ONE PAN PARSLEY ROSEMARY CHICKEN & VEGGIES WILL HAVE DINNER PREPPED IN 20 MINUTES AND ALL ON ONE PAN!

Weeknight dinners can be hard. The after school rush – homework, chores, activities or sports – can leave your family eating microwave meals or takeout. Is it really possible to feed your family good food without spending hours in the kitchen? YES! On the nights you don’t want to cook, this meal comes to the rescue. It’s easy, delicious and healthy. You’ll spend just 20 minutes prepping dinner. Just enough time for the kids to do their chores, right? Then you’ll be free to help with homework or do other things for the next 40 minutes while dinner cooks.

And everything cooks at the same time. That means it will all be hot and ready at the same time! Have I mentioned the dishes… or lack thereof? Your cutting board, your knife and the pan you bake it on – plus the dishes your family eats off of – are all the dishes you’ll have to do. Can’t beat that, am I right?!

Weeknights are hard enough, let’s make dinner easier.

MAKE WEEKNIGHT DINNER EASIER WITH ONE PAN PARSLEY ROSEMARY CHICKEN & VEGGIES

Do you ever find yourself standing in front of the fridge with the door open, willing something to jump out that you can make dinner with? Have you ever wondered if dinner really needs to be an every day occurrence? Or are you:

• a busy mom trying to run a household?
• trying to feed your family food that tastes good and is good for you?
• always looking for a new go-to dinner recipe that comes together quickly and doesn’t leave you cleaning up for an hour afterward?

If you said “yes” to any of those, this recipe is FOR YOU!! If you are juggling lots of hats and responsibilities, trying to help your family eat a little better or looking to add some new, quick dinners to your menu plan, you need this recipe!

PARSLEY ROSEMARY CHICKEN & VEGGIES… IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER!

My kids love this and so does my husband… all except the asparagus, but that’s just for me. Last time I bought some at the store, my 7-year-old asked me, “Why do you keep buying that stuff?!” So, next time I won’t be including as much asparagus in our Parsley Rosemary Chicken & Veggies. But the moist and juicy chicken, the tender potatoes, carrots and asparagus… Mmmm, so good! And dinner is ready in an hour. Total score.

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One Pan Parsley Rosemary Chicken & Veggies that will Make You Drool

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  40 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 4-6 servings

Get a healthy and delicious dinner on the table quick! This one pan meal only takes 20 minutes of prep time. It's loaded with protein and veggies and delicious flavors. You CAN make a meal the whole family loves in just an hour!

Ingredients

• Frozen chicken breasts (enough for your family)
• 4-6 red potatoes
• 3-5 carrots
• 8-10 stalks asparagus
• 5-6 green onions
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• Olive oil
• Dried rosemary
• Dill weed
• Garlic powder
• Lemon juice
• John's Steak and Seasoning spice (the only place I've ever found this is from a little restaurant in Idaho - Pickle's Place. You can call and order it from them at 208-527-9944. Get two... or three. Seriously, it's amazing - I am in no way affilated with Pickle's Place, we just love this spice blend)

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot or bowl with hot water and place the chicken breasts in the water. Let thaw while you continue.
2. Chop up the red potatoes, carrots, asparagus, parsley and green onions.
3. Combine the potatoes, carrots and asparagus in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil until coated lightly.
4. Cover a sheet pan with tin foil. Lightly spritz with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
5. Spread the veggies on half the pan in a single layer. Place the chicken on the other half the pan.
6. Sprinkle the rosemary, garlic powder, lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and John's seasoning on the chicken.
7. Sprinkle dill weed, garlic powder, lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and John's seasoning on the veggies.
8. Bake the chicken and potatoes at 375ºF for 40 minutes. Check the chicken with a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165ºF or higher. If the chicken is not 165ºF, return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes and check again. Check that the potatoes and carrots are tender by poking with a fork.
9. Remove from oven, cool and serve. Enjoy!

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WINNER, WINNER, PARSLEY ROSEMARY CHICKEN & VEGGIES DINNER!

You’ve done it! Dinner is delicious and healthy and on the table in an hour. Look at you go!! My kids gobble this up, even my picky 3-year-old. The dishes take about 5 minutes to rinse off and put in the dishwasher. And, if there’s any leftovers, you can wrap them up in the foil you cooked them on.  This is a winner on every level and it’s one of my go-to recipes for busy weeknights.

