Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
8 oz uncooked rigatoni
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
½ t salt, ½ t pepper
1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions. Spread oil on bottom of 11×17 in baking dish;

brown onion in a sauce pan with olive oil. Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

FREEZE N STORE:

prepare as above, but instead of cooking, cover with aluminum foil, and then cover the foil with clear plastic wrap horizontal and vertical so the criss cross seals any openings. freeze for up to 3 months. for cooking remove the night before and place in the fridge so it can thaw. remove plastic wrap but keep on foil. cook on 375 for 30-45 minutes, uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING FEEDBACK AND TIPS AS WELL AS PHOTOS WHEN I TRY THIS RECIPE.

example photo shown from an internet site where the recipe was adapated from, this photo is not my cooking.

Mac & Cheese CROCK POT!

YOU WILL NEED
-1 1/2 cups milk
-One 12 oz can evaporated milk (evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)
-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-3 large eggs
-1/2 tsp salt
-3 cups shredded cheese (pizza or italian blend is good, mozzarella/cheddar.)
-1/2 pound macaroni, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)
-Freshly ground black pepper to taste
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAME DAY COOKING:

Spray your slow-cooker with cooking spray. Combine milks eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker & whisk until smooth.

add your shredded cheese mix, but not your parmesan cheese. also add your macaroni. sprinkle with black pepper and mix.

after mixing sprinkle your parm cheese on top. dont mix. cook for 30-45 minutes on HIGH then reduce to LOW for an additional 2.5-3hrs or until cheese is melted and noodles are tender.

FOR FREEZING:

COMBINE: all cheeses, butter, and par cooked elbows. ziplock, label and freeze.

COOKING FROM FROZEN: add milks and eggs to crock pot, and allow to get hot. empty the contents of you ziplock bag into the hot milk.Cook on HIGH 2 hours, then add additional shredded cheese to the top and cook for another 1/2 or longer until noodles are tender and cheese is melted.
 

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING TIPS, FEEDBACK AND PHOTOS WHEN I TRY THIS RECIPE.
 

HEALTHY bbq chicken-CROCK POT

Healthy BBQ Chicken

YOU WILL NEED:
(1) Green Peppers sliced
(1/2) Red Pepper Cut into Slices
(1/2) Zucchini Chopped
(1 1/2) Onions Chopped
(3) Red Potatoes Chopped (or sweet potatoes)
(2) Garlic Cloves Chopped
(3) Chicken Breasts (whole or diced)
(1) 6 oz can of Tomato Sauce
(1/2) TBSP of Brown Sugar
(1/2) TBSP Worcestershire
(1/2) TBSP Mustard
(1/4) tsp Salt 

combine all ingrediants into a gallon freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

CROCK POT cooking
optional: remove 24hrs in advance to thaw (it will cook fine without thawing, but if you prefer to set & forget its easier to mix everything from thawed to get it all well blended..)

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. 

Serve over Rice or with noodles.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING PICTURES, TIPS, AND FEEDBACK AFTER I HAVE TRIED THIS RECIPE!!

Teriyaki Chicken-crock pot

Teriyaki Chicken
YOU WILL NEED:

-half large bag of Baby Carrots
-half Red Onion into Large Chunks
-(1) 20oz can pineapple(undrained)
-(1) Chopped/Minced Garlic Cloves
-(3) Chicken Breasts
-1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, 1/4 for later (or 3/4now if you prefer not to add extra at cooking)

(chicken can be cooked as a whole breast, or you may dice it before freezing)
combine all ingredients into a ziplock freezer bag, label and store frozen for up to 3 months.

to cook in your crock pot: (if not freezing, skip the bag & label step) if frozen optional: remove 24hrs in advance to thaw (it will cook fine without thawing, but if you prefer to set & forget its easier to mix everything from thawed to get it all well blended..)
*Add 1/4 cup additional teriyaki sauce to mixture. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice. 

**use the second half of carrots, onion, and additional meat to make a second batch to freeze and store!

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING TIPS, PHOTOS, AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS RECIPE ONCE I HAVE MADE IT. CHECK BACK SOON!!

BEEF STEW-crock pot

YOU WILL NEED:
(1) Green Pepper Chopped
(1-2) Onions-chopped
(3-4) Carrots-sliced
(3-4) Potatoes diced
(1) Chopped/Crushed Garlic Cloves
(2) Ibs Beef Stew Meat
(1) beef season cube or paste (base measurement on required water as each brand varies)
(2) tsp Paprika
(1/2) tsp Black Pepper


TO FREEZE combine all ingredients on counter top or in large bowl. Seperate into 2 ziplock freezer bags, label and freeze.

