No Boil Three Cheese Manicotti

• Filling Ingredients (Place inside a gallon size freezer bag):
• 24 oz. Ricotta
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for top
• Add: 1 ½ teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• Remaining Ingredients:
• 1-8oz. package manicotti
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese 
• Jar or can of favorite marinara sauce (I use the $1 can Hunts marinara when I don't have homemade on hand)
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Combine filling ingredients and gently knead until thoroughly mixed.
2. Clip a small corner, about 1/2", of the bag and proceed to fill manicotti according to desired tray size.
3. 2-8x8 pans: Spread 1/4 cup sauce in each pan. Pipe 1/2 cup of cheese filling into each tray of manicotti. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/8 Parmesan cheese.
4. 1-9x13 pan: Spread about 1/2 cup sauce in pan. Pipe all cheese into both trays. Pour remaining sauce on top. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. 
5. Cover shells completely with sauce.
6. 
   
7. Label: Thaw 24 hours. Bake covered at 375 for one hour until shells are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pan Cheesy Smoked Sausage & Pasta Skillet

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, sliced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• 16 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.

Label: Thaw and cook according to directions on blog

Homemade Pizza

 1.5 cups hot water

·     1 T yeast

·     1/4 cup honey

·     1/3 cup olive oil

·     2 t salt

·     4-4.5 cups flour (I like this kind)

·     2 T Italian seasoning (optional)

·     1 T garlic powder (optional)

Combine water, yeast, and honey in stand up mixer. Let sit for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.  Add olive oil, salt, and seasonings to stand mixer and combine thoroughly.  Slowly add flour until you have a wet, workable dough. You want your dough to be sticky.  Using your dough hook on your stand mixer, knead your dough for 5 minutes (a little longer if using whole wheat flour). I will add a little flour here and there to keep my dough from sticking.You can transfer your kneaded dough to a greased bowl, or leave your dough in your stand mixer bowl (I do the latter). Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let your dough rise until doubled. Once your dough has doubled, without punching it down divide into two halves. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough out onto a pizza stone.Be sure to punch holes in your dough with a fork before cooking.  Cook your dough without the toppings for 7-8 minutes.  Once your pizza crusts have been pre-cooked, you can add your sauce and toppings. Wrap each pizza with plastic wrap and finish with aluminum foil. 

Label: Homemade Pizzas. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove aluminum foil and plastic wrap from frozen Pizza (do not thaw).  Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and started to brown.

Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

• 1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (frozen works fine)
• 2 green peppers, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 (1 oz) packet Italian dressing mix
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 buns or hoagies
• 6-8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

1.   Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken inside slow cooker. Top with sliced peppers, onion, and garlic; pour chicken broth and dry dressing mix packet on top.

2.   Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (or high for 3-4 hours). Spoon meat mixture onto buns and top with pieces of cheese. Another yummy option is to toast your bread in a 375 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, then top with meat and cheese, and stick back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and make it nice and gooey.

3.   My sister and I discovered that we loved dijon mustard on the bread for an additional kick. 

Label: Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Pour contents of bag inside the slow cooker. 
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (or high for 3-4 hours). Spoon meat mixture onto hoagie buns and top with pieces of cheese.

Honey Dijon Pork Chops

1/2 c. honey dijon mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
4-6 boneless pork chops
1 c. Italian breadcrumbs

Label (2):  Thaw pork chops & mustard/Worcestershire sauce mixture.  Make sure each pork chop is covered with the sauce.  Coat each pork chop with breadcrumbs.  Broil each side on low for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Mix mustard and Worcestershire sauce together.  Cover each pork chop with sauce.  Coat each pork chop with breadcrumbs.  Broil each side on low for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

El Dorado Casserole

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey or beef

1 T. minced onion

1/2 t. garlic salt

2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce

1/2 c. sliced olives

1 c. sour cream

1 c. cottage cheese

1 small can diced green chiles

1 small bag tortilla chips

2 c. grated Jack cheese

Label (18): Layer crushed tortilla chips on bottom of 9"x13" pan followed by thawed meat & tomato mixture.  Mix sour cream, cottage cheese and chiles together and layer on top of meat & tomato mixture.  Top with cheese and more crushed chips.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Brown meat, onion and salt; add tomato sauce and olives.  Simmer.

Combine sour cream, cottage cheese and chiles.

Place some crushed tortilla chips in bottom of 9"x13" pan.  Place meat mixture on top, then layer sour cream mixture.  Top with jack cheese and sprinkle more crushed chips on top. 

Bake @ 350 for 30 min.

Savory Chicken Marinade

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2/3 cup Italian Dressing
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder

1- add everything into a small bowl except chicken and mix well
2- add mixture to the chicken
3- marinate for several hours or overnight
4- grill for 8 minutes on each side at 400 degrees

3 Packet Pot Roast

3 Pound Pot Roast
1 Packet Dry Ranch Dressing
1 Packet Dry Italian Dressing
1 Packet of Beef Gravy or Au Jus
3 cups of water


Label (6) 3 Packet Pot Roast: Place 1 cup of water and all three packets in the crock pot and stir. Then place Pot Roast in and cook on low for 8 hours. (can be cooked on high for 4-5 hours) 20-30 minutes before eating add 2 more cups of warm water and flip to high.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/3 large onion, diced and sauteed
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 pds chicken, cooked and shredded
16 corn tortillas
1 pd monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Mix the first 5 ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hr. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilads sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Fill corn tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 1/2 cups of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min until brown and crispy on top.

Label (12) Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas DO NOT THAW Bake at 350 covered for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 30 min longer until brown and crispy on top. 

Crock Pot Mississippi Crack Chicken Sandwiches

3 lbs. Chicken Breast
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
two 1 oz packets dry ranch dressing
one 1 1/4 oz au jus seasoning dry mix packet
1/3 cup sliced pepperoncinis ( plus more for serving)
12 hamburger buns

1- Place chicken into the slow cooker and top with cream cheese, butter, ranch, and au jus seasoning and pepperoncinis.
2- cook on high for 4 hours, or until chicken is tender and easily shredded. ( alternatively, cook on low 6-8 hours)
3- Shred chicken, add back into the crock pot and stir to cover chicken with sauce.
4- Serve on hamburger buns with additional pepperoncinis.