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The post One Pan Parsley Rosemary Chicken & Veggies that will Make You Drool appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I have 3 boys, and a six foot three husband, who eat ALL. THE. TIME. Keeping them fed is no small task, physically or on our wallets. That’s why we buy in bulk when possible.

The problem has always been buying meat and fresh fruits and veggies. We didn’t really have a good way to store them and keep them fresh when we bought them in bulk.

That’s why I’m so excited about our new FoodSaver FM5000 vacuum sealer. We can buy meat and fresh fruits and veggies in bulk, seal them up, and freeze them for later. It’s much for effective and efficient than our previous method and the food is fresher when we pull it out to use it.

I did a quality test with our new FoodSaver vacuum sealer. We have bought our ground beef in bulk for several years now. We used to divide it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and put 3-4 sections of meat into a ziptop bag. Then we put the whole package in the freezer. It worked fine, but the meat always turned brown before we used it. Even if it was just a couple of weeks after we bought it.

The FoodSaver vacuum sealer cut out the plastic wrap and the bag. And it kept our meat fresher! This meat had been in the freezer for 4 weeks. It was still red with just a bit of brown and was still very fresh.

We decided to make nachos for dinner one night. We used the meat we put in the freezer, cooked up some beans, and cut up some toppings for a delicious dinner.

It was a hit! And I loved how fresh the meat was still, even after 4 weeks!

FOODSAVER VACUUM SEALER – NOT JUST FOR FOOD!

My favorite part of the FoodSaver vacuum sealer is that you can use it for more than just food.

• Seal up your favorite sweaters during the months you aren’t wearing them to keep them in good shape.
• Cook your food ahead of time and seal it for camping trips for super easy meals. Just warm it up.
• Seal ice in a bag and you’ve got water storage when it melts.
• We are going to Disneyland next month and will be taking a pair of each of our boys’ clothes and sealing it in a vacuum pouch to keep it dry.

NOT ALL FOODS SHOULD BE SEALED

There’s lots of things you can still with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer, but there’s a few things you shouldn’t seal. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and garlic are a few things you should never seal. The gases created by these foods over time are toxic and will make the food go bad.

You can find more info on the FoodSaver vacuum sealers HERE.
We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it’s a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out. See our nacho recipe below. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE

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Nachos

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

Create delicious meals and save money when you buy in bulk. Seal your foods with a FoodSaver vacuum sealer for fresher foods from the freezer.

Ingredients

• Tortilla chips
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 2 15oz cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 can green chilies
• ½ lb ground beef
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 cans of rinsed and drained black beans, 1 diced Roma tomato, ½ onion, diced, and 1 can green chilies. Let simmer on the stove.
2. 
3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet on the stove. Season with taco seasoning. Cook until brown and temperature is 165°F.
4. 
5. When ground beef is cooked and beans are tender, lay tortilla chips on a plate. Layer ground beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream on top of tortilla chips.
6. 
7. Serve!
8. We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it's a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out.

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I pulled the blanket around my neck tighter and tucked my feet up under me a little farther. “This is ridiculous!” I thought. And then I remembered that it had, indeed, snowed just a few days ago. Here. In the desert. In October. It’s kind of a toss-up whether we’ll get a white Christmas every year, so kicking off October with snow is pretty much unheard of. Furthermore, my boys were snuggled under blankets too, sitting just down the couch from me. Then I heard it. The heater kicked on and began filling the house with warm air. “Is it really that cold?!” I wondered. “Okay, stew for dinner it is!” And that’s how this Triple Bean and Chicken Stew was born.

I unwrapped myself, stood up and tossed the blanket back on the couch. As a result, my boys promptly began to tussle over it. “Okay, guys, it’s not that cold. Just share it,” I said as I pulled it from them, grabbed the corners and flipped it up in the air and laid it back down over both of my little miniature wrestlers because then they’d stop fighting over it, maybe.

THE BIRTH OF TRIPLE BEAN AND CHICKEN STEW

I hustled to the kitchen, got out the slow cooker and began pulling out ingredients and setting them on our cream colored, slightly stained island. I opened cans, drained and rinsed the beans and began placing things in the slow cooker. As I added the spices, their rich aromas wafted into my nose. I inhaled and smiled. “This is gonna be good.”

