Cowboy Butter Pasta: Diet-Friendly

At about 350 calories a serving, this recipe is easy to make into larger meal-prep batches for lunches for the week. Enjoy!

Cowboy Butter Pasta: Diet-Friendly

Calories per serving: 350

Ingredients: (makes 3 servings)

• 6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1.5 cups COOKED pasta (Barilla protein pasta)
• 1 TBS butter
• ½ tsp cowboy butter seasoning
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup milk
• 2 TBS parmesan
• 3 TBS light cream cheese, room temperature and cut into pieces
• ¼ cup shredded cheese of choice

Directions:

• Prepare chicken: Season with seasoning salt, pepper, garlic, paprika. Then air fry 400 degrees for 10 min., flipping the pieces halfway through. Let them rest a couple minutes before slicing or chopping into small pieces.
• In a skillet on medium heat, melt butter then add garlic and seasonings and stir until fragrant. Add milk and whisk until combined. Simmer for a couple of minutes to heat and thicken. Remove from heat before adding cheeses and cream cheese. Whisk until smooth.
• Do not let your cheeses boil, or they can split and become grainy.
• It is important that your cream cheese is room temperature and cut into pieces so it will melt faster in the sauce once removed from the heat.

Assemble bowl/tupperware in this order:

• 1/2 cup cooked pasta
• veggies of choice, to taste (see below)
• divide sauce evenly amongst 3 bowls
• 2 chicken tenderloins, sliced
• optional drizzle hot honey

*If eating leftover, store in air tight containers and microwave to reheat before eating.*

Prepare green veggie of choice, if using (I used air-fried zucchini in the picture).

Directions:

Thinly slice one zucchini (makes approximately 3 servings, depending on size). Toss with your desired amounts of garlic salt, pepper, powdered Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Air-fry for about 12 minutes or until crispy at 400 degrees, tossing the pieces halfway through cooking.

Marsha's Notes:

When making this, I took boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into tender-sized portions because it was cheaper and I didn't have to remove the tendon bit at the end of each chicken tender. 

Doubling this recipe, I was able to use 1/2 a box of protein pasta. If making a single recipe, you would need to measure out 1/4 of the box.

Since cream cheese blocks are measured in ounces instead of tablespoons, the 3 Tbl of light cream cheese called for in this recipe is 1 1/2 ounces. Since I was doubling it, that meant that I needed 3 ounces of cream cheese (or 6 Tbl). You can use the ounce-ruler printed on most cream cheese packaging to figure out how much of the block to cut off, or you can figure that 4 oz is half a block and go from there.

Because there is not a lot of heavy cream or cheese in this recipe, the sauce is rather thin in consistency, but that is probably to be expected. Each serving seemed to get about 1/2 cup of sauce, but that could vary depending on how long you simmer and reduce your sauce.

Creamy Rotel Chicken Spaghetti for the Slow Cooker

I traditionally think of spaghetti as being in a red sauce, but this creamy chicken sauce with a can of Rotel tomatoes in it was a fantastic alternative. Enjoy!

Creamy Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 (10-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel (do not drain)
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby Jack, or mozzarella)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and paprika
• 1 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) box spaghetti, cooked and drained

Directions:

1. Add the chicken breasts to the crockpot. Pour in the cream of chicken soup and the undrained Rotel. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir slightly, making sure the chicken is covered by the sauce.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
3. Remove the chicken from the crockpot, shred it with two forks, then return it to the sauce.
4. Stir in the sour cream and shredded cheese until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
5. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain well.
6. Add the cooked spaghetti to the crockpot and stir until everything is evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve warm and enjoy!

Marsha's Notes:

When I made this, I also had a half block of cream cheese sitting in my fridge, so I added it and have no regrets.

The spaghetti will continue to soak up the sauce as it sits in the crock pot, so I really think you can just add your cooked pasta at the very end and then don't let it cook anymore. My tightened up pretty good, so I added a splash of milk just to make it creamier.

Cowboy Butter Baked Spaghetti

This was really tasty. Enjoy!

