Spaghetti Sauce

I  found this recipe in a magazine about a year ago.  It's simple, but T.A.S.T.Y!  I like a little tomato chunk in my sauce so this is a great recipe if you also like that sort of thing.  This sauce is juicy and since it's homemade, you can add as much or as little onions and seasonings as you prefer. 

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped very finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed with a press

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 C loosely packed fresh basil, chopped 

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot.  Add onions and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  

Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook about 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes with their juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4  teaspoon of pepper.  Heat on high heat until boiling.  Be sure to break up tomatoes with the back of the spoon or use a potato masher.  Cook about 15 minutes.  Stir in basil.  

*If not using right away, you can store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

* If stored in the fridge, it will last about 3 days. 

Serve over your favorite pasta.  Don't forget the garlic bread!

Chicken and Stuffing

This is one of those meals I've had for years.  It's written down on an index card and I don't even know where I got it.  I just love stuffing and since it's cooked right along with the chicken and sauce, it is extra moist; just how stuffing should be!   

Chicken and Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups boiling water

4 Tbsp margarine, melted

1 box chicken flavored stuffing

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

paprika, to taste

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400º

2.  Mix water and margarine.  Add stuffing and fluff lightly

3.  Spoon stuffing across center of 3-qt shallow baking dish, leaving space on both sides for chicken.  Arrange chicken on each side of stuffing.  Sprinkle chicken with paprika.

4.  Mix soup, milk and parsley.  Pour over chicken. 

5.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. 

French Dip Sandwich

There is nothing better than a warm, toasted roast beef sandwich with melted cheese with grilled onions and peppers.  Okay, maybe all that with steamy Au Jus sauce to dip it in!  This is at the top of our list of favorites at our house!  

French Dip Sandwich

Ingredients:


1 package of hoagie rolls
1 lb of sliced roast beef (we prefer to get our meat directly from the deli)
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 package Provolone cheese
1-2 packages of Au Jus gravy mix


Set oven to broil. 


Prepare the Au Jus gravy as directed.  Place each slice of roast beef in gravy seperately.  Cook until meat and gravy heated through.  Avoid letting it boil. 


In a frying pan, coat with olive oil and saute peppers and onions until they are soft. (At our house we have to do the peppers seperate from the onions because SOMEONE doesn't like peppers)


Butter the rolls and build the sandwich.  Place meat, cheese, peppers and onions on the roll.  


Place in oven and toast until cheese is melted and roll is toasted. 


Pour some of the gravy into a small bowl for dipping. 


Enjoy!

Heavenly Potatoes

Each year for my birthday (or other special occasions) my mom would let me choose what I wanted for dinner that night.  She would make whatever I chose.  I think I picked Heavenly Potatoes almost every single time.  You can't go wrong with creamy, cheesy potatoes.  They are meant to be a side dish, but I could eat them alone as a meal on their own!

Heavenly Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen hash browns
1 tub of sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken
4 c shredded cheese (2 c reserved)
salt and pepper (to season)
onion salt (to season)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Mix all ingredients (only 2 cups of cheese) together in a large bowl.  Spread half of the mixture in a 9x13 dish.  Cover with 1 c of cheese.  Spread the rest of the mixture over the cheese.  Cover with the remaining cheese.  

Cook until heated through. (about 30-40 minutes)

Onion Soup Chicken

This recipe comes from Jon's sister, Jen.  Once when we were first married, we went to visit her and she served this meal for dinner. At the time she had 4 kids.  I remember being so impressed that she could make such a delicious dinner for guests and her family.  Turns out, dinner was the easy part of the night.  It was so good that before we left, we asked for the recipe.  

Onion Soup Chicken

Ingredients

4-5 chicken breasts
1 or 2 cans Cream of Mushroom
1/2 c or 1 cup milk
1/2 or 1 entire package of onion soup mix
(use the larger ingredient option if you want more sauce)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Boil chicken and cut into small pieces.  Place in a 9x13 pan

Mix soup and milk.  Pour over the top of the chicken.  Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the top.  Bake uncovered until heated through.

Serve over rice. 

Chicken Broccoli Casserole aka CBC

This is another gem from my mother-in-law.  She's got some skills!  This is a meal that she cooks by sight and taste only, so it's difficult to get exact measurements.  The first time I made it the sauce was overpowered by mayo. ICK!  Since then, I've learned to make it by taste too. My husband always volunteers to be the offical sauce taster.  

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts
2-3 bunches fresh broccoli, chopped
12 slices cheddar cheese

sauce:
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup to 1 cup milk
few shakes of parmesean cheese
curry powder (to taste)
1/2 cup to 1 cup mayomaise

Preheat oven to 375º.

Cook chicken and shred. Steam broccoli.  

In a 9x13 casserole dish layer broccoli, cheese, chicken then sauce.  Sprinkle parmesean cheese over the top.  

Cook until heated through. 

Serve over rice. 

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff Casserole

A comfort casserole that is warm, meaty and filling.  My favorite part are the fresh mushrooms.  Makes a great leftover dish for lunch the next day too!

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff Casserole

Ingredients:


1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 small white onion, chopped
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp worchestshire sauce
1/2 bag of egg noodles
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)


Preheat oven to 450º.


Cook onions and mushrooms with some olive oil in a skillet.  Add ground turkey (or beef) and cook through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in water, worchestshire sauce and soup.  Simmer for 15 minutes.


Cook noodles in a pot of water.  Drain and add to meat mixture. 


Pour in a casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes.  Spoon sour cream over the top and bake another 5 minutes.