Italian Macaroni

Okay Barb, I tried your Mostacoli dish. I renamed mine just because Chris was teasing me about it NOT being Mostacoli since I used macaroni noodles instead. lol So here we have Italian macaroni! I made everything the same except the noodles and I added some ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. It was amazing! The whole family loved it. It was so easy to make. I served it with a caesar salad and a glass of wine!
I was so upset because I love olives and I forgot to get them at the store so next time I'll be adding those too. For this recipe just add ground beef and sweet Italian sausage to to Barb's Mostacoli.

Thanks for the great idea Barb!

TTFN, Cindy

Fiesta Chicken

My sister-in-law Anne gave me this recipe and it was so yummy! It's really easy to make and was great left over too. The whole family loved it. My hubby is so excited that I'm doing this blog because I'm cooking every night and it's always something new. lol I LOVE Mexican food so anything new is always good for me. I think I'm going to make this dish for our potluck we have at Halloween. Thank you so much for sharing Anne!


Fiesta Chicken:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 oz) jar cheese whiz
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile's
• 1 can mild enchilada sauce
• 10 corn tortillas (the number depends on the size of your dish)
• chopped lettuce and tomatoes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook chicken in a skillet with 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. This gives it great flavor and makes it tender enough to shred with a fork.
3. Stir together cream of chicken soup, cheese whiz, green chile's and your cooked chicken.
4. Divide 1/3 of chicken mixture and spread on bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish.
5. Dip approximately 3 tortillas in enchilada sauce and place on top of chicken mixture.
6. Continue to layer chicken mixture and tortillas until all of the chicken mixture is gone. The top layer should be the chicken mixture.
7. Bake the casserole covered with foil for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
8. Continue baking uncovered 15 minutes more.

You can also serve it with cut up lettuce and tomatoes on top if desired. Makes 5 servings
I hope you all enjoy! Thanks again Anne.
Cindy

Stuffed Bell Peppers

My bestie, Robin sent me this recipe. My mom used to make this a lot when I was growing up. I love it and make it for my family too. The kids love it! I'm giving you a combined version of both of our recipe's. Robin uses ground turkey. I tried it this time and loved it, especially because it's so much less fat. It's a little blander in taste, so you can still use a lean ground beef if you prefer. This is so yummy! Thanks Robin for reminded me of how much I love these!





Stuffed Bell Peppers:

• 4 large green bell peppers that will stand up
• 1/4 of an onion
• 1 pound ground turkey, lean ground beef or steamed veggies
• 1 1/2 cups of steamed rice
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 bag of shredded cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder

1. Heat oven to 350
2. First steam your rice.
3. In a large skillet brown your meat with salt, garlic salt, pepper and onion powder.
4. Discard any grease, I never have any when using lean meats.
5. Add your finely chopped onion and cook until ready.
6. Add steamed rice, 1/2 can spaghetti sauce and 1/2 bag of cheese to your skillet with the meat mixture.
7. Put on low heat and stir until it's sticking together. This is when I start tasting it to make sure I have enough seasoning, sauce and rice. I like to add some here or there as desired.
8. Cut a hole into the top of your peppers, core out the inside.
9. Rinse your peppers inside and out.
10. Start Filling them with your mixture. I like mine stuffed full!
11. Put your peppers into a baking dish and add more cheese on top. I cook mine without adding more sauce. Robin adds the rest of the can over top and bakes it that way. It's good both ways.
12. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.Take off the foil and finish baking for 15 minutes.

If you have left over mixture it's nice to add it to the plates when serving. Hope you enjoy! Thanks again Robin for a yummy meal!

Cindy

Chicken Piccata

This is delicious! My friend Dawn gave me this recipe and it's definitely something you all have to try. I made a few changes to the recipe so we would have more sauce to pour over the top. I then thickened the sauce. My family loves sauces and I prefer them thick. This sauce has lemon in it so it's very flavorful. You don't need a lot of sauce just enough to moisten the rice and add some flavor. The kids loved this too! Thank you Dawn, for an awesome new meal that I will be cooking regularly! This would go great with a summer salad.



