PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SAUCE, SPICY SAUSAGE AND BABY SPINACH

INGREDIENTS

• 11 oz 4 links spicy chicken Italian sausage
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp whipped butter
• 10 oz pasta, wheat or gluten-free
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.
• Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.
• Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
• Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes.
• Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking.
• Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage. Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.
• Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side if desired.

Best Sugar Cookie

 Ingredients

• 1 Cup unsalted butter, 226 grams
• 1 Cup granulated white sugar, 200 grams
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes Beat in extracts and egg. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a counter top surface, flour surface as needed. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches (2-3 chunks), roll out onto a floured surface, and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Nutrition

calories: 107kcal, carbohydrates: 14g, protein: 1g, fat: 5g, saturated fat: 3g, cholesterol: 18mg, sodium: 59mg, potassium: 14mg, fiber: 1g, sugar: 6g, vitamin a: 164IU, calcium: 17mg, iron: 1mg

Chili Lime Chicken Tostadas

 Ingredients

1 can diced green chilies

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 1/2 T chili powder

3 T lime juice

1 diced medium onion

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts

1 can fat free refried beans, warmed

10 tostada shells

Instructions

Desired toppings such as, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, light sour cream, sliced olives, and guacamole

Add chicken and onion to slower cooker that is at east 3 1/2 quarts

In a bowl combine green chilies, garlic, chili powder, and lime juice.  Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.  Mix in 1/2 of juice remining in slow cooker to the shredded chicken. 

Spread warmed refried beans on tostada shells.

Top with hot chicken mixture and any other desired toppings.  

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb Sage sausage, browned

1/2 lb. baked, cooked, chopped

8 oz. pre-cooked ham, diced

1 (8oz) packaged crescent roll dough

2/3 (30 oz) shredded hashbrowns cooked and lightly salted

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup green pepper, diced

5 oz grape tomatoes, halved

6 large eggs

1/4 milk or half and half

 1t cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, spray a 9x13 baking dish.  Unroll dough and lay flat across bottom of baking dish.  In a large mixing brown combine sausage, potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes, and 2/3 of cheese.  Evenly spoon mixture over dough.  In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and cayenne pepper, pour evenly over top of mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and chopped bacon.  

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are set, and bottom crust is done.  

Taco Pizza

Ingreadients 

1 lb. ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 (8 oz) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 (16 oz) can refried beans (I used the jalapeño kind)

2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese  or mexican blend

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced black olives

 4 green onions, chopped

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Brown ground beef and drain.  Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions.

Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles.  Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.  Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11-13 minutes or just until golden brown. 

Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute.  Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.

Top with cook beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives, green onion.  Return to oven for 3-6 minutes until cheese in melted.  Serve immediately.  Makes 12 servings.   

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 Ingredients

4 eggs

2 cups sugar 

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 cups flour

3 t cinnamon

1 t pumpkin pie spice

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter (softened)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 t vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a half baking sheet with the non stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree until fully incorporated.  Slowly add the flour but continue stirring to avoid lumps.  Mix until well combined.  Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, soda, and salt and mix until well combined.  Pour the batter into prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  or until set and let cool completely.  For the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Spread frosting over the cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top if desired.  

Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole-Funeral Pototoes

Instructions

 1 (32 Ounce) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns divided

2 (10.75 ounce) cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1/3 cup onions (chopped)

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

Topping

2 cups Ritz crackers (or crushed corn flakes)

1/2 cups butter (melted)

Instructions

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan with a no stick cooking spray.

Place half of the bag of hashbrowns in the prepared pan.

In a medium bowl combine the soup, sour cream, onions, and salt and pepper.

Gently spoon half of this mixture over the hashbrowns in the pan.  

Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the soup mixture.

Then add the remainder of the hashbrowns on top, and spoon over remaining soup mixture and the other half of the cheese.  

Crush the Ritz crackers and combine with the melted butter.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  

Lemon Zucchini Bread

 Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 egg

2 T lemon juice

2 T lemon zest

Glaze

1/2 cup powder sugar

1T. lemon juice

1 t. lemon zest

Glaze can be doubled if desired

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, set aside.

Ina separate mixing bowl combine sugar, zucchini, cooing oil, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.

Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture, stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into greased bread pan.

Bake at 350 degrees, for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.  

Once cool, combine ingredients for glaze and drizzle over bread.  

One-Pot Cheesy Italian Pasta and Chicken

 Ingredients

8 ounces baby spinach leaves, divided

1 cup (7 ounces) sundried tomatoes packed in oil and italian herbs 

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast ( cut into 1/2 " bite size pieces)

6 garlic cloves, sliced

1 pound dry linguine

2 t. dried Italian seasoning

2 t. kosher salt

1 t. fresh ground pepper

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

5 cups chicken broth

4 ounces fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Combine 1/2 of the spinach with the tomatoes. onion, chicken, garlic, linguine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper in a 5 quart dutch oven over medium high heat.  Pour chicken broth over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. 

Cook 7-9 minutes until pasta is al dente (with bite to it).  Toss pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. You will still have some liquid in the pan when the pasta is done cooking.  This is going to make the base for out delicious cheese sauce. 

Turn of the heat and add the cheese tot he pasta.  Toss pasta with tongs until the cheese melts into the pasta.  Toss in remaining spinach.

Serve and enjoy.  

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

 

• Ingredients
• Cake
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• Filling
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)
• 
  
• Step 1
• Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
• Step 2
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts
• Step 3
• Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack
• Step 4
• Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
• Step 5
• Cooking Tip: Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.