Creamy Noodle Bake

Creamy Noodle Bake

Yield: 4



Ease of Preparation: EasyPrep





Time: 20 minutes



Ingredients:



2 pounds (900 gms) Extra Lean Ground Beef
2 cans Tomato Soup (10 oz / 284 ml Each)
2 tsp Mrs.Dash Italian Seasoning
2/3 cup Water
3/4 lb. Broad Egg Noodles (340 gms) like No Yolk brand
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (10 oz / 284 ml each)
1 x Soup Can Filled with 1% Milk
1/2 Mushroom Soup Mixture
1/3 Cooked Noodles
1/2 the Meat Sauce
1 cup Shredded Light Cheddar Cheese
1/3 Cooked Noodles
Remaining Mushroom Soup Sauce
Remaining Noodles
Remaining Meat Sauce
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Part-Skim





*it says it yields 4 but it made more than that. Landon and I ate it for dinner and then I had enough for Brian's lunch as well as 3 daycare kids lunch the next day and there is still 1/2 a casserole (9x13) left over.








I found this recipe at foodtv.ca. I found this site through an application on my blackberry for the food network and it happens to be out of Canada so some of the terms and measurements are a little different. I have found some other recipes I am going to be trying within the next week so check back for new recipes.

Tex Mex Taco Dinner

Again I decided to try a recipe from the Spring Kraft Food Magazine that I received last week. This one is also delicious! I ate it with sour cream and that was YUMMY! I bet it would be good rolled up in tortilla like a burrito! Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

PS: I took some leftovers today and wrapped it in a tortilla with black beans and lettuces and it was delicious!



Prep Time: 5 min Total Time: 23 min Makes: 4 servings, 2 cups each






What You Need!



1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup CHEEZ WHIZ Cheese Dip
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped



Make It!



BROWN meat in large skillet.



ADD chili powder, broth and water; stir. Bring to boil.



STIR in rice and Cheez Whiz; cover. Simmer on low heat 5 min., stirring occasionally.





Serve topped with lettuce and tomatoes.



Kraft Kitchens Tips:



Special Extra
BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream makes a great topping for this dish.



Family Fun
No need to use serving utensils. Serve with tortilla chips instead of forks!





*this recipe is from Kraft Foods*

Pasta Pronto Italiano

I received my new Kraftfoods magazine in the maile the other day and I saw lots of recipes that look yummy! I decided to try this one the other night and I thought it was very good! I hope you think the same.

Spring 09

Prep Time: 5 min Total Time: 20 min Makes: 4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

What You Need!

1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar (15 oz.) pizza sauce
1/2 cup KRAFT Pizzeria Shredded Four Cheese

Make It!

PREPARE Dinner as on directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain, if necessary.

ADD Dinner and pizza sauce; mix lightly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 min. or until shredded cheese begins to melt.

*this recipe is comlements of Kraft Food and Family*

Taco Casserole

This is from the back of the Ortega box of 12 taco shells and their website. I didn't have the taco sauce when I decided to make this so I found a recipe on how to make it and it ended up being perfect! I will give you the link to the taco sauce recipe in the recipe itself.


1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup ORTEGA Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce - Medium, or homemade taco sauce
4 ozs. ORTEGA Diced Green Chiles
1 can (2.25 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained, divided
1 package ORTEGA Taco Seasoning Mix - Regular
1 package (4.5 oz) ORTEGA Taco Shells (12 ct), broken
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
1/8 cup sliced green onions (optional)

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COOK beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned; drain. Stir in water, taco sauce, chiles, 1/4 cup olives and seasoning mix. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

LAYER half of broken taco shells on bottom of greased 12 x 8-inch baking dish. Cover with half of meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining shells, meat sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Top with remaining olives, tomatoes and green onions.

I omitted the olives, tomatoes and green onion but I added shredded lettuce and sour cream on top of my bowl and it made it very YUMMY! Thanks Ortega!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 boxes UNCLE BEN'S® long grain and wild rice with herbs and seasonings (Original) (fast cook is great for decreased cooking time!)

