Margherita Pizza

1 loaf frozen bread dough
1 large tomato
fresh basil
grated or sliced mozzarella cheese
olive oil
garlic salt
onion powder
italian seasoning

Thaw the bread dough and roll out on a lightly greased pizza pan. Spread olive oil lightly and sprinkle with seasonings. Add chopped tomato, cheese, and chopped basil. Cook at 375 until the crust is lightly browned.

Sarah's Secret Ingredient Pasta Salad

12 oz tri-color rotini pasta
carrots
snap peas
green beans
green onions
cherry tomatoes
red, yellow, green peppers
olive oil
Wild Harvest Roasted Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chop the vegetables. Cook the pasta and add the carrots and green beans for the last few minutes to soften them up. Toss pasta with olive oil and let it cool. Combine everything and toss with the dressing.

This makes a lot - 1/2 recipe is plenty for our family and leftovers.

Tomato and Onion Salad

Prep: 10 min., Stand: 2 hrs. The flavors of this recipe really shine with sweet Vidalia onions.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 medium-size sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Arrange tomato and onion slices in rows in a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped basil, and drizzle evenly with marinade. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Very Berry Pie

• 8 Servings
• Prep: 15 min. + chilling

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 1 graham cracker crust (8 inches)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup cold fat-free milk
• 1 small package instant white chocolate pudding mix

Directions

• Spread 1/4 cup whipped topping into the crust. Combine berries and sugar; spoon 1 cup over topping.
• In a bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spoon over berries. Spread with remaining whipped topping. Top with remaining berries. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until set. Yield: 8 servings.

Chicken Pesto Spinach Pasta

• 12 Servings
• Prep: 20 min. Bake: 40 min.

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
• 6 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
• 1 jar (10 ounces) prepared pesto
• 1-1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
• Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
• Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Freezer Meals

Enchiladas
Chicken Potpies
Spaghetti Sauce
Chicken Pesto & Spinach Pasta

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups oats
2 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. butter

Combine ingredients and bake in an 8×8 pan at 350 for 20 minutes.

I mix the dry and the wet (cut up butter into the dry) the night before and then mix it together in the morning.

Blueberry Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c rolled oats (not instant)
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk*
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 [generous!] cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and honey until creamy.
3. Pour wet into dry, folding with a rubber spatula just until the batter is moist (but still lumpy.)
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat oven to 350.
6. Grease muffin tins, or line with papers
7. Fold in frozen blueberries.
7. Spoon into muffin tin and bake ~24 minutes.
*For cheater buttermilk: pour 1 1/4 tablespoon of lemon juice, add milk up to 1 1/4 cup and let sit until it’s a bit curdled. Ta-da!
Source: momandus.com

Fish Tacos

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoons fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 pound orange roughy fillets, cut into 1-inch strips (we use 1 chicken breast)
  
• 4 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
• 1 cup coleslaw mix
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
  

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice and milk; cover and refrigerate until serving.
• In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and lemon-pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine egg and water. Dip fish in egg mixture, then roll in crumbs.
• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook fish over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it flakes easily with a fork. Spoon onto tortillas; top with coleslaw mix, tomatoes, cheese and avocado. Drizzle with mayonnaise mixture. Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Simple and Delicious

Rosemary Chicken

1 tsp. Salt
½ C. Butter
1 pint Whipping cream
1½ tsp Corn starch
Chicken—cubed—about 3 breasts
½ carton fresh Rosemary or use 2 T. or so of dried (more or less depending on what you want)
2 cloves garlic ( I use a spoonful of minced garlic from the refrigerated jar)

Sauté chicken in the butter, garlic & Rosemary. When chicken is cooked add whipping cream, corn starch & salt. Simmer on low-med heat. The sauce will begin to bubble and thicken, stir frequently. After sauce is to desired thickness decrease temp to low until your noodles are ready. Top over bowtie noodles (you can use whatever kind of noodles you want or have in your pantry) and enjoy!

