Monday's Menu: Spring Ravioli with Pesto Cream

Spring Ravioli with Pesto Cream

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)

3 roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 ounces frozen cheese-filled ravioli (from 24-ounce bag)

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons basil pesto

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions:

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook green beans and bell pepper in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Cook 3 minutes.

While vegetables are cooking, cook and drain ravioli as directed on package. Mix sour cream, pesto and lemon peel in small bowl.

Toss hot cooked ravioli with vegetable mixture and sour cream mixture.

Enjoy!

Monday's Menu: Crispy Onion Chicken

This is one of my daughter’s favorite dinners, in fact she calls it Favorite Chicken! It is a simple and easy recipe. I serve it with green beans and mashed red potatoes. Enjoy!

French's Crispy Onion Chicken

Ingredients:

·  2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

·  2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

·  4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

·  1 egg, beaten

Directions:

·   Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

·    Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

·    Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

Monday's Menu: Turkey Chili

It's no secret that I like recipes that are fast and easy. We all have busy lives with our families and businesses so the more time saved the better! That's the reason why I like this recipe so much!

 

Easy Turkey Chili

 

Ingredients:

·         1 tbsp cooking oil

·         ½ medium onion, diced

·         2 cloves of garlic, diced

·         1 lb ground turkey

·         1 taco seasoning packet

·         12 oz Mexican lager style beer

·         1 14.5 oz can of whole tomatoes

·         1 14.5 oz can of red kidney beans

Garnish suggestions: sour cream, shredded sharp cheese, diced red onions, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, diced avocado or crushed corn or tortilla chips.

Directions:

In a large sauce pan heat oil, add onions and garlic until fragrant (about 3-4 minutes). Add turkey and cook until no longer pink breaking up the turkey as it cooks. Once cooked through add taco seasoning and coat turkey.

Add beer and simmer on medium-high until it is reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Add whole tomatoes with juice, crushing the tomatoes in your hand before putting into the pot. HINT: Crush the tomatoes slowly as they will explode if you do it too fast.

Add beans and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium for about 10 minutes uncovered to let the chili thicken. Serve with a garnish buffet so that your family can create their own unique style of chili!

 

Enjoy!

Monday's Menu: Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This recipe is so delicious, it tastes like little pockets of lasagna. It is much easier to make than my usual manicotti or lasagna recipe because it is quick and easy to fill the shells. The only change I make is adding minced garlic to the filling because my family is crazy about garlic! 

 

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 15-oz. container ricotta
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta shells according to package label directions; drain and set aside to cool. While pasta cooks, in a large bowl, stir together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, egg, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and nutmeg.
• 2. Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce over bottom of baking dish. Stuff shells with cheese-and-spinach mixture and place in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
• 3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

Enjoy!

Monday's Menu: Spaghetti with Spinach and Tomatoes

At the beginning of the week I cook about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot for 6 hours on low in 1 cup of chicken broth. After it's cooked I store it in the fridge, in the broth, and use it in meals during the week. It saves me a ton of time when I am cooking dinner. 

This is one of my family's favorite meals. It's simple, but delicious! My kids are allergic to dairy so we don't add cheese, but I know that some shredded Parmesan or chunks of mozzarella would be a nice addition on top.

Spaghetti with Spinach and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Spaghetti
• 1 lb cooked chicken, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pepper
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bag of spinach (12 or 16oz )

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put tomatoes in an 8x8 baking dish with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes are cooking, cook pasta according to the box instructions. When the tomatoes are done, pour the bread crumbs over them and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside when done.
3. Heat chicken broth in a large saute pan and add spinach. Cook spinach in broth over medium-high until all the leaves are wilted. Turn down heat to low and add tomato mixture.
4. Gently stir in the tomatoes being sure not to smash them. Add chicken and heat through for a few minutes.
5. Serve over noodles.

Enjoy!