Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers

Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers
Recipe from Taste of Home

• 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 each green and red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• Dash crushed red pepper
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
• Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan. Yield: 4 servings, 2 cups each.

Our verdict - Good. Nothing spectacular, but it was good. The sausage gave it good flavor. I didn't have a jar of spaghetti sauce, so I used tomato sauce and added seasonings. This was easy and good.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream
Recipe from here

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Our verdict: This was really good and really simple! I had to make a few substitutions though. I couldn't find the sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce, so I used roasted red pepper alfredo. And I did use a can of petite diced tomatoes. Oh, and I only had red wine on hand, so I used 2 tablespoons of vodka instead of white wine. So basically, I made up a new recipe, ha ha!! I don't usually make things with jars of sauce - but I saw this on Pinterest, and thought it looked yummy. It went together really fast, so it'd be a great one to just keep the stuff on hand for, and if I don't have a lot of time, can throw it together!

Mexican Tortilla Skillet
Recipe from: Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn

1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 packet taco seasoning
6 burrito size flour tortillas
2 cups pureed canned or fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add ground beef, garlic and taco seasoning. Cook until beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces and mixing everything together.
2. While beef is browning, slice tortillas into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter or scissors works well for this.
3. Add tomatoes, salsa and cut-up tortillas to skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. If it seems dry, you can add a little water. Once this heated through, sprinkle cheese over top and cover for a few minutes. Once cheese is melted, it is ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper (if using) for a little color, crunch and a healthy dose of Vitamin C.

The Verdict: Delicious and simple! Really not that different than making tacos - but just a bit different way of serving it! :) It went together so fast, especially if your ground beef is thawed! I didn't use 6 tortillas, maybe 3 and that was plenty. We really liked this and I think it's going to be a go-to quick dinner recipe, since I usually have these things on hand! Great way to use up the last couple of tortillas too!!

Salsa Chicken With Black Beans

Originally posted: March 14, 2011

Salsa Chicken with Black Beans (adapted from Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe)

4 chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa (however hot you want! I usually use medium)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of frozen corn

Put chicken and salsa in a large skillet. Cover and cook (until chicken is almost done) Sometimes, I cut the chicken into cubes, sometimes I cook the pieces whole - kind of depends on my time frame! When chicken is almost done, add black beans and corn, cover and cook for a few more minutes. (maybe 10 or so) While chicken is cooking - I steam some rice (usually in rice cooker) and serve the chicken and salsa combo over the top of the rice. Great with a side salad! Super easy, and super yummy!!!