Cowboy Butter Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked angel hair spaghetti
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 a chopped onion
• 1 Tbl. garlic
• Kinder's Cowboy Butter Seasoning
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire 
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 stick butter
• garlic powder
• paprika
• crushed red pepper flakes
• parsley
• Kinder's Cowboy Butter Seasoning
• dollop of Dijon mustard
• 2 cups heavy cream
• parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. If you haven't already done so, cook your spaghetti according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, break up your ground beef and add your onion. Cook until beef is browned and onion is tender. Drain off any excess fat. Add your garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season with your desired sprinklings of cowboy butter seasoning blend, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire. Add your marinara sauce, cover and leave to warm while you do the next step.
3. In a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch Oven, melt your butter. Season the butter with your desired amounts of garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley and cowboy butter seasoning blend. Add your Dijon mustard and stir. Next, add your heavy cream and heat until steaming. Then add a handful of parmesan and a handful of mozzarella cheese. Heat and stir until smooth, then add your cooked spaghetti and toss to coat.
4. Once everything is evenly coated in the white sauce, layer your red meat sauce over the top. Then top with more parmesan and mozzarella cheese, along with a sprinkling of parsley for color. Put into the oven under the broiler and cook until cheese forms a hot, melty crust. Serve.

Marsha's Notes:

The original recipe for this was a lady making a video where she just sort of put stuff in a pot. Where she specified how much, I tried to note it in the recipe. Other places, your guess is as good as mine. Next time I make this, I will try to note how much I put of the ingredients that don't have measurements and come back and update this post.

Also, the original recipe didn't have you put the finished pot under the broiler. It had you put the entire thing in a hot oven and bake it for 30 minutes under your cheese made a brown topping. We tried to do it that way, and it just made the spaghetti cook so long in the oven that it absorbed all of the yummy "Alfredo" sauce. While it still tasted great, it didn't have that yummy creamy sauce texture in the noodles that I was hoping for, so I altered the recipe to reflect this.

"Cowboy" Barbecue Pasta Salad

In an effort to have more salad (pot luck, picnic, etc.) choices that our family likes, I thought I would try this barbecue "cowboy" version, since all the ingredients looked like things my family will like. Often, it just comes down to the dressing for a salad, because everything else is pretty easy to customize. While everyone ate the salad and enjoyed it, Chris really liked it, which is huge because he doesn't always like pasta salads! So, this is a winner for us. 

The original recipe called for wagon wheel pasta (to go with the cowboy theme) but I couldn't find any in town so I used bowtie. It also called for cherry tomatoes (which I subbed with sundried tomatoes) and a fresh cut scallion (which I won't eat)... so... changes were made, substitutions added, but that's the beauty of cooking!

"Cowboy" Barbecue Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried wagon wheel pasta, or small pasta of choice
• 1 pound hickory smoked bacon, diced
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef, or swap for Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce
• 2 & 1/2 teaspoons hot chili sauce, optional
• 15 ounce can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I used a jar of sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped)
• 1 & 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I also think cubed cheese would be great)
• 5 scallions, diced, optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. In the meantime, sauté bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain off grease.
3. Wipe out skillet, leaving a little of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef; cook, breaking it up into tiny crumbles, until cooked through and no longer pink. Season with cumin, red pepper flakes, and with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Set aside to cool completely.
• Or, if you are using pre-seasoned sausage instead, I saved the cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for the sauce in the next step.
4. In an extra large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce until combined and smooth. Add in the cooked pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions; toss to combine and coat.
5. We enjoy this best right after it's assembled at room temperature, but leftovers the next day are definitely still delish.

Marsha's Notes:

I did do half again as much of the dressing ingredients to make our salad extra saucy and creamy, and I have no regrets. It helped the salad stay saucier the next day without being overly saucy when initially served.

I also think this would be good with other tex-mex ingredients, such as a can of beans, olives, or maybe some peppers, if you like those.

To show you the difference some ingredient substitutions make, here is the image from the original recipe to compare with mine. It's all about what your family likes and what you will eat.

I also think you can see how much drier this salad looks without the extra dressing.

