Baked Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms and Leeks

Adapted from Cooking Light

Jean Kressy, April 2003

If you don't like creamed spinach you won't like this dish. It has a very creamed-spinachy taste. I might try it again with broccoli in place of the spinach.

8 oz penne rigatti
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons butter
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1lb baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place the flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, cottage cheese, and next 4 ingredients (cottage cheese through spinach).
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and return to pan. Stir in parsley, oregano, and garlic. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture onto the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Mix remaining spinach mixture with noodles and shredded mozzarella. Spread into dish, making sure all noodles are at least partially covered with spinach mixture. Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan and fontina. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.

Challah French Toast with Apples

For French Toast:

6 1.5-2 inch slices of challah bread

3 eggs

1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp Vanilla

2 tsp Cinnamon

Butter

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in shallow dish.

Heat griddle over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Begin soaking the bread slices in the egg mixture for 30 sec-1 min per side depending on thickness. Add egg-drenched bread slices to griddle and cook until brown (with a crisp crust) on first side before turning. Add butter as needed. Cook other side until brown and crisp. Continue with remaining slices keeping cooked slices warm in toaster oven. Top with powdered sugar before serving.

For Apples:

3 apples sliced thinly

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Butter

Melt butter in skillet. Add apples and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until apples soften and glaze thickens - about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Fresh Tomato Baked Penne

adapted from Cooking Light's "Fresh Tomato Lasagna" April, 2004

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

7 cups chopped peeled tomato (about 4 pounds)

2/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese object

Cooking Spray

About 4 ounces penne

1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; bring to a boil. It helps to stir and release the tomato juices. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in 2/3 cup basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat ricotta in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot; stir in mozzarella, stirring until melted. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Spread 2 cups tomato mixture in bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Mix noodles with ricotta mixture and spread into dish. Top with remaining 2 cups tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon basil. Let stand 5 minutes.

Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Brisket with Vegetables

This recipe originally came from somewhere on-line.

If it's yours, please let me know so that I can give you credit for it.

4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to season)

4 springs rosemary (strip needles and chop)

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

1 brisket (about 4 lbs)

black pepper

15-20 baby carrots

3 celery stalk cut to same size as carrots

3 large onions, halved

2 cups red wine

16 oz canned whole tomatoes (crush by hand)

parsley

3 bay leaves

Heat oven to 325.

Mash garlic and 1/2 tsp kosher salt with side of knife to make a paste. Add rosemary and mash in to incoroporate. Move to bowl and combine with 2 tbl olive oil.

Season all sides of brisket with salt and pepper. Heat skillet (or roasting pan) over medium-high and coat with remaining olive oil. Add brisket and sear on all sides. Place in roasting pan and add onions, carrots and celery. Pour (or spread) rosemary paste over meat and vegetables.

Add wine, tomatoes, parsley and bay leaves.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 3-4 hours, basting every 30 minutes.

Remove brisket to cutting board, cover with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Keep vegetables warm. Pour pan juices into saucepan and boil over medium-high head, stirring, until the juices reduce. (Add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour for thicker gravy.)

Slice brisket on a diagonal against the grain of the meat. Serve with homestyle egg noodles.

Pretty Pasta Salad

1 lb penne rigatti

1 pack Good Seasons Mild Italian dressing (make according to directions)

Kraft 3 cheese Crumbles

Cucumber, chopped
Grape Tomatoes, sliced

Red Bell Pepper, chopped

Cook penne. Run cold water over it and drain it. Combine penne, cheese and vegetables. Toss and coat with the prepared dressing. Makes 6-8 servings.

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

(Cooking Light)

These were delicious!! I made two pans -- one with the toffee and one without. The mocha flavor is really nice and I love how dense they are. Yum!

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/4 cup toffee chips

Preheat oven to 350º.
Coat bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine coffee and hot water, stirring until coffee dissolves.
Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with toffee chips. Bake at 350º for 22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield 20 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 145(30% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.2g; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 23mg; SODIUM 121mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.9g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Sausage and Pepper Baked Pasta

1 lb basil and sun dried tomato chicken sausage

1 lb farfalle

1/2 lg onion chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 medium red bell pepper chopped

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

dried basil

2 cups shredded mozarella

1 cup jarred tomato basil pasta sauce

salt

pepper



Preheat oven to 350. Spray one 4qt or 2 qt baking dishes with cooking spray.

