Cheesy Sausage Penne

A quick, delicious dinner for those busy weeknights everybody has. It takes the  classic combo of pasta, red sauce, and sausage to a whole new level. I loved the tasty little pockets of cream cheese and sour cream, and the melted cheese  made it even better. Homemade marinara sauce would be a great addition, if you have time,but even without, my family gobbled it up and the leftovers were great. Pair with a big green salad and garlic bread for a great family dinner.

Cheesy Sausage Penne

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 16-ounce package uncooked penne pasta
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened * (Next time I'll use 4 oz. cream cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream.

4. In a greased shallow 3-quart baking dish, layer half of the pasta and sausage mixture. Dollop with half the cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers.

5. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. 

 *Cooks Note: Although I loved the cream cheese/sour cream combo, my kids weren't huge fans and it seemed like there was a lot of it. Next time I"ll half the cream cheese and sour cream to better suit our tastes.

Recipe Source: Cassie Craves

Posted by: Sallie

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

These cookies have been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. (We won't bring up how long ago that was.) I whipped up a batch the other day to see if they would be as good as I remembered. Some chocolate cookies can turn out dry or chalky tasting, but these turned out super moist and disappeared in a hurry.

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• 2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.
• PAN RECIPE: Spread batter in greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350°F 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.
• ICE CREAM SANDWICHES: Prepare CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES as directed; cool. Press small scoop of vanilla ice cream between flat sides of cookies. Wrap and freeze.
• HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS:
• -- Increase flour to 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons.
• -- Decrease baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon.
• -- Decrease sugar to 1-2/3 cups.
• -- Add 2 teaspoons water with flour mixture.
• -- Bake at 350°F, 7 to 8 minutes. Yield increases to about 6 dozen.

Posted by: Sallie

My Two Favorite Granola Recipes-- Part 2

                         Pictures from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

   
     Originally made as a gift for my coconut loving brother in law, this granola was an instant hit with our family as well. The list of ingredients is fairly simple and besides baking time comes together in a snap. The recipe originates from Alton Brown on the Food Network. I haven't tried a recipe yet of his that isn't great.

Coconut Cashew Granola                                                                                                                     Alton Brown via Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Printable Version

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.
Can be stored for several weeks in an airtight container.

Posted by: Sallie

My Two Favorite Granola Recipes Part 1

                                                  Pictures from A Bountiful Kitchen Blog

   I've loved granola for as long as I can remember. I mean really, what's not to like? Rolled oats sweetened with honey and brown sugar, mixed with lots of goodies-- cashews, coconut, slivered almonds, then baked to golden, crunchy perfection. It's easily adapted too. You can add dried fruit like raisins or cranberries and sometimes I switch up the nuts for variety.
   
     Not only delicious, it's really quite simple to make. Toss a few ingredients together, give it a good stir, spread it on some cookie sheets and bake. It does require 1/1/2-2 hours baking time depending on how crunchy you like it, but that will give you plenty of time to clean your toilets, take a nap (in my dreams), or pick up that great book you've been dying to finish.

     Granola is a great multi-tasker. Served for breakfast with some milk, sprinkled in a fruit and yogurt parfait, or snatched by the handful for a quick-on-the go snack. Stored in an airtight container, it can last for several weeks.

I have two recipes that I LOVE and alternate between (and just spotted this one that I'll be trying next.) The first is Seven Wives Inn Granola. It originates from a historic bed and breakfast here in St. George, Utah  that's been here since 1891 called, you guessed it, The Seven Wives Inn. Spotted here and here on two of my favorite blogs, this granola is almost identical to the granola my Mom made us growing up.  If you can buy your ingredients in bulk from a health food or warehouse store, you'll save yourself some money too.

*Plan ahead. This recipe takes 1 1/2-2 hours to bake.**



Seven Wives Inn Granola
Printable Version

8 cups old fashioned oats

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 ½ cups wheat germ

8 oz coconut

8 oz salted pecans or almonds (I like to use slivered)

8 oz cashews

8 oz sunflower seeds, shelled

1 cup raisins, optional (I left these out)

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup honey

½ cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix together first 8 ingredients in a large bowl or other container.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil. Pour this over the dry ingredients and stir. Spread on 2 large cookie sheets, and bake for 1 ½ hours, stirring about every 20 minutes.

Cook until the granola is done to your desired (crunch) taste.

*I highly recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients.*
                                   
                              Stay tuned for another delicious granola recipe coming soon.

    Posted by: Sallie

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

With my in-laws as well as brother and sisters in laws close by, we frequently have get-to-gethers for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. Of course I always volunteer to bring the dessert whenever possible (for selfish reasons.) Nine times out of ten it involves chocolate, but with the summer heat, lemon has been my go-to alternative. I love it's fresh, light, and tart taste.

I love cakes for feeding a crowd and not only was this lemon cake delicious, it was something a little different than your standard chocolate/vanilla frosted cake. I loved the look and taste of the glaze and lemon sugar topping. It was a major crowd pleaser and will be making frequent appearances from now on. 