Creamy Chicken Sausage Orzo Bake

This recipe feels a lot like a take on the viral TikTok pasta/Merry Me Chicken recipes. It has lots of flavors that my family likes, including a vegetable that my kids will eat, so I had to try it. For some of us, this was the first time ever having orzo pasta, so yay for new culinary experiences! Everyone liked it, but Scott and I especially thought it was good. 

Creamy Chicken Sausage Orzo Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb orzo pasta (uncooked)
• 1 lb chicken sausage, sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 (5.2 oz) Boursin cheese (Garlic & Fine Herbs)
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Fresh basil, julienned, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Combine everything in the dish: Add orzo, chicken sausage, zucchini, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, seasonings, cream, and broth. Stir until evenly mixed. Nestle in the Boursin cheese right in the middle.
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
4. Mix in lemon juice so the Boursin melts into a creamy sauce, taste and adjust salt, then sprinkle Parmesan on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
6. Rest 2-3 minutes before serving — the sauce thickens as it sits. Top with fresh basil.

Marsha's Notes:

This orzo pasta does continue to soak up the sauce as it sits and cools, so you may want to add a little milk to your bowl when you reheat the leftovers. I was worried initially that the entire dish was going to be too liquid-y, but prepared as described above, the pasta did eventually soak up the liquid.

I found that reheating it with just a small amount of milk and a sprinkling of fresh parmesan worked beautifully! I did one minute in the microwave, stir, then an additional 30 seconds, depending on your portion size.

Merry Me Chicken and Gnocchi Soup -or- Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Soup with Chicken

My boys love my sundried tomato gnocchi recipe (which you can put chicken in or not) and so when I saw this soup with a lot of similar elements, I just had to try it. Everyone really liked it, and just like my pasta recipe, you can do it with or without chicken.

Merry Me Chicken and Gnocchi Soup -or- Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Soup with Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Kinder's Buttery Garlic and Herb Seasoning
• 1 tsp Herbs De Provence or Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped and drained
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 big spoonful of minced garlic
• 1 Tbl chicken bouillon + 4 cups of water (or 4 cups of chicken broth)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb Gnocchi
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt, pepper, Kinder’s Buttery Garlic & Herb, and herbs de Provence. Cook 5 minutes.
2. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Make a well, add tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in chicken bouillon, water, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil.
4. Add gnocchi and chicken. Boil uncovered for 3–4 minutes until gnocchi float.
5. Turn off heat. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Add Parmesan.
6. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to thicken up.

Marsha's Notes:

When I made this, I wanted to make a big pot, so I doubled most of the recipe. I used an entire stick of butter, the entire jar of sundried tomatoes (chopped extra because the pieces in the jar where bigger than we like) with the oil drained off, 5 cups of water, the entire carton of heavy cream (1 pint), and entire 5 oz. container of shredded parmesan cheese, and two packages of gnocchi, along with everything else listed in the recipe basically as is. The seasonings I just did to taste to make up for the bigger pot. If I wasn't going to try to stretch the pot into a bigger portion, I would make the soup exactly as listed in the ingredients.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Another good slow cooker recipe! We have been making a ton of slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes lately because they travel well to my mother-in-laws house.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 26 oz bag of frozen meatballs
• 10 oz can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Steak Sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp of salt 
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp each of parsley flakes and onion powder (optional, see note)
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 onion chopped (see note)
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 12 oz bag egg noodles

Directions:

1. Add one bag of frozen meatballs to a crockpot. Next, add cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Steak sauce, and Dijon mustard.
2. Season everything with salt, pepper, parsley, onion powder, and minced garlic in a slow cooker. Add a small chopped onion and stir everything together well.
3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. After 4-6 hours boil 12 oz of egg noddles according to the directions on the package.
4. Add sour cream and 12 oz of cooked egg noodles to the crockpot and stir well. Top with dried parsley. Enjoy!!

Marsha's Notes:

I found that using both chopped onion and onion powder made for a rather potent onion taste, so I would next time just use one or the other. It also makes a huge difference on how strong the chopped onion is that you are using and how much you like onion flavor.

