Fun Foodie Family

Cheesy Chili Mac

Thursday Night. Cheer Practice. Garlic Bread. One Pan Plan. Easy Dinner. Clean plates.

Cheesy Chili Mac

Ingredients

1 pound noodles (I used Corkscrew)
1 pound ground beef
1 28 oz. can of tomatoes sauce
1 12 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon of onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder
red chili flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of water
1/2 container of mascarpone/cream cheese
1 small container of shredded Mexican cheese mix

Directions

Brown your meat. Add in spices.
Add in canned tomatoes. Mix well.
Add in pasta and water. Cook about 8 minutes. Stir pasta at the 4 minute mark. If it looks thick, add in a bit more water. Stir well. After 4 more minutes, check pasta. It should still have a bite to it. Add in your mascarpone and cheese and cook until mixed together.

Leftover Loving- Chicken and Veggie Pesto Pasta

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pantry Raid

Evening guys! So today was a day off due to Irma. Metro Atlanta is getting slammed with crazy strong winds and intermittent hard rain, and lots of people are losing power and have falling trees and limbs coming down. We are using it as a lazy day; Sleeping in, lots of TV and reading, and random games here and there.

Tonight I made a meal with mostly leftovers; chicken, peas, corn, pesto,and bacon. The only thing that I cooked was the mushrooms and the pasta. I sometimes have a container of mascarpone in my fridge (which you can substitute with cream cheese) and I always have butter. Here is how I created this dish…

Chicken and Veggie Pesto Pasta Chicken

Ingredients-

3 chicken breasts cooked and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, chopped
2 ears of corn, sliced off the husk
1 cup peas
1 container sliced mushrooms
6 slices of bacon
1 container of cooked orzo
1/2 cup pesto (cooked or homemade)
2 tablespoons mascarpone (or cream cheese)
2 tablespoons butter
1 coffee cup of pasta water
Parmesan Cheese- You do you…

Directions

Boil salted water for your pasta.
Heat up a large skillet with a bit of oil and add your mushrooms. Cook them down for about 4 minutes. Add in your chicken, bacon, and other veggies to reheat, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the pasta.
Once it is just under done, add it to your large skillet. Mix in a spoonful or so of your pasta water with the mascarpone, butter, and pesto until they melt together. Top with Parmesan.

Weekly Meal Plan 9/11-15

Weekend Wrap-Up, Weekly Meal Plans

Hey guys! Hope everyone is having a great weekend and staying safe out there! The sun is shining here in GA, but the wind is super strong out there! Yesterday we spent the morning at the ball field watching football and my cute cheerleaders. The afternoon was lunch and a trip to the store as a family. Last night we spent the evening having “Family Dinner” which is our night of best friends who are family eating , drinking, playing, and enjoying each other. Usually I cook, but my brother made some delicious Veal Osso Bucco, which was so delicious. It is reminiscent of my beef short ribs and pork short ribs. The girls loved it, but he also made them some chicken just in case.

This morning the girls and I were lazy and slept in. Becca and I just made brunch; bacon and eggs! She has recently really enjoyed being with me in the kitchen and helping me cook. I am letting her take over more and more, which she loves. Here is what is on our menu this week…

Sunday- Cheeseburgers and Home Fries

Monday- Chicken and Orzo Pesto Pasta

Tuesday- Crockpot Pork BBQ Sandwiches and baked beans

Wednesday- Whatever Night- I am craving Butter Chicken and Naan, so I might make some just for me

Thursday- Cheesy Chili Mac

Friday- Pork Enchiladas

GO DAWGS!!!!

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Easy Weeknight Lasagna

Pasta

Hey there! I made this last night for dinner…a super easy pan lasagna that was done in under 40 minutes! Usually when I make lasagna or other baked pasta, I don’t use ricotta, because my husband hates it. He was not going to be home for dinner, so I planned this dish for the rest of us in mind!

I just browned up some beef and layered it in a casserole dish with sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and no boil noodles. So simple and delicious! You could totally leave out the meat and add spinach and/or other veggies to make it vegetarian, or use another ground meat to be a little lighter (ground chicken or turkey). 020 021 023 025

Roast Chicken

Chicken

Happy Sunday! Just got finished watching Game of Thrones! No spoilers, but how can we wait until at least next year to find out what happens???

Made a happy roasted juicy chicken tonight…

Ingredients

Roasting chicken (mine was a giant, almost 7 pounds!)

salt, pepper, and a bit of poultry seasoning

handful of herbs- thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced

4 large carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise and in long strips (or baby carrots)

olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees .

Remove giblet packet from chicken. Gross, but must be done.

Rinse chicken; this is debated, but if you get if from a package from the grocery, rinse it. Then sanitize your sink like a crazy person. If you get it from a butcher or farmers market, skip this step. Either way, pat the outside of the chicken dry with a paper towel. And still sanitize your sink like a crazy person, because no one wants Salmonella.

Stuff the chicken cavity with 1/2 of the garlic, 1/2 of the lemon, and your herbs.

Separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken breast, making a pocket. Put 1 TBS butter under each breast. Press butter until evenly distributed. Using your fingers rub extra butter into the skin of the chicken.

Tie the legs and try to tuck the wings underneath the chicken (I always fail at this part). Put the chicken in a roasting pan. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.

I nestled my bird in carrots, onion, and potatoes.

Depending on the size of your bird, roast for 1 (3-4 pounds) -2 hours (6-7 pounds) until juices run clear. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 15.

I served with some yellow rice, but honestly, roast chicken goes with most anything!