Cheesy Pasta Bake

I am in LOVE! Since I am trying new recipes that are frugal and meatless, I have come across the second recipe that has quickly become one of our favorites. All it took was one bite and we were hooked. Of the last three new recipes I cooked, CHEESY PASTA BAKE is a real humdinger!

While we are NOT vegetarians but rather a carnivorous family (we love meat) we have tried several new recipes over the past two weeks that calls for no meat.  After listening to a radio program this afternoon, I know we are not the only family who is looking for other means of healthy, wholesome meals without squeezing extra dollars out of the grocery budget. So, no meat it is!

If you are within a hop, skip and jumping distance from the grocery store, you need to make this dish very soon. Do Not, I repeat DO NOT wait around to make this recipe. You will be insane if you do and if you pin this recipe, be sure you do not forget about it. I know I am the only one who pins scrumptious looking recipes to only forget about them until I scroll through my Pinterest boards. I'm the only one, right?

I love alfredo sauce and I like a really good marinara sauce. What I REALLY love is mixing them. Who knew they would be so good... TOGETHER?  When I buy any pasta sauce, I normally buy Bertolli; it is our favorite store-bought brand. If you are not like me and like brown, crispy pasta noodles, cover your baking dish before placing it in the oven.

 Cheesy Pasta Bake

1 box penne pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 jar Marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Mix the sauces together in a large bowl. Add the mozzarella and stir to combine. Then add the pasta and toss to coat. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and cook for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

So YUMMY!

I can not wait to make this again. There are a couple of changes I do want to try like adding a little chicken and using my homemade sauces. If you make this, let me know, I'd love to hear how you like it.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice can be a non frugal dish. If you have left over ham, perfect. If not, keep reading.

Two years ago, when I decided to try making Red Beans and Rice, I was on the hunt for frugal meal ideas.  I wanted to add more frugalness to my Master Menu Plan for when times are a little leaner than others. Sadly, this does not fall into the category of frugal in my mind, but it is a rather inexpensive meal. While it is inexpensive, it is so yummy!

I have learned to embrace my crock pot! I use it for cooking dried beans over night so they are ready for the next day. This keeps me from having to soak, speed cook, blow torch and whatever else you would have to do to cook those little pieces of hardness to use in a recipe. If you are in an area like me, where dried small red beans are few and far between, but you can find canned red beans, use them. I have and they worked out beautifully! Kidney beans can even be used, but... yeah, my husband and son do not think of them as the perfect bean for Red Beans and Rice.

I'm all for not using every pot and pan in my kitchen to prepare a meal.  I love the idea of cooking in one pot and this is the perfect recipe to do just that, after you have the beans cooked.

RED BEANS AND RICE

1 pound dried, small red beans
½ pound of bacon, chopped
1 package (14 oz.) andouille sausage or smoked sausage, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste, optional
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
½ tablespoon  oil (if you use turkey bacon)
2 quarts of water
salt to taste, if needed (AT THE END OF COOKING)
Hot, cooked rice


Rinse and sort beans and place into a crock pot, adding water to cover beans plus about an inch or so. Do not add any seasonings or salt, cook on low overnight. When ready to cook the rest of the ingredients, drain the beans and keep them in a separate container.

In a a large pot, cook the bacon until lightly cooked. Add the sausage, onion and bell pepper to the bacon and sauté the veggies until tender. Add the seasonings to the mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, keep stirring.  Add the beans to the pot and add two quarts of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. If you need to thicken the juice up a bit more, remove about a cup of the beans and mash them and return them to the pot. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Be prepared for amazing leftovers, since the juice thickens over time. YUM!

Savory Succotash

There is something about eating foods that were eaten in the past. As a history loving mom, I'm on the look out for these types of recipes. I do this so I can learn about the history of them. Savory Succotash is just one of these recipes.

I'm really not sure why Jamie asked me about Succotash several months ago;  maybe because he still enjoys old cartoons. Since then, I had wanted to find a good recipe for Succotash, but could not find anything that sparked an interest until after the history of it was explained and the dish cooked on a live cooking show on our local PBS channel.

