Mexican Pasta Bake

More casseroles!

Mexican Pasta Bake



This casserole, that I found here at cooksrecipes.com, was fantastic. I made a few changes. For example, the pasta I used was a gem I found at Hy-Vee:



I also used ground beef instead of chicken and added crumbled Doritos, among other things. It was FANTASTIC. Walter loved it, and it will definitely be made again. Still not beautiful, but prettier than the last and still delicious. I will post the recipe as I made it, not as it was originally done.



Ingredients
-1 3/4 cups chili pepper linguine
-1 26-ounce jar medium chunky salsa
-1 10.5-ounce can of refried beans
-1/3 cup sliced green onions
-2 1.25-ounce packages Taco Seasoning Mix
-1 cup sour cream
-1.5 pounds ground beef
-1 cup nacho cheese Doritos, broken into crumbs
-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease 2-quart baking dish.
2. Brown ground beef and cook pasta.
3. Combine taco seasoning, salsa, refried beans, and green onions in medium bowl.
4. Spread 1 cup salsa mixture on bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with pasta.
5. Spread sour cream over pasta. Top with Doritos.
6. Combine remaining tomato mixture and ground beef and spoon over Doritos. Top with cheese.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Meatball Soup (and gamer cookies)

I am a bit of a worrier. I am only 20, and Walter is only 23, but I worry constantly about heart attacks, diabetes, and high cholesterol. But I don't worry enough to eat food I don't like.

Meatball Soup



This recipe came from Jessica Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious. I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book right now (something about a lawsuit from the author of The Sneaky Chef, things I don't keep up with), but my sister got it for me for Christmas last year, and I have never read the book she supposedly plagiarized. And so, here we are. I was very tentative about this recipe, due to the vegetable purees, but it turned out pretty good. However, even with my additions, it was a bit bland. I will probably add a few more spices next time.

In addition to my spice changes, I didn't use the homemade purees that Mrs. Seinfeld suggests. Instead, I bought some baby food. I am lazy and cheap, and it worked just as well. :) I also used more meat and more pasta to make it less of a soup and more of a stew, as Walter is not a fan of incredibly thin soups.

Ingredients
-3 ounces whole-wheat pasta shapes (I used 12 ounces veggie pasta--semolina pasta shapes with carrot, spinach, and beet powders)
-1 Tablespoon olive oil (We were out of olive oil, so I used vegetable oil)
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice (I used 1 29-ounce can of tomato puree, since the tomatoes were pureed in the recipe anyway)
-1/4 cup carrot puree (I used 1 4-ounce jar of carrot baby food. It was a bit more than 1/4 cup but did not affect the recipe)
-3 cups beef or chicken broth (I used 3 cups beef broth made from beef bouillon cubes flavored with garlic and onions)
-3 slices bread, cubed
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-1/4 cup sweet potato puree (I used 1 4-ounce jar of sweet potato baby food. It was a bit more than 1/4 cup but did not affect the recipe)
-1/4 cup milk
-2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving (I ommitted)
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1/4 teaspoon paprika
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 pound lean ground turkey (I used 1 pound extra lean ground beef)
I also added 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, a dash cayenne pepper, and 2 Tablespoons garlic salt.

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, and onions and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened.
3. Puree the tomatoes (if using whole) and add carrot puree. Add to the onions and garlic along with the beef broth and 1 Tablespoon garlic salt (if using). Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Combine cubed bread, egg, sweet potato puree, milk, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining garlic salt, and Parmesan (if using) in large bowl. Let soak until bread is very soft, and then stir to break bread into crumbs.
5. Add ground beef to bread mixture and mix until smooth. Roll into meatballs, 1/2-inch in diameter, and add meatballs to the simmering pot.
6. Simmer meatballs and sauce, covered, until meatballs are no longer pink in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Add pasta and serve.