Crash Hot Potatoes

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions
4 French/Deli rolls
Butter, man
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco

-Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
-Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.
-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
-Add 1/2 (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
-Butter halved French rolls and brown on skillet.
-To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonfull of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

Pioneer Woman Lasagna
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I use about 1/2 lb)
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean, etc.) (again, 1/2 lb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes
2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
**In a large skillet, brown meat with garlic, drain half the fat, and add the next 6 ingredients. Simmer uncovered, 45 minutes.

**Boil one 10 oz package lasagna noodles with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook noodles al dente. (I cook them in the 9x13 pan in the oven while the sauce is cooking, since I don't have a big enough pan)

**Combine in a bowl:
3 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

**Also have on hand:
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese

ASSEMBLY: Place 4 noodles in a baking dish. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Add 1/2 pound of mozzarella slices, and a little less than half the meat mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with the meat mixture. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan and bake 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares, unless your family is wigging out with hunger…in which case, go ahead and dig in.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 pkg thin sliced chicken breasts

1 (15 ounce) can plain bread crumbs

8 slices deli ham

8 slices swiss cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Dip chicken in bread crumbs. Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on top of chicken breast. Roll chicken up and secure with a toothpick. Place in greased baking dish. Mix sour cream and soup - pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for one hour.

Chicken Potpies

From Simple and Delicious

12 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. + standing

Ingredients

• 2 cans (9-3/4 ounces each) chunk white chicken, drained
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) lima beans, drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) sliced carrots, drained
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) sliced potatoes, drained
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages (15 ounces each) refrigerated pie pastry
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Line two 9-in. pie
• plates with bottom crusts. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to
• fit tops of pies; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges.
• Cut slits in pastry; brush with butter.
• 
  
• Cover and freeze one potpie for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining
• potpie at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let
• stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
• 
  
• To use frozen potpie: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before
• baking. Cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking
• sheet.
• 
  
• Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; remove
• foil. Bake 55-60 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand for
• 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 2 pies (6 servings each).

I like to add frozen peas and chopped frozen broccoli too.

Lemon Parmesan Broccoli

Lemon Parmesan Broccoli

3 heads broccoli (approx 3 lbs)

3 T. Olive Oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan

1 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim about one inch off the ends of the broccoli stalks and cut the broccoli lengthwise into spears (I didn't do this - I just cut into florets). Arrange the broccoli on a nonstick cookie sheet (I used my silpat), drizzle with some olive oil and season with a little bit of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until the cheese melts and forms a crisp shell over the broccoli (about 10 minutes). Lift the broccoli out onto a platter with a spatula and drizzle with fresh lemon.

Source: Sisters' Cafe
Rating: 3 times a week good

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Aida's Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Recipe courtesy Aida Mollenkamp for Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

--

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

• 4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
• 2 medium avocados, diced

Directions

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Photography by Kate Sears

Flank Steak Pinwheels

Flank Steak Pinwheels

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/flank_steak_pinwheels.html

From EatingWell: June/July 2006

These festive wheels of steak, Boursin cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes look fancy, but they're quite easy to make. For a party, arrange them on a platter atop a bed of spinach.

4 servings | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons light herbed cheese spread, such as Boursin (see Variation)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; pour boiling water over them and let steep until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and chop.
3. Meanwhile, place steak between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each side of the steak thoroughly with the pointed side of a meat mallet until the steak is an even 1/4-inch thickness.
4. Rub garlic all over one side of the steak. Spread cheese lengthwise in a 3-inch-wide strip down the middle of the steak. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Starting at one edge of a long side, roll the steak up tightly, tucking in the filling as you go.
5. Carefully rub salt and pepper all over the outside of the steak roll. Turn the roll so the overlapping edge is on top. Push 8 skewers, evenly spaced, through the roll, close to the overlapping edge to hold the roll together. Slice the roll into 8 equal portions, roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, with a skewer in each. Lay the slices on their sides and push the skewer through so it sticks out about 1 inch.
6. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the pinwheels 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Use a spatula when turning them to prevent too much filling from falling out. (Don't worry if the ends of the skewers burn. They will still hold the pinwheels together.) Remove the skewers; let the pinwheels rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

• 10 Servings
• Prep: 10 min. Cook: 7-1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 beef tip sirloin roast (4-1/2 pounds), cut in half
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer or additional beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 10 Italian sandwich rolls (6 inches), split

Directions

• Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the broth, beer or additional broth, water, vinegar, soup mix, salad dressing mix, garlic, oregano and basil; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender.
• Remove roast. When cool enough to handle, shred meat, using two forks. Return to slow cooker and heat through. Using a slotted spoon, spoon shredded meat onto each roll. Serve juices as a dipping sauce. Yield: 10 servings.

