Baked Rigatoni

16 oz Rigatoni
1 pkg. Italian Sausage, cooked (ground or finely sliced)
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried Thyme
2 cups whipping cream
1 can sliced olives
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (Italian or garlic flavored; use the whole can, juice and all)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups crumbled Feta Cheese (one small container)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated

Bake at 375. Butter large casserole dish. Cook pasta, drain and put in dish. Cook sausage and drain fat. Mix everything, except cheese; add dash of salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and mix in cheeses and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let cool for approximately 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Georgia

Chicken Georgia

by Paula Deen

but changed some by Shari!


Ingredients:
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter

4 skinless boneless chicken breast

1-2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, (or canned if you don't have fresh on hand)

1 onion, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounce grated mozzarella cheese (or 8 oz if you like it smothered)

Directions
Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Cook and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Ease of Preparation: Easy Yield: 4-6 servings

My family just loves this recipe! I make it twice a month and has become one of my 'ol standbys'!

Chicken Parmesan

Sorry no picture..but it was very very good. Even my kids liked it and they are pretty picky.

1 lg.can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
4 basil leaves, sliced
2T. olive oil
Salt to taste
4 chicken breast
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
4 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese

Place oil in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, add garlic and let sizzle for a few minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add tomato sauce and basil. Let simmer on low heat at least 1/2 hour. Salt to taste. Meanwhile, dip chicken breast in egg, then bread crumbs until coated. Fry in olive oil on a high heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a baking dish. Place one slice of cheese on each chicken breast. Pour sauce over the chicken and bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. Serves 4.

I served it with pasta!

Oreo and fudge ice cream cake

1/2 Cup Hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed and divided
1 pkg (4 serving size) Jello Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
8 Oreos, chopped
12 Vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Pour fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the Cool Whip, stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add pudding mix, stir 2 minutes. Gently stir in chopped Oreos, set aside.

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches, side by side on a 24 inch long piece of foil. Top with half of the Cool Whip mixture. Repeate layers. Top with remaining ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining Cool Whip. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Let's make a DEAL.

Okay. We are slacking ladies (Chez, you are exempt). Heaven knows we are all busy- but selfishly I am needing new recipe ideas from all you wonderful cooks!!!

Let's make a deal to each post at least one recipe in the next 30 days.

We can do that right?? ☺ One little recipe??? It only takes a second.

There are 8 chefs- so that would be 8 new recipes in one month!!

I know we could all use that!!

So start thinking of your next post, okay?

Pretty please?

Oh-- and on a completely random note- if you don't already have Google Reader- GET IT. It is a great way to keep up with the new recipes that are posted on this blog! Just go to Google.com- on the top left hand corner you will see "images, maps" etc. Click on "more" and scroll down to READER. You can manage all the blogs you want to read on there. Google reader will notify you whenever a new post comes up, so you don't have to keep checking the blog to see if there is something new! It saves so much time.

I can't wait for your recipes!! Get going!

Seriously GO!!! ☺

Pumpkin Roll

Yes, another Pumpkin recipe by me.
I love fall and baking with Pumpkin.
I omitted the walnuts and it was still delicious. Enjoy!

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• confectioners' sugar for dusting
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
4. To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
5. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired.

"Healthified" Fettuccine Alfredo

1	lb uncooked fettuccine
2	cups whole milk
1	tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4	teaspoon salt
	Dash freshly ground black pepper
	Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)
2	tablespoons butter
2	teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2	oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
2/3	cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

	Cook fettuccine as directed on package, omitting salt. Drain; return to saucepan. Cover to keep warm; set aside.
	Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir milk, flour, salt, black pepper and red pepper with wire whisk until smooth. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not burn). With wire whisk, stir milk mixture into butter mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens and boils.
	Stir in cream cheese until melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Pour over fettuccine; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

The good news is, kids love it too!!! Thumbs up to that!!!

"Healthified" Shepherd's Pie

1 1/4	lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2	cup fat-free milk
1	tablespoon no-trans-fat margarine or butter
3/4	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1	lb lean ground sirloin
1	medium onion, chopped
1	cup frozen peas & carrots
1/2	teaspoon dried thyme
1/2	cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4	cup red wine (I used Red Wine Vinegar)
1/4	cup tomato paste

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 6-cup ovenproof casserole with cooking spray; set aside.
2.	In medium saucepan, cover sweet potatoes with enough water to cover by 3 inches. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes; return potatoes to saucepan. Stir in milk, margarine, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash until smooth; set aside.
3.	Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sirloin 5 to 6 minutes until browned. Drain fat from pan; transfer beef to medium bowl. Return skillet to medium-high heat; add onion, peas and carrots, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
4.	Return beef to skillet; stir in broth, wine and tomato paste. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer beef mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Spread sweet potato mixture evenly over top of beef mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Add salt and pepper to taste when eating... healthy and delicious!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

• For the Crust:
• 20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  
• For the Filling:
• 2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

To create swirls, drag the blade of a paring knife through the chocolate and pumpkin mixtures several times to make a marbled pattern.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
3. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.
5. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
6. Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
7. Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang of foil or parchment paper, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.

Grilled Chicken with Warm Mango Salsa

What you'll need:

1 pound of chicken (2-3 breasts)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 medium red onion, small diced
1 small jalapeno, chopped fine
1 medium tomato, small diced
1 large mango, small diced
juice of 2 limes
2/3 cups chopped fresh cilantro
Pam Spray

Directions:

1. Preheat grill or grill pan over high heat (or turn on your George Foreman!). Spray Chicken lightly with Pam Spray and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill til cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over med-high heat. Spray with Pam and add onions. Season onions with salt and pepper to taste and cook til almost tender.

3. Add jalapeno, tomato and mango to the pan. Cook, tossing often until just heated through.

4. Add lime juice and cilantro and adjust seasonings if necessary.

5. Slice or shred chicken and serve topped with warm salsa!

Parmesan Knots

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best but you can use the can kind)
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash pepper
3 cans (12 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (I used “original flakey”)

In a small bowl, combine oil, cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic powder and pepper; set aside.

Cut each biscuit in half. Roll each portion into a 6″ rope; tie in a loose knot. Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 450 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown; immediately brush with the Parmesan mixture. Serve warm or freeze for up to 2 months. (NOTE: To use frozen biscuits, bake according to package directions.)

NOTE: I took the biscuits out of the fridge about 30 minutes before I made the rolls so that the dough wasn’t so cold. This made the dough more soft and easy to roll into ropes. Also, I made the rolls literally RIGHT when we were almost ready to eat so that they were hot. I would definitely recommend that. They are STILL good when cool, but best when warm. ENJOY!