2 cans cream of celery soup (I like cream of mushroom better, Cream of chicken can be used)

Milk

Cook rice according to package directions. In large pan, combine soup and 2 soup cans milk. Add rice and chicken, stirring well. Add additional milk to thin as desired.

*I got this recipe from a former patient when I worked in Physical Therapy*

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Campbell's® Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole
From: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep: 5 minutes

Bake: 50 minutes

Stand: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in an 11 x 8-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish.

Top with the chicken. Season the chicken as desired. Cover.

Bake at 375°F. for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Top with cheese. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir rice before serving.

Try It Alfredo: Use 1/4 cup grated Parmesan for Cheddar cheese. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese with soup. Use broccoli flowerets for vegetables. Top chicken with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Trim It Down: Use Campbell's® 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup instead of regular soup and use low fat cheese instead of regular cheese.

Mexican: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for Cheddar.

Italian: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for Cheddar.

This recipe is courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen

Crock Pot Tips

In my crock pot book that I get most of my crock pot recipes are tips on using the crock pot as well as some secrets to making things easier and more flavorful or on the other hand not too flavorful. I thought I would share them with you in case there are somethings you didn't know or that might make your experience with the crock pot more pleasurable. Some of these tips you may have already known but hopefully I give you at least one tip you didn't know that might help in your slow cooker experience.

1. Leave the lid on while the slow cooker cooks. The steam that condenses on the lid helps cook the food from the top. Every time you take the lid off, the cooker loses steam. After you put the lid back on, it takes 20 minutes to regain the lost steam and temperature. That means it takes longer for the food to cook.

2. A slow cooker is great for taking food to a potluck even if you didn't prepare it in the cooker.

3. The great thing about using a slow cooker in hot weather is that it doesn't heat up you kitchen like an oven does.

4. ONE HOUR ON HIGH EQUALS ABOUT 2 TO 2 1/2 HOURS ON LOW.

5. A slow cooker provides enough warmth to raise dough.

6. You may want to revise herb amounts when using a slow cooker. Whole herbs and spices INCREASE their flavoring power, while ground spices tend to lose some flavor. It's a good idea to season to taste before serving.

7. Most slow cookers perform best when more than half full.

8. Milk products such as cream, milk, and sour cream can curdle and separate when cooked for long periods of time. Add them during the last 10 minutes if cooking on high or during the last 20-30 if cooking on low.

9. Liquids don't boil down in a slow cooker. At the end of the cooking time, remove the cover, set dial to high and allow liquid to evaporate, if the dish is soup-ier than you want.

10. To get the best flavor, saute vegetables or brown meat before placing in slow cooker to cook.

11. Roasting bags work well in the slow cooker. Simply fill with meat and vegetables and cook as directed in slow cooker recipes. Follow manufacturer's directions for filling and sealing bags.

12. When cooking meats and vegetables together, especially when cooking on low, place the vegetables on the bottom where they will be kept moist.

13. If cooked rice is called for, stir in raw rice with the other ingredients. Add 1 cup extra liquid per cup of raw rice. Use long grain converted rice for best results in all day cooking.

14. Put your cooker meal together the night before you want to cook it. The following morning put the mixture in the slow cooker, cover and cook.

15. "high" on most slow cookers is approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Low is approximately 200 degrees.

16. A slow cooker set on low does not burn food and will not spoil a meal if cooked beyond it's designated cooking time.

17. Cooked pasta and rice should be added the last 1-1 1/2 hrs of cooking time to prevent them from disintegrating.

18. Decrease onion amount when adapting range top recipes to slow cooker recipes because the onion flavor usually gets stronger.

19. You can use a 2 lb coffee can, 2 -1 lb coffee cans, 2 16 oz vegetable cans, a 6-7 cup mold, or a 1 1/2 qt baking dish for "baking" cakes in a slow cooker. Leave the cooker lid slightly open to let extra moisture escape.