Beefy Noodle Casserole

You will need:

4 oz. uncooked wide egg noodles
1 lb. ground chuck
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese (I ended up using just a sprinkle of Parmesan and about 1/2 cup of Mozzarella.)

1. Cook noodles. Place noodles in slightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish set aside.

2. Cook beef in large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in pasta sauce and set aside.

3. Place cream cheese in bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until softened. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Spread mixture over noodles.

4. Spoon beef mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella.

5. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

From: Southern Living Quick & Easy

Jerk Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup butter
* 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon herbs, of your choice, rosemary, marjoram, oregano
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 stalk asparagus
* 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, pieces and stems
* 3 tablespoons parsley, crushed
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 8 ounces bow tie pasta

Directions:

1. Melt butter in skillet over medium/low heat and add garlic.
2. When garlic becomes fragrant add cayenne pepper and chicken (already cut up into small strips/slices or whole), increase heat.
3. Cook until chicken is cooked to preferred tenderness. Remove chicken from pan, leaving the butter/garlic/cayenne mix.
4. In a separate deep pan, fill pan 1/4 full of water. Place a drainer on top of the pan, add asparagus (cut up into 1 inch pieces). Cover. Steam for 5-10 minutes.
5. In a secparate deep pan, cook angel hair pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
6. In a cup stir together half-and-half, chicken broth, and corn starch. Pour into skillet chicken was cooked inches
7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 3 minutes, constantly stirring.
8. Stir in the parsley, herbs, mushrooms, and asparagus for 3-5 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to blend.
9. Add chicken to heat through.
10. Add pasta and stir to heat through.
11. Serve.

Fiesta Chicken Bake

You will need:

2-3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed or 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
8 oz Velveeta
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can Rotel
1/2 chopped onion
2 cups tortilla chips (or more if desired)

Place chicken and onions at the bottom of casserole dish (9 x 13)

Layer cheese on top.

Combine soups and rotel in bowl.

Pour soup mixture over chicken and cheese.

Crumble tortilla chips and layer on top of soup mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

This is great served with rice, sour cream, or more tortilla chips.

Cupcake Pebbles Treats

I was so excited when my blog friend, Shannon, posted about this cereal and these cute little treats. The cereal is yummy as cereal, but these treats are delicious!

You will need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 package (10-1/2 oz.) miniature marshmallows
1 package (11 oz.) POST CUPCAKE PEBBLES®
1 can (16 oz.) ready-to-spread frosting

Microwave butter in 4-quart microwavable bowl on high 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; mix to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted, stirring after 45 seconds. Add cereal; mix well.

Press cereal mixture firmly into lightly greased muffin pans to form "cupcakes," using about 1/3 cup for each. Cool; remove from pans.

Spread with frosting before serving. Decorate as desired. Makes about 2 dozen.

I made these for Easter, so I put these cute little cupcake toppers on them.

You should definitely try these. I think they are better than Rice Krispy treats!

BBQ Nachos

Ok, so this isn't really a recipe, but more of a meal idea!

One of my favorite things about going to hockey games with my dad when I was younger was the BBQ nachos from Corky's that they served. It was always a must that we got them and they were always delicious. So, for several years whenever I ate at a BBQ restaurant I always hoped they would have BBQ nachos. I haven't really found any places that have them here in Nashville. So, when Trey suggested we pick up Whitt's BBQ one day, I decided to make my own nachos!

You can use whatever you like or have to make the nachos. I put the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet, sprinkled them with cheese, and baked them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes to get them toasted and melty! Then, I topped them with the BBQ, BBQ sauce, and sour cream. They were SO delicious!

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

You will need:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour (or overnight) or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (.6 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out egg shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until they are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing and sparking sugar, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours.)
Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.
Makes about 20 - 3 inch cookies.
Now for the icing...

Royal Icing:
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (165 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg white with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. Add coloring. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Add desired choice of food coloring.

Frost and let dry.