Chicken Vegetable and Tortellini soup

My old good friend Trenna showed me how to make this soup a few years ago. I really don't follow a recipe, just go off smell and taste. I guess it would be something like...

2-3 chicken breasts (or a whole chicken) boiled.

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 Italian zucchini, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 sun dried tomatoes

2 bay leaves (remove after cooked)

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. fresh cheese and spinach tortellini

Cook the chicken in pot of water. Do not drain, but cut up the chicken and put back in pot.

Add sliced carrot and onion. Let boil. Add zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, bay leaves and spices.

Let it boil. remove bay leaves and add tortellini. When tortellini is cooked, serve.

I always like to serve this with homemade rolls. Enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

8 T unsalted butter
2 cups breadcrumbs
Salt
1 pound macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t dry mustard, dissolved in 1 t water
1/4 t cayenne pepper
6 T flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 cups)
8 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
Pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 T of the butter and toss with breadcrumbs.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in 1 T salt and add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain the macaroni and leave in colander.

3. Wipe out the pot, add remaining 6 T butter, melt over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture and cayenne. Cook until fragant, about 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.

5. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until combined.

6. Pour into a 9X13 inch dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To make ahead:
Assemble the casserole as directed through step 6, but do not sprinkle with the breadcrumbs or bake. Store in the fridge, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days before serving. The casserole can also be frozen, wrapped with an additional layer of foil for up to 2 months. Allow the macaroni and cheese to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. (If frozen, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before letting sit at room temperature.)

From America's Test Kitchen

(Instead of Colby cheese I used cheddar and jack cheese, mostly because that's what Costco had that was pre-shredded.)

Fiesta Chicken

1.5 lbs chicken breasts or tenders

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh salsa

1 Tbs chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Assembly: Add all ingredients to a zip lock bag.

To Serve: Cook on low in crock pot until chicken is completely cooked (4-6 hours, depending on your crock pot). Shred or chop chicken. Serve over flour tortillas topped with cheese and sour cream.

Sloppy Turkey Joes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend-I usually use more, it depends on how spicy you want them (recommended: McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning or Mrs. Dash seasoning for poultry)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce,( 8- ounce) can

To the sauce I add mustard and cider vinegar and sometimes ketchup.

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet, add the turkey. Break up into pieces, season with salt and pepper and then add the onions and peppers. Cook until turkey is cooked through.

While the turkey is cooking, in a small bowl mix the brown sugar, seasoning, worcestershire and tomato sauce together (and the mustard and vinegar if you want to add it.) When the turkey is cooked and there is no fat left in the pan, add the sauce and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve on buns.

By Rachel Ray

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

By: Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Asian Noodle Bowls with Steak and Snow Peas

Ingredients

Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (8.8 ounces) soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut in half or thirds if too large to fit in skillet
1 pound snow peas, stem ends removed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
Directions

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente. Drain; set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook (in batches if necessary), turning once, until medium-rare, 2 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer steak to a cutting board, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve skillet with juices).
Add snow peas to skillet, and toss with juices. Cook on medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons water; cook until warmed through, about 20 seconds. Transfer to serving bowls. Slice steak; place on top of noodles, and add any accumulated juices. Scatter with peanuts, and serve.

*Must blanch snow peas for 2 minutes if you are going to freeze them!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

From the Kitchen of Lisa Manning or Holly Weaver

6 cups chicken broth

1 pkg. original Uncle Bens wild rice

1/2 cup chopped scallions/ green onions

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 cups half and half or milk

1 cup cooked chicken breast

Bring chicken broth to boil. Add green onions and rice. cover and simmer for 35- 40 min.

In another pan melt butter. Add flour and S&P. Whisk in half and half/ milk. cook until thickened. Then add chicken and add to soup.

This is really yummy in bread bowls!