I’ll confess: I like Hamburger Helper.  Go ahead.  Judge.  I would. 

It isn’t something I make often.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve made it since we got married.  At least.  I have no problem admitting that I’d make it if I didn’t have a weird rule about not buying food that comes in a box.  However, since I won’t buy it, and I decided I really wanted it I had to come up with a way to make it on my own.

Enter this.  It is more macaroni and cheese, but it counts.  Instead of using ground beef I decided to use ground pork since it was a. cheaper and b. healthier.  It was a surprisingly acceptable substitute.

Homemade “Hamburger” Helper

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tsp Worchestshire sauce
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cilantro
• 1/2 lb macaroni
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs {you can make yours. I was lazy and used bought ones.}
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk

Directions:

1.  Make macaroni noodles according to directions on package.  Also, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Grate the cheddar cheese.

3.  In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium-high heat.

4.  When the butter is melted, stir in the flour.  Let the mixture bubble but not brown.

5.  Add the milk and bring to a boil. 

6.  Once the milk is boiling add 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Stir until melted into the mixture.

7.  Let the sauce cool for a few minutes.

8.  In a medium skillet heat a little olive oil on medium heat.

9.  Add the pork to the skillet.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

10.  Once the pork has started to cook add the Worchestshire sauce, basil, pepper, and cilantro.  Cook until well done.

11.  Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with olive oil.  Transfer the macaroni to the dish.

12.  Dump the pork into the macaroni and mix.

13.  Pour the cheese mixture into the macaroni and coat well.

14.  Top with the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.

15.  Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or so.

16.  Serve.

Grade: B+

Comments:  I suppose this is just really cheesy mac & cheese with pork in it, but whatever.  It is good, and it does taste like Hamburger Helper.  The best part is you can prepare this meal ahead of time and just throw it in the oven when you get home.  We had TONS of leftovers, and Nathan was able to take it to work for a few days for lunch.  I’d recommend adding some vegetables.  I wish I had tossed in some tomatoes and bell peppers, but overall it was good.  Very filling, and it made me grateful I didn’t buy the boxed stuff.

{this week’s menu is posted}

Quick note: If you homeschool or are interested in homeschooling there are four great conferences going on this year.  My 3 Boybarians is giving away 4 passes to attend one of the conferences, so you should head over and try to win!  I know Nathan and I are hoping we get picked, but I’d love to see one of my readers win if we don’t!

Sometimes the best recipes come from unexpected places.  Almost 6 years ago, my mother-in-law gave me a cookbook that had been put together as a fundraiser by Nathan’s high school football team.  I love community cookbooks, because you can often find some treasures – family recipes, offbeat ideas, and easy foods.  While I’ve used this cookbook a few times, I do tend to go for my “bigger” ones.

When I was planning January’s menu back in December, I remembered that there were a few recipes I still wanted to try.  As I was flipping through the pages, chicken lasagna jumped out at me.  I couldn’t resist adding it to the menu.  We were so glad I did.  I ended up making a lot of changes, but the idea was definitely not mine.

Chicken Lasagna {inspired by the Berea Braves Football 2004-2005 Cookbook}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 cups beef broth {you could use chicken, but I always think chicken broth is too bland}
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 6 noodles no cook lasagna
• 2 cups fresh spinach

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large pan cook chicken thoroughly.  Then cut into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, heat butter in a pan until melted.

4.  Stir the flour into the melted margarine.  Cook until bubbly.

5.  Add the milk and broth to the flour mixture.  Boil 1 minute.

6.  Stir in the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and pepper.  Cook until the cheese is melted.

7.  In a square pan, lay down two lasagna noodles.

8.  Layer with cheese mixture, chicken, and spinach.  Repeat until there are 3 layers.

9.  On top layer spread the rest of the sauce and remaining chicken.

10.  Cook for 30 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

11.  Serve.

Grade: A-

Comments: This is basically chicken alfredo in lasagna form, and it is such a good idea.  I only put spinach on half since Nathan doesn’t eat cooked spinach, but the spinach definitely added something.  I love lasagnas {obviously}, and this is one that is going to see our table again.  As much as I love chicken alfredo in its original form, serving it as a lasagna made it seem more delicious.  More decadent if you will.  The only thing I would do differently is add more vegetables.  I think zucchini would have been a great addition here.

I absolutely love cooked vegetables.  I am fairly certain I could eat zucchini at every meal.  So when I come across a dish that is loaded with veggies I just can’t say no.

