Confetti Mac & Cheese...

Why don't we just go ahead and say this recipe wasn't exactly what I expected.  I'm notoriously awful at estimating appropriate serving sizes for pasta when I'm looking at a dry quantity.  So, I mistakenly expected that based on the measurements in the original (they didn't have servings listed), that this would  probably get me 6 servings or so (silly me...usually I err in the opposite direction... i.e. spaghetti for one?  Go ahead and invite the army, cuz I made way too much!).  Anyway, when I got going, I realized there's no way in hell that this is going to make 6 servings.  In actuality, it's really only enough for 4 max (in my opinion), but I stretched it to 5 on account of keeping the calories semi-reasonable.  And honestly, I'm not even totally sure about the calories as they're listed, since I had to add way more milk than I expected.  The cooking times were also pretty whacked out...which may or may not have something to do with altitude and/or cooking on electric instead of gas.  All in all, it was a bit of an ordeal.  On the bright side, it smells amazing and the spoonful I snuck when I was portioning was delicious.  The original recipe can be found at Peas and Crayons.  Here it is:

Confetti Mac & Cheese
5 servings - 490-ish calories each

Ingredients
12 oz. evaporated milk
1/2 to 2 c. regular milk (you'll be adding it a little at a time, as you need to.)
2 c. small shells pasta (according to comments in the original, this can NOT be substituted for other pastas without major ramifications in cooking time and liquid content)
1 c. vegetables of choice (I used half and half of petite frozen peas and shoepeg corn)
1/4 lg. onion, diced
2 T. bacon bits
1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic flakes
1/2 c. gouda, shredded (I used apple smoked gouda)
1/2 c. sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 c. parmesan, shredded
Seasonings, to taste

Directions
You really need to prep everything first on this one, because once the pasta goes in, you'll need to be dealing with that pretty much non-stop until it's done.  Soooo....saute vegetables with bacon bits and seasonings, then set aside.  Make sure all cheeses are shredded and ready to go, then set aside.  Make sure your regular milk is on the counter next to the stove, ready to go.  Put pasta and evaporated milk in a pot and turn heat on medium-low (the original suggested a setting of 4 on a numbered dial...I think if I do this again, I might crank it up a little, because oh.my.god. this took forever).  You'll need to stir the pasta nearly constantly to keep the milk from burning, adding regular milk as needed to keep the sauce from getting excessively thick.  The original recipe said it should be done in 10-15 minutes...in reality, I was at my stove for almost 35 minutes, stirring away.  When pasta is tender (try a piece to make sure!), add vegetables and cheeses.  Stir to melt and add milk as necessary to adjust consistency of sauce.  When everything is heated through, you're all set and ready to serve.  I'll let you know how it turns out when I do the recipe update in a week or two!

Cheese and Nut Stuffed Shells...

Well, I'm back to giving a vegetarian option a shot.  I do that once in a blue moon.  And once in a blue moon out of THOSE blue moons, I actually don't miss the meat.  I have a feeling this is gonna be one of those times :)  I found this on...drumroll please...Pinterest.  I know, I know.  Shocking, isn't it?  I've never made stuffed shells, because I always thought it sounded like a major pain in the butt.  In reality, it was an extra step, but it really wasn't all that much hassle...I'd deal with it again if this winds up tasting as good as it looks :)  The original recipe for these stuffed shells can be found at Better Homes and Gardens.  Here goes:

Cheese and Nut Stuffed Shells
6 servings - 549 calories each

Ingredients
24 dry jumbo pasta shells (make a few extra, in case some tear when you're cooking them)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 - 15oz. tub ricotta
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1 c. shredded parmesan
1 c. walnuts
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Seasonings, to taste
1 - 26 oz. jar pasta sauce (I used a Vodka sauce...yum!)

Directions
Cook shells according to package directions.  When shells are done, drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, 1 c. mozzarella, 3/4 c. parmesan, walnuts, and seasonings.  In the bottom of a 9x13" pan, pour about 1 c. of the pasta sauce.  Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of filling, and then place in pan.  Pour remaining sauce over shells, and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovering for the last 5-10 minutes.  This looks soooo good...can't wait to actually have some.  I'll make sure to let you know how it turns out when I do the recipe update in a couple weeks!

