Italian Chicken and Pasta

This is great hot or cold!!!!


1 box rotini pasta, prepared according to package
1 bottle Italian dressing
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 can small artichoke hearts drained and diced
1 large chicken breast cooked and diced
2 cups shredded mozerella cheese

Combine everything and heat through (in microwave) or chill in the fridge for 2 hrs and serve.
The kids and the husband love this one! I love that it's a complete meal that I can make ahead of time, or throw together at the last minute.

Fast and Easy Banana Bread

I love banana bread, I hate softening the butter and all the steps that go into combining the dry ingredients. I found this recipe and thought it was worth a try.


1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 bananas, mashed


In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, eggs and milk.
Add bananas
Beat for 2 minutes on medium
Pour into a greased loaf pan
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350*

For presentation purposes, I leave it in the pan and frost it with cream cheese frosting when I'm taking it as a dessert.
For my family, I just slice it and serve it with butter for breakfast.

Swedish Brownies

These were a favorite of mine growing up, my mom always made them for us...
She just sent me the recipe, they are so easy, no wonder she was always so willing to make them!
Here's hoping mine turn out as good as hers always did/do!


2 sticks of butter, softened
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups of sugar
1tablespoon of almond extract
6 oz of chocolate chips


beat butter and eggs
add sugar and extract and beat
spread into a 9x13 pan, ungreased
sprinkle with chocolate chips
bake @ 350* for 25-30 minutes

EASY BEEF STROGANOFF

1 to 1/2 pounds stew beef
1 package egg noodles
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
6 oz sour cream
mushrooms
Prepare noodles as directed. Fry beef and mushrooms in skillet with 2 tablespoon oil.
Drain noodles add beef (can add oil too), soup and sour cream.


I always say I will follow the recipe the first time, and alter after that. With this one, I began with alterations.
I used frozen meatballs instead of stew beef. I prepared the meatballs according to the package and then mixed them into the noodles and sauce mix. I used low sodium soup and fat free sour cream.
The boys loved this! All of them had multiple helpings.

Upside Down German Chocolate Cake

1 cup coconut
1 cup butter; melted
1 cup pecans; chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
German Chocolate cake mix
1 pound powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. Coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle coconut and pecans in bottom of prepared pan; set aside.
2. Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour over coconut and pecans.
3. Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Pour over cake mixture.
4. Bake 60 minutes. Cool completely. Turn out cake onto rectangular cake plate.

Notes:
When you take the cake out, the white topping will look a little uncooked. This is on purpose; as it cools, it will melt down into the cake some.

Also, the cake does not have to be inverted and in some ways does better if left in the baking pan.

Mexican Meatloaf

2 lb. ground beef
1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Salsa
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
COMBINE all ingredients
SHAPE into loaf in 9x5-inch loaf pan.
BAKE 1 hour or until center is no longer pink. Remove from oven. Let stand 3 minutes before removing from pan. Cut into slices to serve.

New Year... New plan...

I am sick of being in the food rut. Maybe it's because I try to keep costs down by doing our shopping every 2 weeks, maybe it's becasue I've just been really busy with the kids. I'm not sure, but I feel like I'm making the same dishes over and over again.
I have made a new year's resolution. One new recipe a week! Whether it be made up (to use up things in the pantry, fridge and freezer) or from one of the many cooking sites I visit... I will make a new dish a week!

This week it was Penne with olives, chicken, and tomoatoes. I want to come up with a good name for it, but haven't yet.
3 chicken breasts boiled and shredded
1/2 cup of sliced black olives
1/2 cup of sliced green olives
1 can of stewed tomatoes drained
4 cups of un-cooked penne cooked
3 cups Italian salad dressing



combine the chicken olives and tomotoes in the dressing to marinate.
boil noodles and drain
Combine mixture with noodles and serve.

We served this with cesar salad. The boys loved it! It made a lot, so I have an extra meal for later on this week or this weekend.