Pizza Pasta

Sorry for another pasta recipe, but its a good one!!!! This recipe makes a lot, just a warning! :)
recipe adapted from here




Pizza Pasta


1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1 (5 oz.) package Pepperoni minis (found right next to the rest of the pepperoni in the refrigerated section)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or however much you like)
1 medium tomato (or 2 roma) diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 T parsley flakes
3/4 c prepared Italian dressing

In a large bowl, combine pasta, pepperoni, cheese, tomato, bell pepper, and olives. Toss in salad dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours if you like pasta salad cold.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Lemon Drop Cookies

source here... of course :)

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening (I never use shortening, so I used butter and it worked great)

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract

4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Finely chopped zest of one lemon

1 (6-oz) package lemon drops (hard candies)

2 c. powdered sugar

juice of two lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening, and eggs; add flavorings. Stir in dry ingredients, lemon zest, and crushed lemon drops (crush them in the blender). Roll into balls, flatten slightly, and bake on parchment lined (if you don't use parchment, cookies will stick to pan) baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on pan for a couple of minutes. Make a glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon juice. Brush glaze over cookie tops. Let cookies cool completely.

makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Pasta Taco Salad

again... another beauty from See Jane Cook
meatless, perfect for summer (yay for not having to turn on the oven), and so tasty!




Pasta Taco Salad

1 pound pasta (bowtie, wagonwheel or spiral)
salt
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
1½ cups salsa (I reccomend making this and using it, I make up a batch every Saturday and never buy jarred salsa anymore after finding it)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 roma tomatoes, diced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions with 1 Tablespoon of salt. Drain pasta and stir the corn in frozen to cool pasta and defrost corn. Toss the pasta with salsa then the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.

2. Toss the avacado with the lime juice, remove avacado and add to pasta. With remaining lime juice, add spices, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt, then slowly whisk in the oil. (I also added some taco seasoning in this dressing). Add dressing to pasta. Serve immediately. Stays well for up to 1 day in fridge, longer if you keep the avacado separate.



source found here

Sugar Cookies

2 cups butter (not margarine)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons (1 Tbsp.) baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

-makes about 8 dozen 3” cookies

in a large bowl cream butter and sugar at least 5 min. until mixture is a pail yellow. add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each. add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. add to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time. when all is thoroughly mixed and dough cleans the side of the bowl, wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill. roll dough to ¼ inch depth and cut into desired shapes. bake at 350 for 9-11 min. Let cool 5 min. on baking sheets then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Mexican Crockpot Chicken

4 chicken breasts (thawed)

1 16 oz. jar salsa

1 can black beans (rinsed)

1 can corn

1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

Layer first four ingredients in the crock pot.  Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours.  At this time, shred the chicken.  Place the cream cheese over top and cook for 1/2 hour more.  Stir and serve spooned into tortillas.

Swiss Chicken

Another easy one!

Swiss Chicken

4 chicken breasts
6-8 slices of Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
1 cup milk (or sour cream for a thicker sauce)
1 box chicken stuffing
1/4 cup butter, melted

Pound the chicken to even out the thickness. Place chicken in a 9x13 dish. Top chicken with cheese slices. Mix can of soup and milk together. Pour over chicken. Top with stuffing. Drizzle stuffing with melted butter. Cover with foil and cook at 350* for 45 minutes. Remove foil, then return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes.


Recipe found here and here.

No Bake Cookies

I always have a hard time with different recipes for this, but this one is perfect! I usually can't get them to set very well, but these set up perfectly!! Just make sure to follow the directions carefully!


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons cocoa
3 cups quick cooking oats
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa to a boil for one minute. To make sure cookies set up properly wait until mixture comes to a complete FULL boil and then start the timer for one minute. Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Stir well and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Let them set up and cool.

Makes 18 cookies.

Cheesy Mexican Chicken

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

-6 sm. Boneless skinless chicken breast havles

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-1 & 1/2 C. cheddar cheese

-1/2 C. milk

-1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

-2 C. Fritos corn chips

-4 & 1/2 C. cooked rice

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375°F. Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish.

-Mix soup, 1 cup of the cheese, milk, and seasoning mix until well blended; spoon over chicken. Top with chips; cover.

-Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

-Serve over rice.

A few things I did differently:

-Used chicken tenderloins because that is what I had on hand.

-Added a 1/2 C. salsa to the mixture before pouring it over chicken.

-Served it over Mexican rice instead of white rice. 

-Topped it with a little lettuce, tomato, and sour cream; delish!

Original recipe can be found here.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Another recipe I'm sure all of you girls have, just didn't want to forget one of my most favorite dinner recipes EVER!

2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. chicken broth
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
4 c. cooked long grain rice
1 (9 1/2 oz.) can chow mein noodles (the dry crispy ones- La Choy brand makes them- in the asian section)
3 medium tomatoes, cubed
1/2 c. green bell pepper, cubed (i also use red, yellow, and orange bell peppers sometimes too)
1 c. sliced celery ( we never use this, but we dont like celery)
1/2 c. green onion, sliced thinly
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c slivered almonds (we also dont really use this)
1/2 c. shredded coconut


Combine soup and chicken broth in medium saucepan to make gravy. Stir to blend. Add chicken. Simmer about 8 to 10 minutes until heated through. Layer rice then gravy, cheese, and chow mein noodles. Add tomatoes, celery, green pepper, and green onions. Top this with pineapple chunks. Sprinkle almonds, coconut, and peppers.

Obviously you can top it in whatever order you would like it though!
Enjoy!

Mexican Rice

1 cup long grain rice
2 TBS olive oil
1 small can tomato juice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin

Heat oil in skillet and saute rice until a light tan color. Add cumin, garlic, tomato juice and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Find recipe over at The Sisters Cafe