Enchilada Soup - crockpot

I found the main recipe for this in a Pillsbury Slow Cooker cookbook. I made a few changes and adapted it for our family.

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 19oz (2 cans) Enchilada Sauce (I used medium, use mild for less kick and hot for more)
• 4.5oz (1 can) chopped mild green chiles (I used 1/2 can)
• 1.5 lbs chicken breast
• 15oz (1 can) black beans - drained and rinsed
• 12oz (1bag) frozen corn

Garnish (as desired): Fat Free sour cream, shredded Mexican Cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips or Fritos

Spray 4-5 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Mix broth, enchilada sauce and chiles. Place chicken in sauce, spooning over sauce if needed. Cover and cook on low 7-8hrs (mine cooked 9 and was fine).

Remove chicken from crockpot. Stir beans and corn into mixture in crockpot. Increase heat setting to high. Shred chicken and return to crockpot. Cook additional 5-10 minutes. Top each serving with Garnish as desired.

Breakfast Egg Bake

There are several of these all over the internet. I made this one up myself, but I am sure there is a similar one out there that you could find.

• 1lb Italian roll sausage
• 7 eggs
• 6 slices of bread
  
• 2C milk - divided
  
• 1-2T Cajun seasoning (can use any seasoning you prefer)
  
• shredded cheddar cheese

- fry sausage and drain. Reduce to low-medium heat. Sprinkle flour on sausage to coat. Stirring well. Once sausage is coated well add 1 1/2C of milk and stir. Continue stirring until gravy thickens. The more milk you add the thinner the gravy will be. With this amt. it is pretty thick.

- Mix eggs, 1/2C milk and seasoning

- spray baking dish with cooking spray. Tear slices of bread and line bottom of a 9x13 pan

- pour sausage gravy evenly over bread

-pour eggs evenly over gravy

- you can put this in the fridge overnight or let sit 15-20 minutes then bake.

-bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until egg mixture is cooked through. Add cheese when about 10 minutes of cooking time remains.

Sausage Casserole - Freezes easily

Freezes really well.....
1 lb sweet hot Italian sausage- ground
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 26oz jars marinara sauce
6 Tbsp bottled basil pesto
1 lb penne pasta
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
1 Cup parmesan cheese1
bag (6 oz) spinach (frozen, thawed, works fine)

In large non-stick skillet, cook sausage on medium-high heat,breaking up meat, until meat no longer is pink, 5 minutes. Add onion,stirring constantly until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Addgarlic, cook 1 minute. Add marinara sauce, simmer over medium heat 10minutes. Stir in pesto. Set aside.2. Cook penne according to package directions3. Heat oven to 375. Coat 13x9 dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spreadthin layer of sauce over bottom of dish.4. In large bowl, combine cooked penne, remaining sauce, cheese, 3/4 Cparmesan and the spinach. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle the remainingparmesan over the top.5. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Italian Pasta - Long, but easy

Okay, ladies...this is long, but its easy. I did it with the San Marzano tomatoes and its SO worth it. Also, its HUGE, so you can cut it in half if necessary. I can PROMISE any mommy on here that you will impress the pants off of your DH's (um, maybe even LITERALLY!). This is delish...its Rachael Ray's recipe. Except for the bread...that's my own.3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano) 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)* If San Marzanos are not available, add a teaspoon sugar to your sauce, optional Coarse salt A handful fresh basil leaves, torn 1 pound ziti rigate, with ridges 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Freshly ground black pepper A generous grating nutmeg 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella Crusty bread, to pass at table

Put pasta water on to boil.
In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, saute garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Chop whole tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes and salt and simmer 10 minutes, add basil and simmer over low heat 10 minutes more. Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook 6 minutes, leaving pasta a little chewy. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook 1 minute, adding salt and pepper and nutmeg to flour. Add milk and bring sauce to a bubble. Reduce 5 minutes.
Drain pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish. Pour the tomato and basil sauce over the pasta and turn to coat the pasta. Pour the bechamel over the already coated pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with Asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella. Place the casserole under hot broiler and melt the 3 cheeses until brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediatelyGarlic crostini1 loaf french or artisan bread, sliced1 garlic cloveExtra Virgin Olive OilSea Saltpreheat broiler on low. Place bread slices on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, grind fresh sea salt (LIGHTLY) on to the bread. Broil on low until the bread is golden and slightly crunchy. Remove from broiler. Crack garlic clove (to peel and release oils) and slice into two pieces. Rub a piece of garlic clove on to each slice of bread, change to the other piece of garlic when necessary. Serve immediately. You can add fresh grated parmesan on top, if you like.

Baked Manicotti

Makes:6 servings, two manicotti each

2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-3/4 cups POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup pesto
12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spread 3/4 cup of thespaghetti sauce on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.Mix egg, cheeses and pesto until well blended. Spoon cheese mixture into large resealable plastic bag. Using scissors, cut off small hole from one of the bottom corners of bag.
FILL manicotti shells, one at a time, squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place manicotti over sauce in baking dish; pour remaining 1-1/4 cups spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil.
BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.