Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients
2 slices uncooked bacon
1 cup frozen chopped vegetable blend for seasoning (onion, celery, bell pepper)
1 can (26 oz each) Hunt's® Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
2 cups water
1 can (16 oz each) dark red or white kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup dry large elbow macaroni, uncooked
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Place bacon in medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon, leaving drippings in pan.
Add frozen vegetables to pan; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Add pasta sauce, water, kidney beans and dry macaroni. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
Crumble reserved bacon into soup; stir to combine. Top each serving with cheese.

Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo stuffed shells
1 24 oz. container of cottage cheese (I used 12oz. Cottage Cheese and 12oz. Ricotta Cheese)
1 jar of tomato sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups grated cheese (I used an Italian blend)
Pepper, Italian Seasoning and Garlic powder to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta according to box. Drain and cool.
Combine egg, seasonings, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup grated cheese in bowl.
Fill each jumbo shell with a spoonful of cheese mixture.
Place in casserole dish. Pour sauce over shells, top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Recipe from Piece of Cake Recipes.

Colorful Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 quarts water
8-10 bouillon cubes

1 quart water
1 tbsp salt
1/2 lb farfalle noodles

1/2 cup reserved chicken broth
3 tbsp butter
1 cup half and half
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt and pepper each

1 tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper

6 leaves fresh basil chiffonade


Directions:

Place rinsed chicken and 8-10 bouillon cubes in a large pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 20 mins until chicken is done. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle, then cut into bite sized pieces. Strain the broth and save 1/2 cup. Keep the rest of the broth in the fridge (up to 1 week) or freezer for later use (great for making rice!).

Boil farfalle noodles with at least 1 quart of water in a large pot with 1 tbsp salt for 11 mins (or according to pkg instructions).

In a small saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup reserved chicken broth and 3 tbsp butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add 1 cup half and half, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each. Stir to combine, then slowly whisk in the 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Let simmer, whisking occasionally.

Slice bell peppers into matchsticks. Melt 1 tbsp butter over medium high heat, then saute bell peppers for about 5-6 mins. Add in chopped chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine flavors. Turn heat down to low and pour the cream sauce over the chicken and bell peppers. Stir to combine- let simmer.

Chiffonade the basil, drain and plate the noodles, then toss with the chicken, bell peppers and sweet alfredo sauce. Top with basil.

Recipe found here.

Taco Bake

What You'll Need!

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix

3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

Make It!

HEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare Dinner as directed on package. While Macaroni is cooking, cook meat with taco seasoning as directed on package.

STIR sour cream into prepared Dinner; spoon 1/2 into 8-inch square baking dish. Top with layers of meat mixture, 1 cup cheese and remaining Dinner mixture; cover with foil.

BAKE 15 min.; top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Recipe found here.

It's been exactly a year since I made this food blog. I can't believe I didn't even update with one recipe! I think it's time I really start using it. I think it will be a helpful tool to keep up with my family's favorite meals and to have some sort of a weekly meal plan.

Hopefully I can get my sister to help me out with a nifty layout because I just can't seem to figure out all that mess by myself! Once I have a nice layout, I'll me more tempted to update, I hope!

Let's see how this goes.

First Post

I've decided to dive into the blogging world with a cooking theme. I figured this way I could keep up with all of my favorite blogs and how I like the meals I try from them as well as share the silly things I throw together for our kiddos and they really seem to enjoy. Of course I'll also share my favorites from childhood and the recipes my sister and I have come up with along the way.