Fantastic Food Friday!
Today starts a new Friday tradition because I've had some requests lately to put up some recipes that I could not live without. So beginning today, I'm going to post at least one recipe, and hopefully some photos of my food along the way, each and every Friday.
I am far from a gormet chef--VERY far from it. What is most significant about my cooking is that it is #1 EASY and #2 many times able to be frozen as a make-ahead meal! I used to make meals 24 at a time at a place called "Dinners by the Dozen," but the placed closed (sniff, sniff) so I was fortunate to be given a slew of their recipes to add to my personal recipe stash. Recently, I've taken up making meals ahead of time by doubling recipes and freezing half. My freezer is currently full of HOMEMADE veggie lasagna, beef burgundy & tuna noodle casserole--each one ready to be thawed and baked / slow cooked at any time! In my world of busy toddlers, daily activities outside of the home and many items to check off my "to-do" list each day for MnMs, NHPP, family, etc., having a few meals available for the busiest of days is a must!
So today wake up your printers and get the blank paper ready. You're going to want to print this post for sure!
Simple Tuna Noodle Casserole (Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book)
1 bag of egg noodles
3 cans of tuna fish
1 block of cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 jar of sweet red peppers
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
Cook entire bag of noodles and while those are boiling, cut cheddar cheese into cubes. Once noodles are cooked and rinsed, add cheese cubes, tuna fish, soup & peppers. Mix well.
Divide entire noodle mixture into two disposable aluminum containers.
Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter & sprinkle over the noodle mixture.
Cover, wrap in extra plastic wrap & freeze if these are for later :)
Thaw 24-48 hours in the fridge before baking, then bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
Of course you do not have to freeze these. They are great for baking right away. You can cut the ingredients above in half if you only want to make one casserole or make with all of the above ingredients for a larger casserole.
Baked Ziti (Inspired by Katie Coyne, my dear friend!!)
1 box ziti pasta
1 pkg. frozen creamed spinach
1 bag mozzerella cheese
1 jar tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce)
Boil ziti according to package instructions & heat frozen creamed spinach in microwave.
Mix pasta, spinach, tomato sauce & 1/2 of the bag of cheese. Put into casserole dish or aluminum disposable dish (for freezing). Cover with remaining cheese.
Thaw 24-48 hours in the fridge before baking, then bake COVERED w/ aluminum foil at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbling. Double or triple recipe easily to make 2-3 zitis to freeze!
**You can also brown ground beef or sausage and add it to the ziti for this recipe. I've done it many times and it makes a very hearty pasta dish!
Bow Ties w/ Sausage & Sweet Peppers (Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book)
1 box bow tie pasta
12 oz spicy Italian sausage links
2 med. red sweet peppers cut into 3/4 in. pieces
1/2 cup vegetable or beef broth
Black Pepper
1/4 cup smipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cook pasta & set aside.
Cut sausage into 1-inch pieces, cook in large skillet along w/ red peppers until sausage is brown.
Add broth & some black pepper, bring to boiling & reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over pasta & add parsley. Stir gently to coat.
**If freezing this entree, do everything as above except leave out parsley. Put in freezer-safe container(s) and when ready to heat / serve, thaw in fridge for 24 hours, then either microwave or reheat in a skillet or pot. Add parsley.
Now that I'm hungry, it's off to breakfast for me! Happy cooking friends :-)
I am far from a gormet chef--VERY far from it. What is most significant about my cooking is that it is #1 EASY and #2 many times able to be frozen as a make-ahead meal! I used to make meals 24 at a time at a place called "Dinners by the Dozen," but the placed closed (sniff, sniff) so I was fortunate to be given a slew of their recipes to add to my personal recipe stash. Recently, I've taken up making meals ahead of time by doubling recipes and freezing half. My freezer is currently full of HOMEMADE veggie lasagna, beef burgundy & tuna noodle casserole--each one ready to be thawed and baked / slow cooked at any time! In my world of busy toddlers, daily activities outside of the home and many items to check off my "to-do" list each day for MnMs, NHPP, family, etc., having a few meals available for the busiest of days is a must!
So today wake up your printers and get the blank paper ready. You're going to want to print this post for sure!
Simple Tuna Noodle Casserole (Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book)
1 bag of egg noodles
3 cans of tuna fish
1 block of cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 jar of sweet red peppers
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
Cook entire bag of noodles and while those are boiling, cut cheddar cheese into cubes. Once noodles are cooked and rinsed, add cheese cubes, tuna fish, soup & peppers. Mix well.
Divide entire noodle mixture into two disposable aluminum containers.
Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter & sprinkle over the noodle mixture.
Cover, wrap in extra plastic wrap & freeze if these are for later :)
Thaw 24-48 hours in the fridge before baking, then bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
Of course you do not have to freeze these. They are great for baking right away. You can cut the ingredients above in half if you only want to make one casserole or make with all of the above ingredients for a larger casserole.
Baked Ziti (Inspired by Katie Coyne, my dear friend!!)
1 box ziti pasta
1 pkg. frozen creamed spinach
1 bag mozzerella cheese
1 jar tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce)
Boil ziti according to package instructions & heat frozen creamed spinach in microwave.
Mix pasta, spinach, tomato sauce & 1/2 of the bag of cheese. Put into casserole dish or aluminum disposable dish (for freezing). Cover with remaining cheese.
Thaw 24-48 hours in the fridge before baking, then bake COVERED w/ aluminum foil at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbling. Double or triple recipe easily to make 2-3 zitis to freeze!
**You can also brown ground beef or sausage and add it to the ziti for this recipe. I've done it many times and it makes a very hearty pasta dish!
Bow Ties w/ Sausage & Sweet Peppers (Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book)
1 box bow tie pasta
12 oz spicy Italian sausage links
2 med. red sweet peppers cut into 3/4 in. pieces
1/2 cup vegetable or beef broth
Black Pepper
1/4 cup smipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cook pasta & set aside.
Cut sausage into 1-inch pieces, cook in large skillet along w/ red peppers until sausage is brown.
Add broth & some black pepper, bring to boiling & reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over pasta & add parsley. Stir gently to coat.
**If freezing this entree, do everything as above except leave out parsley. Put in freezer-safe container(s) and when ready to heat / serve, thaw in fridge for 24 hours, then either microwave or reheat in a skillet or pot. Add parsley.
Now that I'm hungry, it's off to breakfast for me! Happy cooking friends :-)
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