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Triple Bean and Chicken Stew

Triple Bean and Chicken Stew is hearty and will warm your insides and fill your belly. Author: Krista Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 4 hours Total time: 4 hours 15 mins Serves: Serves 6-8 A hearty stes that will fill you up and warm you up. Perfect for chilly Fall days!

Ingredients

• 15.25 oz can of black beans
• 15.25 oz can pinto beans
• 15.25 oz can white beans
• 15.25 oz can corn
• 2 chicken breasts
• 12.5 oz can chicken broth
• 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
• ½ large red bell pepper
• ½ medium yellow onion
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp sage
• 1 cup sour cream
• mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
• green onions (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Open cans and rinse beans.
2. Pour chicken broth, green chilies and canned corn with juice into slow cooker.
3. Add beans and stir until evenly mixed.
4. Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
5. Chop pepper and onion and add to slow cooker.
6. Add spices.
7. Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or until chicken breasts reach 165ºF.
8. Remove chicken breasts and shred. Return shredded meat to slow cooker. Stir until evenly distributed.
9. Cook on low heat for an additional hour, if desired.
10. Stir in sour cream. Garnish with cheese and green onions.

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But that wasn’t an option. We had leftovers. This was too good to waste; furthermore, there’s nothing wrong with leftovers! I reached for the new Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat Containers. I like the idea of these containers, most of all that there’s no need to clean Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat containers. No dishes? Yes, please.

NO DISHES WITH REYNOLDS DISPOSABLE HEAT AND EAT CONTAINERS

It says right on the containers that Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat containers are a great alternative to plastic. Additionally, I would agree, in most cases. I really like that they are made with plant fibers and contribute less waste. Hence, a disposable container that I can feel good about. And I love that Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat containers are perfect for the microwave. As a result, Mr. Napping can take leftovers to work and I don’t have to deal with his dirty dishes that have been sitting around all day (or longer!).

You can find these Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat Containers at Walmart with the plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Our trips to the store are more like a traveling circus sometimes… As a result, my photos are often blurry. Oh, these two.

I opened up my Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat Containers and filled them up. These are super easy to use and I love that you can put the lid underneath the container while you eat; therefore, it’s no fuss, compact and you just toss it when you’re finished. Definitely my kind of leftovers.

Mr. Napping loved the ease of these leftovers and I loved not having to clean out his Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat Container when he came home. Consequently, we both love the simplicity of leftovers now.

Get ready to make some yummy Triple Bean and Chicken Stew on your next chilly day; also, don’t forget to pick up  Reynolds Disposable Heat and Eat Containers at your local Walmart. Finally, Grab a coupon so you can save $1.00! You can find them in the food storage aisle by the Reynolds Wrap.

The post Triple Bean and Chicken Stew You Don’t Have to Clean Up appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Easter is nearly here and that means it is time to start thinking about your menu. The Easter weekend gives us plenty of opportunities for feasting whether it’s appetizers before the big Easter Sunday meal or family brunches during the weekend. Several bloggers have gotten together to bring you our Favorite Easter Recipes. From delicious brunch, dinner and, of course dessert recipes you’ll be sure to find something to add to your Easter menus.

24 Favorite Easter Recipes Round-Up!

Ukrainian Babka Bread (Easter Bread) from Blogghetti

Breakfast Casserole for the Crockpot from To Work With My Hands

Peaches and Cream Dessert from Katherine’s Corner

Crockpot Easter Spiral Ham Recipe from The Lady Prefers 2 Save

No-Bake Birds Nest Cookies from Love My Messy Messy Mess

Cheddar Biscuits from Ducks ‘n a Row

Cadbury Creme Egg Pies from Upstate Ramblings

Peepsicles – Chocolate Covered Frozen Peeps Pops from Upstate Ramblings

Ham and Asparagus Roll-Ups from Blogghetti

Grilled Leg of Lamb from That Recipe

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake from The Painted Hinge

Amazingly Flaky Cresent Rolls That are to Die For from While He Was Napping

No Bake Bird Nest Cookies from While He Was Napping

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts from Blogghetti

Easter Candy Cones from The Lady Prefers 2 Save

Coconut Curried Eggs from That Recipe

Easter Mini Cheesecakes from Eclectic Red Barn

Crockpot Fresh Green Beans, Taters, and Bacon

Easy White Cake from Ducks ‘n a Row

Savory Roasted Potato Disks from To Work With My Hands

Birds Nest Cheesecakes from A Labour of Life

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham from The Magical Slow Cooker

Fresh Herb Whole Wheat Bread from To Work With My Hands

Easter Whoopie Pies from Katherine’s Corner

What’s on your Easter Menu this year?

