Kielbasa and Tomato Pasta

Awhile ago, I bought some Kielbasa, because it sounded good and different from the stuff we usually eat.  I found this recipe on allrecipes and made a few changes.  It was really good and I'll be making it again for sure.

Kielbasa and Tomato Pasta

• 1 pound smoked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I don't like peppers, so I left this out)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 (9 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute the kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until sausage is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir in Parmesan cheese and butter. Serve with kielbasa mixture.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

One of my favorite meals is Fettuccine Alfredo from the Olive Garden. That dish is so incredibly bad for you, so I only splurge there a couple times a year and I never make it at home. I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. It is amazing. You don't even miss all the extra fat and calories. My hubby doesn't get too excited over his food and he said this is the BEST pasta dish he's ever had! I can't wait to make it again!

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese (softened)
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves or 1 tsp. minced garlic
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Blend milk, flour, salt and cream cheese together. Set aside. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in saucepan. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add milk mixture to pan and stir constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer for a few more minutes (keep stirring) until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese and let sit for ten minutes.

Add sliced, grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Toss with your favorite noodles. If eating as leftovers, add a little milk before reheating and it's as good as it was the first day!

***Notes: To cook the broccoli, I just add the chopped broccoli to the pot of noodles during the last four or five minutes of cooking time.

--To make this even easier, we ate grilled chicken a couple nights before making this, so I just threw on a couple of extra chicken breasts to use for this meal. So easy!

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

I love "comfort food" and this recipe is definitely that! My kids gobble this up! I also like that I always have the ingredients to make this.

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. macaroni noodles
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and drain macaroni. In 1 1/2 qt. dish, alternate noodles (2 layers) with 1 1/2 cup cheese (2 layers). Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce...melt butter in saucepan; remove from heat. Blend in flour; gradually stir in milk, then seasonings. Put back on heat and bring to boil. While stirring boil for one minute. Pour sauce over macaroni and cheese in casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let stand several minutes and serve. If you have leftovers, it helps to add a little milk to it before you reheat it in the microwave. Then just stir it up when it's done and it's delicious!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I love Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta...so when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it! We loved it! So good and really it's easy. Just don't put on too much Cajun seasoning if you're feeding it to your small children. Mine are pretty good with spicy food, but I put on too much this time and they didn't love it.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts, seasoned with Cajun and grilled
1/2 lb. Penne pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce
Cajun seasoning
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Season and grill your chicken breasts till done. While chicken is cooking, boil your noodles according to package directions. When the noodles are cooked, drain and put back in pot. Pour the Alfredo sauce in and mix together. I added a little Cajun to the noodle mixture, but once again, be careful if you're feeding your kidlets. Put a scoop of noodles on each plate and top with sliced chicken strips, chopped tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

Linguine with chicken, herbs and sun-dried tomato

This is Tara's recipe, but since she never posts, I'll do it for her! This is the yummiest pasta dish ever!

(Picture by Mindy)

1 lb linguine

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (can be cooked earlier)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil OR 2 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped (optional)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 avocado, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil linguine 10-12 minutes until al dente.

2. In another saucepan, heat chicken through (if cooked earlier) with some garlic salt and lemon pepper. Set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in same saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic and basil and saute for about 10 seconds. Add tomatoes and saute for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn tomatoes. Add salt and pepper.

4. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl and toss with the warm sauce. Add chicken and avocado as well as other optional ingredients.

Chicken Tetrazzini

This recipe is totally fattening, but totally worth it!

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 pkg. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 cups cubed chicken or turkey
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat, add flour and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, broth and cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in spaghetti, chicken and mushrooms. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.