Super Easy Taco Bake

I was scanning the dinner kits in the Mexican food section at Walmart the other day, looking for something quick and easy for dinner that night. They had a boxed "Taco Bake" that looked good, so I read the back of the box and decided to try it from scratch instead of paying for their overpriced pre-packaged thing. Luke and I both really liked it, so I thought I'd share.

Put a little salsa or taco sauce in a 9x13 baking dish, just to "grease" it.
Layer the following:
1. Flour tortillas, torn into pieces
2. Hamburger, cooked with taco seasoning according to package directions
3. Shredded cheese

Repeat layers.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Top each serving with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.

Darn Good Pasta

No... I'm not bragging on my cooking. That is really the name of this recipe out of the Taste of Home magazine. I did change it up a little because I couldn't find all the ingredients I needed. I will tell you the real recipe and my substitutes. Everyone at my house ate several servings (including the kids). I had Rachel and Roselyn over for dinner and Roselyn actually ate 6 (kid-size) helpings so I did not have any leftovers! (I won't say how many helpings Rachel had - haha!)

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup white wine (I substituted apple juice but you could use white-grape juice, chicken broth or water)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 jar (about 10 ounces) alfredo sauce
3/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained (I substituted a 16 ounce jar of sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce or you could use vodka sauce)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook shallots and garlic in olive oil for about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes until no longer pink. Add wine, basil and parsley; cook for 1 minute.
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken mixture, alfredo sauce, tomatoes, milk, 1/4 cup cheese and pepper. Spoon into a shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4 (huge) servings.

Golden coconut pecan cake, no icing needed!

Last week for Shad's birthday, I wanted to make him a really good cake, and had asked a lady on the baking aisle at Super 1 for her opinion of a cake brainstorm I'd had. Turns out she had a better one. She informed me that everyone who eats hers has loved it, and since I normally can't say the same for my cakes, that sounded like a good one for us to try. Here you go--just get a yellow cake mix and prepare it like the box says, but mix into the batter one container of coconut pecan frosting. I poured mine into a 9x13 pan and it took about 45 minutes in my oven. It doesn't need any icing of any kind but tastes even more wonderful with fresh whipped cream or ice cream. Happy cooking!

Pesto Ravioli

For Rach and all the other pesto lovers out there. I got this out of a magazine and tweaked it just a little bit. I never seem to follow recipes the way they say! Anyways, I'll put what the recipe said vs what I actually did.

2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 zucchini thinly sliced(recipe called for 1 yellow bell pepper, but that didn't sound that great to me)
1/2 cup baby carrots thinly sliced (6-7 carrots)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1/2 cup pesto (recipe said 1/4, but it didn't seem like enough, so I think I ended up with 1/2)
grated parmesan cheese

-in large skillet, heat oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add veggies and saute 5-1o minutes until tender. Remove vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
-Pour broth into skillet. Add ravioli and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until ravioli are cooked. Using a large spoon, remove about 1/2 cup of broth and discard or it gets too soupy. Return veggies to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in pesto sauce and evenly coat ravioli and veggies. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired.

Made a good one dish meal. Add a salad and you've got twice the veggies!

Oh, and my package of ravioli was "family size", but it really wasn't that big. Enough for me, David, and Reagan who doesn't eat much. So if serving big, double this.