Ham and Pasta Bake

This recipe was so easy, cheap and YUMMY!  We had a good amount of leftovers for later on too.

14oz Penne pasta
1T Olive oil (or any oil)
1 Onion, chopped
100g Ham, chopped (I bought bacon rashers from the deli and they were perfect)
19oz any cheesy pasta sauce
1c Grated Cheese
1/4c dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 220
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan. Drain and return to pan
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium (I use my electric fry pan).  Cook onion and ham for 5 minutes, until onion is soft.  Add in pasta and pasta back sauce.  Toss to combine.
4. Pour into a medium baking dish.  Top with grated cheese and dry breadcrumbs.
5.  Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Raspberry Salad

I actually don't know what this recipe is called, and it's so delicious it doesn't need a name. It's smooth and sweet but not too sweet. My sister makes it for her work parties, and the girls call it "Pink Fluff."

Ingredients
6 oz. frozen raspberries
3 oz. package Cook N Serve vanilla pudding
3 oz. package Cook N Serve tapioca pudding
3 oz. package raspberry jello
3 cups of water
18 oz. cool whip

Directions
1. Thaw raspberries and cool whip.
2. Mix the vanilla pudding, tapioca pudding, and raspberry jello in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups of water.
3. Cook over high heat stirring constantly with a wire whip until you see a couple bubbles. (Do not let it get to a rolling boil.) Take off heat.
4. Put pan in fridge and chill for four hours.
5. Add cool whip and pudding mixture to bowl and mix with electric mixer until somewhat smooth. There is tapioca pudding, so it won't be completely smooth.
6. Fold in raspberries. Enjoy!

Heather

Taco Pie

Well I have really slacked on posting recipes lately. I hope none of you have been waiting for a recipe as long as my husband has been waiting for me to cook!! Haha....but seriously!

Here is a fast easy recipe with not too many ingredients! (those are my favorite recipes!)

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
8 ounces shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1 bag tortilla chips, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a square cake pan and bake according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and cheese, and then top off with the crushed nacho chips.
4. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Mmmmmm...so fast and who doesnt love easy!

~Jamie

Baking Powder Biscuits

I got this recipe from my brother-in-law when I first got married and have used it many times since. The biscuits always turn out yummy!

Baking Powder Biscuits 

2 cups flour

1 T sugar

3 t baking powder

1 t salt

½ cup shortening

¾ cup milk 

1. Preheat oven to 450. Mix flour sugar, baking powder and salt. 

2. Cut in shortening, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. 

3. Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl, dough will be soft and sticky but not to sticky. 

4. Place dough on floured surface.  Knead 10 times.  Rollout until ½ inch thick.  Cut with floured round cutter (or the business end of a cup).  

5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides. 

6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Eat.

Heather

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Ice Cream)

This recipe makes the dough the perfect consistency and yummy cookies, you just have to have ice cream on hand.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Ice Cream)

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla

Heaping 1/2 Cup vanilla ice cream (frozen from container)

4 Cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 bag chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Add in ice cream until combined.

2.  Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix.  Add the chocolate chips; mix until just combined.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through.  Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. 

3-4 dozen cookies

Originally found at Picky-Palate

Glazed Pork Chops

I got this recipe from my BYU cooking class. I don't remember eating it in the class, but I remember the first time I made it for Kevin. We were both blown away at how yummy it was. I like to pair this with herbed mashed potatoes and a good salad.

Glazed Pork Chops

6 pork chops, boneless or bone-in (I don't specifically find pork chops, I just find inexpensive pork meat cut into dinner sizes)

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sage

2 Tablespoons water

1. Place pork chops in 9x13 pan.

2. Mix remaining ingredients, adding more water if necessary to make a glaze that is thin enough to pour. Pour over pork chops.

3. Bake at 350º, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, or until meat tests done. Check at 20 minutes to see if the meat is properly cooked. Check every 5 minutes thereafter. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the meat, the pan you are using, and how closely you place the pieces together in the pan. Use a meat thermometer to test internal temperature (160˚).

Enjoy!

Heather

Easy Mexican Pizza

Easy Mexican Pizza is here!

Ingredients:

4 (or so) flour tortillas

1 can refried beans

1 cup salsa

2 small tomatoes, diced

small can green chillis, diced**optional

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated**I just used cheddar.  No Monterey Jack down under!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tortillas on ungreased cookie sheet.

Spread with beans

Layer with salsa, tomatoes, chillis, onion and cheeses

Bake for 10 minutes.

Well I guess most of the ingredients for this recipe are optional...minus the refried beans.  

We've done avocado, taco meat and sour cream-just to name a few.