Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

(Hey Deb - I finally made this!)

My sister emailed me this recipe over a month ago and I never got around to making it until last week. It was really simple (like ready in 20 minutes, simple) and very flavorful. The recipe calls for frozen cheese Tortellini, but she and I both used the frozen beef Ravioli and it was so good. You could use any of the frozen filled pastas that you prefer - the sauce is what makes is so flavorful. My husband just happens to think that if there's not meat somewhere in the meal, that it doesn't count as a meal. :) So, we went with the beef ravs. Serve it with your favorite pasta sides!

Thanks, Deb, for a great recipe and one that I can whip up quickly on a busy night!

Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) cheese tortellini-fresh or frozen
1 small onion, chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, Undrained
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini (or pasta of your choice) according to pkg. directions. In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 min. longer. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and saute over medium heat until liquid is absorbed-about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta; toss with sauce and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Here's a picture of my meal once it was done and all mixed together!

The Verdict!!

I previously posted a recipe that sounded great, but I had never tried - until tonight! I made up my marinade for the chicken fajitas this morning and it smelled so great! I tossed in my chicken and let it marinate for around 6 hours. (She recommended overnight, but I forgot to do it yesterday and the 6 hours gave it TONS of flavor!) I cooked a green and red pepper and thinly sliced onion and then removed those from the pan, added a little more olive oil and then cooked the chicken. The whole family loved them! So flavorful and so easy to do. I sliced my chicken very thin so that it cooked quickly. If your family likes the peppers and onions, then you could just toss the chicken in once those were soft and cook the chicken with them, but since my girls aren't big fans of peppers, I took them out and just added them to our fajitas. I topped them with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Somehow I forgot lettuce at the store - but even without the lettuce, they were yummy!

Mike said he would take these over regular tacos any day. And they were just as simple to make. So, that's my review! Give them a try and see what you think!

Oh and here's how I make homemade guacamole. Learned this method from Sarah, which you can find here or here and it's super simple and so good!

2-4 Ripe Avocados (They should be fairly soft when you squeeze them)
Picante Sauce (I use one spoonful per avocado)
Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt to taste
A little bit of lemon or lime juice - just a dash!

Slice Avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the center of each and transfer to a bowl. Pour in picante sauce and seasonings and mash until soft with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Tip!! Keep the pits from the avocados and place them back in your dip, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep it from turning brown!! This should work for several hours! :) Enjoy!!

Chicken Fajitas

This is the first time I'm adding a recipe to my blog prior to making it myself. I found this on another blog yesterday and thought it sounded so good. She recommended marinating the chicken overnight for the best flavor. I'm for sure putting this on my menu next week. I thought these would be great with some homemade guacamole, chips and salsa. I'll come back and let you know how we liked them, but from the list of ingredients, I don't see how they won't be anything less than amazing! Let me know if you try them out!

Chicken Fajitas

Marinade:
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more if desired for heat)
1 teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced (or a combination of green, yellow, orange and red peppers)

Combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken. Place in a large Zip-Lock bag or a shallow non-metal bowl covered with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions and the peppers for 8-9 minutes over medium heat until browned.

Discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through.

Serve with warm tortillas.

Stuffed Shells

This afternoon I was asking the girls what they wanted for dinner and I mentioned tacos. They both kind of whined and said they just weren't in the mood, so then I threw out spaghetti (can you tell I was looking for something quick and easy??). No, not in the mood for that either. And then these came to my mind and I realized that I hadn't made them in a long, long time and they sounded great! And better than that, they are easy - which is just what I was looking for this evening. I couldn't find the jumbo shells at the store, so I used Manicotti noodles and it worked perfectly. All you need is a large noodle that you can stuff with this mixture and you are set! Once again, I have pictures to go along with the recipe - and once again they aren't professional, but you'll get the idea of how it should look and that's all that matters, right?! So, here you go - Stuffed Shells. Enjoy.

