Quick and Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is the quickest, easiest, healthiest, and tastiest version of tuna noodle casserole I have ever had. I hope you enjoy this one dish, baked version as much as I do.

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2 1/2 C milk

2 C water

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 box mini rotini pasta

15 oz tuna, drained

2 stalks celery, diced

1 C peas

15 Ritz crackers, crushed

1/3 C Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F

Whisk together milk, water, cornstarch, salts, and pepper in a large baking dish.

Stir in pasta, tuna, celery, and peas.

Bake, covered, 30 minutes.

Top with crushed crackers and cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!printer friendly version

Tortellini Soup

This soup is on David's top 3 list (along with broccoli cheese and loaded potato) and is a regular at our house. My mom and I have been making it for a long time. Growing up, we made it on the stove top, but these days I toss everything in the slow cooker and save myself the trouble of watching the pot for 20-30 minutes.

To start cooking, place 32oz chicken broth (or quality vegetable), 2-3 14.5oz cans of stewed tomatoes (you can use diced tomatoes to make it a little more kids friendly), 10-12oz frozen chopped spinach (the chopped part is extremely important), and about 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook on low 3-6 hours (I average about 4.5 hours, it just depends on what my day looks like)

About 20 minutes, but no more than an hour before you're ready to eat, add one bag frozen tortellini- anywhere around 19oz is good. And let it heat through.

Serve topped with some Parmesan or Romano cheese and enjoy!

Click here for the printer friendly version (it includes directions for both slow cooker and stove top, plus a fun variation).

What's on your top 3 soup list?

Cheesy Kielbasa, Zucchini, and Pasta Bake

This recipe is one of my favorites. I used to make it the complicated way of boiling the noodles first, but after rediscovering the beauty of no-boil pasta bakes, I revamped the recipe to make it that much easier. It's fairly forgiving and easily adjusted, so don't feel like you have to be exact with much of anything.

 For this recipe, you'll need:

1 jar pasta sauce with garlic, 1/2 bag/box big pasta, 1 C shredded Italian blend cheese (basic mozzarella is fine), 1 zucchini, 1/2 lb kielbasa, 1 carrot, 1 egg (optional), and 8-16 oz ricotta cheese.
 

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Spread an even layer of sauce (no more than 1/2 jar) on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. I prefer to use glass.
Layer pasta on top of sauce.
Slice and quarter zucchini, kielbasa, and carrot and layer them on top.

Mix egg into ricotta cheese and add dollops on top.
Pour remaining sauce over everything. Fill empty jar 1/3 way full with water and add that on top of sauce.
Use a spoon to slightly mix everything around without separating all of the ricotta.
Cover with foil and bake 35-40 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
Remove foil and add shredded cheese on top. Bake 5 minutes longer.

If it still appears watery, allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

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Have you tried a no-boil pasta bake before? 

 

Simple No-Boil Pasta Bake

Growing up, my mom had a fairly basic repertoire for meals. Cooking is not one of my mom's favorite things to do, though when she feels like it, she can make some amazing food. This recipe is one that my mom used regularly for about a year and then sort of forgot about.
The appeal for me now is the simplicity of this dish. Boiling pasta is not hard. However, if I'm wearing the baby or comforting and carrying around a sad toddler, I don't want to be working with boiling water. It's much easier to toss something in the oven and tend to more important things. This dish gives me 30 uninterrupted minutes to spend with my family before dinner.

 You'll need: 1 box pasta, 1 (24oz) jar pasta sauce + 1 jar water, 1 C shredded Italian blend cheese

 Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine pasta, sauce, and water together in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake 30 minutes. When it's done, it should look like the picture above.

 Add cheese and continue baking uncovered 3-5 additional minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Serve and enjoy.

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What will you do with your 30 minutes of free time before dinner?

Enchilada Ravioli

I made this recipe back when I only had 2 kids and they were only happy eating some form of pasta. I tend to get bored of the traditional noodles and marinara routine. This dish takes a basic ravioli and makes it different and delicious. And the best part is that it cooks up super fast.

Servings: about 4
Total time: roughly 15-20 minutes (this includes waiting for the water to boil)

Ingredients:
1 25 oz. bag frozen chicken or beef ravioli
1 14.5 oz. can Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 small can sliced olives, drained
Mexican blend shredded cheese

Cook ravioli according to instructions on bag.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and sauce in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Gently stir drained ravioli and olives into sauce.
Serve immediately topped with cheese.

Enjoy!

This post was originally published on 11/18/11 @oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I wrote, edited, and transferred it here.

Stretcher Foods

The secret to low-cost meals is easy: stretcher foods. Stretcher foods are inexpensive foods that "stretch" your expensive ingredients, your meal, and your budget.
My favorite stretcher foods are beans, rice, pasta, oats, and veggies. They can be used with just about anything if you use your imagination. In fact, there were a couple semesters in college that I cooked almost exclusively with these stretcher foods.

If you're wondering how they work, think stir-fry, and chili. Still confused? Allow me to explain. 
In stir-fry you take meat and seasoning then add some vegetables to make it more balanced and filling. Then to make it even more filling you serve it with rice or noodles. Chili is made with a little meat, a little seasoning, a lot of beans, and some vegetables. To make it even more filling, some people add pasta.
These are such common examples, that it's easy to overlook their "stretching" ingredients.

If you're still confused allow me to break it down:

• Beans are a great additive to ground meat. You can use as much as a 2:1 ratio meat:bean and still have a predominately meat feel to your dish. I use this most often on taco/burrito night and always have plenty of leftovers to freeze and/or have for lunch the next day.
• Veggies are so versatile! When you pair them with meat (any cut) you get a meal that is more filling and visually satisfying. I've actually found that most recipes can be modified by increasing the amount of vegetables and cutting the amount of meat.
• Rice and pasta are similar in how they are used. You can add them as a side or mix them right into lots of dishes to fill you up and "stretch" the meal.

Oats aren't quite as versatile, but they pair well with ground meats. I use them regularly in sloppy joes and meatloaf. If you don't want to be too obvious about using oats, simply cut the oats up in a food processor first. Adding oats will make the dish more filling/ rib-sticking and in some cases less messy.

What's your favorite meal that utilizes stretcher foods? 

 This post is a revised compilation of two posts I originally published in October 2011 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com.

Quick and Easy Chow Mein

I love this Chow Mein. No joke, I could probably eat this a couple times a week without any issue. It's healthier and tastier than the stuff you'll find at many restaurants. Bonus: It's extremely quick and easy to put together too.

 Printable version

1/2 standard sized box whole wheat linguine noodles (spaghetti works too)
1/2 C frozen peas
1/4 C hoisin sauce
1/4 C broth (vegetable or chicken)
3 T soy sauce
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
vegetable oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 package rainbow slaw (matchsticked carrots, cauliflower heads, and cabbage with little broccoli florets)

Boil noodles according to package directions. Add peas to boiling water just before draining noodles. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, mix together hoisin, broth, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Saute oil and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until onion is soft.
Stir in garlic, ginger, and slaw and cook 2-3 minutes.
Stir in cooked noodles, peas, and prepared sauce until everything is warm and evenly coated in sauce.
Serve and enjoy!

A note on the ingredients: the ingredients should all be available at your local grocery (though maybe not walmart), but for best prices on hoisin and chili garlic sauces, check out an Asian market (if they are available- the closest for me is 40 minutes away)