Tortellini "Mac and Cheese" Slow Cooker

This is a yummy variation on your traditional mac and cheese, only it is done with tortellini in the slow cooker! Quick and easy... done in about two hours! 

Tortellini "Mac and Cheese" Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• 24 oz cheese tortellini
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp black pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 16 oz. block of Velveeta
• Sprinkling of garlic salt to taste at the end of cooking, if desired

Directions:

1. Place all your ingredients in the slower cooker and stir together as best you can.
2. Cook for about 2 hours or until the cheese sauce is completely homogenous and incorporated.
3. Stir at the one hour mark and check for how fast it is coming together. Cook times can vary depending on if you are using frozen or refrigerated tortellini. I would recommend cooking on low (for about two hours) for refrigerated and high (for about two hours) for frozen depending on how much time you have to let things sit. You could do frozen on low heat, but it will obviously take longer.
4. Add extra milk or extra cheese to get the consistency that you like. Taste test for seasoning.

Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Krystal tried this recipe and really liked it, so she asked me to post it for her. We have also since tried it and love it too!

Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini  
• 6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces  
• 1 clove garlic, minced  
• 1/4 cup chicken broth  
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream  
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened  
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese  
• Salt and pepper, to taste  

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of salted water for the tortellini. Start cooking the tortellini once the bacon is done, as it will only take a few minutes to cook.  
2. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, which should take about 10 minutes.  
3. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon.  
4. Stir in the minced garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, and softened cream cheese. Return the pan to medium heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and reduced to your liking, approximately 5 minutes.  
5. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and cooked bacon. Remove the pan from heat and toss the sauce with the drained tortellini. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a few spoonfuls of hot pasta water before draining. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Marsha's Notes:

I really prefer crispy bacon, and even pan-frying your bacon in advance and then adding it back to the pan while you are cooking the sauce led to the bacon getting softer, so I might recommend, if you like crispy bacon, waiting until you are just about to plate the dish before adding your bacon back in. Just keep in mind that you will be adding salty bacon at the end when adjusting your seasonings in the sauce.

One Pan Chili Mac

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. It made a nice full pan, so we have plenty of leftovers. For the original recipe, go here: https://cookinginthemidwest.com/blog/one-pan-chili-mac/

One Pan Chili Mac

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, ground cumin
• 1 tsp each of onion powder and paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (not drained)
• 15.5 oz can of chili beans (not drained)
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
• 2 cups of elbow noodles
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown 1 lb of ground beef with chopped onion. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and onion powder. Once the beef is fully cooked, drain any extra grease from the skillet.
2. Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic and stir well. Add the diced tomatoes, chili beans, tomato sauce, beef broth, and elbow noodles to the skillet. Stir everything together well.
3. Bring the skillet to a quick boil and then turn the heat down to low. Cover with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes stirring once or twice to keep the elbow noodles from sticking.
4. Once the pasta is cooked add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, stir, and serve. Enjoy!

Marsha's Notes:

Chris doesn't like beans, so one time we substituted a can of corn for the beans, and it turned out good. But for those of us that like beans, we will certainly have it that way from time to time as well. I did drain the corn.

Also, if the noodles soak up all the liquid before the cooking is done, just add a little water to the pan.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Saw this recipe on TikTok and decided to try it out as an easier version of beef stroganoff with ground beef instead of stew meat. Everyone liked it just fine, but also agreed that my Instant Pot recipe is a bit better. But it's nice to have options for the different meats you may or may not have on hand. 

Here is the link to my Instant Pot recipe: https://1brother2sisters.blogspot.com/2021/02/ultimate-beef-stroganoff-instant-pot.html

Here is the link to the original "Easy Beef Stroganoff" by Cooking in the Midwest: https://cookinginthemidwest.com/blog/beef-stroganoff-recipe/#recipe

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp each of Italian seasoning and onion powder
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 10 oz medium egg noodles
• Fresh or dried parsley

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot of water on the stove and cook egg noodles according to the directions on the package.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add one pound of ground beef and a chopped onion. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and onion powder. Once beef is cooked drain any extra grease.
3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together well. Add 3 tbsp of butter to the skillet. Once the butter is melted add 3 tbsp of flour. Stir together and let cook for at least one minute.
4. Next, add 2 cups of beef broth and stir well. Let this continue cooking until it thickens. Once the mixture has thickened remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1 cup of sour cream. Add the cooked egg noodles and stir everything together well. Top with some fresh or dried parsley and serve!

