Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ziti (or penne) pasta
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13-inch pan. Lightly grease large skillet and sauté onion until soft. Add ground beef and brown. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

While cooking onion, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Drain water.

Layer the 9x13-inch pan as follows: 1/2 pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with shredded parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups Muenster cheese, shredded
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie pan. Lightly grease large skillet and sauté onion until soft. Add spinach and heat until excess liquid has evaporated.

While onion is cooking, mix eggs, cheese, salt and pepper in medium mixing bowl. Stir in cooked onion and spinach. Pour into greased pie pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cook and chopped
• 1 (8 oz) package of fat-free cream cheese
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
• 10 medium tortillas
• 1 (10 oz) can of green chili enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cooked chicken with cream cheese and green chilies. I use mild green chilies and green chili enchilada sauce. Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll. Place width-wise in greased 9x13 casserole dish. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1(15 ounce) can whole corn kernels
• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Toppings:

• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced avocado
• shredded Colby Jack cheese
• chopped green onions

Directions:
Heat oil in large stock pot. Sauté minced garlic and chopped onions until soft. Add Cayenne pepper, oregano, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and water.  Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn, hominy, peppers, beans, cilantro and chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, chopped avocado, shredded cheese and chopped green onion. Customize this recipe to your taste and enjoy!

Best Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
4. Frosting: Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.
5. Cover the top of each layer with frosting and stack onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake and decorate as desired.

Open Cucumber Rye Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) package whipped cream cheese
• 1 regular-sized package Italian dressing mix
• 1 loaf cocktail rye bread (or 1 regular loaf sliced in half)
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• Dash of dried basil

Directions:
Mix cream cheese and 1/2 of the dressing mix. Spread equal portions on on slices of bread and top with a slice of cucumber and a small dash of basil. Serve!

Simple Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square pan. 
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add in the shortening and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the egg-milk mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Stir carefully until blended. 
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. 
5. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Spread evenly on top of cake and use a knife to drag some of the topping into the cake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Easy Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

• Bread
• 1 dozen eggs
• 9 oz turkey sausage
• 1 TBS dried onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• Parsley (optional)

Grease medium-sized casserole dish and layer with cut up pieces of bread (or leftover hamburger/hot dog buns). 

Beat 12 eggs until well mixed and add cooked turkey sausage and onion.

Salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over bread and layer cheese on top. Sprinkle with parsley for color.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (until eggs are solid). 

Rachel’s Turkey Wraps

Ingredients (for two wrap):

·         2 large romaine lettuce leaves

·         4 slices of deli turkey

·         3 teaspoons reduced fat cream cheese

·         ¼ avocado

·         2 tablespoons Grated carrots

·         ¼ cup diced cucumber

·         Twine (optional)

Wash off your lettuce gently as to not tear It and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Lay flat on counter and begin building your wrap with sliced turkey, spread cream cheese & avocado and add carrots & cucumber. If you plan on eating it right away, roll it up and serve. For a little extra sass (or to transport), roll up and use twine to hold together. Just be sure to remove all twine before eating!

Nasty Nachos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 jar salsa
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Brown the ground beef; drain well. Mix with taco seasoning according to directions. In greased dish layer in the following order:

• 1/3 package crushed chips
• ½ ground beef mixture
• ½ can cream corn
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• ½ jar of salsa

Repeat layers. Sprinkle remaining crushed chips over the top. Bake for 30 minutes (or until heated through). Cover with foil if chips begin to brown too much.

Thanks to http://adventuresofafoodslut.blogspot.com/ for this one!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Filling

•  3 cups sweetened condensed milk (about 2 cans)
•  ½ cup sour cream
•  ¾ cup key lime juice
•  1 tablespoon grated lime zest + extra for garnish (if desired)

Crust

•  1½ cups crushed graham crackers
•  ¼ cup sugar
•  1/3 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients and blend well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a non-greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool before filling.

Turn oven down to 350̊. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice and lime zest. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. Do not brown. Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and grated lime zest as desired.

This recipe won me first place in a pie contest at work!

California Chicken Burger

Ingrediants:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Montreal Chicken Grill Seasoning
• 1 tomato
• Lettuce
• 4 slices of Muenster cheese
• 8 slices of bacon
• Light mayonnaise
• Avocado
• Lime juice
• ½ clove garlic
• 4 whole wheat buns

Heat a frying pan and cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Slice chicken in half horizontally.  Season both sides of each piece with grill seasoning and cook in the same frying pan that has the bacon grease in it. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4 minutes. Be sure chicken is cooked thoroughly before removing from pan.

While chicken is cooking, prepare guacamole: Slice avocado in half and scoop out the meat into a bowl. Add lime juice (to taste) and ½ minced clove of garlic. Mash with a fork.

When chicken is done, remove pan from heat. Put two slices of bacon on each piece of chicken and cover with slice of Muenster. Cover to allow cheese to melt. While cheese is melting, lightly toast your buns in the over on broil.

Once toasted, add a dab of light mayo to the bottom bun and ¼ of your guacamole to the top of each bun. Add the cheesy-bacony-chicken in the middle and viola – you have one yummy chicken burger!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

To start off this blog, I'm posting a Ryan-Oliver favorite (as in a Rachel Ryan and James Oliver dating fav!)


Preheat over to 350 degrees.


Ingrediants:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs

Cream together first four ingredients, then add:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 2 cups butterscotch chips

Mix all ingrediants together. Shape into balls on pan, then flatten with hand. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for  10-15 minutes.