Garlic Butter Flatbread

Garlic Butter Flatbread

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages yeast (4-½ teaspoons total)
4 cups flour
1/4 stick of butter
One clove of garlic, crushed (or sprinkle on garlic powder if you want less of a garlic flavor)

Pour warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast into a mixing bowl. Let yeast sit for a few minutes. Add the flour and stir everything together until flour is all mixed in. Let dough rise until doubled in size, for another 30 min.-1 hour or so.

Pat mixture out onto greased jellyroll pan.

Melt 1/4 stick of butter with a crushed clove of garlic. Pour the butter mixture all over the bread dough. If you have time, let it rise another 30 min. to an hour (if not, it will still be fine).

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until butter is mostly absorbed and the bread is golden.

Cut into pieces and serve. It’s especially good with spaghetti. My family also likes to spread strawberry jam on it. (Sounds strange, but it’s good!)

- Katie Stuart

Source: Sarah Severson
Rating: Fabulous when fresh, but we never eat a whole pan.

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

Our Favorite Breadsticks

1 ½ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
Butter for pan

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let it sit and bubble for a few minutes. Add the salt and flour. Knead for 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (I do all of this in my Bosch--any mixer would work great) Melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter and pour most of it onto a cookie sheet. Roll dough to cover cookie sheet. Cut to desired width, then twist or lay flat on cookie sheet. Brush remainder of butter on breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, and parsley (or whatever seasonings you like). Raise for 10-20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. You can roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and they will be pufffy and soft. If you prefer a thinner, crunchy breadstick roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and a jelly roll pan. Either way they are great!

Source: Sisters' Cafe blog
Rating: Turned out great on try #1. Needs garlic salt and parmesan to be really tasty.

5-minute no-knead bread

5-minute no-knead bread

1 1/2 Tb yeast
1 1/2 Tb Kosher salt
3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can use 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour & 4 cups white if you wish)

Stir together all ingredients until you have a nice, thick dough. Make sure you stir it enough that there are no dry pockets of flour left anywhere in the dough. Cover well and let rise for 2 hours on the counter.

Sprinkle just a little flour over the dough and divide into 4 parts (or you can make 2 large loaves). Sprinkle with a little more flour to keep you hands from sticking and form into a ball. Place seam side down on parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. Allow loaves to sit for 40 minutes (longer for the larger loaves).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone inside of oven to preheat as well. Also, place a shallow pan full of warm water on the bottom shelf of oven to make steam during baking. This creates a crusty exterior to the bread. Sprinkle loaves with flour again. Using a serrated knife, make several slices (criss-cross or straight) across the top of the bread to allow for expansion. Lift parchment paper with loaves on top and place directly on hot stone. (I didn't have parchment paper so I gently lifted the balls of dough onto my hot stone sprinkled with cornmeal and then cut the slices across the top.) Place baking stone on middle shelf of oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

**Dough can sit in frig for up to 2 weeks. If you are using dough from the frig it has already done the first 2-hour rise. Shape your loaves and let sit on counter like previous instructions, however, allow longer time because dough will be cold. You can even allow shaped loaves to rise in the frig for up to 14 hours. The dough will spread slightly but don't panic, it should still have a good spring to it once baked. For "refrigerator rise" bake at 475 for approx 30 minutes.

Source: sisterscafe.blogspot.com
Rating: Dense as a rock with 1/3 wheat flour. Try again with only white? Or stick with classic NYTimes No-Knead Bread.