Remove sausage from casing. Brown in a large skillet, breaking it up into small pieces. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Add onion and garlic to sausage. Cook until onion is tender and begining to brown. Add red pepper and continue to cook until pepper is tender. Add crushed tomatoes and desired amount of dried basi, salt and pepperl to sausage mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Combine drained, cooked pasta and sausage/tomato mixture. Add half of sausage/pasta mixture to each baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of mozarella. Add rest of sausage/pasta mixutre and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. **If pasta is not covered in tomatoes, it will dry out. Drizzle with some pasta sauce either before or in the middle of baking.

Beef Carnitas Tacos

These were great! I omitted the cilantro because I didn't have any. I probably made the servings larger than intended, but it was still a light, filling dinner. We had a little chese and sour cream on ours.

2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2 medium)

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup diced peeled avocado

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cups Beef Carnitas (Recipe below)

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/4 cup Beef Carnitas onto each tortilla; top each with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture. Fold in half; serve with lime wedges.

Julianna Grimes Bottcher , Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2006

Beef Carnitas

Cooking spray

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup less-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 large unpeeled orange wedge

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes or until beef is browned on all sides. Stir in broth, sugar, salt, and pepper; nestle orange section into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove and discard orange. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Julianna Grimes Bottcher ,
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2006

Tomato and Parmesan Strata

(Cooking Light)

I really liked this. It was fairly easy, filling, and (if you trust the calculated nutritional info) pretty low in calories. The wheat bread taste was a little over-powering. I might try french bread or something else next time.

2 (1-ounce) slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomato (about 2 medium)
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place bread cubes in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.

Combine thyme, salt, black pepper, egg whites, and egg in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in the spinach mixture and tomato. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until set; let stand 5 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)CALORIES 186 (29% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 2g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 16.9g; CHOLESTEROL 112mg; CALCIUM 183mg; SODIUM 684mg; FIBER 5.3g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Broccoli and Three Cheese Casserole

(Cooking Light)

This was delicious!! I'm not sure when I would ideally serve it...breakfast? dinner? It was yummy and definitely a good vegetarian option.

2 cups cooked white rice
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried fines herbes
3 egg whites
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 bunch)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup (1 ounce) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (1-ounce) slices firm white bread

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine the rice, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, fines herbes, and egg whites. Press mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fontina evenly over rice mixture. Set aside.
Cook broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes or until tender; drain well.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli. Spoon broccoli mixture evenly over rice mixture. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Combine egg substitute, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour egg mixture over broccoli mixture.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/4 cups. Combine breadcrumbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over broccoli. Bake at 400° for 23 minutes or until set.
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 242(28% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 16.3g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 259mg; SODIUM 613mg; FIBER 2.5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g

Maureen Callahan
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Smothered Pork Chops with Thyme

(Cooking Light)

We didn't love these. I cooked them significantly longer than what's called for and they still seemed underdone. The sauce thickened up nicely and it was easy to do. I'll work with this one...

First, sauté the chops, then make the flavorful gravy in the same pan. Time: 30 minutes.

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 (2-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/4 inch thick)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Cooking spray

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Combine 1/4 cup broth, milk, flour, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
Sprinkle one side of each pork chop with paprika and thyme. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of the pork to pan; sauté 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until pork is done and lightly browned. Remove pork from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining pork. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly golden. Add remaining 3/4 cup broth; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Add milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Add pork, turning to coat; cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
Yield 4 servings (serving size: 2 pork chops and 1/4 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 145(34% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 17.2g; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 475mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.8g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Italian Meatball Burgers

(Cooking Light)

These were so good! I made them with Italian seasoned fries. I also made the rolls more like garlic bread. Both adjustments were very easy, but I posted them below mostly so that I'll remember next time!

