Mexican Stuffed Shells

 

Ingredients:

 

1lb ground beef

15 (roughly) large pasta shells

1 sm can sliced olives (I used the one with jalapeños in it)

1 1/2 c medium salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

4oz of cream cheese

1-2c of Mexican blend shredded cheese

 

Instructions:

 

-Boil/cook pasta shells

-While pasta is cooking, brown 1lb of hamburger

-drain and add taco seasoning and cream cheese

-once mixture is creamy, add salsa and mix

-add a little shredded cheese and mix

 

-line a glass baking dish wish aluminum foil and wrap up the edge of the dish

-spoon meat mixture into each pasta shell

-place each filled shell into the dish as you fill them

-once the dish is full of shells, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the shells

-sprinkle as many sliced olives as you wish on top of the cheese 

 

-bake at 350 for roughly 15 min or until cheese is melted

 

*top with regular taco fixin's. I used cream cheese and it was delish!

Easy cheese popcorn

Prep time: 6 min

Makes 10 cups

Found in The Diabetes Snack Munch Nibble Nosh: 150 quick treats to adds zip to your diet book By: Ruth Glick

White Chicken Chili

(got this from a friend at work-she won the best chili contest!) 

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped)

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic

1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern white beans

1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans (white Italian kidney beans)

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup already shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, optional garnish

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, optional garnish

If the chicken is frozen, run it under hot water so you can remove any packaging. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave 2 minutes, uncovered on high, to begin defrosting.
Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium heat in a 41/2 quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Cut the chicken (fresh or partially thawed) into bite-size chinks, and add it to the pot. Add the garlic, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.
While the chicken cooks, rinse and drain both cans of beans and drain the chiles. Add the beans, chiles, cumin, white and cayenne peppers and broth to the pot. Raise the heat to high, and cover the pot. Bring the chili to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and water in a small container that has a lid. Shake well to remove any lumps.
When the chili boils, the chicken should be cooked through. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly. Continue to boil until the chili reaches the desired thickness. Remove from the heat until ready to serve. Garnish with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate values per serving: 353 calories (14 percent from fat), 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 66 mg cholesterol, 36 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 10 g dietary fiber, 815 mg sodium

Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!"

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Skillet Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 ½ cups Monterey jack shredded cheese
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup milk
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 ½ cups uncooked bowtie pasta

Instructions:

1. Chop chicken into small bite sized pieces.
2. In a saucepan over medium, heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, add garlic and chicken, saute until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Freezer Prep:

To prep for freezing, place; broccoli, chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese in a freezer safe gallon bag. 

Cooking Directions:

Pour contents of gallon bag into sauce pan on low heat with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, cook until combined, Boil pasta for 8-12 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Toss pasta with chicken mixture. Serve.
 

Adapted from:

http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/2013/09/12/creamy-chicken-and-broccoli-pasta-skillet-recipe/

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
-4 chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
-1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (I have also used a can of Rotel instead), undrained
-1 small can (I think it's 4 oz) green chilis
-1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
-Tortillas
-Monterrey Jack cheese (or your favorite kind of cheese)
-2 Tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)

Directions:
-Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use the easy crock pot liners)
- Place your chicken breasts in the slow cooker
-Dump in the diced tomatoes, green chilis, and cream cheese
-Cook for 6-8 hours on LOW o 3-4 hours on HIGH

-Once the chicken is cooked, take the chicken out and shred
-Return chicken to slow cooker (mix it in and it will absorb some of the juices so it's not so runny)
  and keep warm until ready to make quesadillas
*To make quesadillas:
-heat a skillet over medium heat
-Top half of each tortilla with cheese and a scoop of the chicken mixture
-Fold the tortilla over and press down
-Lightly brush melted butter (or olive oil) on both sides
-Cook two filled tortillas at a time (3-4 minutes each; until they are golden brown), turning once.
Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Adapted from: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/04/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-quesadillas.html

Slow Cooker Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

-1 lb ground beef
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
-1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
-1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
-2 green onions, chopped
-1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
-1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix (I used Jiffy brand)
-2 eggs
-1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Instructions:

-In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain

-Stir in the cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper
-Transfer to a slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro

-Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through

-In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture

-Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean

-Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes

 

Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired.
Makes about 8 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/slow-cooker-tamale-pie

 

Baked Ziti

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta (or really any kind of pasta would work- I actually used Penne pasta)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef (season with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and minced garlic)
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.
• In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat
• Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Spray 2 8x8 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray.
• Layer as follows in each pan: 1/4 of the ziti, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of Provolone cheese, 1/2 of sour cream, 1/4 of ziti, 1/4 mozzarella cheese and 1/4 of sauce mixture.
• Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.

