Italian Crescent Casserole

This is super-excellently-tasty. Oh, and easy. Went fast at my house. The crescent roll website has some nice recipes, btw...

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/crescents

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup basil & garlic pasta sauce
A couple pinches chopped basil
8oz (1 can) crescent rolls
Cheese (mozzarella, Italian blend, etc.)


Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

In medium-large skillet, brown ground beef with garlic. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in pasta sauce.

Meanwhile, arrange crescent rolls around a pie pan, so the shortest side is just touching the bottom of the pan, and the long tip is hanging out over the edge. Fill pie pan with beef/sauce mix. Cover with cheese if desired, and then take the long tip ends and meet them all in the middle (see pic).

Bake ~20 minutes until golden brown.

Mexican Lasagna Rolls

So good...

Ingredients

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 20 oz jar salsa
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 16oz package cottage cheese
1 jar queso (15oz or less)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Boil lasagna noodles.

Line a casserole dish with a layer of salsa to prevent sticking.

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain and return to skillet. Stir taco seasoning well into the beef. Once seasoning is mixed into the beef, stir cottage cheese into the beef well.

When lasagna noodles are done, carefully remove and lay flat - helps to lay them on parchment or wax paper while you're filling them. Spoon a layer of the beef/cottage cheese mix along each noodle, and roll into a spiral...well, roll.

Fill the pan with the rolls and top with salsa and queso, if desired. Cover loosly with foil and bake about 10-15 minutes or so, until queso is melted.

Justin's with melty queso

Mine...yeah, we got new plates...thanks Mom! :)

BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

Man, it's been awhile since I posted something...the pic didn't turn out as good as it tasted...

Ingredients

4 large potatoes
1 lb ground beef
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 cup bbq sauce
Cheese of choice


Directions

Bake potatoes - about an hour on 350.

About 20 minutes before the potatoes are done, begin browning the ground beef with onion in medium-large skillet. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in bbq sauce and let simmer on low 5-10 minutes, or until potatoes are finished.

Cut open potatoes and stuff with beef. Top with cheese if desired.

Chili Casserole

For someone who claims she doesn't "like chili," I really liked this...

Ingredients

8oz elbow noodles (~1/2 box)
1/2 lb ground beef
~1/4 medium onion, chopped
15.5oz can vegetarian chili
15oz canned corn, drained
2 Tablespoons tabasco sauce
1 Tablespoon chili seasoning
Cheddar cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 300.

Boil noodles and begin browning ground beef with onion in medium skillet.

Meanwhile in large bowl, mix together chili, corn, tabasco, and chili seasoning. When noodles and beef are finished, drain and add to bowl of chili. Mix well.

Transfer to casserole dish and top with cheese if desired. Bake 20 minutes. Serve with some tasty garlic bread!

Thai Pork w/Satay Sauce

So, I have a few more recipe faves to post, but I'll be going on hiatus here shortly...gettin serious about my diet and exercise program :) Oh, and sorry about the lack of pic for this one...

Ingredients

6-8oz. noodles of choice, or rice (I just went with spaghetti)

Satay sauce/marinade:

1/4 cup peanut butter
~1/4 onion
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coriander
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed

1-2 bell peppers, green and/or red, chunked


Directions

Stir together the 9 marinade ingredients and add pork. Cover in fridge for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin to cook noodles or rice.

Cook pork with sauce and peppers in large skillet, covered, on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently. Serve over noodles or rice when pork is cooked and sauce has thickened.

Stovetop Pizza

Take what you like on your pizza and throw it in a pan with some cooked noodles and pizza sauce! Why the heck not. Here's my version...

Ingredients

8oz tri-color spiral noodles
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
~15 slices pepperoni, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli
~7oz (half of a can) diced tomatoes, drained
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in large skillet on medium heat, cook bacon. When it's almost done, add pepperoni and garlic. When bacon is finished, drain all on some papertowels and return to pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in green pepper, broccoli, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cover and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or so, until veggies begin to tender.

Stir in pasta and pizza sauce and heat thru. Top with cheese if desired and serve!

Makes about 4 servings.

Mine

and Justin's

Ring of Taco

I love Mexican-inspired dishes - who doesn't?

If you're familiar with Pampered Chef items and recipes, then you've probably heard of 'ring' bakes. If you haven't...google it so I don't have to explain it :) This taco ring is one of my faves! Use a baking pan or a large casserole dish if you don't have a ring...that's what I do!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn
8oz package crescent rolls

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 (or according to your crescent roll package directions), and begin cooking your rice.

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain and return to pan. Stir in taco seasoning until evenly distributed. Stir in black beans, salsa, corn, and rice - heat thru.

Unroll the crescent rolls and form a ring with the short ends connected slightly. Fill the body of the rolls with the beef mix and extend the pointed end of the rolls over the body. Press to connect - these are going to be very full, so gently stretch the rolls out a bit to lengthen.

Bake according to package directions until golden brown. Serve taco wedges with sour cream, lots o salsa, lettuce, cheese, or whatever your taco itch desires.

yeah, I line my bakeware