No Peek Beef Tips...

Finally!  New meals again!  Things in Des Moines are finally settling in...I've got some semblance of a routine, I'm figuring out where things are, I'm getting my budget locked in...we're gettin' there.  So I've finally had some time to devote to Pinterest again to find some new recipes!  Woot!  First up, No Peek Beef Tips (the original recipe is at Mommy's Kitchen ).  So the big added bonus of this recipe was that it literally took 5 minutes to throw everything together and get it in the oven.  I'm pretty sure it took longer to preheat the oven than it did to put it together.  And it would've taken even less time than that if I hadn't decided to add half an onion that needed to be chopped up.  PLUS, it easily made an extra serving more than I anticipated, and probably could've been split up to get a total of 10 servings if you wanted to add a crescent roll or something.  Here's the details:

No Peek Beef Tips
9 servings - 408 calories each

Ingredients
2 lbs. stew meat
1 packet dry brown gravy mix (I used low sodium)
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 - 4oz. can of mushrooms, drained
1 c. ginger ale
1/2 onion, chopped
Seasonings, to taste
1 lb. pasta (I used Farfalle)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Put meat in a 9x13 inch pan.  In a separate bowl, stir together gravy mix, onion soup mix, mushroom soup, and ginger ale.  Put chopped onion and mushrooms on top of meat.  Add soup mixture and seasonings.  Stir until meat is coated.  Cover with foil, and bake 3 hours (do not open foil during cooking!).  When beef tips are done, cook pasta per package instructions.  Serve tips on top of pasta (or mixed in, if you're going to be freezing and thawing...it makes reheating a little more predictable).  I'll be doing a recipe update with how everything turned out this month in a couple of weeks.  That's all for this one!

Spicy Sausage Pasta...

Well, I found this recipe on one of my recent (and incredibly brief) visits to Pinterest.  The picture looked beautiful, and I gotta say, I'm a sucker for beautiful food.  I can't help but think my blog would probably be more popular if I bothered to learn anything about food photography, but hey...I'm busy...maybe someday when I retire...when I'm 105 or so.  So yeah, don't hold your breath for that :)  Anyway, the original recipe can be found at kevin {&} amanda.  I adjusted to get a little more out of it, because as a general rule, I like to get 6-8 servings out of a meal for the month, and the original only made 4.  Plus the original called for a pound of sausage in 4 servings...I like smoked sausage, but yeow...that's a lot.  So, there were a few adjustments.  The recipe as I made it is as follows:

Spicy Sausage Pasta
8 servings - 412 calories

Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 package smoked sausage
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
1- 10oz. can Rotel (Tomatoes and Green Chiles - Mild)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. pasta (I used Penne)
1 c. shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/3 c. diced green onions

Directions
Saute sausage and onions on medium high for 4-6 minutes until onions begin to soften.  Add garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds or so till it gets fragrant.  Add broth, tomatoes, cream, and pasta and bring to a boil.  Turn down to low/med. low and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until pasta is cooked through.  Add cheese and green onions and stir as cheese melts.  And that's it...voila!

I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 512 calories.  Also, I forgot to take a picture of the portioned out servings before I ate one for lunch (whoops!), so no pic for that...sorry!  You get the idea :)

Asparagus and Ham Casserole....

You can find the original for this recipe at myrecipe.  The picture looked super, and the ingredients list sounded promising, so I decided to give it a go.  Here's the recipe:

Asparagus and Ham Casserole
6 servings - 250 calories each

Ingredients
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
3 3/4 c. extra broad, uncooked, egg noodles
2 1/2 c. sliced asparagus
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
3/4 c. diced onion
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 T. grated parmesan
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions
Cook pasta 7 minutes in boiling water, add asparagus for 1 minutes, then drain.  Place flour and seasonings in a bowl, and slowly add milk and broth, whisking until combined.  Saute onion in butter until tender, then add milk/flour mixture and cook until thick, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Combine sauce, pasta, and ham in a large casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and parmesan, and bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe Recap
This was alright.  It tasted fine, but I think egg noodles were the wrong choice for the pasta...it's not dense enough and doesn't hold up very well.  Also, I think it wound up being way too much asparagus.  I like asparagus, but dang...it was a lot of asparagus for being part of a pasta dish.  It just wasn't particularly well balanced.  It tasted good, but not great, and I don't think I'd bother making it again without some serious tweaking.

