Spaghetti Taco

One of the very popular shows in our house is iCarly. Many times in this show, Spencer makes his odd food creation, Spaghetti Tacos often. My oldest daughter decided she would like to try them. I do have to say they were quite tasty, not something I would eat often, but every once in a while. My oldest LOVED them, but my youngest, not so much. When she thinks taco, she thinks meat and hard taco shell, but she was happy with just the spaghetti!

Here is the recipe from iCarly, I had to add it because I thought it was cute! I will add mine after it.

Here it is:
Get taco shells.
Get spaghetti (with meat sauce).
Get a BIG spoon.
Use the BIG spoon to put spaghetti into taco shells.
Eat.
Burp.


Now for my recipe, I made the spaghetti and mixed the sauce and spaghetti together and added a little shredded cheese on top with some extra sauce.





Cooking Time: 30
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 box thin spaghetti

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (can use meat sauce)

1 box taco shells (I used the bigger ones that allowed me to stuff them more)

1 package of taco seasoning (if you are going to add meat)

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey (optional if you use a sauce that already contains meat)

Cheddar Cheese, Taco Blend, or Mexican blend shredded cheese

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, brown meat. Drain. Return to pan (if you are using meat).

Add sauce to meat and bring to a simmer.

Cook taco shells according to package directions.

Toss sauce with spaghetti until combined, reserve some sauce to add to top if you like a bit more.

Spoon spaghetti into taco shells. Add a bit more sauce to top as well as, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and shredded cheese, if desired.

Cheesy Tuna and Noodles

Ingredients

2 cans tuna, drained
1 can of cream of mushroom soup, regular or 98% fat free
half to three quarter a soup can of milk
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese
8 oz medium egg noodles, cooked al dente (not overly soft, they will cook some more in the oven)
2 C frozen peas

Directions

Heat oven to 350. After noodles are cooked mix everything together, can reserve a bit of cheese to sprinkle on top. Put in a casserole dish and bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.


**Note**

Do not have to add peas, I serve them on the side because Olivia does not like them in it.

Baked Ziti

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Onion

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Carrot, Diced Fine

1 Celery Stalk, Diced Fine

4 Links Hot Italian Sausage (Or Sweet If You Prefer)

Salt & Pepper

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley

1/2 Cup Red Wine

2 (14 oz) Cans Chopped Tomatoes



Pasta:

1 Pound of Ziti Pasta (Or Other Dried Pasta)

1 1/2 Cups Diced Mozzarella or Fontina Cheese

3oz. Parmesan, Freshly Grated

3 Beaten Eggs


Brown the sausage links well in a heavy sauce pan. Remove and cut into 1/2 inch rounds. Next, make the sauce by heating the oil, and cooking the vegetables until they are softened. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, sausage pieces, and parsley, and simmer for 60 minutes until thickened. Meanwhile cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, and add to the sauce, mixing well. In a buttered ovenproof dish, add 1/3 of the pasta, then sprinkle with the diced cheese. Repeat these layers twice more. Pour over top of the pasta the beaten eggs, and then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F. oven until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Italian Skillet Supper

This dish was great and went over well in our house. I do not think it would have went so well if I had remembered to put the veggies in.


1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
1 1/4 C uncooked rosamarina or orzo pasta (8 oz)
**I used orzo**
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 C frozen broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (from 1-lb bag)
**I was in a hurry while making this and I forgot these veggies**
2 T chopped fresh parsley, if desired
1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
1 lb Italian Sausage(optional)

In 10-inch skillet (I used my wok), brown the sausage, drain and set aside; in the same pan heat broth to boiling. Stir in pasta; return to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, and vegetables. Cover; cook over medium heat 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetable are tender.

Stir in parsley if desired; sprinkle with cheese.

Baked Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

I served this with broccoi and cheese and penne rigate with some of the sauce spooned over the pasta. Everyone loved it, but next time Ryan requested I use thin spaghetti.



Ingredients:

12 to 18 small white onions, peeled*
**I did not have any onions, so I used Westpac Seasoning Blend that I had in the freezer, it has onions,celery, red peppers, green peppers, and parsley in it. It can be found in the freezer section at the grocery store. I also used my chopper to chop it into finer pieces. Olivia does not like big chunks.**

1 fryer chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
**I used 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts**

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
5 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 lemons, about 5 to 7 tablespoons
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or use dried leaf thyme)
Salt, pepper, and paprika


Preparation:

*If using fresh onions, cut an X on the root end, boil for 3 minutes then cool in ice water and slip skins off.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Heat oven to 375°.