The post 24 Favorite Easter Recipes appeared first on While He Was Napping.

There are lots of ways to incorporate seafood and it doesn’t have to break the bank. While fresh seafood is always my preferred kind, we use frozen shrimp and fish filets often and it’s still delectable.

This was so simple to make, which fit into our busy weeknight schedule nicely. We cooked it together, ate together and it was pretty quick, not to mention delicious and flavorful! What more can a busy mom ask for?!

SHRIMP SCAMPI AND ASPARAGUS PARMESAN PASTA

COOKING WITH SHRIMP: FROZEN VS FRESH

My favorite frozen shrimp to use are raw, no tail and de-veined. They are super easy to thaw with warm water, you don’t have to stand at the sink yanking off tails that will smell awful in the trash later that night, and there is a little more leeway with cooking them before they turn rubbery.

The wiggle room while cooking is especially nice with kids running around while I’m making dinner. And the shrimp do still cook pretty quickly – they are fully cooked in about 5-7 mins. Afternoons and evenings are busy for us – and many of you – so getting dinner to the table faster is always good thing.

SHRIMP AS A HEALTHIER AND LEANER PROTEIN SOURCE

Shrimp is America’s #1 seafood and, when compared to other sources of protein – such as chicken, it offers a healthier and leaner alternative. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends people eat at least two servings of seafood each week.

The average American consumes less than one serving a week (that would be us, for the most part). We like seafood, but once a week is on the high end of consumption for us.

Eating seafood twice a week sounds expensive to me… but, we’ve found that frozen seafood is the best (or at least better) of both worlds. It’s more affordable than fresh seafood and offers the flexibility to add it to our week night dinners without having to stop at the store as apart of dinner preparations.

Yield: Serves 6

Shrimp Scampi and Asparagus Parmesan Pasta

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Delicious shrimp in a buttery sauce served with noodles and a creamy alfredo make this a hearty, rich dish perfect for dinner any day of the week.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz raw, thawed shrimp (no tails and de-veined)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• garlic, salt and lemon pepper to taste
• 12 oz tricolor rotini pasta
• 12-15 asparagus stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 12 oz jar alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 stalks green onions, sliced for garnish

Instructions

1.In a pot, boil water for the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, approximately 8 minutes.

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan on the stove. Add shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms to the melted butter sauce.



3.Saute the shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms in 4 tbsp butter until they are tender. Season with garlic, lemon juice and lemon pepper if desired. This only takes about 8 mins or so.

If you prefer your asparagus more tender, saute them first and add the shrimp and mushrooms when the asparagus is nearly done.



4.Strain your pasta and return to the pot to keep warm.

5.Add the alfredo sauce and parmesan cheese and let the sauce simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.



6.You can add the pasta to the sauce and mix until the sauce evenly coats the pasta or serve the sauce over the pasta.



7.Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 535Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 219mgSodium: 1426mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 27g

The post Shrimp Scampi and Asparagus Parmesan Pasta appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Yep, you read that right. Dinner in under 30 minutes – and we’re including cook time there. This recipe is a perfect go-to for busy families and leftover nights! Ready to get your soup on? Let’s do this!

TURKEY NOODLE SOUP in under 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Turkey Noodle Soup

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A quick, delicious and healthy soup the whole family will enjoy.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Turkey Meat, pre-cooked and cubed
• 30 oz Chicken Broth
• 1 lb Rotini Pasta
• 12 oz package of Frozen Mixed Vegetables

Instructions

Add the broth to a large pot on medium-high on the stove. Add any additional seasonings you might want. I added a tsp of garlic because we love us some garlic.

When the broth warms and starts to simmer add your noodles, mixed vegetables and the turkey meat.

Cover and simmer for 7-9 minutes or cook for the duration directed on the pasta packaging. Your soup is ready when the noodles are tender.

Allow to cool slightly and serve.

Notes

You could substitute the turkey with chicken dices or pre-cooked hamburger meat. Or omit it entirely.

