Easy Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Ingredients
Lasagna noodles, prepared
Jar spaghetti sauce
7 oz prepared pesto
2 10 oz boxes frozen spinach
3 c ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 c Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine cheeses and egg in one bowl; set aside.  Combine pesto and spinach in a separate bowl. 
Spread 1 cup tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish.  Layer noodles, ricotta mix, spinach mix, sauce; repeat a few times. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with grated fontina. Bake another 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.

Submitted by @mommytown via Twitter

Tex Mex Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

5 cups rice, cooked
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 4-oz cans green chillies, chopped or diced
1 onion, chopped

Directions:

Spray skillet with no-stick cooking spray and saute onion for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Transfer to 2-qt casserole and freeze.

On cooking day: Remove from freezer for defrosting. Preheat oven to 350F and bake 30-40 minutes or until cooked throughout.

Submitted by Shelli

From Mom's Budget (www.momsbudget.com)

Tex Mex Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth for vegetarian)
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 1-lb bag frozen corn
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup half and half
Cheese (for serving day)

Directions:

Spray a large soup pot with non-stick cooking spray. Saute onion, peppers, garlic and celery on medium heat until cooked and onion is translucent. Add flour, stirring constantly for one minute to avoid burning. Add chicken broth slowly, stirring well. Add potato, corn, and cumin, then bring chowder to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for twenty minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Add half and half. Serve now or allow to cool and freeze in freezer containers.

On cooking day: Remove from freezer for desfrosting. Transfer to soup pot and reheat over low heat. Top with cheddar cheese if desired.

Submitted by Shelli
From Mom's Budget (www.momsbudget.com)

Chicken Divan

Ingredients:

4 pkgs frozen broccoli (cooked according to pkg instructions)
4 cups cooked chicken, sliced
3/4 cup butter/margarine
3/4 cup flour
6 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 cups grated Parmesan
3 tbsp mustard
4 tbsp minced onion
1 tsp Worcester sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In one large or two smaller casseroles, place cooked broccoli and top with chicken. In a saucepan melt butter then gradually add flour. Once thickened, add milk, stirring until combined. Once smooth, add remaining ingredients, stirring until heated through and cheese is melted. Pour over chicken and broccoli, cool then freeze.

On cooking day:
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in a preheated 400F oven for 45 minutes. Serve.

Submitted by Shelli

From Mom's Budget (www.momsbudget.com)

Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine/butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 lb fresh spinach, cooked OR 1 8-oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In a skillet or saucepan melt butter/margarine and saute onion until softened. Remove from heat then stir in flour. Place back on heat and slowly add milk and stock, stirring constantly to keep consistency smooth. Add cooked spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring spinach soup to a boil, stir, then simmer on low for 3-4 minutes. Cool and pour into serving size containers, freeze.

On cooking day:
Defrost and reheat in saucepan or in microwave.

Submitted by Shelli
From Mom's Budget (www.momsbudge.com)

Ham and Cheese Ziti

Ingredients:

2 16 oz packages ziti noodles
1 cup butter/margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
8 cups milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
8 cups Colby cheese, shredded
16oz cooked ham (deli style), cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

This recipe makes 2 13x9 casseroles.

Cook and drain pasta according to instructions (you may need to do it in two batches if your larges pot isn't large enough.

In large saucepan or deep skillet, melt butter on low heat. Add garlic and saute for about 30-40 seconds, stirring the entire time. Next add flour and salt, using a whisk to ensure no lumps remain. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring the entire time, until there are no lumps and the mixture begins to bubble.

Slowly add milk, stirring the whole time, while you bring it to a boil. Once boiling, allow to continue to boil for 1 minute, then add mustard and Colby cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is melted. Add ham and pasta, stirring well. Pour into 2 13x9 casserole dishes. Cool and freeze.

On cooking day:
Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350F. Place casserole dish (uncovered) into oven and bake 30-45 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serve.

Submitted by Shelli

From Mom's Budget (www.momsbudget.com)

Edamame Salad

Ingredients

1 pound shelled edamame
1 T sesame seed oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 t chili sauce
1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions

Cook edamame according to package directions. Drain and let cool. Mix everything else in a bowl. Toss edamame in dressing to coat.

From Closet Cooking
Submitted by Shelli

Chile Rellanos Bake

Ingredients

1 26 oz. can roasted and peeled green chiles (or use about 24 roasted and peeled green chiles.)
4 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup very thinly sliced green onions
5 eggs
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chile powder

Directions

Put green chiles in a colander placed in the sink and let drain for about 15 minutes. While chiles drain, preheat oven to 375F.

Spray glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. (I used a 9" X 13" dish, but anything close to that size will work.) Use your thumb to split open each chile, scrape out any lingering seeds, and make a flat layer of chiles covering the bottom of the dish. (I alternated every other chile facing the opposite way because they're slightly v-shaped.)

