Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad

The recipe for this pasta salad comes from my mom. I’ve never seen it written down anywhere and I’m not sure where it originates from but it’s great. 

When my mother made this salad is was as a side dish. Usually we would have this in the summertime with club sandwiches for dinner. A couple weeks ago my husband and I were at a local restaurant that had a Ranch Chicken Sandwich on the menu. That inspired me to try making this recipe with chicken. Turns out that like I suspected it is delicious.   

To make this easy recipe you can use just about any type of pasta you have on hand. I like to use a tri-colored spiral pasta because I think it looks pretty. But if you have elbow or penne that would be fine too. 

If you are looking for a great side dish for you summer barbques just emliinate the chicken and follow the directions as posted. You won’t be disappointed. This is really the easy to make and it's yummy too. 

Recipe

What you’ll need

One package (16 oz.) of  tri-colored pasta

One package (1 oz.) of ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup frozen green peas

Putting it all together

Prepare pasta according to directions

In a small bowl combine at least half package of ranch dressing mix (this is really a matter of personal choice you might like more Ranch flavor or less Ranch flavor than I do) with mayonnaise

Once pasta is cooked allow it to cool for a few minutes before combining with mayonnaise and frozen peas in a medium bowl. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.

Cover bowl and allow to chill at least 3 hours (overnight is best) 

That’s all there is to it!

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne

Brownie Cookies

I’m just going to say it... I love Brownies. More to the point I love the Brownies from the corners and edges of the pan. I mean who doesn't, right? 

Well, these Brownie Cookies are just like having a corner piece every time. They are a little crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey in middle. In a word they are fantastic.

These cookies are absolutely delicious and bake up in just ten minutes. To make them you will combine a boxed Brownie mix with flour, cooking oil and eggs. 

These ingredients make a really thick batter; thicker than typical Brownie mix.  I think it’s best to mix the oil and eggs together with a fork in a separate bowl. Then work it into the batter slowly while stirring. Adding the liquid a little at a time makes it easier to stir but it’s not necessary. You can just dump it all in a bowl if you want. There is no right or wrong way.

I spooned the dough on to a large cookie sheet that I covered with parchment paper but an ungreased cookie sheet will do just fine. I like using the parchment paper to make cleaning up faster but an ungreased cookie sheet will do just fine. 

 Because the dough is so thick I recommend a cookie scoop to make spooning the dough out quicker. If you don’t use a scoop you’ll need to spoon out the dough or pinch it off and roll into a ball with your hands.

Once I have the dough spooned out I like to sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.  I think it makes the cookies look pretty and it gives them a little extra touch of sweet flavor. The powdered sugar is optional; these cookies are delicious either way.

Recipe

What You’ll Need

1 box Brownie mix

1 cup All-purpose Flour

3 eggs

1/3 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Putting It All Together

Preheat oven to 350

Combine brownie mix, flour, eggs and oil

Scoop with cookie scoop or pinch off a small amount of batter and roll into a ball.

Set cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for 8-10 minutes

Sprinkle top with powdered sugar (optional)

Remove cookies and let cool on a wire rack

Happy Baking Y’all!

 Susanne

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Easy Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

Here in the South Macaroni and Cheese is considered a vegetable. Well not really vegetable but I've seen it listed with the vegetables in menus my whole life. It’s just one of those quirky things we do down here that confuses the rest of the country.

                                                                             

This recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is so good you’ll never buy that stuff in the box again. It's an easy recipe to make and only takes a few minutes to prepare. 

Another great thing about this version of Macaroni and Cheese is you probably have most if not all of the ingredients already. The elbow pasta can easily be exchanged for penne and the cheddar could be swapped for Colby Monterrey Jack. This gives you a budget friendly way to make this dish anytime.

Recipe

What You’ll Need

8 oz. of Elbow shaped pasta

¼ cup of all-purpose flour

2 cups of milk

2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons of butter

Putting It All Together

Preheat oven to 350⁰

Prepare pasta according to package directions

In a bowl mix flour, milk, and butter whisking until well combined

Add half of the cheese to bowl and continue to whisk until cheese is mixed with other ingredients

Drain pasta and pour into a greased casserole dish

Pour mixture on top of pasta (you might have to give it a little stir to spread it out evenly)

Cover with remaining cheese

Bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes 

Like this recipe? Follow me on Facebook for lots of recipes and ideas that your family will love. 

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne

Looking for more great recipes?

Rotel Chicken Pasta

Fast and Easy Quesadillas

Let’s Pin together. Follow me on Pinterest. 

                            

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that I can’t pass up when I see it on a restaurant menu. I love the creamy texture and rich flavor.

I know a lot of people think making risotto is complicated. I admit it can be but this version is not. It is actually really easy and ideal for a quick weeknight dinner. 

Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with rice and broth. Depending on the flavor of your recipe you might use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock. For the majority of risotto recipes I tried you add the broth in slowly while stirring almost constantly for 30 to 45 minutes.

For this recipe you will cook the rice in chicken broth. This eliminates the constant stirring plus cooking the rice this way gives it extra flavor.

I jokingly call this recipe Risotto for Dummies (or Geniuses). The Hubby just calls it good. Either way I hope you’ll try the recipe and love it as much as we do.

Do you cook with Rice often? If yes what’s your favorite rice recipe? Let me know by commenting below.