8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 (2-ounce) Italian bread rolls, split
3/4 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen)

Prepare grill.
Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and ground sirloin. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.
Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce and top half of roll.
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 375(33% from fat); FAT 13.9g (sat 5.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 28.1g; CHOLESTEROL 80mg; CALCIUM 130mg; SODIUM 894mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.7g
Bruce Weinstein ,
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2007

Italian Seasoned Fries

Frozen Steak Cut French Fries

Olive oil cooking spray

Dried Basil

Garlic Powder

Kosher Salt

Grated Parmesan

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread out the fries on the sheet and coat with cooking spray and cook according to the directions. After turning the fries, halfway through cooking time, season them with basil, garlic powder and kosher salt. When fries are done, sprinkle them with parmesan before serving.

Garlic Bread Rolls

Kaiser Rolls

Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Grated Parmesan

Mostly because these burgers were smaller than the kasier rolls I bought, I squared them off to make them the right size. Spray the rolls with olive oil spray or brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and paremsan. Throw them in the oven with the fries for about 6 minutes.

Blueberry Scones With Lemon Glaze

by: Tyler Florence

I made these "pre-blog" but they're so good, I have to share the recipe here. *Note: I've made the dough, cut it into the triangles and then frozen them. With a little extra baking time, they're just as good!

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones 1 cup fresh blueberries
Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 lemon, zest finely grated 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.
Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.
Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high.
Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asaparagus and Peas

(Cooking Light)

I accidentally bought angel hair instead of linguine (which I was going to sub for the fusilli). I also added chicken seasoned with lemon pepper. The sauce (I followed that part of the recipe exactly) was delicious!!!! Next time I will add a little more cornstarch to thicken it a bit more and will use a twisted or lined pasta because the angel hair didn't really hold the sauce. Overall, this was a very yummy meal!

8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti)
1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper

PreparationCook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat.
Serve immediately.

Yield4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)


Nutritional Information
CALORIES 351(29% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 6.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 11.5g; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 471mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 3.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.9g

Marcia Smart
Cooking Light

Barbeque Turkey Burgers and Roasted Cauliflower

BBQ Turkey Burgers (3 servings)
My husband actually liked this burger (with cheese added) and he's not into ground turkey...

1lb Ground Turkey
1/3 - 1/2 c bread crumbs
pepper
barbecue sauce

Combine ground turkey and bread crumbs. Add black pepper. Mold into three burgers. Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook burgers brushing several times with barbecue sauce. I usually cook them about 5 minutes a side and then a little longer because I never believe they're done!

Roasted Cauliflower with Browned Butter (3 servings)
(From Cooking Light magazine)

This was delicious! I had the rest the next day with lunch. The browned butter is great!
1 head of cauliflower
cooking spray
salt
pepper
2-3 tsp butter

Preheat oven to 400. Cut cauliflower into florets. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread cauliflower on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. "Roast" at 400 for 25 minutes.

Cook butter for 3 minutes in small saucepan until brown.

Toss cauliflower with browned butter.

Mexican-Inspired Sausage with Macaroni and Cheese

Mexican Sausage (2 servings)

4 links italian sausage (I used pork, but will try turkey next time.)
1/2- 1c canned black beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2- 1c frozen corn kernels
1/4 c diced green chiles
taco seasoning
chili powder

Cut sausage into 1 in pieces. Cook with water in skillet until no longer pink. Empty any remaining water from the pan and brown the sausage. Add desired amount of taco seasoning and water (2/3 c for the entire packet). Add onion and pepper. Cook till tender. Add beans, chiles and corn. Cook until everything is heated through.

"Mexican" Macaroni and Cheese (3 servings)

10 oz pasta (I used mini shells.)
1 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded mexican cheese blend (cheddar, jack etc)
1 tbl butter
1/4 c onion
1 tbl flour
taco seasoning

1 handful tortilla chips

Cook pasta.
In medium saucepan, melt butter and cook onion until tender. Add flour and then milk. Stir until bubbly and starting to thicken. Add cheese and desired amount of taco seasoning. Drain cooked pasta and add to cheese, stiring until well combined. Crushed the tortilla chips and sprinkle on top to create a crunchy topping like on baked mac n cheese.

Starting a blog...

I'm not really sure that anyone else will be interested in this, but I love food and I love talking about food! I'll post recipes that I've tried and also my thoughts on various new foods that I find at the grocery store etc. Enjoy!