Snap pea-sesame pasta

I got this from Kraftfoods.com There were no leftovers. The kids ate more than 1 helping. It's a keeper!!

1/3 C. Catalina dressing
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
1/2 lb. bucatini pasta, uncooked (we used penne pasta)
2 tsp. oil
1 onion, thinly sliced, seperated into rings (I left out)
1 1/2 tsp. gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, minced (I left out)
3/4 C.chicken broth
3 C. sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 carrots, cut into matchlike sticks (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Mix dressing, soy sauce and honey. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, heat oil in wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; stir-fry 2 min. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 1 min. Stir in broth, peas and carrots; bring to boil. Cover; cook 2 min. Stir in dressing mixture, then cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 1 min. or until thickened.
Drain pasta; place on platter. Top with sauce and sesame seed.

Another Main Dish Success!

Finding Main dishes that my kids like are few and far between. Tonight, my pickiest, Emmie, (who doesn't like alfredo sauce), ate 2 helpings of this. Keeper!!

Pasta Alfredo
Pampered chef recipe

1 pkg. (16 oz.) Uncooked pasta
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
2 C. grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt and ground white pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
Combine cream and milk in saucepan. Heat over Medium heat until warm; do not boil. Remove from heat; set aside.
Melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Add to cream mixture all at once, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer over low heat 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened, whisking constantly.
Remove sauce from heat. Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. Toss with hot pasta and serve immediately.
* I sprinkled a little italian seasoning on mine too. YUM!!

Chicken Spaghetti
2 cans chicken broth
Cut up cooked chicken pieces, or canned chicken
1 lb spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 C shredded cheddar
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Black pepper to taste
*Optional ingredients (I left all these out!)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 C. finely diced green bell pepper
1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimientos, drained
cayenne pepper to taste

Heat Oven to 350*. Add 1 can of broth to water and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the soup and 2 cups of the cheddar. Then add the onion, green pepper and pimiento(if desired). Add the seasoned salt, and peppers. Add the chicken and other can of broth. Stir together well. Pour into a large baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake at 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

YUMMY! My kids request homemade noodles and soup quite often. I usually triple the recipe because my kids like them so much.

Homemade Egg Noodles
1 beaten egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 Tsp. salt
1 C. flour

Mix well. Add more flour or water as needed. Roll out and cut into strips. Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes.

This one is good for anytime, not just on St.Patricks Day. It is a great way to get the kids to eat some broccoli!

St. Paddys Pasta

1/2 C. parsley leaves
1 tsp. oil (olive is best)
1/4 C. prepared pesto
8 oz. mini rigatoni pasta
2 C. broccoli florets

In a food processor or blender, combine parsley and oil. Add pesto and blend until smooth. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli to water for the last 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 C. of the cooking liquid. In the same saucepan, combine liquid and pesto mixture. Cook over medium heat 1 minute to warm. Remove from heat and stir in the pasta and broccoli.

Lemon Linguine

8 oz. linguine
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 C. parmesan cheese

In a pan, cook linguine in boiling water until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil and lemon pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Drain linguine; add to butter mixture and toss to coat. Add cheese and toss.

Mermaid Shells
2 C. large shell noodles
1 C. frozen carrots and peas, thawed
1/2 C. diced ham
1 Tbsp. butter
1 C. spaghetti sauce
1/4 C. half and half

Cook shells according to directions. Add veggies to water the last 3 minutes. Drain well; stir in ham and butter.
In a saucepan, heat spaghetti sauce over medium heat until warm. Stir in half and half and cook to heat through. Divide sauce among serving bowls and place veggie and ham filled pasta shells on top.

Lasagna Toss

This is not a pretty lasagna, but it is fast and easy, and the only one my kids will eat.

Lasagna Toss
1 lb. ground beef
2 c. green peppers, chopped (optional)
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 c. water
1/4 c. Italian dressing
12 lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 c. mozzarella, shredded

Brown meat in a large saucepan on Medium heat, drain. Add peppers, sauce, water and dressing; bring to a boil. stir in noodles; reduce heat to medium low. Cover.
Cook, Stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover: let stand 5 min.

Lemon chicken

Lemon Chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tsps. dijon mustard (regular works too)
1 1/2 tsps. garlic powder
8 lg. carrots,thickly sliced (Or use baby carrots)
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
8 c. egg noodles
grated parmesan cheese

In a Crock-Pot, mix soup, water, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and carrots. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Cook noodles according to package directions. Serve over noodles and sprinkle with cheese.