Crockpot Tortellini Sausage and Spinach

I feel like I say it often (mostly because I DO say it often!), but this is one of my favorite meals! Easy to make, not many ingredients, and super yummy, even as leftovers. We like it served with garlic bread, so that we can use the bread to mop up the sauce in the bottom of the bowl :)

You can also use refrigerated tortellini if you want, just don't add it in until the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise it will be overcooked.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sausage

19 oz bag frozen cheese Tortellini

Baby Spinach (I used just over half of a 6 oz bag, but I think it would be good with the whole thing too)

2 14.5oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes (do not drain)

8 oz cream cheese, cut up

3 cups chicken broth

Garlic Powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over the top)

Parmesan Cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the sausage, drain the grease.

Put all ingredients in the crockpot.

 Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring once in the middle so the melted cream cheese blends in.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Tortellini Tomato Soup

This is a nice little spin on plain old tomato soup, with only a little bit more effort. In fact, it is the only way we eat tomato soup in our house anymore.  Delicious paired with grilled cheese! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 10.75 oz cans condensed tomato soup

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups Chicken stock

1 cup milk

4 oz cream cheese, cut up

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 9oz package cheese filled tortellini

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Saute garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except tortellini. Mix well and bring to a simmer.

After it is simmering, add tortellini and simmer until tender (follow package directions). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

This sauce is really easy to make and is done quicker than the time it takes to boil the pasta! You can adjust how garlicky you want it - we love garlic so we do a lot!

 INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs minced garlic

4 ounces cream cheese, cut up

1 cup milk

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Add milk a little at a time, whisking as you do it.

Add cheese, pepper, and salt. Stir until cheese is melted and everything is well mixed.

For a thin sauce, remove from heat immediately. For a thicker sauce, cook for a few minutes. Will thicken more as it stands. If it gets too thick, slowly stir in a little bit of milk.

Enjoy!

Broccoli and 3 cheese stuffed shells

None of us really like cooked broccoli too much but these are still yummy! You could always adjust the amount or just take it out completely and I am sure it would be delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
18 jumbo pasta shells (i usually cook a few extra in case some break while cooking)
15 oz Ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I have used both grated and shredded, either way is good)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Jar (around 28oz) Pasta sauce with vegetables

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta. Drain.
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, broccoli, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spread about 1 cup of the pasta sauce in 9x13 dish.
Spoon approximately 2 Tablespoons of filling into each shell and arrange them in the dish in a single layer.

Pour remaining sauce over shells evenly. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
Bake @400F for 25 minutes.

Ranch Chicken Lasagna

Delicious fresh out of the oven and just as good (if not better) reheated the next day.

INGREDIENTS
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pack dry Ranch Salad Dressing Mix (I actually used 1.5 but we are ranch lovers)
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
9 lasagna noodles
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix evaporated milk and dressing mix in a saucepan. Heat over low heat approximately 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cooked chicken to sauce mixture.
Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Put 3 cooked noodles in a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 1/3 of the chicken sauce (it will be a very thin layer, don't worry about it). Top with about 1/3 cup of each cheese. Repeat all of the layers 2 times, except the last one use all of the remaining cheese. 
Bake @ 350F for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Pie

A little twist on spaghetti. So much better in my opinion! My favorite part is that the bottom layer gets slightly crispy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons beef seasoning
8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (plus extra for garnishing, if desired)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef in 12 inch skillet. When done, remove from skillet.
Mix beef seasoning and tomato sauce together.
Place cooked pasta in the bottom of the skillet.

Top with meat, followed by the sauce and cheese.

Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Cut into slices like a pie. Enjoy!

Spicy Thai Noodles with Chicken

Like most of my favorites, this is quick and easy! :)  

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz bag egg noodles
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup Sesame oil
5 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoons soy sauce, plus another 1-2 Tablespoons for chicken
Vegetable oil (enough to stir fry chicken, I didn't measure)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
3-4 green onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
Heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the pepper, reserving the oil.
Whisk honey and 6 Tablespoons soy sauce into oil.
Pour over noodles, tossing to coat evenly.
Stir fry chicken until no pink. Drizzle soy sauce over chicken, cook another minute. Add chicken to noodles. Mix together.
Serve warm, topped with carrots and green onions.

