Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

I love reading cook books. I love trying new recipes. When I came across this recipe, written by Devin Alexander (host of Healthy Decadence), I knew I had to try it. At first taste, our family proclaimed it a new favorite. This meat sauce is savory and lick-the-plate delicious (just ask my youngest son...).

I (personally) like that this recipe is so easy to adapt to what ingredients you have on hand. It is

a recipe that relies heavily on "pantry" items - so I can make it without making a special trip to the grocery store. I also enjoy that I can change the dish by adding a few simple ingredients (like

veggies) or by changing the protein (ground turkey is delicious, as is grilled chicken). When I am

trying to work on cooking ahead, or preparing a meal for my freezer, I will double the sauce recipe (as it is wonderful for French Bread pizzas, meatball subs, etc.)

I encourage you to make this dish your own - and enjoy every delicious bite!

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce (serves 4 - big servings - at ~404 calories per serving)

Adapted from Devin Alexander

8 oz dried rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained (I used macaroni this time)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

Drizzling of extra virgin olive oil

28 oz crushed tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sugar (or to taste)

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Drizzle a large pan with olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic. Set aside. Cook the ground beef with the fennel, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and salt. When cooked completely (you should not need to drain), add the onions and garlic and stir to combine. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, and sugar and stir to combine. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes (the longer it cooks, the more flavorful it will be). Before serving, add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce and stir. Top with 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese.

Variations

**Veggies that we like to add are: mushrooms, zucchini, shredded carrots, corn

***Proteins that we like to add are: grilled chicken, cannelloni or black beans, and ground turkey

New Year - Fresh Start Menu #1

January always holds such excitement for me: The anticipation of what the new year will bring and the desire to start it out on the right foot. I am not really big on New Year's resolutions and I do not make any resolutions each new year. I really enjoy menu planning - and sharing recipe treasures that I find or that are in my personal favorite collection. With this first menu, I focused on lighter dishes with fresh flavors. I also selected meals that would not take too much time to prepare. Happy New Year!

Meal #1

Bacon Wrapped Tilapia

Garlicky Smashed Roasted Reds

Green Beans

Meal #2

Chicken Parmesan Pizza

Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Yogurt Dressing

Meal #3

Skinny Shrimp Scampi

Parslied Lemon Rice

Broccoli Florets

Meal #4

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

Sauteed Zucchini

French Loaf

Wishing you and your family all the best as you embark upon all of the delicious possibilities that 2012 has to offer. Enjoy!

Artichoke Chicken Casserole

This new recipe won the approval of my two toughest critics ... my sons (who even asked for second helpings). It was really easy ... and could even be assembled ahead of time to bake later. I may play around with some of the seasonings to "perfect" this ... but this was really good just the way the recipe originally was printed. Thank you Taste of Home magazine for another great recipe!



Artichoke Chicken Casserole from Taste of Home magazine
2 cups of bow tie pasta, uncooked
2 cups of cooked chicken
1 cup of Parmesan (I used Asiago ... did not have Parmesan)
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic, minced (I used 2 cloves)
1 can of artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained
1/3 cup of milk
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 tsp of onion powder (I used a garlic/onion blend seasoning)
1/2 tsp of black pepper (I am not sure exactly how much I used ... I just used my grinder)
1 cup of Garlic/Onion Croutons, coarsely crumbled

Cook the pasta. Drain. Set aside.

Combine chicken, cheese, mayo, artichokes, milk, cream of chicken soup, and seasonings. Fold in the cooked pasta. Place in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the crushed croutons. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.


I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did!

Autumn Splendor - Menu #1

September. It is SEPTEMBER! I am welcoming in the crisp morning air, the back-to-school excitement, warm drinks on the back porch swing, and all of the wonderful family traditions that this time of year bring. I am also returning to blog-dom ... breaking out fantastic favorites and trying new recipes. I can't wait to really break out my favorite soup recipes and to plan our annual Autumn party. Needless to say ... I am excited to welcome Autumn.

Here is what is on our plate for the next week (or so...)

Meal #1:
Lemon-Basil Roasted Chicken
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Garlicky Green Beans
French Loaf

Meal #2:
Stuffed Peppers
Three-Cheese Tomato Tart
Salad

Meal #3:
French Dip Au Jus served on Mini-French Loaves
Parmesan Oven Fries
Apple Sauce (crock-pot recipe)

Meal #4:
Chicken Artichoke Casserole
Fruit Salad

Meal #5:
Salsa Sloppy Joes
Ranch Pasta Salad

Meal #6:
Bacon-Chicken Club Pizza
Bread Sticks
Fruit


I hope that you all enjoy the first glimpses of Autumn ... and the wonderful flavors that it brings. Have a great week!

Weekend Fun

What is on our plate for this weekend? Baking! Gonna try this recipe for Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.


What is on your plate?

Taco Orzo Soup

Despite the warmer weather, the first real meal I made after being sick was a savory soup that is always a big hit with my family. The recipe came from a little shop in Corning, Iowa (The Fickle Frog) who made up a cookbook filled with fantastic recipes that taste like "home". Here is one such recipe.


Taco Orzo Soup serves 4
1/2 pound ground beef
4 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
5 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 cup orzo

Brown the ground beef. Drain off any fat. Add bouillon, chili powder, cumin, salsa and water. Bring this to a boil. Add the orzo and let cook until tender. Serve with your favorite taco garnishes. We like green onion, tortilla chips, and cheese.

**We have added black beans and corn to make this a heartier meal.
***Another favorite garnish is avocado


Enjoy!

If You Could Have Any Cookie ...

My youngest (aspiring chef) and I were having a discussion this weekend and the question was posed, "If you could have any cookie in the entire world, what kind of cookie would you choose?"
Without hesitation, my little guy emphatically said, "Snickerdoodles!"


So, we went into the kitchen and made some. The End.

Snickerdoodles makes 3 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well-incorporated. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and combine well. Form into equal-sized balls and then roll into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until soft and puffy. Let the cookies cool before serving.

Enjoy!