Monday, December 29, 2008

Bacon Asiago Mushrooms

These are GREAT!! They can be an appetizer or a good side dish paired with a steak.

Take large portobello mushroom caps and place upside down on a baking sheet. (You can remove stems if desired.) Drizzle each liberally with balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover each with shredded asiago cheese. Top each with one slice of bacon, cut in half and criss-crossed. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until bacon is done.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

This is an easy way to have a quicker lasagna. My kids loved it, and got some spinach snuck into their food! Even my husband, who's not a fan of spinach, really liked these.

8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dried
2 tbsp minced green onion
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 (21 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse in cold water and drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add oil and cook spinach and green onions until tender, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and egg.

Preheat oven to 375. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of waxed paper. Evenly spread some of the cheese mixture on each noodle. Roll up each noodle from the short end, jelly-roll style.

In an 8x12 baking dish, spoon about 3/4 of the alfredo sauce on the bottom and spread evenly. Arrange the rolled noodles, seam side down, in the dish. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubble and the cheese is melted.

Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo

This is super easy and delicious! My kids gobble it up every time. You can serve it with some rice or pasta.

4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
8 oz mushrooms, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 10-oz container refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet, brown chicken and mushrooms 4 minutes in hot oil, turning chicken halfway through.

2. Slice lemon. Add broccoli and lemon slices to skillet. Cover; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done (170 degrees).

3. Place chicken and vegetables on plates. Add alfredo sauce to skillet; heat through. Serve with chicken.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Layered Turkey & Mushroom Enchilada Casserole

This is amazingly delicious and easy. Makes about 6 -8 large servings. Great with spanish rice on the side.

30 CORN tortillas
1 28oz. can of Green enchillada sauce, Medium spicy
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 large package of fresh mushrooms, washed and cut into big chunks
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can green chilis, diced
1/2 cup water
8 oz. mexican blend shredded cheese.

preheat oven to 350.

brown turkey, drain. add mushrooms, green chilis, taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup water. simmer for about 5 -10 minutes.

in 9 x 13 dish, pour just enough of the sauce onto bottom so it's wet, (instead of greasing the pan)

layer 18 corn tortillas. I basically put 3 layers of 6

spoon meat mixture over top, using a spatula, pat down so it's as flat and compact as can be.

put remaining 12 tortillas on top, (two layers of six)

pour rest of can of sauce over top. SLOWLY. so it can find its way down into the pan.

cover with foil.

bake for about 35 -40 min, then remove foil, sprinkle cheese over top and broil on LOW for 5-10 min...till cheese on top is bubbly and starting to brown.

Let stand for about 10 min. before cutting. top with sour cream. ....add a few dashes of hot sauce....

DELICIOUS!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Chicken & Cheese Tostadas

This is a quick, family friendly Tex Mex inspired dish. It's so good, and my kids gobble it up!

6 flour tortillas
1 packet (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in pieces
1/2 cup water
2 cups chopped tomatoes, divided
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese, divided
6 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

PREHEAT oven to 400. Place tortillas in single layer on large baking sheet. Spray tortillas with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tsp of seasoning mix. Bake 7 to 8 min or until crisp and golden brown.

MEANWHILE, mix chicken, remaining seasoning mix and water in large skillet. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

SPOON chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, the sour cream, and cilantro.

Makes 6 servings, 1 tostada each.

(Recipe courtesy of Kraft)

Mexican Casserole

A friend made this for me and it was DELISH! Both my kids scarfed it down too!

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning
2 cups salsa
1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained
4 flour tortilla shells
1 (12 oz) can enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning packet. Stir in salsa and beans. Simmer 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

4. Spread 2 tortilla shells in bottom of dish, and then spoon half the meat mixture on top of the tortillas. Spread half the enchilada sauce over the meat mixture. Then spread on toppings*, if any. Top with half of the cheese.

5. Repeat a second layer and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

*You can make this one how you like it by using different toppings! Use sour cream, sliced black olices, green onion, and/or fresh tomato.

Other variations:
-Substitute other beans you have on hand -- chili, kidney, etc.
-Substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
-Add an additional can of beans instead of meat for a vegetarian meal.
-Add a can of drained corn to mixture while simmering.
-Serve with a side of guacamole or Spanish rice.

Thanks for the recipe, Christan!