Gamer Cookies



We had a LAN party this weekend, and I made sugar cookies. I didn't use a new recipe, as Walter requested the cookie and icing recipes from thisentry, but I thought I'd show the final results. I used a gingerbread man cookie cutter for the headshot cookies, and an octopus cookie cutter for the Cthulhu cookies. They were a big hit with the guys. :)

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is my fall-back lunch. If we have no leftovers, I make a batch and eat on it for a couple of days. I like to experiment with it, and this is my best recipe so far, hands down.

Chicken Salad



I have a secret ingredient that makes this the best chicken salad ever. That ingredient is bacon. Not real bacon, but this:



It makes it fantastic, especially with the tomato. And the jalapeno adds just a little kick to it. Oh, I could eat this for every meal.

Ingredients
-1 9-ounce can white meat chicken
-1 medium onion
-8 dill pickle hamburger-cut slices
-5 slices of jarred jalapeno
-1 small vine tomato
-1 small red bell pepper
-3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
-1/8 teaspoon bacon salt
-Dash of cinnamon
-Curry powder, salt, and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Chop all vegetables.
2. Combine all ingredients. Stir until thoroughly moistened. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 3 sandwiches.

In-a-Bind Taco Seasoning

Tonight, I wanted to make tacos. I was sure we had taco seasoning in the house, because we always have taco seasoning in the house. We did not, in fact, have taco seasoning in the house. So, I improvised.

In-a-Bind Taco Seasoning



Due to one particular ingredient, this is not particuarly a recipe for ANYONE in a bind. And it is not, in our opinions, as good as the taco seasoning we usually use. However, the meat tastes like taco meat, and that is what I was going for.



The particular ingredient is pictured above: A Tastefully Simple Rockin' Chipotle Dip Mix sample pack that my aunt gave me (among other things, of course) for Christmas. I knew I would never use it for dip, anyway, and it worked quite well here. Its ingredients included chopped onions, red bell peppers, chipotle peppers, garlic, and salt. So, it worked fairly well for tacos.



Ingredients
-1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
-1/8 teaspoon paprika
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1 sample package Tastefully Simple Rockin' Chipotle Dip Mix
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-5 Tablespoons taco sauce
-1/4 cup pizza sauce
-1/2 cup water

Directions
1. Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. Brown ground beef or cook chicken. Drain if necessary.
3. Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat until liquid is evaporated and meat is fully coated.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti and pie. Best combination ever.

Spaghetti Pie



This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Hometown Potluck Favorites cookbook. It was originally a pizza pie thing (It is titled "Pizza in a Bowl"), but I do not like pepperoni mixed with pasta very well. So, I adapted it to what you see below.




Ingredients
-2 cups thin spaghetti
-1 pound ground beef
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 14-ounce jar pizza sauce
-1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
-1 6-ounce can tomato paste
-1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon onion powder
-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook spaghetti and drain. Brown ground beef with onions until onions are tender. Drain fat if necessary. Stir in next six ingredients and warm. Stir in cooked spaghetti.
3. Spoon one third of the mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with one third of the mozarella cheese. Repeat with remaining thirds, alternating spaghetti mixture and cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and noodles on top are slightly crunchy.

WC Recipe Exchange: Stuffed Pepper Soup

This is the recipe I got for the winter WC Nesties exchange. The theme was slow cooker recipes.


Stuffed Pepper Soup



I loved this recipe. My mother made a dish similar to this when I was growing up. Walter is not a fan of tomatoes or green peppers, but my mother is visiting and enjoyed it as well.

My WCer found the recipe at cre8tivequilter's blog.

Ingredients
-2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey; brown and drain (I use 1 pound)
-1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes; undrained
-2 cups white rice (uncooked Minute Rice)
-2 quarts water
-2-8 ounce cans tomato sauce, plain
-2 cups chopped green pepper
-1 teaspoon black pepper

Optional:
-Brown sugar to cut the bite of the pepper (I did not use)
-2 beef bouillon cubes (Mine were flavored with onion and garlic)

Directions
In a slowcooker, combine ingredients & simmer 4 or 5 hours. ENJOY.