Chicken primavera is nothing new.  I’ve had it before, and I am fairly certain I even made it at some point.  However, one day Nathan came home from Publix with a recipe card.  If you aren’t familiar, Publix runs a series called Apron’s Simple Meals.  There is a station set up in the front of the store where they provide all of the ingredients, and there is often someone there handing out samples.  Nathan had been given a sample of this, and he came home raving about it.

So when I was doing our October menu I made sure to get it in the plan early in the month.  I’m so glad I did.  It was the perfect way to kick off October.

Chicken Primavera {adapted from Publix Apron’s Simple Meals}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb skinless & boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 tbs kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 can green beans
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Once done, mix in butter & Parmesan cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

2.  While the pasta is cooking, heat a large pan on medium high for 2-3 minutes.  Place 1 tbs of olive oil in the pan.

3.  Coat the chicken with salt & pepper then add to the pan.  Cover & cook until brown.

4.  Meanwhile, cut the squash and zucchini.  Set aside.

5.  Once the chicken is done, remove from the pan.  Using the same pan add 1 tbs olive oil & toss in carrots, greem beans, squash, and zucchini.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.

6.  Once the squash and zucchini are mostly cooked, mix in the tomatoes.  Cook an additional 4-5 minutes on medium.

7.  Serve the chicken and vegetables over the pasta.

Grade: B+

Comments: I thought this was pretty good.  The original recipe calls for onion, and it definitely would have made a difference.  I loved the vegetables with the pasta though.  I ate the chicken, but this dish would have been just as good without it.  The best part is dinner was ready in under 30 minutes, so that is always a plus especially when we’re super busy like Monday night.

{this week’s menu is posted}

Remember back a while ago, Philadelphia Cream Cheese invited me to try out one of their newest recipes?  It was delicious and the perfect recipe for the dead of winter.  Well, when we returned from vacation two-ish weeks ago, I was faced with a mostly empty kitchen.  I did have some cream cheese in the fridge, but not enough to recreate the original recipe.  So I made some changes.

O. M. G.

I was able to take this very friendly dish and “grow it up.”  It gave the sauce just a little something extra.  Worked out wonderfully.

“Grown Up” Philly Sauce {my recipe}

Ingredients:

• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1 tsp tarragon
• 1 tbs basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1.  In a medium saucepan, heat tomato sauce & marsala mixed together on medium.

2.  When the sauce is almost completely cooked add in the tarragon, basil, and red pepper flakes.  Stir thoroughly.

3.  Add in the Philadelphia cream cheese and turn heat to medium high.  Cook until the cream cheese is completely melted {about 5 minutes}.

4.  Put on pasta!

Grade: A+

Comments: I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make pasta sauce without cream cheese in it again.  Now that I’ve done it twice, it is unexpectedly delicious.  It makes the sauce so creamy and gives it just a little “umph” without being overwhelming.  This was really good.  Marsala is quickly becoming my go to additive in everything tomato, and it blended really well with the cream cheese.  Definitely a must make!

I turned my computer on for the first time in DAYS today with the intention of writing up a post.  That was over 6 hours ago, and I am just now getting to it.  We are blissfully busy, and it is a nice feeling to not have the time or more importantly the desire to be on my laptop.

Anyway.  Nathan & Samuel are napping, so that leaves me time to catch up on my blog {and celebrity gossip…duh}.

This recipe is so simple that it is almost too easy.  When I was on my “clean out the kitchen” tirade, this was the perfect option to use up the leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  Yes, I realize most people use Fettuccine, but I didn’t have that.  I had thin spaghetti…so call this an improvise if you will.

Pasta Alfredo {from Martha Stewart}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 lb grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter & Parmesan until creamy.
3. In the warm pot, mix pasta, 1/2 tsp salt, cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Add more water as needed.

Grade: C+

Comments: Okay.  This recipe description says it is a Martha Stewart favorite, but there is no way.  It isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely wasn’t great either.  I was actually really disappointed.  It wasn’t very creamy, and it had almost no flavor.  It definitely needs some spices.  I’ll probably never make it again.  That said, it is so easy that there is definitely a time and a place for it.  It isn’t a bad base recipe, but you would have to make some changes to make it worth making…possibly add spices and some veggies.