Top chiles with half the grated cheese, then sprinkle on green onions. Make another layer of flattened chiles, followed by the rest of the cheese.

Put eggs into a bowl and beat well, then add milk, ground cumin, and chile powder, and stir until well combined. Pour egg-milk mixture over chiles and cheese, taking care to get it evenly distributed. (The egg-milk mixture will not completely cover the casserole.)

Cover dish with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time, then remove foil and bake until mixture is bubbling and cheese on top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes total baking time. (You can cook it without the foil, but watch it carefully or the top will get too brown. Cooking time without foil will be slightly less.) Serves 6.

From Kalyn's Kitchen
Submitted by Shelli

10-Minute Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
6 tbsp salsa, divided
6 tbsp extra sharp cheddar, divided

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Wash the chicken and slice into two thin cutlets. Salt and pepper liberally.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about three minutes on each side until cooked through. Place 1 tbsp of salsa on each piece and spread it along the length of the chicken. Cover and cook for one minute.

Remove the cover and sprinkle each chicken piece with 1 tbsp cheddar cheese. Cook and cook for one additional minute. Serves 4.

From Sarah's Cucina Bella

Submitted by Shelli

Moving Day Crock Pot Sauerkraut Butt

Ingredients

1 (3-4 lb) pork butt
1 28 oz can sauerkraut
1 16 oz bottle barbecue sauce

Directions

Place butt in crock pot and pour kraut with juice over butt. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Pour off excess liquid and stir in BBQ sauce. Serve on buns.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 med red onion
1 small head cabbage, chopped
1 can tomato soup, undiluted

Directions

Brown ground beef and onion together. Place cabbage in large casserole. Spread beef and onions over the cabbage. Spread tomato soup over the beef. Cover and bake one hour at 350 degrees.

Note: 1/2 cup quick cooking rice can be added to the beef mixture but if you do this dilute the soup with 1 can of water.

Chickpea, Pesto, and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
3 T pesto
1 T olive oil
1-2 T lemon juice
3/4 c chopped red onion

Directions

In a bowl, whisk pesto, olive oil, and lemon juice together. Add chick peas and red onions and toss together. Best served at room temperature.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Smoked Sausage Skillet

Ingredients

1 lb smoked sausage
2 cans green beans
8-10 red baby potatoes
1 yellow onion
salt and pepper

Directions

Place potatoes and sausage in bottom of deep dutch oven. Slice onion on top add green beans with the liquid. Add generous amount of fresh cracked pepper. Pour 1 can of water on top. Salt to preference. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer. Cook till potatoes are done.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

So Easy Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 25 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2-6 slices mozzarella
cooked spaghetti noodles
Shredded Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions

Arrange chicken breasts in slow cooker. Pour sauce on top. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low. Add mozzarella cheese slices and let melt over the breasts. Serve with spaghetti. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Grilled Pesto Chicken Packets

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 medium tomatoes, Roma, sliced
4 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup basil pesto

Directions

Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Place 1 chicken breast half, 2 sliced tomatoes and 1 sliced zucchini on one side of four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spoon 2 tablespoons pesto over chicken mixture on each sheet. Fold foil over chicken and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion. Cover and grill packets 4 to 5 inches from medium heat 20 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Place packets on plates. Cut large X across top of packet; fold back foil.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Cheesy Chicken and Asparagus

Ingredients

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions

Pound each chicken breast to about 1/2" thick. On each breast, place 2 slices prosciutto, 3-4 asparagus spears and 1/4c shredded cheese. Wrap into a bundle and secure with toothpicks. Place in baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Sunshine Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

1/2 cup steak sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apricot preserves
12 chicken drumsticks

Directions

Blend steak sauce, ketchup, and preserves in a small bowl with a wire whisk until smooth. Marinate the chicken for an hour and brush the chicken with the sauce when placed on the grill. Grill chicken over medium heat for 20 minutes or until no longer pink, turning and brushing with remaining sauce.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Easy Chicken Bake

Ingredients

1 6 oz package stuffing mix
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10 oz can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on high 2 to 3 minutes.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Baked Eggplant

Ingredients

2 eggplants, cut into 1" rounds
3 cups marinara sauce
24 large fresh basil leaves
1 1/4 cups fat-free mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the broiler, place the eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Broil until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn over, repeat other side. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in an 11x14 baking dish. Add eggplant rounds overlapping slightly. Top with remaining sauce, basil leaves, then cheese. Bake until cheese begins to brown, about 20 minute Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: Freezes well

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli

Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16 oz package frozen onion and three pepper blend, thawed
1 14 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side. Add vegetables; cover. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Simmer 5 minutes on medium heat or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees). Top with cheese.

From RecipeZaar
Submitted by Shelli