Garlicy Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

Melt butter over low heat. Add garlic, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and stir well. Gradually blend in milk, stirring constantly. Add flour and stir until thickens. Stir in Parmesan cheese until cheese has melted. Stir in parsley. Serve over pasta.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Wingettes

3 lbs. chicken wings or wingettes
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
2 dashes chili pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
2-3 tablespoons garlic powder

Cut chicken wings into pieces, discarding tips. Rinse chicken pieces and place in slow cooker. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour barbecue sauce over chicken wings. Set cooker to low and cook for 5-6 hours.

Tamale Pie

1 lb hamburger
1/2 c onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 c water
1 (14.5 oz) can corn, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (2-1/4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c egg substitute
water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and rinse fat. Add taco seasoning, water, corn, kidney beans, olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix cornmeal, egg substitute and enough water to make a thick batter. Pour over hamburger mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes until cornmeal is set.

Quick Cherry Cobbler

1 can cherry pie filling
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 c quick cooking oatmeal
1/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
butter flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8' pan with butter flavored cooking spray. Spread cherry pie filling in pan. Mix all other ingredients together and sprinkle over pie filling. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

1 lb. dried pasta (I used campanelle)
4 Tbsp. Nucoa (margarine)
1/2 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay we already had)
1-1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp with tails removed

1) Boil water and cook pasta until al dente. Drain

2) Melt margarine in skillet. Add wine, garlic and spices. Simmer over low heat 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3) Increase heat to medium high. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and begin to curl 3-4 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese.

4) Serve immediately garnishing with parmesan cheese and parsley.



Adapted from recipe here

Stuffed Shells

1 lb. container Ricotta cheese
1 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. spinach, cooked and drained (squeeze out as much water as possible)
1/2 cup egg substitute
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. sweet basil
1 lb. Italian sausage,
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
salt and pepper added
1 box cooked jumbo pasta shells (about 32 shells)
5 c. of your favorite spaghetti sauce


Brown sausage, hamburger, onions. Drain fat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, spinach, Mozzarella (save some for topping) cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg substitute, pepper and basil. Mix with hands until the mixture is consistent, uniform, and no lumps exist. Add cooled ground beef and sausage, and mix again. (The ingredients are supposed to be cool so that the cheese doesn't melt.) Fill each pasta shell with mixture. Fill casserole dishes 1/4 of the way with spaghetti sauce (individual serving casseroles, or 2-3 large ones). Place stuffed shells in sauce and top with Mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little sauce over shells. Bake in 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until done (about 20 to 25 minute if mixture has been refrigerated at 425 degrees)

Adapted from a recipe from K. McKoy.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

3/4 lb hamburger
1/2 onion, diced
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups water
8-12 oz pasta (macaroni or other shaped pasta)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and rinse fat. Add tomatoes, garlic, bouillon, pepper and water. Bring to a boil and stir in pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Chicken Noodle Soup

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup carrots, cut into coins
1/2 cup celery, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
12 oz egg noodles

Put everything except egg noodles in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in egg noodles and cook until egg noodles are al dente, about 8 minutes. Serve with crackers or biscuits.

Grandpa Al's Cincinnati Chili

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4-5 cups water
2-3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 to 3/4 tsp black pepper
12 oz shaped pasta or several handfuls of spaghetti broken into halves*

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, water (I usually use one of the cans to measure the water), bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and reduce head to medium-low. Cook until pasta is al dente, usually 8-10 minutes depending on style of pasta used.

Serve warm with bread and salad for a wonderful dinner.


* My grandfather always used spaghetti, but I have found that smaller shaped pastas are easier to deal with, particularly with a preschooler in the house.