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Mac & Cheese...

Mmmm...pasta.  If I could only pick one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Italian, for the sheer quantity of pasta possibilities.  And it doesn't get much more comfort food than Mac & Cheese...especially if you throw bacon in!  If you also throw in the fact that this particular recipe was found at EatBetterAmerica and therefore isn't horrendously bad for you, AND the calories are already calculated, it's pretty much perfect.  This turned out looking really delicious.  I didn't sample ANY of my recipes while I was cooking this time, so I'll have to let you know how it tastes when I do my update later in the month.  I wound up getting 10 servings out of this instead of the 12 listed on the original, which I reflected in the calories I have listed here.  I also discovered I apparently don't have the patience and/or attention span to caramelize onions.  I burned the crap out of part of them, and then spent the next 20 minutes trying to salvage what was left.  I'll put the instructions as they were listed on the original website, but just know that part is untested by me, because I ran out to walk the dogs and then got distracted and it all went downhill from there.  Here goes:

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Mac & Cheese
10 servings - 324 calories each

(You'll notice the would be "caramelized" onions in the pic..forgot to take one till after)

Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
1 lb. uncooked penne rigate pasta
1 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 c. skim milk (I may have cheated and used 2%...I don't like cooking with skim)
1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream
1/2 c. Gruyere (I used a Sargento artisan blend of Swiss and Gruyere, cuz I didn't feel like grating)
2-3 T. bacon bits
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
2-3 T. fresh basil, minced

Directions
**Put onions in a hot skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.  Turn heat down to medium low, and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until deep golden brown.**  Set onions aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add flour, salt, pepper, and dijon mustard.  Stir until incorporated and smooth.  Add milk slowly, ensuring flour mixture is incoporated and not clumping.  Heat until boiling, stirring constantly, and leave at a boil for 1 minutes.  Add sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits.  Mix into drained pasta, and put entire mixture into a casserole dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Top with panko and basil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, just until all heated through.  Note: this does NOT brown the breadcrums, nor is it supposed to (I'm really glad they put that in the original recipe, or I would've been really confused).

I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 424 calories per serving.

Tortellini with Walnut & Mascarpone Sauce...

So I had a massive math error on this one when I was originally figuring it out.  I remember thinking at the time that it didn't sound quite right (but it was late and I was tired, so alas), so I sat down and entered everything into CalorieKing.com again today before making it.  Sure enough, I miscalculated on the walnuts pretty substatially...I'm not sure how, but I was definitely off.  Sooooo...contrary to the menu plan, this dish will now be SIX servings instead of four and 511 calories instead of 470...whoops!  :)  Anyway, it seemed to have all worked out as far as portion size, etc., so it's all good.  I think I stumbled on this recipe on FoodGawker, although it could have been Pinterest...it's all starting to blur together this month.  The original is found on Kayotic Kitchen (which will be used for THREE recipes this month, if you can believe it...she's got some good looking stuff on there!).  The whole "Kayotic" thing was sort of ironic, since once I got into the recipe, there were some dramatically different measurements reflected in the ingredients list than were referenced in the actual body of the recipe.  I went with whatever looked right to me and/or what I actually had on hand.  I would normally have used a spinach tortellini, but again, as my sister will be in town, I skipped the spinach in order to avoid an accidental trip to the ER.  I also doubled the recipe (the measurements I actually used are reflected in my recipe below), as the original recipe was intended to be a side dish, and I'm making entree portions.  Anyway, here we go:

Tortellini with Walnut & Mascarpone Sauce
6 Servings, 511 Calories each

Ingredients
- 1 med. onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 oz. walnuts
- 2 - 9oz. pkg. tortellini
- 2 oz. shredded parmesan
- 1 T. olive oil
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Flat leaf parsley, to taste

Directions
Toast walnuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes to bring out the flavor, and then run through food processor/chopper; set aside.  Mix together mascarpone, parmesan, and parsley; set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions (don't forget to salt the water).  While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet to med/med-high.  Add onions and garlic and cook until tender (I browned mine a little, which I hadn't intended to do, but I got distracted for a couple minutes by a phonecall, and let them go a tiny bit too long...either way, it'll be fine).  Add mascarpone mixture, and stir until melted and combined with onions/garlic.  Stir in walnuts.  Mix in drained pasta and enjoy!