When you are ready to eat it, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw 24 hours in advance. By allowing it to thaw in the fridge, you can cook it at the regular time and temperature (350 degrees for about 30 minutes). If you do not thaw it in advance, it will take much longer to cook. If you cook it completely frozen, it will take anywhere from 90 minutes - 2 hours to cook all the way through.

 

These fill the 8x8" pans to the top, so I cooked mine on a large cookie sheet just in case they bubbled over.

Million Dollar Casserole

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 lb. of Ground Beef
• 1 jar of Spaghetti Sauce (26 ounces)
• 8 oz of fat free Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup of fat free Sour Cream
• 8 oz. low fat Cottage Cheese
• 1/4 cup of Butter
• 8 oz. of Noodles (I used penne pasta)
• 1 cup of Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

• Boil a pot full of water.
• Add your noodles as directed on the package
• While your noodles are boiling, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. Make sure you mix it very well!
• Next place your meat in a skillet and cook until brown and cooked through. Drain it.
• Pour your spaghetti sauce over the meat and mix well
• Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
• Layer half of the noodles in the bottom of the dish.
• Pour the creamy mixture on top of the noodles and spread it all over.
• Then add the rest of your noodles and put a few slices of butter on top of those noodles.
• Then pour the red sauce and meat on top and again spread it all over.

Day of: Thaw out overnight. Place the casserole in your oven for 30 minutes at 350. After the 30 minutes take the dish out and add your cheese on top and cook it in the over for another 15 minutes.

Sweedish Meatballs

 

Ingredients:

 

• 20-25 frozen meatballs (about 1 inch sized)
• 1 bottle chili sauce
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 can cranberry sauce

Instructions:

• Place first 4 ingredients in a zip top bag.
• Label and freeze.
• Day of: Dump meatball bag into slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Read more at http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/08/freezer-meal-packets/#7xkYPRtCpllZ6zbO.99

Basic Chicken Casserole

(makes 3 casseroles)

Ingredients:

• 4 shredded, cooked chicken breasts
• 5 cups of cooked rice
• 2 cans of cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 bags of frozen peas and carrots (I used mixed, but you could use one bag of each)
• 1 Tablespoon of salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon of black pepper
• 3 cup of French’s onions
• 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, combine the cheese and onions together – set aside (for the topping)
• In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients together, then separate into pans.
• Top each one with 1/3 of the topping mixture and freeze.
• When ready to cook, bake at 350 until thoroughly warm and cheese is melted (everything is already cooked in the casserole)

Tex Mex Chicken Casserole

 

(makes 4 freezer meals)

Ingredients:

      ·         4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

·         8 cups of cooked rice

·         2 can of Rotel tomatoes

·         2 packs of taco seasoning

·         2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained

·         2 cans of black beans (undrained)

·         1 small can of black olives, drained

·         6 cups of cheddar cheese, grated

 Instructions:

·         Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl, except the cheese.

·         Divide out into four pans

·         top each with the cheddar

·        bake at 350 until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted

serve with sour cream and salsa on top and tortilla chips on the side

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

 

Ingredients:

·         4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken

·         1 jar of marinara sauce

·         1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

·         1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

·         about 1 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs

·         1-2 tablespoons olive oil

·         fresh, chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc)

·         salt and pepper

Instructions:

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

·         Grease an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray

·         Layer the chicken in the bottom

·         Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken.

·         top with cheeses until all the chicken is covered

·         In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs and a dash of salt and pepper together.

·         Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs on top

·         Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.

 

Freezer Meal Directions: Put casserole together and freeze it before baking. When you're ready to cook it, let it thaw in the fridge over night. If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, you'll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven. -

See more at: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2013/07/chicken-parmesan-casserole-recipe-an-easy-freezer-meal/#sthash.iHI3TsUk.dpuf

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pasta Bake

(makes 3 freezer meals)

Ingredients:

·         3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts

·         2 boxes of pasta (I used penne), cooked and drain

·         2 cans of Campbell’s cheddar soup

·         2 cups of chicken broth (I used the broth from cooking the chicken)

·         2 bags of frozen broccoli

·         1 Tablespoon Salt

·         3 cups of shredded cheddar

Instructions:

·         Combine all ingredients except shredded cheddar into a bowl

·         divide out into three pans

·         top with cheddar cheese

·         When ready to cook, bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until warm and bubbly.

 

Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:

·         1 pound beef stew cubes

·         4 carrots, sliced

·         4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes

·         1 package dry onion soup mix

·         2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup

·         1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

·         1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas

Instructions:

·         Place all ingredients in a re-sealable gallon-sized freezer bag

·         Mix together and zip bag closed

·         When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours

·         Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours)