Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

from The Pioneer Woman


1-1/4 pound ground beef
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
salt + pepper to taste
8 ounces, weight egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Super easy and fast weeknight meal. I didn't have any green onions so I just added a little dash of minced onions from the cupboard. This was good, comforting, filling.

One Pot Chili Mac

From Nums the Word

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp garlic
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp season salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
10 oz. uncooked elbow pasta noodles
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large dutch oven or pot, cook ground beef & onion until ground beef is cooked through and onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Drain if needed {depends on fat content of ground beef}
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, white kidney beans, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil.
Add pasta and boil 12 - 15 minutes until pasta is cooked through. Stir as needed.
When pasta has absorbed liquid and is cooked through, add cheese and mix well.
Cook for another 5 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

1 can cream-of-anything soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
frozen chicken pieces
packet of Italian salad dressing mix
2 cloves minced garlic
block of cream cheese (to add later)

Put everything except for the cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and begins to shred. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and mix in the block of cream cheese. Switch the crock to high and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is fully melted. Serve over pasta.

So easy & so, so good!

Broccoli Bake

6 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta (we used spirals)
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 can (10-3/4 oz) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/8 cup fat-free milk
1 cup mushrooms (can use fresh or canned)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
1/8 cup sunflower kernels

Boil pasta according to package directions for 7 minutes. Add broccoli; return to a boil. Cook 2 minutes longer or until pasta is tender; drain.

In a large bowl, combine soup & milk. Stir in mushrooms, onion, salt, pepper, & 1/2 cup cheese. Add pasta & broccoli; mix well.

Transfer to a 6x8 baking dish coated w/ nonstick spray. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle w/ sunflower kernels and remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

This turned out really tasty. I was about a half cup short on broccoli but had some cauliflower so I used about a 1/2 cup of that, too. I was sparse in using the sunflower seeds, because I wasn't sure I'd like the flavor but it added a really great flavor and crunch. It was pretty quick & easy too. Enjoy.

Taco Pasta

Source: Family Circle, April 2009 issue

1 lb wagon wheel-shaped pasta (whole wheat!)
1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes (no salt added)
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce
1 tsp hot chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 pkg (12 oz) soy crumbles
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta following package directions. Drain & return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. In a large skillet, stir together beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, & salt. Break up tomatoes with a wodden spoon. Simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir the sauce into pot w/ pasta. Add half of the cheese, and stir to blend.
4. Spoon pasta into a large serving bowl and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top.

Crockpot Lasagna

Source: Crockpot365
(adapted to fit our tastes)

Ingredients
Box of whole wheat lasagna noodles
Jar of spaghetti sauce
Large container of cottage cheese
Package of shredded Italian cheese
Mushrooms
Chopped veggies (I used carrots)
Baby spinach
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup water

Directions
Brown meat with chosen spices in large skillet.
Drain grease & return meat to skillet.
Pour in entire jar of spaghetti sauce (save jar, don't rinse or throw away!)
Simmer on low for a few minutes
Ladle a spoonful of sauce onto the bottom of your crockpot
Top with a layer of dry, uncooked lasagna noodles. Break them to fit & get a good layer.
Smear a layer of cottage cheese over the noodles
Layer veggies, mushrooms, and spinach on top of the cottage cheese
Add a handful of the shredded cheese
Ladle on some more of the meat sauce
Top with more dry noodles and repeat layers until crock is to desired capacity.
Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty spaghetti sauce jar and shake. Pour tomatoey juice over the whole pile of food
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.

Crockpot cooking has become the way to go for us. This was a delicious meal & of course we had leftovers for a day or two. I did have a burnt layer on the bottom & the top was slightly overdone as well. The middle layers were fine. Next time, I will leave my crockpot on "warm" all day & then if I need to turn it up to high to finish when I get home, I can do that. That way I'll avoid burning.

Lasagna Toss

From Autumn in the Country, Gooseberry Patch


1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground Italian pork sausage
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. garlic powder
1-3/4 c. spaghetti sauce
6-oz pkg mini lasagna, cooked
1 c. cottage cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella


Brown together ground beef, sausage, onion, salt, & garlic powder in a large skillet; drain. Stir in sauce; simmer until heated through. Stir in mini lasagna and cottage cheese. Spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish; top with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serves 6.

This is a new favorite at the Campbell household! Next time, I would use less sausage, as it is very flavorful & kind of strong. I didn't have mini lasagna, so I used whole wheat rotini instead, & estimated the amount, since I didn't have a "6 oz bag"... I think I used quite a bit more, so I also used more cottage cheese & spaghetti sauce. Lasagna is kind of an intimidating dish to me, but this was just as good and super easy! Enjoy! :)