This looks really tasty...I tried a little bit of the sauce and really liked it.  I think the portion size will be fine...I was a little worried when I made it into two extra servings to keep the calories semi-reasonable, but it looks like it'll be plenty.  I'll let ya know how it all turns out :)

Penne Rosa with Chicken...

Well, it's that time again...time for a month's worth of cooking in an afternoon!  Woot!  There are a couple of unusual things about this month: 

1) Calories are a little higher than I typically plan for (still not unreasonable for a lunch or dinner, but higher than normal)...partly because I had a mathematical error on the Tortellini with Walnut & Mascarpone (posted later), partly because I found some recipes that I really wanted to try (calories be damned), and partly because I've been finding myself more prone to snacking between meals lately, and I'm hoping having something a little more substantial will curb the urge to snack...those snacks add up!

2) I found myself substituting a quite a bit for recipes this month.  Chicken for shrimp (I have a texture issue with shrimp...I know, I'm crazy), swiss chard for spinach (my sister's visiting this weekend and she's deathly allergic to spinach, so I prefer not to have it in the house at all when she's here to avoid potential disasters), etc. etc.  Before I started this whole cooking en masse thing, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to substitute (I love me a good recipe...I'm great at following directions!), but the further along I get, the more comfortable I'm feeling with it.

That said, this was one of the recipes I altered most.  I found the original at Back to Her Roots.  It featured spinach and shrimp, so if you're not deathly allergic to spinach and you don't have a massive texture issue with shrimp, I highly recommend you try the original.  lol :)  It looked delicious in the pics, and the calories were pretty reasonable, so I knew I wanted to make it this month!  Here's the recipe:

Penne Rosa with Chicken
6 servings, 375 calories each

Ingredients
- 12 oz. whole wheat penne
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 med. tomatoes, chopped
- 4 c. swiss chard, roughly chopped
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast tenderloins
- 1/2 c. pasta sauce
- 1/3 c. Greek Yogurt (0% plain)
- 1/4 c. shredded parmesan
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions
Cook penne according to package directions (skip the salt and/or any oil they suggest to add).  In a large skillet (one that you have a lid for!) over medium high, heat the olive oil.  Add chicken (seasoned to taste) and sear on each side.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings and let cook down until chicken is tender and vegetables have released liquid.  You could leave the chicken pieces whole, since they're pretty small, but I just grabbed two forks and pulled mine apart into smaller pieces in the pan.  Add in swiss chard and cover to let wilt for 2-3 minutes.  Turn heat to low.  Stir in drained pasta, greek yogurt, and pasta sauce.  Top with shredded parmesan for serving.

I thought the portion size was fine to not need any other side with it, although if you wanted to squeeze 8 portions out of it, you could add some garlic bread or some other side dish pretty easily.  It looks and smells delicious, but I restrained myself from tasting it...we'll see when I heat up my first portion in a couple of days.  As always, I'll update sometime mid-month to let you know how it turned out!

Pasta Alfredo...

Okay, so this Pasta Alfredo is actually sort of my thing.  It was the first thing (and one of the very few things) I ever really made without a recipe...a creation of what was in the house a few years back when I didn't feel like going to the grocery store.  Honestly, it's barely a recipe, and probably barely counts as actual cooking, but oh well.  lol :)  It's easy, tasty, and reheats well...and that's the main thing.  It was a staple for the first few months I was doing these freezer meals, but I hadn't made it in quite a while.  I like it because it's really easy to swap in and out ingredients based on what you have.  I've made it before and added ham, or bacon, or mushrooms...whatever you like.  For today, just peas...because I love peas, and I don't need much of an excuse to add them to my dinner :)  Here we go:

Pasta Alfredo
6 servings, 405 calories each

Ingredients

- 2 sm. packages tortellini (I used Buitoni chicken & prosciutto this time, but I've used all sorts of different kinds...both fresh and dry)



- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- 1 c. frozen peas
- 1 T. olive oil
- Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions (Add 1 T. of olive oil to water to keep from sticking).  Drain pasta and return to pot.  On low heat, add alfredo sauce, seasonings, and peas.  Leave over heat until heated through.  And that's it!

I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 505 calories per serving.  It's a little bit higher calories than I normally do for these (actually this whole month is a little higher than normal...but hey, you only live once, right?), but it's worth it :)  Enjoy!

Farmer's Market Pasta...

I adore pasta.  I would probably eat it for every single meal if it wasn't so dang calorie-intensive.  The interesting thing about this one is that it's sort of a light and summery pasta.  It doesn't seem as heavy as most of the sauce-laden ones out there.  Because of this, I'm a little apprehensive about the reheating...we'll see how that goes (and I'll update on here when I know).  However, even if it doesn't work out long-term as a freezer meal (hopefully it does), I'll definitely make it again.  I think it'd be awesome for a little summer dinner party...in the original recipe on Pinch of Yum they made it in individual ramekins, which would be so dang cute for having people over, I can't even stand it!  I went ahead and just made it in a casserole dish, since it's just for me and I was splitting it up anyway.   The one caveat I have, is that my version isn't quite as farmer's market-like as the original, since the original intent was to have everything fresh, and that just isn't feasible for me on a normal day (maybe for that dinner party though).  Aaaand, I forgot to take a before picture again AND forgot about the portioned picture too until well after it was in the freezer, so I didn't bother (geez!)...sorry :)  So, here we go:

Farmer's Market Pasta (the not-so-farmer's-markety-version)
4 servings - 330 calories each

**Please note, there should be frozen peas in this picture, but I forgot...it was a weird day**

Ingredients:

1 c. peas (I used frozen, but fresh would be good too if you want to cook them up)

2 c. dry pasta (I used the little shells)

1/4 c. reserved pasta water

1/2 T butter

3/4 c. ricotta or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. parmesan, shredded

1/3 c. + 1/4. c. mozzarella, shredded

1 tsp. olive oil

fresh torn basil (I used about 4 big leaves)

Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta until al dente and then drain (reserving 1/4 c. of pasta water as mentioned above).  Toss in butter and peas.  While pasta is cooking, mix together cottage cheese (or ricotta), garlic, olive oil and seasonings.  (At this point in the original recipe, they said to put this mixture in the food processor till smooth.  I chose not to do that, because I was feeling lazy and my food processor was buried in the cabinet.  Feel free to try it either way...I don't think it made a big difference).  Stir in parmesan, 1/3 c. mozzarella, and basil.  Add this mixture and the 1/4 c. reserved pasta water back into the pasta, and mix.  Top with additional 1/4 c. mozzarella and broil for 5-6 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown a little at the edges.

So I'll be serving this with a crescent roll (I know...a lot of crescent rolls...I love bread though, I just like to have it with my meals whenever possible...and they're the easiest thing to throw in) for a total of 430 calories per serving.

One Pot Spaghetti...

First off, I would like to say, I misjudged the servings this recipe makes when I did my meal plan.  I guess I hadn't made it for a quite a while and overestimated.  It's only 6 servings, not 8, so the calories are a little more indulgent than I originally thought, but as far as I'm concerned it's totally worth it.  loL :)  BUT, I figured I better at least get that out there...full disclosure and all that jazz.

That said, this spaghetti was a staple of my childhood.  It's about the easiest thing you can make, and you really will only dirty ONE pot.  So, awesome in my book.  I will also say, this recipe messed me up on my spaghetti preferences for life though.  To this day, I in no way understand why anyone would want a pile of spaghetti noodles with sauce dumped on top when you could have the pasta COOKED in sauce, so the flavor is all the way through.  So, without further ado, here we go :)

One Pot Spaghetti
6 servings - 513 calories each

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 1/2 jars of water
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 7-8 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
- Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in the pot you'll be using for the final spaghetti.  (If you get lean enough hamburger, you do not need to drain it after it's cooked, so save yourself a step!)  Add all other ingredients and simmer until pasta is done.  Add parmesan cheese if desired.

