Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Easy to Stuff Manacotti

I really love simple recipes. This one was pretty good, I will definitely be making this one again. Even the girls ate it, but of course I don't know many children who don't like pasta. You can even have your children help you stuff the cheese into the shells! I put this in the meat free category because during lent, I will be stuffing 2 cheese sticks inside & topping it with plain sauce. Serve with salad & cheesy bread & you are set to go!

Servings:6-8
Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
14 pieces string cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions: Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drain manicotti; stuff each shell with a piece of string cheese. Place over meat sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

I don't think I have ever cooked a dinner so fast. From start to table it took me, maybe 15-20 minutes. It was super easy &  it actually was a pretty good dinner. You could easily turn this into a soup by adding chicken stock to it. If using corn tortillas, you can tear them up &  add them in, but I find it makes them very mushy, plus  leftovers do not taste very good. So, we just spooned it into flour tortillas &  made taco's out of it.

Serves: 6

Ingredients
No-Stick Cooking Spray
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (3 cups = about 12 oz)I used 2-12 oz canned chicken
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 can (10 oz each) red enchilada sauce
1 can (8 oz each) Hunt's® Tomato Sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack blend cheese, divided
Corn or flour tortillas

 Directions:  Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. (Add tortilla pieces) and chicken; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until hot, stirring frequently. Pour undrained tomatoes and enchilada and tomato sauces over chicken mixture in skillet. Mix well. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over chicken mixture. Cover skillet; cook 5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Make taco's or you can serve immediately if you tore up the tortillas.

Crockpot cream cheese chicken

I stumbled on this recipe & thought I would give it a try. Normally I use boneless skinless chicken breast for just about EVERYTHING. However...with the price of meat on the rise, sometimes the bone-in-breast or whole chicken is way cheaper to use & buy. Especially on this type of recipe, so feel free to use what you have on hand. We had leftovers, so I froze the chicken mixture & added just a touch of stock. Tasted just as good as the first time! It was perfect when we got in from out of town at 4 & I needed to have a quick dinner.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
2 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
(5 1/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:  Set chicken into a crock pot set to low. Add all the seasonings and butter. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, you can shred the chicken at this point Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Cook on low for an additional hour. Serves over noodles & of course with crusty bread! Enjoy