Chicken Piccata:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 6 tbsp butter or margarine
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup garlic & herb bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 pinches of pepper
• 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup white wine or blush
• 1 can chicken broth

1. Flatten all your chicken to 1/4 inch thickness between plastic wrap or waxed paper. This helps it cook well and remain tender.
2. Mix the egg and water together in a bowl.
3. Mix the bread crumbs, salt, pepper and garlic powder together on a large plate. It's easier to coat the chicken on a plate then in a bowl.
4. First coat the chicken with the flour.
5. Then dip it into the egg mixture and coat with bread crumb mixture.
   Heat 3 tbsp of butter or margarine and 3 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
6. Cook the chicken in the skillet for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Try to only turn it once so you don't loose any of your crust by flipping it too much. I found it was completely done yet still nice and tender when I cooked it for 4 minutes on each side.
7. Remove chicken from skillet using your tongs and keep warm.
8. Keep you drippings in your skillet, this will be used to create your sauce.

Sauce:

1. Add 3 tbsp butter or margarine and 3 tbsp of vegetable oil to the skillet.
2. Add the juice of one regular lemon or 1/2 large lemon and 1/4 cup white wine into your drippings in the skillet.
3. Add 1/2 can chicken broth and stir.
4. In a bowl, mix your remaining 1/2 can of chicken broth and 4 tbsp of your remaining all-purpose flour until it's smooth.
5. Add the flour/broth mixture slowly to your skillet while stirring constantly.
6. Keep stirring until thickened and turn to low.
7. Taste and add pepper, salt or any other seasoning needed.
8. Poor over your rice and chicken and serve with lemon wedge.

This would also go well with mashed potatoes or noodles.
I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did.
Cindy

Mostacoli

If you are looking for an quick and easy meal,
this is it! Lee and Kyleigh love this and it only
takes me a few minutes in the kitchen. I don't cover this when I bake it but if you like the cheese slightly creamier I would put foil over it.

Mostacholi:

• 1 box Barilla mostacholi(4 cups uncooked)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 regular jar prego w/ italian sausage
• 1 can sliced black olives
• parmesan cheese
• garlic salt

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta, drain don't rinse.
3. Add 1/2 of pasta to casserole dish.
4. Add 1/2 jar of Prego to pasta.
5. Sprinkle Garlic salt and parmesan cheese over pasta.
6. Add 1 cup cheese over pasta.
7. Add 1/2 can olives.
8. Spread evenly.
9. Repeat all steps for a second layer.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy-Barb

New recipe's coming!

Okay, I just wanted to take a moment to let you all know that I have received all your recipe's. Thank you for sending them and I will be working on them soon. Things have just been a little crazy around our house lately. lol I am looking forward to trying all these new and exciting dishes!
Thanks again,
Cindy

Summer Salad

This has been one of my favorite salads this summer! It's so light, easy to make and I love all the different flavors. All you need is some baby spinach, walnuts, feta cheese, oranges, craisins and a raspberry dressing. I tried the raspberry walnut dressing this time and it was really good but any raspberry dressing will do. It's so nice when it's hot out to have something light and a little sweet.

Hope you enjoy!

Cindy

Peking Pork Chops

I got this recipe from my friend, Grace. This is a recipe she got from Weight Watchers. It is a simple crock pot meal. I added Chinese snap peas, rice and crunchy noodles, but I'm sure it is good with noodles and other vegetables. Depending on how many pork chops you make or if you like extra sauce you may want to double the sauce recipe. I also cut my pork chops into strips for easier eating! Enjoy!

Peking Pork Chops:

• 4-6 pork chops
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
  salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown pork chops, put into crock pot.
2. In a bowl add all ingredients, mix.
3. Add ingredients to crock pot.
4. Cook on low for a least 6 hours.

Barb

Beef Pot Roast

I made beef pot roast today. It's one of our family favorites. My mom used to make this when we were little and we always loved it. It's so easy to make you just put it in the crock pot in the morning and let it cook all day. I love having this during the winter months when it's cold outside because this meal is so rich and heavy. This makes a lot but we like it left over, so you may want to cut it in half.



