Easy Chicken Spaghetti

I love spaghetti and anything I can do to change it up and make it a little different, I will do. I have tried a couple different chicken spaghetti recipes. This one is not my favorite but it's still really tasty. Luke liked it because the Rotel gave it a little kick. This recipe is super easy. I bought a bag of Tyson's grilled chicken strips to use and just cut the strips into bite sized pieces. Again, this was another recipe I found on Pinterest.

This weekend I will be working on my list of the different types of Christmas goodies I will be making this year. I so looking forward to baking this year, as I actually have some free weekends to get this done, plus my sister is back in Iowa so we'll be able to have some fun together in the kitchen as well.

Baby R is growing fast and will be here before we know it. It is now less than 90 days to my due date, so we're starting to get the house organized and prepared for our little one to arrive. I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit and enjoying time with family.

Ingredients:

8 ounces angel hair pasta
2 cups chopped, grilled chicken or 1 large can of chicken
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free or regular)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup (98% fat free or regular)
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
8 ounces sour cream
Sprinkling of Parmesan or Mexican-blend cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta as package directs and drain. Mix all other ingredients (except cheese), add to cooked pasta and put in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with your choice of cheese and return to oven to melt.

ENJOY!

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Cheesy Onion Burger Buns

I hope everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving this week. I know I am. I am looking forward to spending time with family and eating lots of good food. I'm making spinach balls, rolls and pumpkin and cherry pies to take to my parents on Thursday. I will be trying a new roll recipe, just have to decide which one. Look for that recipe to be posted in the coming weeks.

I made these for the Iowa State Fair this year and they were delicious. I do think I had an issue with the baking time. I think I left them in the oven a little too long, because they were a little dry and the bottoms were a little too crunchy. Next time I make these, and I recommend if you try to make these too, is to set your timer for 15-20 minutes and check them to see if they are done then. These are delicious with a nice, juicy homemade hamburger.

Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 C. warm water
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
½ small onion, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp. salt
6-7 C. all-purpose flour

Topping:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.
2. Stir in cheese, onion, and salt into yeast mixture.
3. Using a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on low speed, beat in flour, ½ cup at a time, until a stiff dough forms.
4. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking.
5. Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until double, 1 hour.
6. Grease 2 baking sheets. Punch down dough. Roll into a rope; cut into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball; flatten balls into 4-inch buns.
7. Place buns, 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Cover again; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
9. Brush buns with oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden, 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

If you ever have any questions on any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to post a comment and I will try to answer them as best I can.!

ENJOY!!

Trix Treats

My department at work had a big potluck for Halloween. I decided to make something different. This recipe comes courtesy of Pinterest once again. I never would have thought of using any other cereal besides Rice Krispies to make marshmallow treats. This recipe has you using Trix instead of Rice Krispies and they are oh so good. Everyone was presently surprised and they disappeared quickly. I did cut this recipe in half, as I didn't realize it called for a 400 g bag of marshmallows. I recommend making Rice Krispie Treats like you normal, just use Trix instead.

On another note, Baby R is growing fast. I can't believe this little one will be here in about 15 weeks. Luke and I are so excited to become parents and we're starting to get the baby's room organized. I still have a lot of things to go through before we can even think about moving in the baby stuff. Good thing we don't have a lot yet. :)

Ingredients
1 x 400g bag of mini marshmallows
10 cups Trix cereal
1/4 cup butter

Instructions
Place the butter and marshmallows in a glass bowl and pop in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes to melt.
Stir well.
Mix in your trix and stir.
Pour into a large greased pan (9 x 13 or 11 x 11) and press down with a spoon.
Cut into squares.

If you spray your spoon with non stick spray before using it to press down the krispies it works really well.

Old Settlers' Baked Beans

I am already looking forward to the holiday season. I have a lot of new recipes I really want to try. Luckily, Luke and I will be able to spend more weekends at home and work is starting to slow down a bit for me as well. That being said, I have a lot recipes stocked up that I need to get posted to share with all of you. This will make room for all the new recipes I plan on trying in the next couple of months.

My mom has a recipe similar to this that she calls Picnic Beans. She'll make it in the crockpot and take to family gatherings. I made this recipe earlier this year because I had a craving for it and I had all the ingredients on hand. I did end up using a full pound of hamburger, because I really don't know what to do with a leftover half pound of hamburger. This recipe is great served with a salad and any type of bread. The cornbread recipe I posted last month, would be perfect with this dish.

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 (16 oz) can pork and beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef, bacon and onion until meat is done and onion is tender. Drain any far. Combine all remaining ingredients, except beans. Add to meat mixture; mix well. Stir in beans. Place in a greased 2-1/2 qt. casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until heated through.

ENJOY!!

Spinach & Tortellini Crock Pot Soup

I have been spending a lot of my free time on Pinterest recently. I have been getting a lot of great ideas for easy suppers, Christmas ideas and baby ideas. I definitely think I'm starting to get into the nesting phase of my pregnancy that everyone keeps talking about. The busyness that has been our lives for past several months is finally starting to cease, so I am looking forward to spending more time in my kitchen and being more creative with other crafts!

I am definitely going to be using my crock pot more often. I know the slow cooker liners have been available for awhile but I've never given them a try. This past weekend while visiting some friends we made a breakfast casserole in the crock pot and used one of these liners. They are fabulous and really make clean-up so easy! So I definitely recommend using one every time you use your crock pot.

This recipe calls for white sauce mix and I wasn't entirely sure what this meant so I picked up a packet for country gravy. I would recommend this over chicken or turkey gravy mix. It already has the pepper in it, so you don't have to add more at the end.

Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 - 2 ounce envelope white sauce mix
4 cups water
1-14 ounce can vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1- 7 or 8 ounce package dried cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)
1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or torn spinach
Ground black pepper (optional)
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.Place dry white sauce mix in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

2.Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

3.Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour more or high-heat setting for 45 minutes more.

4.Stir in evaporated milk and fresh spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.