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

A super simple, yet yummy spaghetti with some chicken for added protein to feel satisfied. Enjoy!

I found this recipe on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@cookinginthemidwest/video/7433439317583777066?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7439121840796157486

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder and Italian seasoning
• 1/4 red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 24 oz jar Marinara Sauce
• 15 oz jar Alfredo Sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16 oz spaghetti, cooked
• Parmesan cheese
• Dried parsley

Directions:

1. Spray a crockpot with cooking spray. 
2. Add one pound of chicken breasts. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. 
3. Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic, marinara sauce, and Alfredo sauce. 
4. Cook on low for 4 hours. 
5. Once chicken is cooked, either pull it out of the pot and dice it up then put it back in, or just a hand mixer or a couple of forks to shred it up right in the pot. 
6. Add your mozzarella cheese and cooked spaghetti to the pot and stir everything up. 
7. Put the lid back on and leave it for a bit to let the mozzarella cheese melt, otherwise it is ready to serve.

Deconstructed Lasagna

One of my friends told me how she makes an easy, lasagna-type dish, but with a lot less work. We tired it out, and I really enjoyed it. My favorite part about it, besides that it's a bit less work than traditional lasagna, was the delicious cheese-layer that gets sandwiched between the noodles-sauce-meat layer. Enjoy!

Deconstructed Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground meat (our favorite blend is 1/2 hamburger 1/2 Italian sausage)
• 48 ounces spaghetti sauce (2 cans Hunt's)
• 1 pkg (1 lb) bite-sized noodles
• 1 regular container ricotta (about 15 ounces)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 cup parmesan, divided
• 1 Tbl Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large pan, brown your meat and drain any excess fat. Add your spaghetti sauce and let heat-through to a gentle simmer.
3. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook your pasta about half way done (in the above picture, we did a box of the mini bowtie pasta that usually cooks for about 7 minutes, so we did 4 minutes). Drain and add to your meat/sauce mixture (depending on the size of your pots/pan, you may need to transfer to a larger bowl).
4. In a large bowl, mix together your container of ricotta, 2 eggs, about a cup of mozzarella, a 1/4 cup parmesan and your Italian seasoning.
5. In a greased deep-dish casserole, layer 1/2 your meat mixture, then all of the ricotta mixture, followed by the rest of your meat mixture.
6. Top with remaining cheese and cover with lid or foil.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 160 degrees.
8. Remove foil/lid and broil for a couple of minutes until the top cheese gets a golden crust.

Marsha's Notes:

All of the ingredients in this recipe are adjustable and approximate. I thought two cans of Hunts sauce was the perfect amount, but you might like more or less or a different kind. I just eye-balled the Italian seasoning so 1 Tbl is my best guess, and I did the same with all the shredded cheeses, just adding about what I thought looked good.

I used my deep-dish blue casserole dish and I think this worked out perfectly because it allowed me to make a nice thick layer with the ricotta. If I had used a 9x13 dish, I think the ricotta would have been too spread out to make much of a layer... and cutting into the luscious ricotta was one of my favorite parts of this dish. 

The amount of time the casserole will be in the oven will also depend on the type of dish you use. If you layers aren't very thick, it will heat everything through much faster. To get it just right, I used a digital thermometer. However, you can also just bake it until the sides are bubbly and the cheese seems melted.

For reference, here is a picture of a Rachel Ray stoneware 2.75 quart casserole dish (mine is blue, but this one is purple). These are discontinued, but you can use any similar dish you have. Just know that your layers might be different than mine and your cooking times will vary.