Succotash dates back to Colonial days using bear grease and the use of winter veggies. Now, I'm not one who keeps a can of bear grease on hand, so bacon grease it is!

If bear grease smells anything like a bear, I'll stick with my Porky Pig in a jar that is tucked away in my refrigerator door.

Anything cooked in REAL bacon grease must be good, right? Well, let me tell you, THIS. IS. OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. CRAZY. GOOD!

There is something wonderful about this recipe; it can be an all vegetable side dish, or you can make it like I did the second time by adding chicken and it be the main dish for a meal.

It's hard to believe I second guessed myself when it comes to a dish cooked in bacon grease, but I did the first time I cooked it. I left out the chicken just to make sure the other two were going to like it.

Let's just say, food was flying like there was no tomorrow.

If you are a turkey bacon fan; don't even try it! Nope, Nope, Nope! Do not ruin this dish by using bird bacon, use the real thing ~ whole hog is the way to go!  I cooked this dish two times and the second time (yesterday) I used turkey bacon... BIG FAIL!  You  know turkey bacon does not really crisp unless it is at the point of burning. Even if it does get crispy it will end up soft and limp by the time you are ready to eat. Crispy bacon = bacony bits to crunch on. You can see the what I'm talking about in the picture above. JUST DON'T DO IT, you will thank me later!

If you say "A WHOLE PACK OF BACON?!?!?!" remember packaging is not a whole pound anymore and this recipe is easy to adapt for your tastes.  I never buy real bacon anymore because it is so expensive out here, so turkey bacon is usually bought. The first time I cooked this dish with real bacon and it was a REAL TREAT.

Succotash

1 package bacon cut into pieces
2 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
½ red bell pepper diced
½ green bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 cup squash
1 can lima beans drained
1 can corn drained
salt to taste
pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

In a large hot frying pan, cook bacon until done. Remove bacon and drain all but about two tablespoons of grease and add chicken. Cook the chicken until almost done. Add both bell peppers and onion and continue cooking. Add squash; continue cooking. Add beans, corn and bacon, allow the corn and beans to heat through. Season to taste.

I'm going to tell a secret here... If you follow this recipe, you will have enough left overs for lunch the next day, unless you are feeding a football team or an army.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

A cheesy, spicy pasta and polish sausage recipe. Instant pot directions included. With sausage, cheese and pasta what can go wrong?

I found this recipe from another blogger and when I read about it I knew it had to be good.

The thing about this recipe, you can adjust the spice to your likeness. The first time I made this, I started off with medium Ro-Tel but the second time, I made my version of Ro-Tel. I will have to say, it was much tastier the second time.

Another good thing about a pasta dish, you can choose whatever pasta you like. When it comes to choosing pasta at the store, I allow Jamie to pick whatever kind he thinks he'd like to try for dishes like this one.

Wondering how I made my Ro-Tel? I used a can of diced tomatoes and a half a can (small) of hot chilies. I mixed both in a bowl and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator. ~ Super yummy!  Yeah, we like our spice spicy!

~Spicy Sausage Pasta~

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1½ cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies
½ cup heavy cream
8 oz Rotini pasta
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In an oven-safe pan over medium high heat add oil, sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for a minute more.  Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender about 11-12 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and broil until cheese is  golden brown and bubbly.

** I wanted to add, I DID NOT broil my pasta. With the heat we've had, I'm not willing to crank up the oven just for broiling. But, I did top the pasta with cheese and put the lid back on for a couple of minutes, to give it time to melt and become yummy gooey.

Instant Pot Directions:

Heat pot on the saute setting. Saute sausage, onion, and garlic until brown. Switch over to Manual setting and set the time for 4 minutes. Add the liquids and pasta  and stir. Put the lid on and lock. Cook for 4 minutes and do a quick vent. Open the lid and add the salt, pepper, and cheese. Stir and close the lid and let sit for a minute or two so the cheese can melt.
I found four minutes to be long enough for my pasta, but if you need it longer. Turn the cooker back on for another 2-3 minutes. Remember pasta will become mushy if over cooked. Do a quick vent to help in not overcooking.