If you use raw meat dices instead of pre-cooked, add them when you put in the pasta. Ensure they cook thoroughly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 484Total Fat: 5.4gSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 74.1gFiber: 3.7gSugar: 2.7gProtein: 32.4g

My kids loved it. And it was even finger-food-friendly for the baby – I just drained the juice off and he went to town.

I love that our Turkey Noodle Soup was delicious, super fast, healthy (under 500 calories) and that my whole family enjoyed it!

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The holidays are over and school (finally!) started back up again. Which means our lives are back into a routine of sorts. Which means that I’ve gotten back into my slightly more structured life. I’ve gotten back to more regular meal planning, which has been good for us in more than one way: our budget, our waistlines, and our overall health. I definitely feel much better when I’m eating more healthy. But we have a routine because we’re busier now and that means I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. I need quick meals that are delicious and family-friendly. So, with the help of Progresso® Light soup, I came up with this Enchilada Casserole.

PROGRESSO® LIGHT SOUP ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

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Progresso® Light Soup Enchilada Casserole

Prep time:  25 mins

Cook time:  35 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: Serves 6-10

Enchiladas in a fraction of the time.

Ingredients

• 
• - Progresso® Light Soup Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Flavor
• - 1 cup Enchilada Sauce
• - 3 large Mushrooms, sliced
• - 3 Green Onion Stalks, sliced
• - 2 cups Shredded Cheese
• - 4 Wheat Tortillas
• - 1 large Red Pepper, cut into slices
• - 1 medium Roma Tomato, sliced
• - 1 cup cilantro, sliced
• *We had some rotisserie chicken in the fridge from a meal a couple days before, so I cut it up and added it to our enchiladas as well. The soup has chicken in it already, so you don't really need to add more. But, I needed to use ours up and three of the four males in my home are meat-lovers, so no one complained.

Instructions

1. - In a 9x13" pan, pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. Spread the sauce so that it covers the entire bottom of the pan.
2. - Cut the tortillas in half. Arrange them on top of the enchilada sauce with the flat edge against the edge of the pan.
3. - Pour half the can of Progresso® Light Soup on top of the tortillas. Spread to completely cover the tortillas.
4. - Sprinkle cilantro, mushrooms and chicken pieces (if desired) on top of the soup.
5. - Sprinkle ¾ cup of shredded cheese on top of the cilantro and mushroom pieces.
6. - Repeat the steps above. Add another layer of tortillas, then another layer of soup, another layer of cilantro and mushrooms, and another ¾ cup layer of shredded cheese and the rest of the enchilada sauce.
7. - Lay out red pepper slices on top of the shredded cheese and then put a tomato slice in the middle of each pepper slice.
8. - Sprinkle green onion slices on top.
9. - Cover and bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. Then, uncover and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly toasted.
10. - Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes - your layers will stay together better if you do.
11. - Slice and serve. Top with sour cream and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!

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I like the light part of these soups. It’s a new year and many of us have recommitted to eating better. This soup was full of flavor and goodness without being loaded with calories. And there is so much variety available. My boys loved the potato and bacon one we had for lunch the other day. It was creamy and cheesy, yum! We haven’t tried the other ones yet, but I’m pretty excited about them!

I also love Progresso® Light soups because they have BoxTops for Education Labels. Big J’s school collects them. I love that I can help out his school and feed my family healthy meals! The boys and I grabbed our Progresso® Light soups at Walmart. So, next time you are at Walmart, grab a few cans and make them apart of your family dinners. Right now you can grab this coupon and save $1.00 when you purchase four cans. And check out even more recipe ideas using Progresso® Light soups!

The post Progresso® Light Soup Enchilada Casserole appeared first on While He Was Napping.

WILD RICE AND CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup butter
– 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 1/2 cup celery, chopped
– 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
– 8 cups chicken broth
– 2 cups wild rice
– 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 1 tsp rosemary
– 1 tsp thyme
– 1/2 tsp white pepper

Directions:
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and gradually whisk in the flour to make a rue.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, including the rue. Mix to incorporate.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

We like ours thick and hearty. If you want a thinner soup, add 2-4 more cups of chicken broth until desired thickness is reached. You can also omit the rue, but it will slightly change the flavor.