Yesterday was an important day.  I was FINALLY cleared to run/exercise – 6 weeks after my c-section!  I’ve been itching to get back out there.  Last week Nathan and I stopped & bought some new running sneakers for me and the Nike + mileage tracker thing.  I had started walking some more.  Now I can RUN!  To celebrate, Samuel, Nathan, and I are doing a 5K together tomorrow.  We’ll probably walk/jog it, but I am really excited to start training for my upcoming races.

I made a recipe similar to this one earlier in the summer.  Coincidentally that one was also a Martha Stewart recipe.  This recipe is inspired by my favorite of all of her cookbooks: The Original Classics.  If you ever buy just one Martha Stewart cookbook this should be it.  I love The New Classics as well, but the orange book is just so fun.  I could spend hours reading the recipes and all of the included cooking tips.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese {inspired by Martha Stewart: The Original Classics}

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 4 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-3 qt casserole dish.  Set aside.
2. In a large pasta pot, cook macaroni according to directions.  Drain & set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan by cooking on medium high heat.
4. Melt the butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat.  When the butter begins to bubble, slowly mix in the flour.  Cook & stir for 1 minute.
5. While whisking, slowly pour the hot milk into the flour mixture.  Continue cooking and whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick {about 8 minutes}.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the nutmeg and red pepper flakes.
7. Next, stir in the cheddar cheese until the sauce is thick and all of the cheese is melted.
8. Poor the cheese mixture into the pasta pot with the cooked macaroni.  Coat the macaroni thoroughly.
9. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.  Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cook for 15 minutes.

Grade: A-

Comments: Delicious!  Baked macaroni and cheese is so good, because you get the “hard” top and the gooey inside.  You could easily add broccoli to this if you wanted some vegetables.  This recipe could be easily cut down or made larger.  I think we got about 10 servings from this, and Nathan took leftovers for lunch during the week.  It reheats nicely, and you could even freeze it if you preferred!

So, on Tuesday I was all prepared to make plain old spaghetti for dinner.  We’re leaving on a two week vacation here pretty soon, so I am in “use up what’s in my kitchen” mode.  Except I had no pasta sauce.  Not even the jar stuff.  Oh, and I didn’t realize it until AFTER I had started the noodles.

That’s a problem.

So, I did what any desperate wife with a hungry husband does when she doesn’t want him to know she has promised a dinner she can’t deliver: improvised.

I scoured the fridge and did a mental inventory of what I needed for the rest of the week.  Then I grabbed anything that was “extra.”  I figured I could make something that was at the very worst barely edible.

Turns out I picked a fabulous combination of items, and it was one of my best improvised dishes to date if not the best.  So I’m sharing it with you.  Lucky, right?

Oh, there are a lot less pictures than usual, because I wasn’t sure that I was actually going to post this.  I just took them when I remembered…which was not often.

Tomato and Pepper Pasta Topping {my own recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup marsala {the wine & the dryer the better}
• 3 pieces of turkey bacon
• salt
• romano cheese
• mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet heat olive oil on medium for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and pepper.
3. Add the tomatoes and pepper to the olive oil.  Cook covered for 10 minutes.
4. Set the oven to broil.  Put the bacon on a baking sheet that has been covered in aluminum foil.  Cook for 8 minutes.
5. Once the tomatoes and peppers have softened add the basil, marsala, and vinegar.  Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Once the bacon is done, let cool for about a minute.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.
7. Add the bacon to the mixture in the skillet, turn to high, and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Put on top of the pasta, and you are good to go.

Grade: A

Comments: Nathan thought I had “planned” this, so my trick worked!  It turned out really well, and it went perfectly with the pasta.  It made about three servings which was enough for each of us for dinner and an extra for Nathan to take to work the next day.  This little topping would be great on steak or chicken as well.  The peppers and tomatoes turned out nicely, and the marsala gave it some flavor without being too strong.  Loved it!

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday was a busy day for us despite the ridiculous heat.  My in laws left in the late morning to head back to Ohio, and then Nathan, Samuel, and I spent a few hours running errands: Home Depot, Target, Zesto’s for ice cream, and finally Samuel and I took a long nap.  Nathan also finished designing Samuel’s birth announcements!  I can’t wait to send them to the printer.  It is awesome being married to an artist.

We’ve been waiting for Samuel to fit into his cloth diapers.  His legs were so skinny that even set on the tightest fit, they were all too big.  Yesterday we tried again, and the Bum Genius 3.0s FINALLY fit him!  They are ADORABLE.