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

I found this recipe in the newspaper two weeks ago and boy, am I glad I did. This contains ingredients we all love and it is super easy to make and so delicious.

I did make a few adjustments; I cut down the potatoes to 6, used a quarter cup of bacon, regular onions and white cheddar cheese, and cut the hot sauce down to 4 tablespoons and I drizzled ranch dressing over the top when it came out of the oven. This has been requested on the menu again within the next two weeks. I will definitely add more bacon and potatoes.

~Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole~

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 -10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

 1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tblsp ground pepper
1 Tblsp paprika
2 Tblsp garlic powder
 6 Tblsp hot sauce

Topping
2 cups fiesta blend cheese 

1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (* see note below)  Spray a 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mixture as possible.

Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the left over olive oil/hot sauce mixture and stir to coat.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.

In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mixture. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.

 Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing. 

** I pre-baked my potatoes in the microwave, peeled, marinated and cooked them at 400 degrees to keep from spending so much time waiting on the potatoes to cook. Since they were almost completely cooked it only took them about 20 minutes to crisp up.

Barbecued Beans and Sausage

Did you grow up eating Pork and Beans? Yeah, me too. I loved them. While this recipe may bring back memories, it is definitely not like those little cans of cold beans and fatty pork.

I stumbled across this recipe over at Cinnamon's blog. She has the most beautiful family you just have to see to believe; make sure you visit.  Anyway, after clicking on a couple of links I ended up at the original recipe. Boy, I'm glad I clicked away that day, because this recipe is super yummy.

Wouldn't you know when I try a recipe that we are going to L-O-V-E, I make the original servings! Yep, I should have doubled the recipe because it is so good.  As I was clicking that day, I read this was a grown up version of the childhood favorite ~ Beanie Weenies.  Let me tell you, these are mind blowing good! Way better than Beanie Weenies ever thought about being.

I did make a couple of changes like, leaving out the Worchester Sauce, using regular yellow mustard and adding a little water for sauce.

BBQ Beans and Sausage

2 cans Great Northern beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans Black beans, drained, rinsed

1 large onion, chopped 

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 TBSP mustard

2 tsp chili powder

1 package polish sausage (I use turkey)
1 cup water

Mix all the ingredients except for the sausage in a slow cooker. Slice the sausage and place on top of the bean mixture and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

If you noticed in the picture, I cut my sausage in different sizes. Half the sausage, I slice in half long ways and then slice those two pieces up. The other half, I slice in rings. Just a little difference with each fork full.

Jambalaya

An quick and easy take on Jambalaya.

I have no clue why I have not posted this recipe sooner because it is one of our favorites and it is so yummy!  I've mentioned before we love spicy foods; the spicier the better! This is no different, I add extra seasoning when I can't get the Andouille Sausage. Of course, living in the middle of nowhere I can't get it so I have to settle with a turkey sausage. The only thing I do different with this dish, there is no shrimp or celery added like most recipes. I know what you are probably thinking...What, that can't be Jambalaya? Well, we are not big seafood eaters and the stringy celery, my husband and son do not like. This makes a HUGE pot and the recipe can definitely be cut down.

This was our Valentine's Day meal along with Lane's Chocolate Cake for dessert.

~Jambalaya~

1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1  can tomato paste
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
7 cups chicken stock
3 cups cooked andouille sausage, sliced
3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onion, green pepper, and garlic until tender. Add chicken and sausage and brown. Add tomato paste and cook to brown slightly, stirring constantly. Stir in bay leaves, Creole seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir in rice and bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

I also make this in the crockpot and let it cook for about 5 hours and then turn the setting over to warm. If you make this in the morning and leave the house, you can always leave the rice out and add cooked rice before serving.