Beef Pot Roast:

• 1 pound or so beef pot roast
• 2 family size cans of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 family size can of water
• 2 packets of dry onion soup/dip mix
• cut carrots
• 3 cups of rice

1. Empty both cans of soup into your crock pot.
2. Add your can of water and dry onion mix.
3. Stir together.
4. Cut any fat off your pot roast. (you can usually find one without fat on it) then put in.
5. Cook on high for 3 hours then turn to low for 3 to 5 hours.
6. Put your carrots in (depending on how big you've cut them) once you turn it to low.
7. Serve over rice, salt and pepper to taste.

This was our dessert tonight. I didn't make it homemade. I just wanted to post it because it was so simple and yummy! I bought angle food cake and put raspberries, blueberries and cool whip on top. It's nice to be able to through something together real fast that still tastes good!

Enjoy! Cindy

Potato Salad

This is one of my favorite things to make if I'm going to a potluck or bbq. ( I made it this weekend for a church potluck.) It is a little labor intensive, but well worth it! I learned how to make this by watching my grandmother for several years. So, if you like potato salad, give this recipe a try! I'm sure you will love it!

Potato Salad:

• 10 red potatoes
• 12 eggs
• 1 bunch of green onion
• 1 1/2 cups of Mayo.(make sure to use only Best Foods or Kraft)
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 3 sweet pickles
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil red potatoes until fully cooked(it is best if they are slightly firm, so they don't crumble).
2. Boil eggs until hard-boiled.
3. Drain both potatoes and eggs. Cool with cold water. Peel and dice potatoes. Peel and dice eggs.
4. Add both to large bowl.
5. Chop and add in green onion.
6. Chop and add pickles.
7. Add mayo. I usually don't measure the exact amount. I believe it is around 1 1/2 cups. But just keep adding until the consistency looks right.
8. Add mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and vinegar.
9. Mix well.
10. Refrigerate until cold.

Enjoy!!!

Barb

Easy Peach Cobbler

This recipe is so easy and so good! It takes only 10 minutes prep time and then you pop it in the oven! It is best when it is served warm!

Peach cobbler:

• 1 large can peaches
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 box white cake mix

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Cube butter into little dots then place them on bottom of casserole dish
3. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter
4. Drain peaches( but keep juice)
5. Lay peaches in casserole dish
6. In a separate bowl make white cake mix. Omit water and use juice instead.
7. Pour mix over peaches
8. Bake according to white cake directions

Enjoy, Barb

Pizza Braid

You all have to try this recipe. I think you will enjoy it and it's pretty too! My friend KL gave this recipe to me and it's amazing! It's so simple and takes little time to make. This pizza braid is rich, creamy and full of flavor.

This was my first time making it so I definitely have some suggestions of where I went wrong. My husband absolutely loved it! I can't wait to make one for a party!

I took a lot of pictures when I was making this, so you could better understand the instructions. I didn't have a large enough rectangle pizza stone, so I prepared it on my cutting board and then transfered it to my round stone. I don't suggest this, it was difficult to transfer without having it fall apart. You should prepare it on the surface you're going to bake it on.

Pizza Bread:

• 1 refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/2 to 1, 8 ounce brick of cream cheese
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• sliced pepperoni
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Place the dough on a large stone and roll it out into a nice rectangular shape. Prepare it on the surface you're going to bake it on.
3. Use a knife to cut into the long sides of the rectangle. You will cut about 2 to 3 inches deep and about 1 inch apart, these sections will be folded over later to create the braid.
4. Leave the long strip of dough in the center untouched.
5. On that center section of dough, spread on your cream cheese. (I heated mine for 35 seconds so it was easy to spread)
6. Press the garlic and spread evenly over the cream cheese.
7. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the cream cheese.
8. Layer pepperoni over the cream cheese center.
9. Sprinkle your grated cheese over the meats.
10. Braid the cut pieces of dough, alternating sides and stretching each piece over to cover the ingredients in the center.
11. Pinch the ends to make sure the meat and cheese won’t escape during the baking.
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
    
    

You can also make this with fresh or sautéed veggies such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, sliced tomatoes, etc. I also think it would be great with mozzarella cheese.

Hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much KL for this great recipe! I will be making this a lot.

Cindy