{Seriously cloth diapers are the cutest things ever.}

This morning I tried his GroBaby diapers on as well, and they fit too!  I’m just waiting for the FuzziBunz, Flip, and Econobum to fit a little better.  So we’re still {very reluctantly} using disposable at night.

Since I haven’t been to the grocery store in what seems like forever, last night’s dinner was a “use what we have” kind of night.  I made Nathan pasta with tomato sauce, but I’ve been trying to avoid anything with garlic in it {like onions it seems to bother Samuel}.

Instead, I went through the fridge and came up with this:

Summer Pasta {my recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked linguine
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh diced tomatoes
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, egg, tomato, spinach, and cheese.
3. When pasta is done cooking, add to bowl and toss.

Grade: A

Comments: Delicious!  It was so light but incredibly filling.  The veggies tasted wonderful with the pasta.  I wasn’t sure I’d like the egg, but it was actually really good.  It gave the dish some texture and added protein which this dish was severely lacking otherwise.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Foodbuzz and Buitoni and asked to host a dinner party pairing Buitoni products with salads.  I was more than willing to do it!  I saw it as my last chance to throw a dinner party before Samuel arrives.  Nathan obliged and we invited some of our best friends over for a delicious meal.  I spent a considerable amount of time putting together what I thought would be a perfect menu.

I love Buitoni pastas, and we’ve eaten them a few times.  They cook really fast which is great when you’re trying to put together a dinner party.  It is important to get everything on the table in a timely fashion, and refrigerated pastas cook MUCH faster than dry pasta.

All of the recipes below are my own.  If there is one thing I can cook without a cookbook it is Italian food!

{I’ve typed all of the recipes in Google Docs so as not to write the longest blog post EVER.  If you click on any of the dishes you should get the corresponding recipe in a printable file.}

The players:

• Three Cheese Ravioletti
• Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti
• Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli
• Linguine

The menu:

Drinks

Nathan’s home brewed beer

water with lemon for me

{I had wine, but the beer was so popular it never got opened!}

Salads

Caprese Salad

Romaine with Prosciutto

Panzanella

Pastas

Linguine with Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Three Cheese Ravioletti with Brown Butter Sauce

Sicilian “Sauce” with Agnolotti & Ravioli

Dessert

Espresso

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Sauce

First, let me tell you that every single dish was a hit.  I can only take so much credit, because the quality of the pasta really carried the meal.  Our guests {and us} ate so much food!  I just couldn’t help trying everything.  Look at my plates:

Nine months pregnant or not that was a LOT of food!  I just wanted to make sure to enjoy everything, and I did.

I can’t say enough good things about Buitoni after this dinner party.  It was so nice to have such a wide variety of pastas from which I could select at the grocery.  Each one brought something a little different to dinner.  I was blown away by how delicious and filling each pasta was, and I loved the flavor of them!  Definitely make sure to think of them next time you are hosting an Italian dinner party!

{These pictures were taken with Nathan’s Canon Rebel XTI instead of my iPhone.}

I was compensated for this party through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.  All of my opinions are honest and accurate.

{this week’s menu is up!}

I LOVE Italian food, and my meals from last week just prove that {ending with an Italian themed dinner party}.  This was the first of a slew of Italian recipes that made it to our plates last week.  I can’t help it.  I would make Italian food every single night if I didn’t think I would gain 100 lbs.

This is a really easy dish that makes for great leftovers.  We had a lot left, and I ate it the next day cold for lunch which was a fabulous idea.

Linguine with Tuna Puttanesca {modified from FoodNetwork.com}

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces linguine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 can black olives
• 14 oz plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 5-ounce cans albacore tuna, packed in olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Cut the olives into pieces.  Add to the garlic mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Cut the tomatoes into halves.  Cook until the tomatoes are slightly dry, about 2 minutes. 
5. Add the pasta sauce to the mixture.  Turn heat down to medium-low.
6. Add the tuna with its oil, breaking it up with a fork, and season with salt.
7. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot.
8. Add the sauce and toss.

Grade: B

Comments: This is delicious, but if I had to do it all over again I would have added a ton more vegetables.  I made some pretty big changes from the original recipe just to make it more filling.  It is really good, and the tuna goes well with the cooked tomatoes.  It is definitely a “lighter” Italian meal, and even though I was full when I was done eating I wasn’t stuffed.  Like I said, the leftovers were great the next day cold for my lunch.  It would be great for entertaining!