Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Pasta

This was one of those recipes I was sooooo excited to try, but I thought it was a total flop. I didn't like it. At all. Brad and the kids, however, really liked it. Go figure. I thought it was ugly and tasted a little bitter. In the recipe's defense, I did change the way it was cooked. I was in a super hurry (we found out Eli had baseball practice at the very last minute so I was rushing to get it made) and didn't want to dirty 3 pots. Maybe I would have liked it better had I actually followed the recipe. We'll probably never know, though, since I don't think I'll ever make it again. However, I'm still posting it since my family liked it and maybe yours will, too. 

Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Pasta
1/2 bottle of Lawry's Herb and Garlic Marinade
4 large spoonfuls of pesto (divided)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. penne pasta
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 cup half-and-half

Cut chicken into 1-inch strips. Marinate in marinade and 2 tablespoons pesto overnight. Boil pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, brown chicken and discard marinade. Add the garlic right at the end. Remove chicken and deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Pour in tomato sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons pesto. Stir until heated through. Taste to adjust seasonings. (I think I added salt & pepper.) Stir in the half-and-half. Add chicken and pasta back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from SOUTHERN GIRL COOKING

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Cheesy Sausage Hash

I pinned this awhile back on Pinterest and was waiting around for it to get cold because it looked like a cold-weather dish to me. I got tired of waiting and made it for dinner this week. I ended up doubling it because I had originally thought about upping the meat a bit and I wasn't sure how many cups I could get out of one bag of SIMPLY POTATOES.  Turns out, I had enough of everything to make two recipes and then freeze half before baking. I liked the cubed potatoes I used, but next time I'm going to use the SHREDDED ones because I think it will be more of what I imagined. It was still good (Phoebe *loved* it) and I'm totally excited to have another pan ready to go in my freezer! 

Cheesy Sausage Hash
3 cups potatoes, peeled, boiled, and cut into cubes OR 3 cups Simply Potatoes (found in the refridgerator section at your local supermarket)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt & pepper
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, diced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. smoked sausage
a sprinkle of paprika

Cut sausage in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/2 inch half-circles. Cook in a skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, until slightly brown. Place your potatoes in a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. (I was worried my potatoes would be under salted and an under salted potato is a travesty.) Add the meat and give a gentle toss. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all remaining ingredients (except sharp cheddar and paprika) in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted, and smooth, whisking constantly. You're basically making cheese gravy. :) Salt and pepper this, too, until you're worried it's a little too salty. (Seriously, I did this and my hash was perfect. I was worried it would be too salty, but it wasn't.) Pour cheese gravy over meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with sharp cheddar and paprika. Bake for 35-45 minutes. (Mine actually took close to an hour to absorb and thicken with all that cheesy goodness, but my oven cooks a little slow. Just keep watch and plan for extra time if you're oven is like mine.)

Adapted from FOOD.COM

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

We make THESE taquitos pretty often so I thought it might be fun to try a different filling. If you like buffalo wings, you'll like these. I was worried they would be too spicy for me and Phoebe (we're the wimps in the family), but these really weren't spicy at all. If you want yours spicy, you'll have to add more Cajun seasoning or even some cayenne pepper.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
3-4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
flour tortillas (I think I used 16 smaller ones from a 20 count bag)
2 cups grated mozzarella
4 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add seasonings. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. It's probably going to look curdled (mine did), but it's ok. It'll smooth out when you add the milk. Cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine chicken and sauce. Stir in cheese.  Lay out a tortilla and spread about 1/4-1/3 cup chicken mixture to one side. Roll up tightly and place on a greased baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat till all the chicken is gone. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Adapted from REAL WOMEN OF PHILADELPHIA

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Quick Hamburger Soup

The day after we had CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE, I told Brad he could either stop at the store to get ingredients for this soup or he could eat cheeseburger casserole leftovers. He stopped at the store. It was perfect soup weather (wet and cool), but I needed one that would come together pretty quick since I didn't have time to simmer it all day or evening. I searched Pinterest and this is what I found.

Quick Hamburger Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup water
2-3 cloves garlic (I probably used 3 because that's just how I roll.)
32 oz. beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
15 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 cups small pasta (I used bowtie noodles because that's what Brad brought home.)
salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper over medium heat in a stock pot until beef is brown and veggies are tender. Drain. Season with salt and pepper. Pour back into pan. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and seasonings.  I didn't measure this. Just poured some into my palm and dumped it in. Bring to a boil. Taste to adjust seasonings. Stir in pasta. I'm not sure how much I used here, either. The original recipe called for 1 cup of pasta, but that didn't look like enough so I dumped in a little more. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is done.

Adapted from EAT AT HOME

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Cheeseburger Casserole

There's a funny story about this dish. Everybody loved it, but after a big helping, Brad asked, "Does this have pickles in it?" When I told him it did, he said, "I knew there was something in here I did not like! The whole thing tastes like pickles!" He *hates* pickles and I tried to sneak them past him justifying it because it was *just* 1/4 cup. The kids and I liked it. It's worth a try if you like pickles...and if you don't, just leave them out. It won't be as good, though...

Cheeseburger Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
salt & pepper
6 oz. Velveeta, grated
1 can (8oz.) crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until onions are soft and beef is browned. Drain. Season with salt and pepper (I think I might have used steak seasoning, but salt and pepper would work fine, too). Stir in pickles, water, ketchup, and mustard. Spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Velveeta. Unroll dough; press seams together and place on top of beef mixture (I had to kind of "squish" it a little to make it fit). Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

Adapted from KATHIE COOKS

Family Rating:

Brad: ** 

Jordan: ***

Eli: *****

Phoebe: *****

Overall Family Rating: 15/20

The Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak

This was one of those recipes that Brad and Eli really liked, but I just didn't. I'm posting it because they did like it so much even though there's a chance I may never make it again because I really didn't. Make it and then let me know what you thought!  The Pioneer Woman served hers with mashed potatoes and peas. I served mine with mashed potatoes and green beans because peas are from the devil!

The Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak
Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 cube beef bouillon
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper
Gravy:
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
2 cups beef broth
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water or beef broth to make a paste about as thick as school glue

Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture and knead until all combined. Form into 4-6 patties. Fry in a large skillet with evoo and butter on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat and pour off grease. Keep warm. Melt a little more butter in some evoo and add the onions. Cook and stir until golden brown and soft. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, ketchup, and Kitchen Bouquet (if using). Stir to reduce and bring to a simmer. Pour cornstarch mixture into the skillet in a slow stream while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Stir until thickened. Taste to adjust seasoning. I added a little salt. Move the "steaks" back to the gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Adapted from THE PIONEER WOMAN 

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: **
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ***
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs

This dinner was a life-saver. Really. I stuck it in the crockpot and ended up not eating it because I had a migraine and spent the evening in bed. I used my crockpot timer, which is just a timer on the outlet like you might use for Christmas lights, so it would come on at the right time. 

Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs
32 oz. package frozen meatballs
15 oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained and juice put aside
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Place frozen meatballs in the crockpot. Place bell pepper and pineapples on top. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the top. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Stir before serving over rice to make sure all the goopy mess at the bottom is combined and the sauce is thick.

Recipe from SIX SISTER'S STUFF

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: N/A
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ***** (Three helpings!)
Overall Family Rating: 12/15