What You’ll Need

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups of Instant White Rice (or Arborio or Carnaroli rice)*see note in directions

Chicken stock

1/2 cup diced onion

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soup

1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms

1 tablespoon butter

½ tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Putting it all together

Prepare rice according to package directions (*prepare following package directions substituting water for chicken stock)

In a large skillet over medium high heat melt butter and brown chicken breast cooking about ten minutes on each side or until chicken is well browned

Remove chicken from skillet and shred

Return chicken to skillet stir in soup, mushrooms, onion and shredded chicken cover and cook until onions are transparent chicken is cooked through

Add rice and cheese to skillet and stir until well combined

Turn off heat and allow to stand for five minutes 

Like this recipe? Follow me on Facebook for lots of recipes and ideas that your family will love. 

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne

Looking for more great recipes featuring rice? 

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole 

Ritzy Chicken

Let’s Pin together. Follow me on Pinterest. 

Easter in the Foyer

Spring has sprung! It’s finally here and I’m so excited! No more snow. No more cold weather. Soon, I’ll be dusting off my favorite sandals. Are you as excited as I am?

To celebrate I picked up a bunch of fresh flowers at the grocery store last night.  Today I decided they would look great on the foyer table.

                                               

 Recently this guy suffered a broken ear. I repaired it using superglue but the crack was very obvious.  I decided to chance a little paint to see if I could camouflage the crack. Thankfully  the paint covered the broken part beautifully. I added a little green and white gingham ribbon and he’s ready to celebrate Easter.

 Do you decorate your home for holidays other than Christmas? If yes which is your favorite?

Happy Spring Y’all!

Susanne

Oven Roasted Sausage and Potatoes

Growing up I had an uncle that was a grill master. I’m not kidding. If it could be cooked on a grill he could do it and it was always delicious. One of my favorite things he grilled was always Kielbasa. I loved the smoky goodness of it. That fact has never changed. One thing that has changed over the years is the range of recipes that I’ve added to my arsenal that use smoked sausage as an ingredient.

Kielbasa is a versatile ingredient. I usually keep some on hand in my refrigerator or freezer. In a pinch it can be sliced and tossed in a skillet or on a grill pan for a fast fix. Serve with eggs and toast for a breakfast or a quick, easy dinner.

Another great thing about Kielbasa (or Polish Sausage or Smoked Sausage whatever you want to call it) is that it’s inexpensive. That’s a definite bonus if you’re watching your budget.

For this recipe you’re going to need one package of Kielbasa sausage and two to three potatoes. I use regular baking potatoes but if you have a bag of smaller potatoes then you might want to add one or two more the recipe.

When I make this recipe I always peel the potatoes. It’s a personal choice. My husband likes the flavor and texture of  potato skins. As I general rule I like my potatoes peeled but I make few exceptions like loaded potato skins or natural cut fries. For this recipe the choice is totally up to you. I think it will turn out fine either way. Just be sure to wash the potatoes really well if you’re not peeling them.

You probably noticed in this picture I covered my casserole dish in two layers of foil. I recommend you do the same. You'll have to stir this as it's cooking. So just in case you tear the foil the second layer will keep you from having a mess.  Trust me you’ll thank me when you’re doing the dishes.

Recipe (makes 4 servings*)

What You’ll Need

1 package of smoked sausage
1 large onion
3-4 large potatoes (adjust accordingly) 

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. thyme
½ cupped shredded sharp cheddar

Putting it all together

Preheat the oven to 400⁰.

Line a 9x13 casserole dish with foil drizzle with a bit of oil. Coat pan and set aside.

Put the sausage rounds, onions and potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss by hand or stir with spoon until well coated.

 Season with 1/2 teaspoon paprika and  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and a cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Again toss or stir until well coated.

Pour mixture into prepared 9x13 casserole dish 

Place into the heated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour stirring every 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Once the potatoes are cooked add another handful of cheese to the top and put in the oven until cheese is melted.

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Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne

                 

Baked Penne Pasta

It's a story we've all heard before -- girl loves pasta, girl loves cheese, girl finds recipe that combines her two greatest loves.  Okay... okay so maybe my greatest loves aren't really pasta and cheese, BUT they are pretty high on my list. 

 

I saw this pasta dish on All Recipes I made a few changes to the original (my mom says that's called making it your own) to make it easier to prepare. Of course I added more cheese. This recipe got my Hubby's stamp of approval. I guess that makes this new entree a keeper. 

Recipe

What You’ll Need:

1 pound ground beef

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1 jar of marinara sauce (I used Paul Newman’s Own)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 box of penne pasta
1 cup Italian Blend Cheese (can substitute mozzarella or provolone)
1 cup cheddar or Colby Monetary Jack
Salt and Pepper

Putting It All together:

Prepare pasta according to directions

Sauce:
In a medium sauce pan combine ingredients over medium heat
Combine one jar of marinara sauce (brand of your choice) with 
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano 
Salt and Pepper to taste
Stir well and cover; stir occasionally while cooking

Beef:  

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the Olive Oil and then heat up over medium high heat
Once oil is warm add in bell pepper and onions allow to cook until onion begin to change to clear
Add beef and brown until done

 In a 9x13 casserole dish layer pasta (drained but not rinsed) and half of the beef, and 1 cup of Italian Blend Cheese.

In a 9x13 casserole dish layer pasta (drained but not rinsed) and half of the beef, and 1 cup of Italian Blend Cheese.

Next pour on the sauce. Then add the next layer of ground beef.

                           

                      Next pour on the sauce. Then add the next layer of ground beef.

Then add the next layer of ground beef.

Then cover the entire thing in MORE cheese -- time Colby and Monetary Jack Cheese.

I serve this pasta dish with a fresh green salad, and crispy bread. I like to put a little dish of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar on the table for dipping. Besides being delicious, this dish was really easy to make and filling, a great week night meal. 

Happy Cooking Y'all! 

Susanne