Pasta e Fagioli

I made this Monday night and invited some friends over for dinner. Yum-O! I went to The Olive Garden and picked up salad, breadsticks and alfredo sauce to complete the meal. DELISH!!!!

1 lb. ground beef, turkey or italian sausage (I used ground beef)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-15 oz. can kidney beans
1-15 oz. can white beans
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups V-8 juice
1 T. vinegar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1 1/2 t. thyme (or just replace all 3 of these with 3 t. italian seasoning)
1/2 lb. ditalini pasta

Brown meat in large stock pot. Add all fresh veggies and saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for pasta. Simmer for 1 hour (or however long you have until dinnertime!). Meanwhile, cook pasta, drain and toss with olive oil. Put soup and pasta together in bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Kristen (picture courtesy of Once upon a dinner time - where I found the recipe)

Easy Pot Roast

This is a really easy way to make an inexpensive roast. Buy a chuck roast about 3 pounds for 6-8 people. Look for some fat marbeling, but not lots. I prefer boneless...why pay for the weight of the bone. FREEZE the roast. (adds the extra liquid you need for gravy)

Place the frozen roast in a roasting pan.
Sprinkle 1 packet of dry onion soup mix over the roast.
Carefully pour about 1/3 C water over the soup mix so it dampens it but doesn't wash it off.
Cover the pan and put it in the oven at 250 degrees for about 8 hours.

On these cheaper cuts of meat, the secret is slow-w-w-w cooking. It makes the tougher ones really tender.

For a slightly different flavor, mix one can of cream of mushroom soup with the onion soup plus 1/2 C water and pour it over the roast.

If you add potatoes and carrots, do this only a couple of hours before serving, otherwise they will be overcooked.
(word of warning: sometimes you think you are getting a great piece of meat, but sometimes they are just plain tough....be glad you cooked it this way or you would never be able to bite it! )

Grandma Linda

Chicken Breasts Diane

This is quick, easy and really has a nice flavor. Have all your stuff measured, chopped and ready because it goes really fast!

*4 boneless chicken breasts (I used larger chicken tenders). If using chicken breasts pound slightly between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. (I didn't with the tenders)
*Salt & pepper them
*Heat 1 T each of oil and butter in large skillet
*Cook chicken over high to medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side. (It only took 2 min each side with tenders) Watch out! It splatters! Do not cook longer as they will become too dry & over cooked.
*Remove to serving plate (warmed is nice)
*Add 3 T green onions or chives, Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon, 3 T chopped parsley and 2 tsp Dijon mustard to drippings in frying pan. Whisk constantly for about 15 seconds.
*Whisk in 1/4 - 1/2 C chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
* Whisk in 1 T butter.
Pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Grandma Linda

Yummy Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
3/4 C. oil
1 tsp soda
3 tsp vanilla
1 C. chopped nuts (optional)
2 C. sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp BP
3 tsp cinnamon
2 C. raw shredded zucchini
2 1/4 C. flour

Beat eggs, add oil, sugar, vanilla. Add in dry ingredients. Add zucchini. I also add about 1 C raisins. (You can also add about 1/4 C cocoa and chocolate chips if you prefer the chocolate version!)
Spray bottoms of bread pans. Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Bake 1 hour at 325. Makes 2- 4 loaves.
Grandma Linda

EASY TOMATO BAKED CHICKEN

I made this for dinner last weekend. Mike said that he felt like he was at the Olive Garden. It was super yummy and smelled super good! And to top it off, it was super EASY!

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes (I use the kind that is seasoned with basil and garlic)
1/4 cup light Basalmic Vinaigrette Reduced Fat Dressing (I used Italian)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmasan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place onions in bottom of 9x13 baking dish; top with chicken.

Combine tomatoes, dressing, and garlic; pour over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with your favorite pasta (Mike suggests an alfredo) and vegetables, and crusty bread. Mmm, mmm, good!

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

FIRST OFF, let me start by saying this is sincerely one of my MOST treasured recipes. My family got this recipe from one of the best known cooks of my home ward growing up. When the ward would have bake sales, Maria's cakes would fretch 3 figures they are just that super incredible - no kidding. Our family jokes that we'd do anything for Maria's food :) Anyway, after family debate we decided it was okay to share but only if you praise & thank Maria when you take the first bite!

Boil the 4 ingredients below in a saucepan for 1 minute...

1/2 C. margarine
1/2 C. shortening
1 C. water
4 T. Cocoa

Sift into a bowl:

2 C. flour
2 C. sugar

Pour chocolate mixture over sugar/flour mixture and beat together (for awhile until it's nice and creamy). Add 1/2 C. Buttermilk, 1 tsp soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix again and then add 2 eggs and 1 1/2 vanilla.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 - 45 mins (or until the middle is cooked) 9x13.

Frosting:

1 stick margarine
5 T. buttermilk
3 1/2 T. cocoa

Boil the above ingredients (careful don't burn it) then pour over 1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar (I think that is about 1 full bag of powdered sugar). Add 1 tsp vanilla and mix really well. Add desired amounts of nuts and coconut. Pour over warm cake, frost and eat it up. This is the best when it's warm and gooey. If it gets cold, seriously microwave and eat - and SO good with vanilla ice cream! I swear every time I eat this I hear the mo-tab singing or something...I LOVE IT! Next time I make it, I'll stick a picture on here to go with the recipe.

Jody

Fall Dinner Line-up

Kim is in a dinner group and this is their fall menu. Maybe it will help some of us come up with some new ideas! (I'm sure I messed up the order of the meals in transferring them over here.)

Chicken Caesar Pitas, Taco Salad
Baked Potato Bar, Deli Sandwiches
Hawaiian Haystacks, Honey Lime Chkn Sand.
BBQ Ribs, Chkn Bow-tie Pasta
Club Wraps, Hawaiian Luau
Pizza Bombs, Chk Salad Sandwich
Ham and Cheese Rolls, Chicken Tostadas
Crockpot Chicken, French Dip
Chef Salad, Tangy Oven BBQ Chkn
Lasagne Soup, Chkn Stuffing Cass.
Potato Soup, Shepherd's Pie
Lemon Rosemary Chkn, Enchiladas
Sloppy Joes, Cheesy Ham Bake
Poppy Seed Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak
Lasagne, Chkn & Rice Casserole
Perfect Pot Roast, BBQ Pork Sand
Round Steak, Baked Pork Cutlets
Café Rio Enchilada Bar, Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Pot Pie, Hot Terriyaki Sand.
Sweet n Sour Chkn, Quiche
Chicken Bow-tie Pasta, Cheesy Potato Soup
French Dip, Pork Ribs
Chili Verde Burros, Stuffed French Bread(beef)
Sticky Chicken, Chkn Squares
Pizzeria Chicken, Busy Day Soup (beef)
Pigs in a Blanket, Taco Soup
Chicken Pot Pie, Lasagne