Chili Mac

Need a quick, cheap and hearty comfort food that fills you up and tastes great? Well, this Chili Mac receipe might be your new best friend! 

I literally threw this together on a whim and the kids couldn’t get enough it! 

The stuff you need: 

1 lb ground chucked, browned and drained 

1 16 oz bag of rigatoni, cooked 

10 oz of canned chili w/no beans (I used Wolff) 

1/2 of a 32 oz block of velvetta cheese, cubed 

3/4 cup of milk (May add more depending on consistency) 

Seasonings of your liking to season the beef 

What to do: 

 Brown the ground chuck and season to your liking (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder). Drain.  At the same time boil your rigatoni.  After you drain your beef add about 10 oz of canned chili.  (I used 1/2 of a 19 oz can of Wolff chili with no beans).  Let that start simmering.  Start cubing your velvetta cheese and add it to your beef and chili mixture.  Stir occasionally until cheese is melted.  Drain your noodles once they are done.  Add your cheesy beef and chili mixture to your noodles and stir.  Easy, right? Enjoy! 

Now, off to hockey practice! 

Chili Mac

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Yesterday, as I was getting my meals planned for the week, I realized I had failed to blog a very delicious Broccoli and Cheese Soup that my family absolutely loves.  I have some broccoli that I need to use that I got from Bountiful Baskets last week, which is how this soup landed its way onto our current menu.  This soup is a delicious blend of broccoli and cheese, and topped with some croutons, you will definitely find yourself going back for seconds!

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
WHAT IT TAKES:
1 LB Velveeta Cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup milk
16 oz of frozen broccoli (thawed).  *you can also use fresh broccoli

OPTIONAL TOPPING:  Croutons

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH EASIER THAN THIS:
Mix all of the ingredients into the CrockPot.  Cook on low for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.  If soup seems too thick, you can add a little more milk to thin. Spoon into your favorite soup bowl, top with croutons if desired, and enjoy!

 

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

This turned out better than I expected and went great with the Crock Pot Chili and with the Crock Pot Veggie Soup two nights later.  If you aren't a fan of Jalapenos you can always eliminate those and just have a delicious cheese bread.
PRINTABLE VERSION

What you need:

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons of butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

Sliced Jalapenos, couple of spoon fulls, as desired.

How to make it:

1.  Heat oven to 350.
2.  Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
3.  In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients.
4.  Carefully stir in cheese cubes and jalapenos until covered in flour mixture. This will help prevent your cheese sinking to the bottom of your loaf of bread.
5.  In a different bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
6.  Fold the wet mixture into the flour and cheese mixture.
7.  Stir until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour and spread the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Four Cheese Pasta Florentine



Four Cheese Pasta Florentine

PRINTABLE VERSION
The Essentials:
4 cups Penne Pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese
2 eggs
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Making It:
1.  HEAT oven to 375ºF.
2.  COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and eggs until well blended.
3.  DRAIN pasta. Add to spinach mixture with mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into a 13 x 9 baking dish and then top with Parmesan.
4.  BAKE 15 min. or until center is set.

This dish is DELICIOUS! However, for those of you out there like me who are counting calories or following a diet program, I am going to add the nutrition facts.  I'm not sure what a serving size is, but to be on the safe side, I am assuming 1/2 - 1 cup. This stuff is Amazing, so if calories don't matter to you, then I suggest just digging in. The flavor is great!

Nutrition Stuff:
Fat:  28 grams              
Calories:  690
Carbs: 69 grams
Fiber:  5 grams
Protein:   42 grams
Sodium:  950 mg
Sugars: 6 grams

Four Cheese Pasta Florentine