One-Pot Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage

Happy Thursday!  Welcome all!  Prayers to those that need them.  Today I'm sharing a recipe that is great for an easy quick and somewhat healthy dinner!  Kids even like it.  It come from the Betty Crocker website (love that place).  Of course the recipe comes with brand names but there is no need to use them.  Hope it works well for you too!

One-Pot Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage

1 lb cooked pork sausage, sliced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen organic pasta sauce tomato basil

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup Progresso chicken broth

20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (*see note below)

In 12" skillet, cook sliced sausage, onion and garlic 5-7 minutes or until onion softens and sausage starts to brown.

Stir in sauce, tomatoes, chicken broth and tortellini.  Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tortellini is cooked.

Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and basil.  Serve when cheese has melted.

*My Asylum prefers I don't add large amounts of fresh basil in anything so I simply added some dry to the mix for flavor.  Worked out great!

"Super Evil" Bacon Meatballs

Hello All and Happy Tuesday!  Prayers to those that need them.  Thanx a lot for stopping by.  Today I've got a versatile one for you.  Meatballs, ok, how many different ways can you use them?  LOTS!  I used them in Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce with angel hair pasta and garlic bread to round it off.  At the end of the meal though with bread left..........somehow some meatballs made it in there and I'll tell you.............best slider ever!  Lol!  So these beautiful little meatballs can be used in anything and they will make it better every time! The evil in the name comes from it's spice, crushed red pepper to be exact.  (Well, and the fact that they have bacon in them also)  In order for me to enjoy these little puppies however, I had to omit that.  Still amazing.  And again, so versatile, make 'em hot, don't make 'em hot! Hahahaha.  The magazine I found this in gave credit to Kelly Jaggers at EvilShenanigans.com.  Enjoy the rest of your week.  See you on Thursday!

"Super Evil" Bacon Meatballs

1 lb hardwood smoked bacon

12 oz ground beef, 80% preferred

8 oz ground pork

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. dry oregano

1/2 tsp. ground fennel (wasn't able to find to purchase)

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp. (or more, to taste) crushed red pepper (Hot!)

1 egg

Cut bacon into 1" pieces.  Pulse in a food processor until it is evenly ground.  In a large bowl, combine bacon with remaining ingredients.  Scoop into 1 1/2" meatballs, making sure not to compress while shaping.  Place on a parchment lined pan, and chill, uncovered, for at least two hours.  Later, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, add meatballs and brown thoroughly on all sides.  Bake at 400° until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°, about 10-15 minutes.

Teriyaki Beef with Pineapple

Hello all and Happy Tuesday!  Prayers to those that need them.  Great to see you, hope your week is going well.  Mine, busy.  Soooooooooooo, hoppin' back on that old Slow Cooker wagon, LOL!   I am so glad the temperatures have finally dropped some.  So I found this gem at eathomecooks.com and I'm super glad I did.  Busy much?  Fall back on this all the time.  Super easy and so much flavor.  I hope the rest of your week goes quietly.  We had our beef with plain white rice and some steamed broccoli on the side.  I think teriyaki and broccoli go together brilliantly!  Enjoy and I'll see you on Thursday.

Teriyaki Beef with Pineapple

2 lbs stew meat

15-20 ounce jar Teriyaki Sauce

20 ounce pineapple tidbits, drained

Put the beef in slow cooker.

Pour sauce over the top.  Cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours.

Add pineapple during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Serve over what ever tickles your fancy that night!! ;-)

One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta

Hello All!  Happy Tuesday!  Prayers to those that need them.  Hey, thanx for stopping by, Spicy and I are very glad to see you.  It is so a Tuesday, I have nothing left.  My weeks worth of givin a S#%^ has already been used up lol.  So, comfort food, easy dish, I hope your peeps love it, all mine in both Asylums did.  Prayers to those that need them.  Look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

ONE POT MEXICAN SKILLET PASTA

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Yield6 servings

This Mexican-inspired pasta dish can be made in 30 minutes or less. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 cups uncooked elbows pasta
• 2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in pasta, salsa, chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
• Stir in tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine. Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
• Serve immediately, topped with avocado and cilantro.

