Baked Ziti

16 oz dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce

1 bag baby spinach, finely chopped (or bag of frozen, thawed)

12 oz Italian cheese blend (or just mozzarella)

1.5 C sour cream

Grated parmesan on top (or cheddar)

Boil water, add pasta, cook for 8 minutes, drain.

Cook meat and onion in large skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and spinach and simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat to 350. Butter or spray a 9x13. Layer half the noodles, half the Italian cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce, the other half of noodles, the other half of the cheese, the other half of the sauce, top with the parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted.

Recipe from Kellie Campbell and modified a little.

Southwestern Egg Rolls (chicken, corn, bean burritos) with Avocado Sauce

 This recipe is from my friend Kaylene and it's so yummy!

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (one chicken breast is fine and pork works too!)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 T green onion, sliced (opt)

1 can or 1 C frozen or canned corn

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced green chiles

1 t cumin

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 C shredded cheddar

Flour tortillas

Avocado Dipping Sauce:

1 C ranch

1 avocado, pitted and mashed

1 lime, juiced

Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Put chicken in a large bowl, add corn, beans, seasonings, cheese, bell pepper, green onions, and green chiles. Slightly warm the tortillas to make them easier to roll. Place a portion of the filling into each tortilla and roll as tightly as possible. Spray a large jellyroll pan or baking stone and place the chicken rolls an inch apart from each other. Brush the tops with butter and bake at 400 until golden (20 min?). Puree the sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve sauce with chicken rolls.

This makes plenty if I use regular-sized flour tortillas. This last time I used the big, burrito tortillas and they worked well, but you have fewer of them because they are so big, but you can cut them in half or double the filling recipe.

Coconut Chicken Curry

This recipe comes from Laura Gailard. I've already lost it once, so I thought I better post it here! Very easy and very yummy!

And this is a similar one from Maggan Allred:

Four chicken breasts

eight Yukon Gold potatoes cubed 

one bag baby carrots

2 lb one onion cut in thin slices

Two cans coconut milk 

7.8 Oz golden Curry mild (comes in a box I  cubes) 

Bake in the Crock-Pot on high for 6 hours or until chicken can be shredded. Shred chicken and serve over rice and with naan. (Amazing)

Sweet Sausage Rolls - Little Smokeys

From Lonette Anderson

1 Tube refrigerated crescent rolls*

24 miniature  smoked sausage links

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 Tab honey

3 Tab brown sugar

Unroll crescent dough and separate into triangles; cut each triangle into three triangles lengthwise. Place each sausage roll in a pan seam side down. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the top. Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

*I buy two cans of crescent roll and use a whole package of smokies, you can do this without doubling the butter mixture. It will fill a whole 9x13 pan. The Hillshire Farm brand the best. I've tried using the store brand and I thought they were yucky.

Linda's Orange Ball Cookies

Ross sent me this in December of 2017. These are some cookies that Linda used to make. Ross attributed them to Cathy McDonald.

1 square butter

1 # pow sugar

1 6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate

1 pkg vanilla wafers - crushed

1 cup chopped nuts

coconut

Cream butter & sugar, blend in frozen orange juice.  Add vanilla wafers, crushed very fine & add nuts.

Roll into balls.  Roll balls in coconut.  Place in freezer or refrig & chill.

Coconut Curry Chicken

 I got this from my friend Laura at a dinner party where we all shared favorite dishes. This one is really good. 

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 t salt

2 T curry powder

14-oz can coconut milk

1 c canned, diced tomatoes (or crushed)

2 T tomato paste

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 C packed spinach or chopped cauliflower (opt)

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and salt and saute over medium for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add the curry powder and saute for an additional minute, until the spice fully coats the onion.

Incorporate the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste into the mixture. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes, until sauce slightly thickens. Fold in the chicken and summer for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through.

Stir the spinach into the mixture and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted. Or stir in chopped cauliflower, cook until softened.

Good on rice or quinoa.

Instant Pot Peanut Chicken with Vegetables

 

Adapted from Feasting at Home by Sylvia Fountaine

Serves 4-6 adults

1 t oil

3 cloves garlic

1 T fresh ginger, chopped (or some shakes of ground ginger)

1 can coconut milk (not light)

3 T soy sauce

3 T honey

2 T lime juice

1 T chili garlic paste (or sriracha or Cholula)

1.5 lbs chicken tenders (can cut in pieces or put in whole)

1/2 C Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter

1 10 oz. bag of Birds Eye Roasted Red Potato Blend with Broccoli, Carrots, & Red Pepper, lightly cooked (or similar)

Cilantro

Heat oil in Instant Pot on saute setting. Add garlic, heat for a couple minutes. Add coconut milk, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, hot sauce, and chicken. Run Instant Pot on manual mode for 10-11 minutes. Stir  in peanut butter and cooked vegetables. Return to saute mode and let boil, while stirring, to reduce, if necessary. Serve with cilantro over rice.

This was so good! Tasted a lot like Zao or other restaurants, even a little like Massaman Curry. I cooked the vegetables to have separately, but I'm so glad I put them in.