TO COOK IN CROCK POT:
*(A) From fresh: combine all above ingrediants into crock pot.
*Add 4 cups water & Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker.
*(B) From frozen: optional: remove 24hrs in advance to thaw (it will cook fine without thawing, but if you prefer to set & forget its easier to mix everything from thawed to get it all well blended..)

*Add 4 cups water & Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker.
(i think it would still be ok if you skipped the thaw, because there are plenty of store bought freeze to crockpot meals at the market)


I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING TIPS, PHOTOS, AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS RECIPE ONCE I HAVE MADE IT. CHECK BACK SOON!!

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MEATLOAF-turkey style.

now my family is a fan of my fat and juicy meatloaf with bacon.
a variation I am going to try, that I have never cooked before, is a leaner version.
stay tuned at the bottom of this posting for details on how to freeze and store this meal for cooking another time!
YOU WILL NEED:
-2 lbs ground turkey or chicken (replacing the ground beef)
-1 half package of turkey bacon (replacing the traditional bacon)
*(if you buy a one pound package of sliced turkey bacon, slice or cut it in half down the center and freeze each half separately.)
-2 egg whites (replacing 1-2 whole eggs)
-3/4 cup bread crumbs
-1/2 cup of ketchup or spaghetti sauce.
-dash of salt and pepper to taste.
OPTIONAL: chopped celery, onions and a crushed garlic clove.
(if using the listed optional veggies, fry them up in some olive oil to soften them before adding them to your mixture.)
DIRECTIONS: 
in a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly.
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
in a 13x9 pan you can shape you mixture into a log in the center of the pan, or you may squish it flat to cover the entire bottom. after you have shaped your mix, spoon your sauce or ketchup onto the top and rub it with a spoon to make a thin layer, using just enough to cover your meat mixture.
taking your turkey bacon lay slices of the bacon over your meat mixture, lining up the edges but not overlapping.
cook on 350 for about 60 minutes. meatloaf will shrink and brown. to make sure it is done you may cut a slice out of the center to check that it is cooked full through, or insert a thermometer in the center which should reach 160.
remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, remove from pan or slice onto serving tray and serve.


I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING TIPS, PHOTOS, AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS RECIPE ONCE I HAVE MADE IT. CHECK BACK SOON!!

this meal works as a FREEZE AND STORE:
prepare and mix all above ingredients as stated above. Seal and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. to cook, remove from freezer 24hrs in advance and move to fridge to thaw, follow above cooking steps. DO NOT cook while frozen.

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shopping list memo: 2lbs turkey breast, sauce, breadcrumbs, turkey bacon, salt, pepper, celery, onions, garlic, 2 bags for the bacon halfs, 1 freezer bag for prepared meatloaf if making in advance. one 13x9 pan.

30 days of NEW meals

For the entire month of March, Ive decided to try making 30 different meals daily.
For an extra twist I am also going to try NEW meals, new as in things I have never cooked before.

I would also like to try healthy or low-cal variations, I realize this wont be possible with every meal, but I plan on substituting ground turkey for ground beef, egg whites for eggs, and other small adjustments that can make a big difference in the final result. and of course, eatting smaller portions.

This is an experiment I've wanted to try for a long time. It will give my family the opportunity to try new things, that I"m hoping we will like. It will also give us a break from our same meal routines that seem to be on a never ending loop of pizza, chicken, pasta and take out.

I also plan to stay away from fast food of any kind, and frozen meals of any kind.
Hopefully this will give me a good kick in the pants as well, because there are soooo many days that I just opt for heating a frozen pizza or ready to bake meal. the ONLY frozen exception will be my own prepared freezer bags, which I plan to make about 5 of. these bags will consist of all the essential materials needed for a crock pot meal, meat/veggies etc, and they will just require me to add the water or broth at the time of cooking.

I plan on making a list of 30 unique meals that I have planned out. I wont get into specifics as to which day I will make what, but I will compile a list of meals and a bulk shopping list for what I plan to buy, and what meals I will prepare into bags etc.

I also plan to share how items will be stored. for example, if i buy a 12 pack of chicken breasts on sale, having 4 family members that one package of chicken would make 3 meals. I would not just toss the whole package into the freezer, but rather separate it into 3 ziplock bags. Possibly adding vegetables and seasons to one, for a crock pot meal later on. If you have a meal planned for those specific chickens, you can season the other bags as well, as they will marinade into the meats while frozen.

THANK YOU
for reading, and stay tunned to find my recipe list and shopping list soon.