NOTES

Adapted from Julie's Eats & Treats

Creamy Garlic Herb Mushroom Spaghetti

Hello All and Happy Thursday!!  I hope the week isn't taking too much out of you!  Prayers to those that need them.  Today's recipe is super delicious and easy.  I can hear you and your residents asking where's the meat??  Well, sometimes it's good not to have meat, and if you don't agree, by all means throw in some meatballs!  The sauce is flavorful enough you might be able to get away with adding ground beef, but I have yet to try that.  Mom and Dad had some leftover grilled chicken so I made this on the side of that and went together great!  Hope it works for you also!  Thanx again so much for stopping by, Spicy and I greatly appreciate it!  Have a great weekend and be sure to tell those around you how much they mean to you!  See you Tuesday!!  *Recipe from pinchofyum.com

Creamy Garlic Herb Mushroom Spaghetti

• 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc.) 
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1½ cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• additional ¼ cup water, broth, milk or cream (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley (more to taste)

Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Mushrooms: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add one clove of the garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown and softened. Set aside.

Sauce: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt again over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the flour and herbes de provence. Stir fry for a minute to cook out the flour taste. Add the milk slowly, whisking to incorporate. Let the mixture simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble: Toss the sauce, pasta, and mushrooms together. Add the olive oil and water as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Chicken and Cabbage

Happy Tuesday All!  Prayers to those that need them.  Today I have a recipe that is pretty darn good for you and pretty easy in the scheme of things.  We loved the taste, it was filling and yummy.  It did however seem to leave us rather soon, we didn't stay full very long LOL.  Don't tell anyone I said this but made the hubby gassy too!!  LOL!!  But even with that said, totally worth it!  Hope it works for your residents.  See you on Thursday!

Chicken and Cabbage

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

1 scallion/green onion - chopped lengthwise

2 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped

A pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 medium cabbage (about 5 cups chopped)(I used bagged)

5 mushrooms (about 1 cup, sliced)-optional

A small red or green pepper, sliced-optional

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon white cooking wine

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

A sprinkle of ground pepper

2 boneless chicken breast, cooked and sliced(We grilled them!)

1. I use two grilled chicken breast. But they can be sliced and browned in a skillet as well.
2. Wash and chop the cabbage into small pieces. You may like to shred them, have them in bite sized pieces or whatever size you want.
3. In a frying pan, add the olive oil, scallions, garlic and red pepper flakes.
4. Turn the heat on medium high (5-6) and let it warm up for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage, mushrooms, peppers and salt and let it saute for about 5 minutes, be sure to stir very well.
5. Add two teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce and taste, if it needs more, add another teaspoon. Otherwise, add the cooking wine, garlic powder, paprika and pepper.
6. Saute for another 5 minutes, turn the heat off and serve  (I cooked it down a little longer, softer cabbage and a better blended flavor)

Read more at http://myfridgefood.com/recipes/entree-chicken/chicken-and-cabbage#UPR2OsQ0II3AO5yU.99

Meatball Sub on a Stick

Happy Thursday residents!  Prayers to those that need them and love to us all! Speaking of love.....FOOTBALL is almost back!  Time to start building this years favorite finger foods.  I ran across this last week and they were exactly what I expected them to be.  Simple, easy and tasty.  So this will not only make all the football fans happy but also the kids at your Asylum!  Make sure to try them out this weekend!  See you next week.  Enjoy!!

Meatball Sub on a Stick

Meatball Sub On A Stick

Ingredients:

1 bag Farm Rich Meatballs (Original, Turkey or Italian)

1 tube breadstick dough

2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup Mozzarella cheese

1 cup marinara sauce

12 bamboo skewers (like the ones you use for caramel apples)

Directions:

NOTE: The meatballs come frozen so you'll need to defrost them in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave before making this. You want them soft enough to be able to insert onto the skewers. For one tube of breadsticks, you'll need 36 meatballs.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unroll dough and separate into 12 breadsticks. Thread one end of a breadstick on a skewer; add one meatball then thread the dough around the meatball. Repeat threading with breadstick and 2 additional meatballs.

Place about one inch apart on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining breadsticks and meatballs.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Meatballs should be cooked through and the breadsticks a nice light, golden brown. You may need to rotate the trays halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Once finished, take out pans and sprinkle the meatballs with mozzarella cheese and top that off with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.

Put the meatballs back into the oven for another 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Gently heat up some of your favorite marinara sauce and serve with the meatball skewers for dipping!

Enjoy!

www.thecountrycook.net

Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy

Hello All and Happy Tuesday!  Prayers to those that need them!  Hope Monday didn't take too much out of you.  Sure glad you stopped by.  Today's recipe is super simple, super yummy and comfort food.  Nothing missing.  I wanted to check it out last week to prep for winter meals coming up and this will make the rounds.  I found it while checking on my Pinterest account, it originated at thecountrycook.net. Looking forward to mid week tomorrow.  See you all on Thursday!

Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy

2 packets dry chicken gravy mix

1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup

2 Cups water

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

garlic powder, salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 Cup sour cream (optional) (I used Greek yogurt)

Serve over 

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder, pepper and minimal salt. (The soup and gravy mix are high in sodium)

In slow cooker mix gravy mix, chicken soup and water.  Whisk until completely mixed.

Add the chicken breasts, cover with gravy.  

Cover and cook low 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken then serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.  Last week we had mashed potatoes. :)

Barbecue Chicken Bubble Up Bake

Happy Thursday all!  Friday is right around the corner, hope you have some great plans for the weekend.  Prayers to those that need them.  You'll love how easy today's recipe is.  Still working on soft food and a variety so I made this for them the other night and they both ate really well.  Had me super happy!  Good luck with it in your Asylum.  Thanx again for stopping by.  See you next week!  (I personally left out the cilantro, it's a bit too strong for us)

Barbecue Chicken Bubble Up Bake

1

lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1

can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Homestyle refrigerated original or buttermilk biscuits

1

bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce

2

cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

3

tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Steps

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• 2 Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center. Remove from heat. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• 3 Meanwhile, separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Set aside.
• 4 Place cooked chicken in medium bowl. Pour barbecue sauce over chicken; stir to combine. Add biscuit dough pieces to chicken mixture; gently toss to combine. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.
• 5 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle cilantro over top. Serve immediately.

Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

Happy Tuesday all!  Hope your week is going well.  Prayers to those that need them.  Can you guys believe school is starting again?  I don't have any school age children but a lot of my friends do and I can't believe the summer has passed us by so quickly!  So today I have picked a nice easy and healthy recipe.  Hope everyone in your asylum enjoys it like we did!  See you Thursday!  Thanx for stopping by!

CHICKEN CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 large head cauliflower, stems removed, cut into florets
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º and lightly grease a 9-13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
2. Place cauliflower in a large saucepan with 1 inch of water over medium heat. Cover and steam until just tender.
3. Drain cauliflower and place in a large bowl.
4. Add chicken and cheese to bowl and toss together.
5. Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add spinach and garlic and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add spinach to chicken and pour in beaten eggs. Season again with salt and pepper.
7. Pour mixture into baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set and edges begin to brown and pull away from the side of the dish.
8. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from I Save A to Z

* I just steamed my cauliflower in a ziploc bag in the microwave, one less dish!

Patty Melts with Secret Sauce

Happy Thursday!  Prayers to those that need them!  Thank you again for stopping by.  Well, OMG!  Of course, I go and start a diet and then stumble across this beauty!!  There is just going to have to be a cheat day somewhere in my near future!  Please, take this, use it, abuse it and tell us just how *#&@!! good it was when you did!  :) Maybe I will get lucky and Spicy will take a run at it for her Asylum and let us know how it turned out!  There is no doubt in my mind that it will be nothing less than food porn!!! :)

Lugene Fischer Gerber‎RECIPES OF NORTH DAKOTA

Patty Melts With Secret Sauce

1½ pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 slices sourdough bread
½ cup Secret Sauce
3 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
6 slices Cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted butter

Secret Sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
½ teaspoon hot sauce
In a small bowl, stir together mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Shape ground beef into 6 oval patties.
In a medium cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and golden brown, approximately 35 minutes.
In a large cast-iron skillet, cook patties over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat. Remove patties from skillet; wipe out skillet.
Layer 1 bread slice with 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce, 2 to 3 tablespoons caramelized onions, 1 slice cheese, 1 patty, and another 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce. Top with another bread slice. Repeat with remaining bread, Secret Sauce, caramelized onions, cheese, and patties.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Working in batches, cook sandwiches, flipping once, until golden brown and heated through, approximately 3 minutes per side. Add remaining butter to skillet as needed.

Asian-Style Grilled Cornish Hens

Hello all!  Hope the week is going well for you, mine is busy!  Today's recipe comes from one of my many, many, many Cooking Light Magazines!  LOL.  Spicy has an addiction to books, mine is to magazines and cook books lol.  I have far too many of both!  Any way, haven't actually tasted this recipe yet but it is in my fridge marinating as I type.  And the smell and color that the hens are turning is just beautiful!  Will send pictures later.  Prayers to those that need them.  Please enjoy your weekend and loved ones!  See you again on Tuesday!