This is one of our newest additions to our family menu, joining our family-approved last around Christmas last year. We absolutely love it! Even Little J, who gets bored of eating and has a hard time finishing dinner most nights, gobbles this stuff up. And Baby N, who is in his Mr. Independent stage will let me feed him this soup. Boy knows not to let good food go to waste.

Not only is it a hit with the whole family, it freezes fantastically. Which means it’s a great quick and easy menu option too.  Pull it out of the freezer and warm it on the stove.

This soup is hearty, filling and full of flavor. Perfect for cold wintry nights and after a day out in the snow. It makes me wish we had a fireplace so I could eat my soup in front of it. The great part about the slow cooker, besides the set it and forget it part, is that I can make a lot, freeze the leftovers and I’ve made three dinners for not much more work than making one. Total mom score during the busy, hectic holidays.

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3 GENERATION GOULASH

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3 Generation Goulash

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: Serves 6-8

A hearty casserole-style dish with lots of flavor. Pasta covered in flavorful tomato sauce with vegetables and hamburger make this a wonderful family favorite.

Ingredients

• 16 oz uncooked Pasta
• 12 oz bottle Ragu Pasta Sauce
• 5-6 medium Portabello Mushrooms
• 1 Red Pepper
• 14 oz canned Corn
• 14 oz canned cut Green Beans
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp dried Minced Onions
• Shredded Cheese

Instructions

1. Boil water for the pasta as directed on the box. When water boils, cook the pasta as directed.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove.
3. Add the garlic powder and the minced onion.
4. 
5. Slice the pepper and mushrooms. Add to the ground beef. Saute until the mushrooms and peppers are tender.
6. 
7. Add the green beans and the corn. Combine until well mixed.
8. 
9. Stir in the Ragu pasta sauce and mix until the sauce coats the meat and veggies evenly.
10. 
11. Simmer on low on the stove while the pasta cooks.
12. Drain the pasta and rinse, if desired.
13. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix until the pasta is evenly coated.
14. 
15. 
16. Serve topped with shredded cheese.
17. 

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My grandma always makes her own tomato pasta sauces, but my mom always used Ragu pasta sauce. I love the option, because with my busy life and busy boys, I don’t always have the time or energy to make my own sauce. I love that Ragu pasta sauce is a part of this tradition and that it is a sauce that I can count on to deliver quality flavor.

While working on this post, I was able to learn more about the origin of Ragu and the woman who started it all. Assunta Cantisano was a woman with a dream. Assunta came to America from Italy and brought her family’s recipe for tomato sauce with her. Her neighbors loved it. And so did her neighbor’s neighbors. Before too long, people were grabbing it off of store shelves in Iowa and the Ragu tradition was off and running. Great success story, right? But it wasn’t easy fame and fortune for Assunta. She grew up during the Great Depression and she struggled as a single mom. Her hard work and perseverance clearly paid off. When people didn’t have much of anything, she gave her all to share her sauce with others. Since Ragu was born hundreds of pasta sauces have graced the shelves over the past 80 years, and has even gone on to become America’s number one pasta sauce.

Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? Right now, food.com has a contest running called Ready. Set. Cook! and they have issued the challenge to create new and unique recipes featuring Ragu sauce plus a set list of other ingredients. Think you’re up to the challenge? Check out the Ready. Set. Cook! contest over on food.com.

I love traditions and sharing them with my kids, especially this time of year. What are some of your favorite family traditions?

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PHILLY CHEESESTEAK STUFFED RED PEPPERS

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Peppers

Prep time:  25 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 10 servings

Serving size: 155 g

Calories: 185

Fat: 8.1 g

Ingredients

• 5 Red Peppers
• 12 oz Steak, cut into strips (smaller steaks that equal about 12 oz)
• 6-8 Portabello Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Butter, olive oil or other oil
• 10 slices of Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

1. Slice the mushrooms.
2. In a large skillet on the stove, melt the butter or warm the oil. Depending on what kind of oil you use, you may need to melt it.
3. Sauté the steak strips in the oil or butter. When the steak is no longer pink, toss in the mushrooms.
4. Sauté the steak and mushrooms until they are tender.
5. Preheat the oven to 400F.
6. Cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds.
7. Put a layer of foil on a baking sheet. Lay the pepper halves on the foil.
8. Fill each pepper with the steak and mushrooms.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on the top of each pepper and bake for 5-7 more minutes.
11. When the cheese is melted, remove the peppers from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
12. Serve.

3.2.2925

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