucepan until all blended and melted. Pour of popped corn. Still well. Then shape into ball and let sit on wax paper. I would say we got about 12 medium sized popcorn balls--though your amount could vary depending on how big or small you make them.

ENJOY! These are soft and chewy but no super sticky. YUM!

Fruit Dip

Fruit Dip

1 - 8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) flavored yogurt
1 1/2 C whipped cream (or more, depending on how thin you prefer it)

Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in yogurt and whipped cream. Serve with fresh fruit!

***I made these little fruit cups with fresh lettuce leaves in my old fashioned ice cream dishes (I bought them at a dollar store a few years ago) and then fill the glasses with fresh fruit--

Chili Cheese Bean dip

This is a dip I made up on the spot because we were having company and I wanted it for our Mexican food feast! We loved it and decided it would be a permanent recipe in our family.

1 (small) can of chili con carne
1 can of refried beans
1/2 C sour cream
a few dashes of red pepper flakes
4 oz velveeta cheese

Mix beans and chili together in a blender or with a handblender (milkshake kind--I can't think of the exact name right this second)--even a small food chopped would work. You want the beans and chili to be well blended and smooth. (Though, I suppose you don't have to--this was just the look I was going for) Add your sour cream, red pepper flakes and cheese. Heat in the microwave until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait

Here is the recipe, in all it's glory. Sorry it took me a few days to get this done! I have been running!! :) This is a super easy recipe, especially to make with the kids! We had so much fun making it for a family night treat!

3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

ADD milk gradually to peanut butter in medium bowl, stirring with wire whisk until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir until well blended. Set aside.

PREPARE pudding as directed on package. Spoon half of the pudding evenly into six parfait glasses; top with peanut butter mixture. Cover with remaining pudding.

REFRIGERATE at least 30 min. or until ready to serve. Store any leftover desserts in refrigerator.

We topped ours with whipped cream and toffee bits, because that was what we had on hand. It was delicious! Next time I am going to have some crumbled peanut butter cup to put on top though!! :)

Wrapped Meatballs

16 precooked meatballs

1 package of refrig. crescents

Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw meatballs in microwave--set aside. Cut each crescent in half and place one meatball on each half. Roll the crescent around each meatball and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and dip in marinara sauce.

This makes a great appetizer or party food, but we also eat it for a kid-friendly dinner. They are the perfect size for little hands! :)

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

No, this isn't a side dish--a delicious combo of wild rice, chicken, and the good ol' Thanksgiving favorite sidedish, this is a true family favorite in our house!

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

1/2 C Miracle Whip (or Mayo)
1 can chicken
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 pkg Uncle Ben's Long grain & Wild rice
1 Can of Durkee french fried onions
1 Can french cut green beans

Cook Rice according to package directions. In a large bowl mix green beans with half of the juice, soup, miracle whip, and chicken. Blend well. Once the rice is finished, add it to the bowl mix. Put in an 8x8 pan and sprinkle fried onions all over the top (we LOVE these!) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.(this is great for turkey leftovers and also freezes well--just don't freeze with onions!)

If you are questioning my math skills because this technically has 6 ingredients but I put it in the less than 5 category, it is SOOOO easy that it might as well have 5-- :) And WORTH IT! Yum! The kids gobble this up every time!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
1-2 pounds chicken nuggets
8 oz. swiss cheese, cubed
8 oz. ham, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C milk

Place nuggets as the bottom layer of a baking dish. Add cubes of swiss cheese and small pieces of ham. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1 C milk. Mix well and pour over the rest of ingredients in the dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cream Puffs

Once again, thank you Kraft magazine for this quick and easy recipe. If you have never cooked with puff pastry, you should definitely try it! This was SO fast and easy--hardly an clean-up! And certainly perfect for any 3 year old princess' tea party! :)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface; roll pastry out to 10-inch square. Cut into nine circles with 3-inch cookie cutter or rim of glass. (we used shapes for ours. Hearts for Valentines day--) Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
MEANWHILE, pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cover. Refrigerate 15 min.

CUT pastry circles horizontally in half. Spoon pudding mixture evenly into bottom halves of pastry; cover with tops. Drizzle with chocolate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shepherd's Pie

Quick and easy, comfort food from my childhood days!

--8 oz  lean Ground Beef
--1 can of green beans (drained)
--1 can tomato soup (condensed)
--approx 1 1/2-2 C mashed potatoes (I use instant in a pinch...4 servings)
--3/4 C reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 pan, put cooked ground beef, top with green beans, pour condensed tomato soup over that, and then top with potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 6   5 pt+

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Swirl french toast