Two of My Go-To Recipes

Here are two of my go-to recipes that my husband loves and that are easy to make:

1. Pasta in Tomato/Cream Sauce
   • Things you need
     1. Pasta (I buy refrigerated pasta (usually ravioli or tortellini) but this works with penne or any other pasta really
     2. Protein, if desired (I use sausage or chicken, shrimp would be delicious too)
     3. Small cartoon of Heavy cream
     4. 1 Can of diced tomatoes, undrained or two-three fresh tomatoes
     5. 1 large onion
     6. Parmesan cheese
     7. Spinach, approximately two large handfuls, if desired
     8. 2 oz Cream cheese, if desired
   • Directions
     • If you decide to use a protein, start with that first. If you use sausage (hot or sweet), don’t pre-season. If chicken, season to your preference. I go with salt, pepper, garlic or McCormick Steak Seasoning (you can also use shrimp)…I cook that in a little bit of olive oil to get a nice sear in a large pan.
     • While cooking, I chop some onion and tomatoes (can also use canned undrained diced tomatoes). Once the protein is cooked, I remove it from pan, and add the onions and tomatoes and a quarter to half cup of water to get the seasoning from the protein into the mix
     • I cook until onions get tender. Reduce to medium/low heat.
     • Add a cup or half a small cartoon of heavy cream and stir it in.
     • Add a cup of parmesan and I like to add a little bit of cream cheese for extra savoriness. It will have a blush or pinkish coloring to the sauce. If it looks too white, then I added some diced tomatoes (undrained).
     • After it heats, I  add spinach to the sauce until wilted and season to taste. Usually a little salt or pepper and garlic.
     • Cook the pasta and stir right into the sauce.
     • Then serve.

2. Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole

• Things you need
  1. Velveeta mac and cheese kit
  2. 1 can of Cream of mushroom soup
  3. A bag of Shredded cheddar cheese
  4. 1 medium Onion
  5. 1 large can of chicken (or shredded left over chicken), 2 cans if you like it extra hearty!
  6. 1 Can of peas
  7. 1-2 cups Corn flakes
• Directions
  • Set oven to 350.
  • Cook mac and cheese as directed on the box…EXCEPT only cook so pasta is NOT OVERLY SOFT.
  • Add canned chicken, chopped onion, cream of mushroom soup, a can of peas into the mac and cheese. May need to add a little extra milk or sour cream if its too dry of a mix. You want it to be slightly/barely thicker than normal mac and cheese.
  • Dump into casserole dish.
  • Top/cover with shredded cheddar cheese and corn flakes.
  • Bake at 350 until bubbling and browning at the top.
  • Serve.

These are two of my go-to recipes because I know them without looking at a recipe and usually have all of the ingredients on hand at any given time, or can easily substitute for something I do have. I love getting creative with what I add into these dishes when I don’t have the “normal” ingredients. My husband enjoys eating these as does my child (for now). So, hopefully, you will enjoy these recipes as much as we do. Have fun and be creative…and Please comment and share your own creations of these dishes!