Asian-Style Grilled Cornish Hens

3 Tablespoons Raspberry vinegar

2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce 

1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 1.5 pound Cornish Hens, skinned and split in half lenghwise

Cooking Spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip top plastic bag.  Add hens to bag; seal and marinate in refregerator overnight, turning occasionally.  Remove hens from bag; discard marinade.

Prepare grill.

Place hens on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 10 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 180°.  Yield; 8 servings (serving size half a Cornish hen)

Filet with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Hello All and Happy Tuesday!  Well, I have probably already shared this recipe with you but that's ok.  It's one of those that I will probably post every time I make it lol.  Can't help myself.  Sarah-Lee is one of my many favorites and last night I was leaning on her!  Quick, simple and tasty!  I get two thumbs up from the whole family every time I make it!  Enjoy!  See you Thursday.

Filet with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

You will need:

Oil

Medium bowl 

Blender

Small saucepan

Butcher's twine

For Avocado Butter:

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, McCormick

For Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, Mezzetta (This is just the brand she uses)

1/2 cup Catalina dressing, Kraft

For Filet:

4 bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin steaks

1 packet (0.71-ounce) Montreal Steak Seasoning, McCormick Grill Mates

Set up grill for direct cooking over high heat.  Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

For Avocado Butter, in a medium bowl, mash the butter and diced avocado with a fork until combined.  Stir in hot pepper sauce, salt, and black pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, in a blender, combine roasted red peppers and Catalina dressing.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer to small saucepan and heat through over low heat.

Tie steaks with butcher's twine to maintain shape. (I use frozen turkey ones ALOT)  Season with steak seasoning.  Place on hot, oiled grill; cook for 6-8 minutes per side for medium (160°F).  Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Carefully remove strings.  Top each steak with a spoonful of Avocado Butter.  Serve steaks hot in small pools of Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

BBQ Crock Pot Chicken Breasts

Good Morning and Happy Thursday!!  Hope your week is going well, hang in there the weekend is right around the corner.  Today's recipe is one that many of you probably have, well at least a version of it.  We have all put lots of stuff in the crockpot and just let it cook.  This is one of those.  But with ingredients that I hadn't put together before.  It turned out great for us, especially when we added coleslaw!  Do with it what you will!  Thanx for stopping by, look forward to seeing you on Saturday!!

BBQ Crock Pot Chicken Breasts

2 lbs Chicken Breasts

1 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 Cup Italian Dressing

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 Cup brown sugar

Salt to taste!

Put the chicken breasts in first and sprinkle with salt.  Mix all the other ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over chicken breasts.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or slow 6-8 overnight while sleeping).  Remove breasts and shred, put back into sauce in crock pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes.  Trust me this part is very important the sauce thickens and adheres to the chicken!

I served them on romain lettuce leaves with bacon and coleslaw, OMG!!!! Delish!

Oh, I can't say I know exactly where this recipe came from.  I believe it was somewhere on my Pinterest but it was just written down on a small piece of paper.  !!!!  LOL

20-Minute Shrimp & Sausage Skillet Paleo Meal Recipe

Hello All!  Tuesday again is excellent, means Monday didn't take us down!  Woo Hoo!  Hope things are great where ever you are.  I just found today's recipe two days ago.  I am always, flipping through this or reading through that book of recipes.  At home, online, in the book store and even at my mom's house lol.  So, liked it.  Copied it.  Made it.  Loved it!!!  For those of you not eating paleo and able to eat rice, that will top it off!  Good luck, see you on Thursday!

20-Minute Shrimp & Sausage Skillet Paleo Meal Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb of medium or large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 6 oz of pre-cooked smoked sausage, chopped (choose your favorite)
• 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• Olive oil or coconut oil
• Optional garnish: chopped parsley
Servings
• Serves about 4

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil or coconut oil
2. Season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning
3. Cook shrimp about 3-4 minutes until opaque – remove and set aside
4. Cook onions and bell peppers in skillet with 2 tbs of olive oil or coconut oil for about 2 minutes
5. Add sausage and zucchini to the skillet, cook another 2 minutes
6. Put cooked shrimp back into skillet along with the garlic, and cook everything for about 1 minute
7. Pour chicken stock into pan and mix through to moisten everything
8. Add salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
9. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve hot

** I also doubled the recipe so there were enough leftovers to take to mom and dad!  It easily doubled.