I have used this recipe as a Souper Cubes recipe, layering everything in the individual freezing trays and then freezing it instead of baking it... but I do think it requires extra sauce to keep things saucy during the eventual thawing and baking.

Cheesy Pizza Tortellini

This recipe was a hit with my family. The only thing I would do different from the original recipe is next time we would add some extra cheese to the pasta/sauce/noodle portion of the dish, instead of putting all the cheese on the top. So this will be our version of this. The guy who originally posted this on TikTok was doing a "griddle" version of this, but he also does a skillet version. See the original skillet recipe here: https://cookinginthemidwest.com/blog/pizzatortellini/#recipe

Cheesy Pizza Tortellini

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage (we like a 1/2 and 1/2 blend)
• 1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• 19 oz frozen tortellini
•  mini pepperoni slices
• regular pepperoni slices
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• See recipe instructions for additional optional ingredients you may want to add.

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add your frozen tortellini. Cook as per package directions, drain and set aside.
2. Brown your mini pepperonis in a large pan/skillet. Once crispy, remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.
3. In the same pan, brown ground beef/Italian sausage in a skillet over medium high heat and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning if desired. Drain any excess grease. If you wanted to, you could also throw in some chopped onion (and/or peppers) to cook and soften along with your ground meat.
4. If desired, near the end of browning your ground meat, you can throw some extra minced garlic into the pan, like one big spoonful.
5. Add your browned mini pepperonis back to the pan, along with your jar of marinara sauce. This would also be a great time to add 1/2-1 block of cream cheese. Stir and heat through until combined and bubbly.
6. Add your cooked tortellini and stir to combine, along with a handful of whatever cheese you would like to be in the middle of your dish (like a handful of mozzarella and a sprinkling of grated parmesan.
7. Pour everything into a large casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray.
8. Cover the entire dish with a nice layer of mozzarella cheese, and then top with your regular sized pepperonis.
9. Bake in the oven until bubbly and cheese is melted, then broil in the oven until the top layer of cheese and pepperoni is golden and crispy.

Boursin, Bacon and Gnocchi

Our family loves some good gnocchi. While some of the boys picked out the broccoli, I think this recipe was a hit. Here is the original recipe: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/boursin-bacon-and-broccoli-gnocchi/

I have also made this recipe with peas and carrots instead of broccoli as pictured.

Boursin, Bacon and Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 250g / 9oz Broccoli, sliced into small bite-sized pieces (weight is of the sliced broccoli)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, plus more as needed
• Or you can use some frozen peas, or peas and carrots instead of roasting the broccoli
• 150g / 5.3oz bacon, diced
• 2 small Shallots, finely diced
• 180ml / 3/4 cup low-salt Chicken Stock (see notes)
• 1x 150g/5.3oz block of Garlic & Herb Boursin Cheese, leave at room temp
• 60ml / 1/4 cup Single Cream/Half & Half, leave at room temp
• 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 500g / 1lb uncooked Gnocchi (see notes)
• 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 390F. Add the broccoli to a small baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly charred and fork tender (timings will vary so just be vigilant).
• Or you can use some frozen peas, or peas and carrots instead of roasting the broccoli.
2. Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large pan over medium heat and fry until crispy with the fat rendered down. Remove the bacon and place to one side, leaving the excess fat in the pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft and golden.
• Or you can add the shallots to the bacon for the last 5 minutes or so of frying and cook them together.
3. Pour in the stock then stir in the Boursin until it melts. Stir in the cream and parmesan, then gently simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. During this time bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it into the sauce. Stir to coat the gnocchi in the sauce, then stir in the bacon and broccoli (or peas, or peas and carrots). Turn the heat to low and gently stir for another minute or so until the sauce re-thickens. If it over-thickens at any point just stir in a splash of the leftover gnocchi water.
5. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Marsha's Notes:

I have done it both ways, where I cook the gnocchi in a separate pan and then add to the dish... or I have just added extra chicken stock to the pan with the bacon and shallots and cooked the gnocchi there to save on dishes.

I also didn't see much point in removing the bacon and shallots from the pan just to add them back in later, so I left them.