And that's it!  Pretty simple, right?  So there's no side dish or biscuit or anything with this one, since the calories are already a little high.  So it's just six servings of spaghetti at 513 calories each total :)

Beef Noodle Casserole...

Okay, so this beef noodle casserole has been a go-to since I discovered it on Kraft's website shortly after I started doing this whole monthly meals thing.  It's probably not the most exciting thing to eat, but it's good comfort food that you get a good-sized helping of.  So, here goes:

Beef Noodle Casserole
8 servings - 331 Calories Each

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 c. egg noodles, uncooked
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables (peas, green beans, carrots, corn, etc.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Brown meat with onions & drain.  Spoon meat/onion mixture over noodles in 13x9 inch baking dish.  Top with vegetables.  Whisk soup, milk & water until blended; pour over vegetables.  Top with cheese.  Cover (make sure to tent the foil).  Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, uncovering after 25 minutes.

I'm getting 8 servings out of this, although you could probably get 10 if you wanted to.  I'll also be serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 431 calories each.

McCoy Lasagna...

I'm not certain that this lasagna recipe is unique to our household, but I DO know that everytime I make it for someone, they look me like I just fell off the back of a truck on its way to the loony bin. It's non-traditional lasagna, for sure. But I can ALSO say, that every last one of those people who looked at me like I was nuts while I was making it wound up loving it...and most asked for the recipe afterwards. So...yeah. I prefer it to more traditional lasagna with ricotta. Plus it's easier and faster. And I LOVE easier and faster...it's my favorite thing :)

McCoy Lasagna
8 servings, 435 calories each

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. ground beef (the leaner the better...I use 95%)
- 1 can peas
- 1 tub cottage cheese
- 1 bag shredded cheddar
- 1 bag shredded mozzarella
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 pkg. dry lasagna noodles (you're really only using 8 or 9 noodles)
- Seasonings (your preference)

Directions:

Brown the ground beef on the stovetop. Add pasta sauce and seasonings to ground beef (here's where the lean part comes in...if you didn't use super lean, you'll need to drain it first...save yourself a step!) and simmer 10-15 minutes. Now it's time to start layering!




















1st Layer - Dry Noodles....yes, you read that right...dry...we're keeping it fast and easy here!




















2nd Layer - 1/2 of ground beef mixture
3rd Layer - Cottage Cheese (to taste)
4th Layer - Peas (to taste...do not drain peas...the extra liquid is important for helping cook the noodles)
5th Layer - 1/2 bag of shredded cheddar
6th Layer - 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella
Repeat Layers

Do yourself a favor and put the whole pan on top of a cookie sheet...I promise you from experience, it's no fun if it cooks over in your oven. Cover with foil (make sure to tent the foil, or you'll just melt it into all of your cheese) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. And whatever you do, make sure to let it cool before you cut it, or it's going to be a mess!

It's a good size portion, so I'm not adding a side to this one. Enjoy :)

Tuna Noodle Casserole...

There's always going to be those classic dishes from your childhood that are go-to comfort food items.  For me, tuna noodle casserole is right up there on that list.  I've been harassed on previous occasions about the use of too much processed food in this meal, but you know what?  I don't care.  lol :)  It's yummy, the calories aren't too bad, and it's not like I'm eating it three meals a day, so whatever!  One sidebar before the recipe:  1) Normally I use Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup, but I completely forgot when I was ordering my groceries.  It's good either way, but it's nice to have the extra boost of flavor.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
6 Servings, 310 Calories Each

Ingredients:

- 1 Box Mac & Cheese
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/4 c. Margaine
- 1/4 c. Milk
- 1 Can Peas, drained
- Seasonings (I usually add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes)

Directions:
Prepare mac & cheese according to package instructions (cook it to the low end of the recommended time, because it'll be going into the oven afterwards).  Into prepared mac & cheese, mix in cream of mushroom soup, peas, and seasonings.  Bake at 350 degrees for about a half an hour, or until the edges are bubbling and it starts to brown a little bit on top. 

As I said in my meal plan post, I'll be serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 410 calories :)