NOTES:
The original recipe (found HERE) called for 1-2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper, and many reviews stated 1 was plenty. For kids, 1 is probably on the spicy side, but Matt and I would have preferred a little more.

Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese

Yummy and filling! My kids don't like spicy food, and since you layer the buffalo chicken in, its easy to make half with the chicken and half of it regular macaroni and cheese to please everybody.

I just love how evenly my oven bakes ;)

INGREDIENTS:
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk
3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
2 cups shredded jack cheese
1 pound cooked pasta
2 cups Buffalo chicken
Panko breadcrumbs (I didn't measure, just used what looked good)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9x13 (or larger) pan.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter then whisk in the flour. Whisk 3-4 minutes.
Slowly add the milk to the mixture, continuing to whisk to break up clumps. Continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens (about 10 minutes).
Add the seasonings, 3 cups of the cheddar cheese and 2 cups of the jack cheese to the mixture, continuing to stir until all of the cheese is melted.
Place a layer of noodles over the bottom of the dish, then layer with the cheese sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and buffalo chicken, repeating until all of the food is layered.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
Bake at 375F until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbling (about 30 minutes).

NOTES:
If you don't have any buffalo chicken on hand, you can just cook some chicken, shred, and mix with desired amount of buffalo sauce. 

adapted from this site

Italian Chicken Pasta

Only 5 ingredients and super yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz Penne
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tbs beef seasoning
Parmesan cheese (I prefer shredded but I use grated sometimes as well)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook Pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water, drain again.
Heat oil over medium high heat. Saute chicken with beef seasoning until no pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in cooked penne and heat through.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Spicy Beefy Shells and Cheese

Quick and easy. Sort of like a homemade hamburger helper (but much better tasting!). 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1 can beef broth
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shells
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 regular size jar Pace Salsa (any hotness)

DIRECTIONS:
Brown beef. Season with onion salt and pepper, if desired. Drain.
After draining, add broth and water. Bring to a boil.
Add shells. Cook over medium heat til shells are done. Do not drain!
Add cheese soup and salsa. Heath through.
If it is too soupy, let it simmer for a little bit to thicken.

Spiral Pasta Pizza Bake

This is easy to make despite the long list of ingredients.  It makes a large amount (9-12 servings probably), so it would be good for a pot luck, or any group of hungry people! :)

INGREDIENTS
12 oz Tri color Rotini
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste with pesto
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Parmesan (I used half shredded, half grated)
3 cups Mozzarella
Pepperoni slices (I had a 6oz package, I used roughly half)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In large pot, cook the beef, onion, salt, and pepper til no pink. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
In medium bowl, eggs, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir. Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan. Pour beef mixture over pasta. Top with Mozzarella and pepperoni. 
Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes @ 350F. Uncover and bake additional 20-25 minutes, til cheese is golden brown.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

This is definitely my new favorite meal! I knew I would like it since I love chicken enchiladas....I think I might like it more than actual enchiladas though! Try it, you'll like it! :)

It makes a lot! At least 8 good sized servings I would say (maybe more, I dunno, we still have leftovers in the fridge after all of us ate plus Matt took some to work). 

INGREDIENTS:
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. (I boiled them, adding pepper and a dash of chili powder to water)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 oz diced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
28 oz can green chili enchilada sauce
10 oz shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese
1 cup sour cream (plus more for topping)
12-16 oz Penne Pasta (I cooked 16 oz, but didn't use quite all of it)
tomatoes, for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Cook Pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Cook onions 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, cook additional 3-5 minutes.
Add chicken, green chilies, salt, chili powder, cumin, and sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes.
Add cheese and stir until melted. Mix in sour cream over low heat. Do NOT boil (sour cream will curdle).

Drain the pasta. My skillet wasn't big enough to add the pasta, so I put the sauce in the pot I cooked the pasta in (while the pasta was in the strainer). Then I added pasta until I felt like there was enough. I probably could have used all 16 oz but I could tell there was already more than enough .Mix together well and enjoy!

adapted from here