Quarter the chicken, if using a fryer chicken. Wash chicken and pat dry.

Combine wine, broth, garlic, lemon juice, and tarragon or thyme and onions; pour over chicken.
**There will be more than enough liquid, spoon some of this over your noodles.**

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes. Baste and return to bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, or until chicken is cooked through and browned.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

This is a dish that goes over very well in our house.

To save time I put the sauce, tomatoes, and meatballs in the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 5-6 hours. Otherwise, the meatballs would have to simmer in the sauce for 2-3 hours.

Serve with garlic toast and a salad.


8 oz spaghetti
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 jar of spaghetti sauce


Meatball recipe

1 lbs of ground beef
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 hand full of grated Romano cheese
1 hand full of bread crumbs**
1 to 2 eggs
1 Tbl oregano
1 Tbl sweet basil

Mix well with hands. Roll into balls about the size of golf balls and drop into sauce.

** I used Italian Bread Crumbs, it has seasoning in it, that way I did not have to use the oregano or basil.

Cooking Spaghetti

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

Ryan and I liked this, Olivia was OK with it.

8 oz thin spaghetti, uncooked
1 package of Knorr's Pesto Sauce mix
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken halves
1-2 Tbl Olive Oil

Start by cubing your chicken. Heat pan until very hot, I use my wok. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; tilt wok to coat side. Add chicken, salt and pepper if you like; cook until chicken turns white, separating chicken pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. You can be doing this while your chicken is cooking.

Prepare Pesto sauce as directed on the package.

Add cooked spaghetti to the pan with the chicken in it and pour the pesto sauce over the chicken and pasta. Mix until evenly coated.

Angel Chicken

I made this the other night and it was awesome! Ryan thinks Angel Chicken may be one of his new favorite dishes. It is great served with a salad and some garlic toast.

When I made this I made two changes:

I used Zesty Italian Dressing, we had this in our refrigerator.

I also used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, we had these in our freezer. I did not cut them up until about an hour before we ate and the chicken was so moist and full of flavor.





4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1/4 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

BEAT cream cheese, soup, dressing and wine with whisk until blended; pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours).

COOK pasta as directed on package about 15 min. before chicken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley.

Healthy Living Tips:

Save 70 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving by preparing with PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese

Reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing.

Note:

Chicken thighs are preferred over chicken breasts in slow-cooker recipes since they are more flavorful and less likely to overcook.

Substitute:

Substitute water or chicken broth for the wine, it is not as good, but it works well. The wine gives it a distinct flavor.

Substitute canned chicken for chicken breasts, turns out pretty good too.

Penne Pasta Casserole

1 26oz can spaghetti sauce (Hunt’s, etc.)
1/2 med. yellow onion
1 tbsp e.v. olive oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 box dry penne or other pasta
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar
1/3 lb ground beef or italian sausage
salt, pepper, sugar




Get a pot of salted water going. Over low heat in a large skillet, add some olive oil, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat / simmer that until translucent (you can keep adding some water to prevent it from drying out). Remove to a plate. Add the ground beef and/or italian sausage (casing removed) and brown that. Drain it, return to pan with onion mixture. Add spaghetti sauce, and cook on low stirring occasionally for about 10-15 min. Add chopped basil (and any other herbs or veggies at this point). You may want to alter the flavor with salt, pepper and sugar depending on your spaghetti sauce.

When water boils, add the penne and UNDERCOOK it. How much depends on you and your oven. I just know you don’t need to cook it all the way because it’s going in the oven. When done to your liking, drain pasta and rinse it in cold water, if you like. I know they say not to rinse it, but because it’s a casserole I feel the noodles benefit a bit from a dunk.

Combine spaghetti sauce mixture and noodles together in the pot. In a shallow baking dish (flatter, shallower allows for more cheese browning area - if you like that.) Top with cheese, bake at 350F for about 30-45 minutes. You might want to cover lightly with aluminum foil until the last 10 minutes. You can also blast it in the broiler if you like the top extra crunchy.

You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

This recipe will make enough for 2 couples. If you plan a romantic evening where more than two's a crowd, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock (vegetable stock works well too!)
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper 1
6 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Crusty bread, for passing

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray