Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

6 oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 (medium size) cucumber, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup croutons (optional)
Caesar salad dressing, to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water and set aside to cool.

Chop the grilled chicken breasts into small chunks. In a large bowl toss together chicken, cooked penne pasta, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, green onion, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and croutons.

Drizzle with desired amount of Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat.

Muffin Pan Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
11 oz thin crust pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown and drain ground beef. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Divide the pizza dough into six equal portions and roll into a round, tortilla-like shape. Fry the dough for one minute on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.

Homemade Honey White Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (sometimes I need more or less)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
½ cup honey or sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in mixer with dough blade until dough forms. It should be dry enough to not be sticky but wet enough to not crumble.

Lift dough out of bowl, spray with olive oil (I spray the bowl) and place dough back in bowl covered with towel, allow to rise for 30-60 minutes.

Knead with dough blade (will deflate).
Remove from bowl, place dough on flowered surface and knead by hand a few times.

Divide in half.

Roll into 2 loaf shapes and place in loaf pans (mist pan with olive oil first).
Cover and allow to rise (depends upon temp in room, but usually around 60 minutes – it should be slightly over the top edge of the pan, do not allow to over-rise).

Bake at 350 for around 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. At around the 15 minute mark, I mist the top of the loaf with olive oil and continue cooking until done.

One Pot Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cajun smoked sausage or other smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 (15.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans,  drained & rinsed
2 cups of instant rice
creole seasoning

Instructions:

Add the vegetable oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the beans and rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add creole seasoning to taste. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Tuna Croquettes

Ingredients:

2 cans tuna, well drained
1/2 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1 c. bread crumbs, divided
2 eggs
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
Oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the tuna, onion, celery, 1/3 c. bread crumbs, eggs and seasonings. Stir until fully combined.
2. Pour remaining 2/3 c. bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Pat about a tablespoon worth of tuna mixture into a round patty. Cover both sides with bread crumbs.
3. Pour enough oil into a skillet to cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Add the breaded patties and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Our favorite dip to serve with these Tuna Croquettes is a simple sauce of mayonnaise and mustard. Use about 1 tablespoon of mustard for each 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. So simple but so good, and it is perfect with the tuna!

Also, this mixture tastes great formed into larger patties, fried as described above  and served on a bun as a tuna burger.