Pasta, side dish, slow cooker, Thanksgiving

Creamy Mac and Cheese (Countdown to Thanksgiving)

Posted on 6 Nov 201527 Dec 2022 by traci

My family usually prefers the blue box for macaroni and cheese, so it’s hard to find a homemade macaroni and cheese they would love. This is one macaroni and cheese recipe that they enjoyed eating.

This recipe makes a LOT of macaroni and cheese. I made this dish on a Saturday night. We ate it as a side dish for three different meals.

I’m planning to make this for a Thanksgiving side. I plan to make it on Wednesday and then put it in a pan. Then I will refrigerate it overnight. I will pull the pan out of the fridge on Thanksgiving and then into the oven to warm it up. I hope that makes sense.

Creamy Mac and Cheese

adapted from Funny is Family

Stars of the recipe:

2 c. dry elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
2 ½ c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz.) can of condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 c. milk
½ c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Steps:

Spray the crock with cooking spray so the macaroni and cheese won’t stick.
Cook the macaroni according to the package. Drain and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the butter and cheese. Cook on high until both are melted.
Add the cheddar cheese soup, milk, sour cream or Greek yogurt, salt, black pepper, and mustard to the butter and cheese mixture.
Add the drained macaroni to the mixture.
Spread in the crock.
Cook for 2 hours. Stir.
Enjoy!

Printable Version

Happy Eating,

Traci

31 days, Chicken, Pasta

Chicken Parmesan (Day 30)

Posted on 30 Oct 201523 Dec 2022 by traci

I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge. Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

Tomorrow is the last day of the writing challenge. I’m getting ready for my next two series. They won’t be as intense as the 31 writing challenge.

The first series is a countdown to the Thanksgiving series. I have some crockpot meals for the sides and even a turkey recipe for the crockpot. My plan is to have a printable Thanksgiving menu the week before Thanksgiving.

The second series is a countdown to Christmas. I already have recipes for the I’m Hungry cooking blog. We are going to revisit some of our favorite Christmas cookies and treats. The Imaginative One loves this time of the year because he loves taste-testing the goodies.

I’ve already tasted two of the recipes for the countdown to Christmas. Both the Wee One and the Imaginative One LOVED the first one. Only the Wee One has tried the other one. He kept going back for me, so I think that is a sign that he LOVED the other treat.

As I said in other blog posts, we eat dinner with my mother-in-law on Sunday night. Twice during October, we also invited another church member to our Sunday night dinner. On the 11th, I decided to cook chicken Parmesan in the slow cooker. Chicken Parmesan is one of my mother-in-law’s favorite meals. Everyone raved about the deliciousness of the meal.

About half an hour before dinner, I took the chicken out of the crock. I placed the chicken pieces in a casserole dish and then sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Then I put it in the oven for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

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31 days, easy, Pasta, slow cooker

Slow Cooker Ravioli

Posted on 13 Oct 201525 Dec 2022 by traci

I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge. Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

Our family loves ravioli. It’s such an easy meal to put together. This recipe makes its own sauce, so it’s a one-pot meal. Add a salad and garlic bread to the meal to make a complete meal.

Slow Cooker Ravioli

adapted from The Country Cook

Stars of the recipe:

1 package of frozen ravioli
1 – 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes or 2 – 15 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
1 – 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 to 1 1/2 c. of water
1 small onion chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. shredded Italian cheese

Steps:

Spray your crock with cooking spray.
Place the ravioli and onion in the crockpot.
Mix the crushed tomatoes, water, garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour over the onion and ravioli.
Cover and cook for 5 hours on low.
10 minutes before serving, cover with cheese and allow to melt.
Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest. Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

Happy eating,
Traci

Crockpot, Ingredients, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes

Crockpot Pizza

Posted on 13 Jun 201321 Dec 2022 by traci

Crockpot Pizza

Stars of the recipe:

1 1/2 cups browned ground beef (I omitted this.)
2/3 box of rigatoni (I used rotini.)
1 large onion chopped
4 cups of mozzarella cheese (I used 2 cups.)
2 jars of pizza sauce (I used 1 jar and added some water.)
1 package of pepperoni (I used 1/2 package. Next time, I’m going to cut the pepperoni into smaller pieces.)
salt and pepper taste

Steps:

Place all items in a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I used a 3-quart crockpot.)
Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. (Mine was done in about 3.5 hours.)
Enjoy

Printable Recipe

Ingredients, Pasta, pasta, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes

Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad

Posted on 14 Apr 201321 Dec 2022 by traci

I tried to come up with a witty blog entry about this salad. Even though I thought and thought, I couldn’t come up with anything. So I’ll just be straightforward. This recipe is delicious and easy to put together. You can adapt it by changing up the veggies in the salad.

Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad

Stars of the recipe:

1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/4 Tbsp. pesto
1/4 c. broccoli florets
1/4 c. grape tomatoes, cut in half or even fourths
1/4 c. bell pepper, diced (I used yellow.)
2 Tbsp. diced black olives
2 Tbsp. Feta cheese

Steps:

Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Put broccoli florets in the cooking water for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time.
Drain pasta and broccoli in a strainer. Run cool water over the pasta and broccoli to stop the cooking process.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Enjoy!

This made 3 servings for me.

Printable Recipe

chicken 1, Ingredients, Main Dish, Meat, Pasta, Recipes

Chicken Scampi

Posted on 23 Jan 201320 Dec 2022 by traci

My family doesn’t like shrimp, so traditional shrimp scampi is a no go at my house. So I decided to make scampi with chicken instead. You know a meal is a winner when the hubby, the Wee One, and the Imaginative One all love the meal. There were no complaints about the meal.

About five years ago, I got a spaghetti pot that cooks the spaghetti whole. The boys loved eating whole pieces of linguine. They loved slurping up the pieces. It made the meal fun for them.

Chicken Scampi

Stars of the recipe:

1/2 box of linguine, cooked (reserve 1 cup of the cooking water) – I used whole wheat pasta.
1 lb. of chicken, cubed
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 Tbsp. butter (separate into a 2 Tbsp. piece and a 3 Tbsp. piece)
1/2 onion, diced
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 c. white wine
2 lemons, juiced (microwave them for 10 seconds before juicing them)
1 TbspDrieded parsley or 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Steps:

Cook the linguine, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
In a skillet, heat the oil and 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic. Cook until the chicken is cooked. (5 to 10 minutes)
Remove the chicken, onions, and garlic. Tent a piece of foil over the chicken to keep it warm.
Place the skillet over high heat. Add the lemon juice and white wine. Deglaze the bottom of the skillet and then cook until boiling. Add the cooking water and 3 Tbsp. Butter.
Lower the heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic. Cook for about 3-5 more minutes until the sauce is thickened.
Add the parsley and remove from heat.
Pour over the cooked linguine and combine.
Serve and enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes

Healthier Mac and Cheese

Posted on 2 Jan 201320 Dec 2022 by traci

What is it about comfort food that warms your soul? The day after Christmas brought us lots of snow. We were under a winter storm warning, but the counties around us were under a blizzard warning. The day after the storm, I decided to go grocery shopping. I still have to walk around snow piles to bring the groceries in. So I was craving some comfort food.

This macaroni and cheese warms your soul and is healthier than the boxed stuff. So I was happy to serve it to my family. 🙂

The Imaginative One said it was good. Hubby took a second helping, so that must mean he loved it.

Healthier Mac and Cheese

Skinny Taste

Stars of the recipe:

12 oz. high-fiber pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste rotini. You can use whole wheat pasta if you want.)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour (I used white whole wheat.)
1/4 c. minced onion
2 c. skim milk
1 c. chicken broth (I used 1 c. water with a chicken bouillon cube.)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat
salt and pepper
2 c. baby spinach
1/4 c. panko bread

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
Meanwhile, spray a baking dish with butter flavor cooking spray.
In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter.
Add flour and cook over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking. Raise the heat to medium heat until it begins to boil and becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the milk mixture becomes thick, remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese and mix until the cheese is melted.
Drain the macaroni and put it back in the pot. Add the spinach and cheese sauce. Stir to combine.
Pour into baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Take the dish out, and spray with a little more butter-flavored cooking spray on the top.
Broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.
Enjoy!