Spiral Pasta With Cabbage, Peppers & Poppy Seed Dressing

I have NO IDEA what the "real" name for this salad is! All I know is that my Aunt Wendy made it for a bridal shower, and I loved it so much I decided to bring it to this year's 4th of July family reunion. I thought the red bell peppers in it made it looks pretty patriotic :)

16 oz. spiral/corkscrew pasta
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 head green cabbage, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 bottle poppy seed dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water. Toss pasta with vegetables and coat with the poppy seed dressing. Easy peasy!

Macaroni Salad

I have always had the hardest time finding the perfect recipe for a good, classic macaroni salad. It seems to me that every time I make it the salad always tastes a little too bland or is a little too dry.

Until now.

This recipe is the perfect combination of creaminess and is bursting with flavor. The added vegetables give it just the right amount of crunch, and what I like most about it is that the longer you let it sit in your fridge, the better it tastes! I love recipes that I "have" to make earlier in the day or the night before; they make life so much easier.

This is the only macaroni salad recipe {of this sort} I will use from now on ~ my days of looking for the perfect recipe are through, this is it!


4 cups uncooked small macaroni {elbow or shells}
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrots
2 Teaspoons chopped pimento peppers

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrots, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferable overnight.

Cheese Stuffed Shells

This is such a simple recipe! It is really quick to throw together, but it tastes so good, everyone will think you spent the entire day in the kitchen. This is also a recipe I use as a standby for when I take in dinner to someone; everyone seems to like it :)

I overstuffed my shells when I made it this (I love cheese!) but you get the idea. You can make this recipe in one 8x13 pan or in 2- 8x8 pans. I never measure anything for this recipe, but trust me, it's impossible to mess up! Depending on how much you are planning on making, here are the ingredients:

Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Ricotta cheese (I use about 2 cups for a 9x13 pan)

Cheddar cheese (shredded - just a little bit)

Italian seasoning

Pepper

Garlic salt

2 eggs (for a 9x13 pan)

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (we like Barilla Marinara)

1 box jumbo shells, cooked according to package directions (1 box for a 9x13 pan)

In a large bowl, combine cheeses, seasonings and 2 eggs (the eggs are used to hold the cheese mixture together). Make a thin layer of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan(s). Stuff cooked shells with the cheese mixture (I make little balls of cheese in my hand and then stuff them inside the shells). Arrange shells in the pan. Spoon marinara sauce over the shells. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad. Enjoy!

Tasty Tortellini Salad

1 (9 oz.) package uncooked refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup baby carrots, cut in half
4 green onions with tops, sliced
Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 garlic cloves, minces
1 T. Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse with cold water. Combine tortellini with vegetables. Toss with dressing. Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Let refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb. tri-colored pasta, cooked and drained

Any or all of the following add-ins:
olives
carrots
tomatoes
onion
baby corn
artichoke hearts
cucumber
garbanzo beans
pepperoni

Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese
Dash of garlic salt
Salt & Pepper

Cook and drain tri-colored pasta noodles, rinsing with cold water to shock. Add desired add-ins. Coat with Italian dressing, season with garlic salt, salt and pepper, and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken With Mushroom Cream Sauce Over Fettuccine

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 package sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup white cooking wine or chicken broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper


Brown chicken breasts on both sides in a skillet and remove and set aside. Saute onions in a little bit of olive oil. Add garlic and saute, then add sliced mushrooms and saute. Add white cooking wine or chicken broth to deglaze the skillet. Add 2 cans of soup. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything as to look like a sauce. Put the browned chicken breast in the sauce to finish cooking, simmering for about 10-15 minutes. Serve over cooked fettuccine. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Penne Pasta { with bacon! }

6-8 slices of bacon, cut into pieces

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes in juice

1 tsp. sugar

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs: parsley, basil, oregano, etc.)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup sour cream

12 oz. of penne pasta, cooked

Cook bacon in a saucepan until cooked through, but not burnt. Drain on paper towels and discard drippings, but do not wipe out pan. Increase to medium-high heat and add tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Stir in sugar, Italian seasoning (or herbs), and salt and pepper. Then add chopped bacon and peas. Cook for 5 minutes, simmering vigorously, stirring every so often. Remove pan from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over cooked pasta.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1-28 oz. can diced peeled tomatoes
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1-12.5 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes
16 oz. fresh mushrooms
1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
1 T. Italian seasoning {or use fresh herbs ~ basil, parsley, oregano, etc.}
diced onion
diced green pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper


Brown meat on the stove. Then add everything together in the crock-pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve over pasta noodles. Top with fresh parmesan cheese. Makes the house smell wonderful all day!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

This recipe comes from one of my most favorite and useful cookbooks, 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker. Not only is this lasagna delicious, but it's really quick and easy to make. I usually make it on Sundays before church, and then it's ready by the time we get home. Another thing I do is brown the meat and shred the cheese the night before, making assembly even faster!

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 carton (16 oz.) cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated (* I usually do 1/2 mozzarella and 1/2 cheddar)

Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in bottom of greased show cooker. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over noodles already in slow cooker. Then layer 1/2 of the sauce and water, 1/2 of the cottage cheese, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the beef. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.