You do not remove the bacon grease from the pan... instead, it sort of acts like the fat you need for the sauce instead of using butter. But, if you feel like you have too much, you can take some out, or you could discard it all together and use some butter instead. I was worried there would be too much grease, but I "trusted the process" and left it all in and everything turned out fine. It can be really rich, and depending on the bacon, it can be salty, so those might be points in favor or removing some/all of the grease and using butter instead.

Because we are a family of five, I wanted to have plenty of food, so I used two packages of gnocchi, and added extra stock and half and half until I got a ratio that I liked for the sauce.

Crockpot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I have really liked a lot of the recipes from Cooking in the Midwest, and this was another good one. The one difference we did was probably use more chicken, plus we added an extra jar of sauce because it was just not saucy enough for us. Otherwise, we followed the directions as listed. Here is a link to the original recipe, and here is our "two jar" version. Enjoy!

https://cookinginthemidwest.com/blog/crockpot-chicken-bacon-ranch-pasta/

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder
• 1 TBSP ranch seasoning
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 2-15 oz jars Alfredo Sauce, divided
• Cooked/chopped bacon 6 pieces
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 16 oz box of pasta

Directions:

1. Add chicken breasts to a crockpot.
2. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and ranch seasoning.
3. Add 1 TBSP of minced garlic and 1 jar of Alfredo sauce.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
5. Shred or cube up the chicken and add it back to the crockpot.
6. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
7. While the pasta is cooking on the stove, add about a cup of shredded cheese and the chopped bacon to the crockpot. Stir well.
8. Add cooked pasta to the crockpot and stir everything together. If needed, add most or all of the other jar of Alfredo sauce.

Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Everyone really liked this recipe, but I do have to go out of town to Walmart to get the Buffalo Wild Wing's garlic parmesan sauce, so that was just a tiny bit tricky to find... if you don't live near a store that carries it. Otherwise, I plan on making this again and again! Plus, it doesn't use the whole bottle, so I don't even have to go back to Walmart for awhile.

Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp each of paprika, onion powder, and Italian seasoning
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• Buffalo Wild Wings Garlic Parmesan sauce
• 1 jar of Alfredo sauce
• 1 16 oz box of pasta
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning to a slow cooker.
2. Add minced garlic and enough of the garlic parm sauce to fully cover the chicken (couple of TBL or so per chicken breast, spread over the chicken with a spoon until covered).
3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
4. Shred or chop up chicken.
5. Boil pasta.
6. Add Alfredo sauce, Parmesan cheese, and Mozzarella cheese to the chicken in the slow cooker.
7. Stir everything together well.
8. Add cooked pasta to the slow cooker and mix everything together.

Marsha's Notes:

For my family, I did more chicken to make sure I had plenty, so I needed to adjust my seasonings for the added chicken.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love chicken cordon bleu, so when I saw a recipe to make it into a casserole, I was pretty excited. The original recipe we tried is from Six Sisters Stuff, and it tasted almost exactly like my chicken cordon bleu soup recipe... so while good... it was nothing new or exciting. Plus, Chris is not a huge fan of cream soups right now, and so because it was so similar, he wasn't impressed. BUT! I thought, what if we did noodles instead of potatoes?!!! And everyone liked it a lot!

Find the original recipe here: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/chicken-cordon-bleu-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-109529

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Ingredients:

• 12 small golden potatoes or 1/2 pkg pasta
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cooked ham diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese divided (could also use mozzarella or Provolone cheese)
• Crushed croutons (opt.)

Directions:

1. Wash and slice yellow potatoes and boil them for about 7 to 10 minutes or until fork tender. OR boil your pasta just a few minutes less than package directions (pasta will continue to cook in the oven).
2. In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion powder, garlic salt, and salt and pepper to your flour and mix. Then add in the flour mixture to the pan with the melted butter and stir with a whisk until well blended. Then slowly add in milk and continue stirring with a whisk until smooth and creamy.
3. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 inch square baking dish. 
4. If doing potatoes: Cover bottom of pan lightly with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Spread half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the ham and half of the chicken. Pour half of the sauce and then top with about 1/2 cup of cheese. Then repeat layers starting with potatoes, ham, chicken, sauce and the rest of your cheese.
5. If doing pasta: Add your ham, chicken, 1 1/2 cups Swiss, and your cooked pasta to the pan with your sauce (if it will fit, otherwise use a big bowl), and mix all of your casserole ingredients together. Dump into a 9x9 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, smooth out and then top with remaining Swiss cheese.
6. Bake in 375 oven for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through. A few minutes before the casserole is done baking, top with crushed croutons, if desired and finish off the bake.

