Baked Rigatoni

We'll definitely make this again!

Ratings:

Me: 8.5

Corrine: 8

Hunter: 7

I used a Saving Dinner recipe but she tries to save on fat so this is my changed version:

Baked Rigatoni

1 pound ground beef
1 cup oats
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 16 ounce container cottage cheese
8 ounces of rigatoni (boil first)
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a skillet, cook beef until browned and crumbled. Drain. Add oats and stir well. Add spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese and rigatoni to the beef and stir well.
Put in a large casserole dish, top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Salsa Chicken

This was fantastic! Going in the family book=) We used Pace picante and it was perfect.

Salsa Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast--cut in half
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

Mexican Lasagna

We really liked this!! I put it together the day before and then just took it from the fridge to the microwave the next night for dinner!

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients
6 oz. cream cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 4oz can diced green chiles, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin

8 small corn tortillas, quartered

1/2 cup shredded cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Mix together first 4 ingredients in one bowl.
In a second bowl mix together next four ingredients.
In 8 cup square round Heat n Serve layer starting with the corn tortillas then half the chicken filling, half the sauce. Repeat and end with sauce. Put 1/2 cup cheese on the top and microwave at 70% power for 12-15 minutes or until it is heated thoroughly.

Top with plenty of crushed tortilla chips.

Recipe Challenge: Karen's week

I picked the Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie. I also used Mandy's easy pie crust recipe because I didn't want to buy a pie crust. I think it would be much better for a true pie...and maybe not a top. It was good but didn't hold a shape to put on top=p

The pot pie wasn't bad...don't think I'd make it again though. Someday I will find a pot pie recipe we all love...if anyone has one similar to the cheapy pp's you get in the frozen food aisle please do share!

DEEP DISH CHICKEN POT PIE

INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup ITALIAN Dressing
125 g (½ of 250 - g pkg) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, cubed
½ cup chicken broth
3 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed, drained
1 frozen deep dish pie crust, thawed
DIRETIONS
preheat oven to 375F.Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat2 min. Add cream cheese, cook and stir until melted. Add broth and vegetables; simmer 5 min.
Pour mixture into deep dish 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Invert pie crust over filling, crimp edges. Cut 4 slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake 30 min or until crust is golden brown. Makes 6 servings

Cub Scout Cake Auction

Orange Zest Cookies

I didn't know what kind of cookies I wanted to make but while clearing out my inbox I found this recipe...yum!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
3 tablespoons grated orange
zest
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange
zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 3 tablespoons orange zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture alternately with 2/3 cup orange juice. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, stir together the melted margarine, confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Mix remaining orange juice in 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Spread over cooled cookies.

The Best Sweet n Gooey Chicken Wings

RC #2 for the week

Obviously I didn't use wings so lets call mine sweet n gooey drumsticks=)

I gave it an 8, Hunter gave it a 6 and Corrine gave it an 8.

THE BEST SWEET n' GOOEY CHICKEN WINGS

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings

*DIRECTIONS
In a 9x13 inch casserole, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Mix until brown sugar completely dissolves into the mixture. Place the chicken wings in the dish and turn them over until they are all well coated. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Turn the chicken again, after 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake chicken at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), covered, for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken wings, and spoon sauce from the bottom of the pan over the tops of the wings. Cook an additional 50 minutes, uncovered.

Quick Chicken Divan

RC #1 for the week

We all liked this. I'm the only one that ate the leftovers but I'd definitely make it again sometime.
Quick Chicken Divan
INGREDIENTS
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

*DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the chicken. In a small bowl, blend the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with Cheddar cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Groutmere buns

This is a recipe from Shar and it rocked!

I did the dough in the breadmaker.

chopping and filling=)

These were soooo good!

Dough:

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp sugar

yeast

1 cup scalded milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

salt to taste

a drop of lemon juice

6 cups flour

Filling:

Medium head of cabbage(sliced)

1 pound beef

1 medium onion(diced)

salt

I put in the liquid ingredients then dry then sprinkled the yeast on the top and set my breadmaker for dough. Start with step 8...

Without a breadmaker...turn on your oven light now.

1. In a small bowl put in 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 tsp sugar and one yeast package(2 1/4 tsp). Sit and let raise for 10 minutes.

2. While the yeast is raising, put 1 cup of milk in measuring cup or a bowl, drop in the 1/4 butter and put in the microwave on high until the butter is melted.

3. While those two are in the process, in a separate med. bowl mix the 1/2 cup sugar, one egg and salt with a spoon.

4. Add the hot milk into the sugar mix. Add a drop of lemon juice right into the bowl(approx one tbsp). Add the yeast that has been raised.

5. Add the flour, two cups at a time, until you feel like it's a good consistency to work with. Take dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Knead a few times and get a nice ball of dough formed.

6. Place in a clean bowl and put into the oven(light turned on) for one hour.

7. Take out dough, knead again, take out all air bubbles. Make into a ball again and place back into the oven the same way for one more hour.

8. While the dough is raising again, start on the groutmere part of the buns. Brown ground beef in a pan. At the same time cook sliced cabbage and onions in another skillet/pan until soft. Drain fat from browned beef and add to the cabbage. Let cool.

9. Cut off pieces of the dough, roll it flat. By spoonfuls place onto the dough and make into a bun. Place on greased pansand yet again raise in the oven with light on for one more hour.

10. This time bake the groutmere at 350 degrees for approx 10 minutes until a nice golden brown forms on top. Brush with butter and serve warm.

Sandie's week RC

I picked Orange Chicken Kiev. It was good! I would put spinach in the middle too if we made it again!!

Orange Chicken Kiev

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp grated orange peel

In a bowl, combine the butter, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Shape into a
6 inch x 2 inch rectangle; place on waxed paper. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut frozen butter mixture mixture into 6 strips; place one strip in the center of each chicken breast half. Roll up each and tuck in the ends; secure with a toothpick.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat egg and orange juice. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs and orange peel. Coat chicken with flour, dip in egg mixture, then roll in crumb mixture. Place seam side down in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Discard toothpick before serving.