14-16 Jumbo Shells (Boiled and Drained) (I used 9 manicotti noodles)
1 Container Small Curd Cottage Cheese (You could also use Ricotta Cheese)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese Blend
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes
Spaghetti Sauce (any flavor)
Mozzarella Cheese or Shredded Italian Cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan, and Italian cheese blend with Italian seasoning and parsley flakes. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into cooked jumbo shells or manicotti shells. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in 9x13 pan to cover the bottom. Layer filled shells on top of sauce. Pour additional spaghetti sauce on top and top with shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are hot and bubbly. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Shells stuffed and layered in pan


Sauce and cheese on top and ready for the oven! YUM!


Ready to eat!!

Leftover Idea

Am I the only one that makes a pot of chili and has a huge bowl leftover that NO ONE wants after the first night?! I'm assuming it happens to you, too. So, here's an idea my mom came up with when I was younger and I now use it on my family. It's a great way to get rid of the chili and the kids love it! Here's the process - pictures included. (P.S. - I never claimed to be a photographer) :)

Chili Tortilla Wraps

Leftover Chili - Reheated
Soft Tortilla Shells
Cheddar Cheese

Take your heated chili and add a scoop to center of your tortilla shell


Next, fold in your edges - don't worry if a little chili comes out - not a big deal.


Place seam side down in a skillet that is preheated with a small amount of oil


Flip over and brown on the other side (should only take a few minutes) - Remove and dab off excess oil


Top with another scoop of chili and shredded cheese - and enjoy!!!


You can make several of these at once in a large skillet. I don't know what it is about kids and tortilla shells, but they seem to eat up anything you put inside them! These are great for those nights that you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Happy leftover eating!!

Fruit Pizza

I am in a serious recipe drought! I don't know what's up, but I need some fresh ideas. So, in an effort to celebrate spring and summer, both of which are just around the corner, I am posting one of my favorite dessert recipes for this time of year! My mother-in-law gave me this recipe years ago and it is so refreshing. It's the perfect dessert for those warm days when you need something sweet, but don't want it to be too heavy. Plus, it's just pretty. You might not even want to cut into it - ok who am I kidding?! You'll for sure want to cut into it cause while it's pretty, it tastes even better! Maybe try this one out some night when you are going to cook out (and while you are cooking out, go print off the pasta salad recipe I posted and make that as a side!!). I'm working to get out of my recipe rut - so enjoy this and I'll post a new dinner recipe soon!

Fruit Pizza

1 Roll of Sugar Cookie Dough
8 oz. Container Cool Whip
8 oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Can each of Pineapple Slices, Mandarin Oranges, Sliced Peaches
Bananas (sliced)
Strawberries (sliced)
Kiwi (sliced)

Glaze:
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Orange Juice (Pulp free)
1/4 Cup Water
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Corn Starch and 1 Tbsp. Water - combined

On a round pizza pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, roll out sugar cookie almost to the edge and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely. Mix the cool whip, cream cheese and vanilla together and spread onto cooled cookie. Add fruit in this order, working from the outside in: Pineapple slices, mandarin oranges, peach slices, banana, kiwi, strawberries. (I alter this on occasion as we like strawberries more than peaches, so sometimes I will leave out the peaches and add more strawberries! You can do any fruit combos you like - blueberries would be good too!).

Add all of the ingredients for the glaze to a sauce pan and whisk together. Bring to a boil and whisk at a boil for 1 minute. Drizzle over fruit while hot.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Told you it was pretty!

WINNER WINNER!!!

Well, it's official! My first ever blog giveaway is closed and the winner is..........


AMY RICHARD


Congrats, Amy! I know you'll love your new apron and think it's just adorable! I'll email you to get your mailing information so that we can get it sent to you right away!

Thank you to Olivia at Dancing Zebras for offering one of her cute products to one lucky winner! Please don't forget to check out her facebook page and see all the great things she makes - I know she'd love to make each of you your very own, one of a kind apron!

Thanks to each of you that entered and made this so much fun for me! I'll keep the recipes coming and who knows, you just might see another giveaway sometime soon! :)