Sundried Tomato Gnocchi

I used half a bottle of sundried tomatoes in another recipe and needed to find a way to use up the rest of the bottle. When I came across this recipe, it was perfect and so yummy! Enjoy

Sundried Tomato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion (I used a handful of pre-chopped frozen onion)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 16 oz pkg gnocchi
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)
• 2 cups spinach (optional)
• parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. To your hot pan, add your onion, garlic and sundried tomatoes (you don't need to add oil to the pan for the onions if you are using the oil from the sundried tomatoes). 
• Be careful not to let your garlic burn or it will taste bad. You can also start cooking your onions and tomatoes first and then add the garlic to the pan just a minute or two before going on to step 2.
2. Once the onion is softened and browning, add your broth and gnocchi. 
3. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until the gnocchi is tender (doesn't take long). 
4. Then add your cream, chicken and spinach. 
5. Continue cooking until the chicken is heated through and the spinach is wilted and tender. Top with parmesan.

Marsha's Notes:

• I cooked my onion for several minutes alone and then added the garlic and tomatoes just to make sure the garlic didn't get bitter. 
• I also wished in hind-sight that I would have chopped up my sundried tomatoes just a bit before adding to the pan because some of the pieces were a little big.
• Because my sundried tomatoes were packaged in oil and herbs, I didn't feel like this dish needed any extra seasonings (or oil for the pan), but you can certainly add some Italian seasoning, salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
• For extra protein and veggies, you can add the chicken (or any other meat you like, such as ground Italian sausage or sausage links) and spinach (or any other veggies you like, such as broccoli or maybe peas), but I didn't bother with either and enjoyed the dish very much just the same.
• Lastly, I didn't want to have extra heavy cream sitting around, so I dumped the entire 1 cup container into my pan and have zero regrets about it. It was maybe a little bit wetter and sauce-ier initially (which was fine), but it made for great leftovers that I didn't think really need any extra liquid added. But you do you.

Parmesan Pastina

A friend posted this on Facebook and we tried it and really liked it. The super tiny pasta is so fun! The lemon in the original recipe feels like kind of a foodie thing, where it changes up boring pasta and turns it into something definitely more interesting, but none of us really enjoyed the added flavor and opted to leave it out in future batches. I probably liked the lemon the best of everyone, but it was still not entirely my thing. So, feel free to add it or leave it out. Your choice. Enjoy!

Parmesan Pastina

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• (1) 12-oz pkg dry pastina or similar (alphabet pasta, acini de pepe, etc.)
• 1 egg, whisked
• 4 TBS cold butter
• 1 cup warm milk, plus 2 TBS
• 1-½ packed cups freshly grated parmesan cheese (grated from a wedge is tastiest)
• ¼-½ tsp garlic powder
• Zest from one small lemon, optional (we opted out)
• Salt & fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add in pasta and turn heat to a gentle boil. Stir often to prevent pasta from sticking. Boil 5-6 min until pasta is al dente and liquid is mostly absorbed. While pasta is cooking, warm milk in a separate container in microwave. Do not let the boil or get too hot. Once pasta is done, remove pan from heat.
2. Add in cold butter and stir. Once butter is melted remove a cup of pasta and mix into egg to temper. Pour pasta/egg mixture back into pan and stir well to incorporate. Stir in milk and combine well.
3. Add in garlic powder, lemon zest (opt), parmesan cheese. Taste. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. You might want to add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice to round out the flavors (opt).
4. Serve immediately and garnish with fresh herbs and extra parmesan cheese.