Baked Penne & Sausage

*I am sending this to you guys frozen so you can make it next week if you'd rather. Sorry it's so close to Taylore's meal this week. I didn't read my email before I shopped! I'm sending you a caesar salad too, but that probably won't last until next week. Make sure you thaw it before you bake it.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of uncooked penne (1 ½ boxes)

7.5 ounces of Ricotta (1 ½ tubs)

¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp dried oregano

3 T shredded Parmesan cheese

48 oz Marinara Sauce (2 jars)

1 lb ground Italian sausage w/o casing

about 4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

extra parmesan for topping

Instructions:

*This recipe makes either one 10x16 pan or two deep 9x9 pans. I usually make two 9x9s and eat one and freeze one.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan(s) with cooking spray

-Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse with cold water, drain

-In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, spices, 3T parmesan, and 1/3 cup of sauce.

-Brown sausage, add rest of sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

-Assemble in this order…portions are for making two pans…

In each pan place=

½ cup sauce

¼ of noodles

½ of ricotta mixture

1.5 cups sauce

¼ noodles

a little less than 2 cups mozzerella

1.5 cups sauce

top with parmesan

-Bake until cheese melts and is browned, about 20-30 minutes. Allow it to sit for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Pink Pasta with Sausage

Sorry for the super simple meal this week. This week is crazy. We leave for Hume Lake Friday morning. Come home Sunday night and then leave to go camping for 5 days Monday morning. Got lots to do before Friday. Anyways... We eat this meal without meat. But I gave you some sausage in case you would want it. Pink sauce (1 jar of tomato basil sauce mixed with 1/3-1/2 jar of alfredo sauce). Mix and heat. Boil noodles. Mix altogether. Serve with salad and asparagus. Salad: spinach, feta cheese, green onions, cut up green apple, walnuts, craisins, and dressing. Thanks ladies, Tay :)

Chicken Brochettes (skewers) with Apricot Glaze

Prep: I mixed the sauce and cut the chicken for you, but otherwise just follow the instructions below (chicken will take about 10 minutes in the oven, after prepping skewers). Cook the couscous per box. Slice the strawberries and toss with the lettuce, pecans, and a vinaigrette or oil and vinegar.

1 1/2 cups apricot preserves

2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4-5 metal skewers (8-10 inches long)

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler. Combine apricot preserves, garlic, vinegar and oil. Mash chunks with a fork. Transfer 1/2 cup of the glaze in a small cup to brush on the cooked chicken. Slice the chicken breasts crosswise into four or five 1-inch strips. Fold each strip and insert a skewer so it goes through the strip twice. Thread four or five strips on each skewer; don't push them together too tightly. Season with salt and pepper, and brush all over with the apricot glaze. Line a baking sheet with foil and put a rack on the sheet. Place the skewers on the rack. Broil, turning every 3-4 minutes so they cook and brown evenly, for a total of 10-12 minutes (don't let them burn or dry out). Check inside for doneness, then brush with remaining glaze and serve.

Taco Salad

beans
chips
cheese
avocado
green onion
red onion
tomato
ground beef
taco seasoning
sour cream
lettuce

prepare meat and mix everything together! :)

Pepperoncini Pork Burritos

Hi friends--I just realized that I forgot to give you the tortillas for this meal! Yikes, I'm losing it! I can bring them to Betsy and Wendy tomorrow morning--if that works. Sorry about that. 

Pork Prep:

• Put pork loin in crock pot.
• Pour the entire jar of pepperonicis (including the juice) over the pork.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
• Shred with fork before serving.

Burritos (assemble as you like!):

• heat tortillas (in microwave, on grill, or gas stovetop)
• cheese
• sliced avocado
• pico de gallo
• pepperoncini pork

Prepare Spanish rice according to directions on box and heat the beans.

St. Patrick’s Day Crock Pot Corned Beef

I know this meal is traditionally Corned Beef and Cabbage, but I don’t know many people who actually like cooked cabbage, so I did carrots instead.

Ingredients:

2 onions

1 lb small potatoes

1 corned beef

1 lb baby carrots

1.5 cups of chicken broth

1 t dry mustard

1 t thyme

1 t dill

butter

-Peel onions, cut in quarters and place in the bottom of crock pot.

-Place corned beef and seasonings on top of onions.

-Arrange whole potatoes around the meat.

-Spread carrots over the top.

-Pour chicken broth over the top and sprinkle with thyme and dry mustard.

-If there doesn’t seem to be enough liquid to cover the meat, add some water.

-Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.

-Transfer corned beef to platter and cut into slices. Use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables from the pot and place around the meat. I like to put the carrots in a separate bowl and toss them with some butter and 1 tsp. of dill to give them their own flavor.

-Serve with Trader Joe’s Aioli Garlic Mustard.

Vegetable Beef Soup and French Bread

Prep: Veggies will be cut and spices mixed, and the meat frozen. So you will need to allow time to thaw the roast, then cook it according to directions below (which requires you to allow about 3-4 hours for total cooking time before you want to serve it).

2 lb chuck roast

3 quarts water

2 tbsp salt

2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large stalks celery, sliced

2 large carrots, sliced

1/2 of a potato, sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes

2 tsp parsley flakes

Combine beef, water, salt, Worchestershire sauce and pepper in a stock pot. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove meat from soup, cut in small pieces and return meat to soup. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Makes about 6 quarts.

Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:
corn tortillas
1 can green mild enchilada sauce
1 can red mild enchilada sauce
collby jack cheese

Directions:
Put both cans of sauce in a saucepan and heat. Put oil in a frying pan. Dip each tortilla in the oil. (This is to make sure they don't break apart). Keep them in the oil only for a few seconds...maybe 5? I put them on a plate with paper towels after I dip them. Once tortillas are done, dip them in the sauce. Put a little bit of grated cheese in the middle and roll like a burrito. Line them up in a 13X9 baking dish. Put a little extra sauce down inside the cracks to keep them moist. Put grated cheese all over the top. Sprinkle olives over the top. Bake 350 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with beans and rice.

Burgers and Fries

Fries: Prepare according to directions on the bag.
Burgers: Grill 'em, assemble 'em, eat 'em.

Enjoy!