Baked Tortellini

I always have these great and grand plans to make the fabulous recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest or stumbled across and printed from the internet when I go grocery shopping. Then, real life happens and I come home from work tired and grouchy, or I'm the only one home to feed and cooking doesn't sound nearly as fun. So then, because I was such a good little grocery shopper and followed my carefully planned menu from my wish list of recipes I'm quite often left with ingredients that I am too tired to use as they were originally intended. This package of tortellini was in this category.

For whatever reason my kids have never really like spaghetti in any variety. I've tried different shaped noodles, tortellini, ravioli etc with sauce but it isn't ever received with loud shouts of praise. But, they do like lasagna type dishes. So, I dug through the pantry and refrigerator and did a dump and hope for the best kind of dinner. It was pretty tasty and for the energy challenged after work it was a win. It was good for lunches the next day too! Bonus!

Baked Tortellini

1 package refrigerated tortellini
1 jar marinara sauce
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning
1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese or Italian Blend

• Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain well. 
• In a med saucepan mix sauce, tomato sauce and seasoning and heat through. Pour over pasta and mix well.
• In a prepared 9 x 13 baking dish layer half the tortellini, the ricotta cheese, a good handful of mozzarella cheese and the remaining pasta. 
• Top the pasta with the rest of the mozzarella.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and melted.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This casserole was created in response to a request for chicken enchiladas for dinner and my lack of desire to stand and roll them in traditional enchilada form. It's messy to coat the tortillas with sauce before you fill them so they don't break and this is was easier...shocking :) If you were to want to stand and roll the enchiladas this filling will still work, just use a little of the soup mixture in the chicken, dip your tortillas in soup before filling and then top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Either way is good!

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
10-12 servings

2 c. chicken broth
2 small cans diced green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion or 1/4 c. dried minced onion
1 c. sour cream
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup (fat free)
1 clove garlic, minced
PAM cooking spray
20 (ish) corn tortillas cut in half
4 cups cooked chicken breast
2 cups shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stir together using a whisk. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spray baking dish with PAM. Spread 1 cup of the soup mixture in the bottom of the dish. Arrange tortilla halves over the soup, top with chicken and shredded cheese. Repeat layers 3 times ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Enchilada Bake

I haven't actually died, just been extremely swamped with work stuff in my life. Lame. I've made lots of cupcakes...without photos, but not much actual food in the past few months so when I threw this dinner together the other day and it was so well received by all I thought I should probably at least write down what I did. I don't have a picture (of course) but it looks like Mexican lasagna. It was super simple, one of those "I only have 30 minutes and a pound of hamburger" kinds of meals. ;)

Enchilada Bake
10 servings

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c. dried, minced onion
1 can spicy jalepeno refried beans
corn tortillas
2 small cans enchilada sauce (I used 2 1/2)
colby jack cheese shredded

1. Spray 9x13 in baking dish with non stick spray.
2. Brown ground beef with onions and season with garlic salt. Mix in refried beans and approx 1/2 can of enchilada sauce. I added more sauce because we really like the flavor, do what feels right to you.
3. Dip tortillas in enchilada sauce and layer them on the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over them. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over that. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture. Top with a layer of tortillas, pour any remaining sauce over the top, cover with cheese.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 min at 375 degrees or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

BBQ Chicken and Rice

Have you ever had a week where it seems like you just can't get your act together? I'm having one of those. Monday dinner was an epic fail. EPIC. Tuesday was Mom's comfort food that the rest of the family doesn't like, eh, whatever. Wednesday was a night of activities for the kids, Randy worked late and I couldn't come up with a plan before 5:30. So, what do you do? You throw together the kind of meal you ate when you were students and newly married completely disregarding your tendency to be a little bit food snobbish not to mention health conscious. Quick, easy, full of carbs and not a vegetable in sight unless you are a grown up and have green salad.(For the record, I wasn't a grown up)

As a newlywed my cookbook collection consisted of mostly the recipe mags that you see in the grocery store checkout line. I still have most of them and have used them a lot over the years. This is one that came from a Kraft Quick and Easy Weeknight Meals years ago. We keep doing it because sometimes simple is what we need. :)

BBQ Chicken and Rice
Kraft Foods

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into thin strips
2 c Minute Rice, uncooked
1 cup BBQ sauce of your choice
1 1/2 c water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Cook and stir chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil on Med High heat for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in rice, BBQ sauce, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add beans and 1 cup of the cheese; mix lightly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheese; cover. Cook until cheese is melted.

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that we've used many times, both for our family and to take in for dinners for others. It is also one that lends itself to freezing very well and is good to stash in the freezer for those nights that you are in a hurry.

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole
6 servings

2 cups cut up cooked chicken breast
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup 1 % milk
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cupish)
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg original flavor long grain and wild rice mix (Rice a Roni or Uncle Ben's)

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients, including seasoning packet from rice mix in ungreased 2 quart casserole.

Cover and bake 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with green onion.

*If you choose to do this as a freezer meal use dehydrated onion in place of the green onion and omit the boiling water. Mix everything else and put in a 1 quart freezer bag and freeze flat. When you are ready to use it thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or in the microwave). Then pour into the baking dish with the water. You will need to adjust the cooking time if it is not completely thawed.

NI per serving: Cal 155, Fat 5 g., Carb 14 g., Fiber 1 g., Protein 15 g.