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet CakeRecipe from America’s Test Kitchen Best Summer Desserts found via Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) cake flour (no substitutions)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup white sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

Glaze:

3 cups (12 ounces) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Instructions:

Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position (unless you’ve found that another position works better in your oven for baking) and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the white sugar and lemon zest on medium speed until moist and fragrant (about 1 minute). Remove 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture and place it in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Add the softened butter to the remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Mix until smooth (about 30 seconds)

Scrape the batter into the reserved baking pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 25-35 minutes). Be careful not to over bake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Gently spread the glaze over the cake and sprinkle evenly with the reserved sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Posted by : Sallie

Asian Sesame Noodles With Marinated Chicken And Vegetables

Are you sick of heating up your kitchen for dinner? Are you trying to use your food storage to make meals that your family will actually eat? Do you like Asian food? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you've got to try this.

There were so many things I loved about this meal.

*I didn't have to turn the oven on.

* It used several ingredients from my food storage (noodles, sugar, oil, peanut butter).

*The veggies. Don't leave these out. They added a fabulous fresh taste and great texture. (I was a little skeptical about the red cabbage. I'm not a huge fan of it in salads but it was delish.)

* The marinade does double duty for the chicken and the noodles.

*Easily adapted to fit your family's taste. You could slice or dice the chicken and turn it into a one pot meal. Add broccoli, snap peas, snow peas,or bean sprouts. I think bok choy would be a great substitution if you don't like cabbage. You could also skip the chicken for a delicious vegetarian meal. 

*I love, love, loved all the different tastes and textures. The tender noodles, moist grilled chicken, fresh veggies, and the sweet and spicy sauce. Because it was summer, we ate the noodles slightly cooled instead of hot. Another great summer meal to add to my collection.

**Cook's Notes:

The chicken only needs to marinade while you are making this dish but can marinate for longer.

Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Most, if not all can be easily found in your favorite grocery store. Also, a little goes a long way. You'll have plenty of leftovers to experiment with other delicious Asian dishes.

ASIAN SESAME NOODLES WITH MARINATED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES


Marinade for chicken and sauce for noodles:
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. white vinegar
1 c. soy sauce
1 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. sesame oil
3 T. vegetable or canola oil
1-1 1/3 c. brown sugar (depending how sweet you like it--I of course use it all )
1 T. sesame seeds
1 T. lime juice
3 T. peanut butter
1 t. ginger (freshly grated or ginger powder)
1 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. sweet red chili sauce *My favorite is Mae Ploy brand*

16 oz. thin spaghetti noodles or angel hair pasta
1/2 c. green onions, sliced
1/2 c. carrots, sliced
1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 c. red cabbage, sliced thinly
4-5 chicken breasts

Combine in a bowl the ingredients for the marinade. If the peanut butter is too thick and won't whisk into the sauce well, microwave it for a few seconds (I microwaved mine for 15 sec.) until soft. Once marinade is smooth, take 1/2-3/4 c. of the marinade and place in a Ziploc bag or in a bowl with the chicken. Put chicken in the fridge until ready to grill. Set the rest of the marinade aside until the noodles are cooked.

Cook the noodles until tender and then drain and rinse. While noodles are cooking cut the vegetables very thinly (you don't want big chunks of vegetables, just thin slices). When the noodles are drained and cooked, place in a large bowl. Add the vegetables to the warm noodles (this will help soften the carrots). Pour the remaining dressing (not from the chicken, the extra) over the noodles. Let noodles sit until chicken is cooked.

Grill the marinated chicken until cooked through. Serve the grilled chicken along side the sesame noodles. Garnish the sesame noodles with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Source: Deal To Meals
Posted by: Sallie

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

I have to confess. This summer I have been L-A-Z-Y in the kitchen.  My excuse is the heat. I mean really, it has been 111+ here! Turning the oven on isn't appealing in the least. Instead we've been doing a lot of grilling and stove top cooking. But after reading through this recipe and discovering that it  required only 15 minutes of baking time, I decided to go for it.

Boy am I glad. I. All the flavors of chicken cordon bleu, with the addition of tender penne pasta. It's hands down my favorite meal I've made in a long time.

First, tender penne noodles are nestled in a divine, creamy, cheesy, alfredo like sauce. Next comes bite sized nuggets of tender chicken, a sprinkling of bacon, and delicious ham. The addition of bread crumbs on the top  finishes the dish beautifully.

The whole family loved it. In fact, it was such a hit that my oldest daughter has already requested it for her birthday dinner in January.

Served with a side salad and some nice steamed veggies, this is comfort food at it's best.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz. penne or ziti pasta (I used 12)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder more or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt more or less to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, separated
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips or bite sized pieces
• 3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• bread crumbs (I used the Italian flavored ones)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Stir until completely combined. Add onion powder and garlic salt until it tastes how you would like it to. Stir in cheese until smooth consistency.
3. In a 9x13, layer noodles, chicken, bacon and ham. Pour sauce over top. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe Source: Chef in Training

Posted by: Sallie