Beef Bowtie Casserole

Beef Bowtie Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 o) can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (can also use fresh spinach)
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

Boil pasta until the pasta is firm...brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Put in 9 x 13 casserole dish and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Add the spinach and cheeses during the last 10 minutes of cooking and continue to cook. Add fresh spinach. Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and mix well. Add the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.  

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounce cream cheese
1 cup buffalo wing sauce
Hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) - optional
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I baked chicken tenders in the oven covered with foil at 350 for 25 minutes)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese
Lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

Directions:
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to the pot. Stir well until completely melted then add in the buffalo sauce and a few dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste. Spoon a small amount of the buffalo and cream cheese sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spread it around to cover the bottom of the dish. Stir the chicken into the sauce in the pot. 
Place one layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the chicken mixture over the noodles then drizzle with half of the ranch dressing. Add another layer of noodles and then the remaining chicken and ranch dressing. Place a final layer of lasagna noodles and then spread the cheese over the top.
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and maybe some carrot and celery sticks.

TODD'S DRY RUB BBQ PORK RIBS


Things You'll Need:

• 5lbs Pork Ribs (Costco has great ribs) 

• Aluminum Foil 

• 2 tablespoons Chili Powder 

• 1 tablespoon Garlic Salt 

• 1 tablespoon Paprika 

• 1 tablespoon Freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 

• Grill 

• Barbeque Sauce 


Step 1 - Check your spice cabinet and see what ingredients you need. Purchase the ribs, any 

spices that you need and barbeque sauce (or make your own).


Step 2 - Make the dry rub for the ribs. Combine the following: 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 

tablespoon garlic salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 

teaspoon cayenne pepper.


Step 3 - If you have a gas grill, pre-heat it on high ( 490 degrees ). If you have a charcoal grill, 

light the charcoals.


Step 4 - Rub the ribs with the dry rub. Wrap each slab tightly in a double thickness of aluminum 

foil. If you are doing this for a party this step can be done ahead.


Step 5 - Check on the grill. If it's a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium. If it's charcoal, make 

sure the charcoals have a white ash on them.


Step 6 - Put the ribs on the grill, turning every 15 minutes or so for about an hour or until they 

are tender
.

Step 7 - Remove the ribs from the grill. Turn up the heat to high(525-550 degrees ) if it's gas or 

add more charcoal's to make the heat higher.


Step 8 - Lightly oil the grate. Remove the ribs from the foil (you may want to use old pot holders 

for this part) and place on the grill.


Step 9 - Brush the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce and cover for 5 minutes…


Step 10 - Turn the ribs, brush the other side and cover for 5 minutes so the ribs are glazed on 

both sides.


Step 11 - Remove the ribs, cut and serve. If you are waiting for other ingredients to finish

cooking you can put them in a warm over, but be careful not to for too long and dry them out!

Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

• 
  

1.  8 ounces of uncooked penne pasta( about 2 cups )
2.  2 teaspoons olive oil
3. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4. 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
5. 16 oz  can of diced tomatoes (drain)
6. 16 oz can of diced tomatoes with green pepper (drain)
7. 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
8. 1/4 teaspoon salt
9. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 4 cups baby spinach 
11. 1 tablespoon basil 
12. 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
13. 1 ounce of shredded mozzarella cheese

2. 
   
3. Preparation

1. 1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

1. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add red pepper and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper and basil; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour pasta in large bowl, Stir in spinach and basil, stir until greens wilt. Pour onto plates for serving. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to your liking. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Weight Watcher Crock Pot Lasagna

Makes 8 servings, 7 points each.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb fat free mozzerella

12 oz ricotta cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

8 oz no-bake lasagna noodles

30 oz tomato sauce

6 oz tomato paste

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 green pepper, chopped

Instructions

In a frying pan, brown turkey with onion and garlic. Add spices and tomato sauce and paste, stirring over medium heat until warm all the way through. Mix cheeses in separate container. Layer 1/3 meat sauce, 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 vegetables in crock pot  Repeat 2 more times until all ingredients have been used. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

Easy Chicken Tortilla soup

Ingredients

-Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons

-1 small can of yellow corn (drained)

-2 cans of white hominy (drained)

-1 red bell pepper (peeled and seeded)

-1 pound of chicken breast

-1 teaspoon of ground cumin

-1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper

-1/2 of a yellow onion (skinned and chopped)

-3 cloves garlic (chopped)

-2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

-3 or 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (available in small cans in Mexican section of store) (don’t chop them unless you want the soup super spicy)

-1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes

-1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce

-3 cups of chicken stock

-4 cups of tortilla chips, broken up into larger pieces

-1/2 cup of shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese

-Garnish with sour cream

Directions

Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to med-high.  Drizzle oil on corn and red bell pepper to grill pan.  Char for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes.  Remove charred skin from red pepper.

While vegetables cook, dice chicken.  Add 2 tablespoons of oil to hot soup pot.  Season chicken with cumin, salt and pepper.  Lightly brown the chicken.  Add onions, cilantro, garlic and chipotle peppers.  Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften.  Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, and hominy.  Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to med/low.

Add corn and bell pepper to soup.  Add chips to soup in handfuls. Serve soup immediately and garnish with sour cream and cheese.