Danielle's Pasta Salad

My sister Heidi brought this to a family picnic once and I made sure to get the recipe before she left, we loved it!  I have made it numerous times since and anytime I take it to a gathering I always leave with an empty bowl. Simply yummy!

Simply Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta (rotini, bowtie, mini shells, elbow macaroni etc...)
1 (15 oz.) can black olives, drained and sliced
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (large) can chicken, drained and flaked (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup Miracle Whip (more or less as needed)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water until totally cooled. Drain well. Pour into large bowl. Add the sliced black olives, tomatoes, chicken and cheese. Stir in enough Miracle Whip to evenly coat the ingredients without making it gloppy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for several hours before serving.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

This is a simple, easy and truly delicious casserole that even my pickiest chicken-hating daughter ate with gusto and declared the "best supper ever!". So I'm definitely making this one again. The original recipe came from "Mel's Kitchen Cafe", a favorite spot of mine to find delicious recipes. The only changes I made to the recipe were to increase it to fit my 11x15-inch casserole dish to accommodate feeding my large family, so I'm posting the changes I made here so I can make it again.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

2 (19 oz.) pkgs. frozen cheese tortellini (I used the Wal-Mart store brand)
2 TBSP. olive oil
3 cups chicken cut up into bite size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms (opt.)
1 1/2 cups sour cream (reg. or lite)
3-4 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixture of Mozzarella, Cheddar and some Parmesan)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the onions and mushrooms, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened. Spray a 11X15 pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom of pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake covered with tin foil at 350* F for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.
Makes about 10-12 servings.

**This can be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge for the day until your ready to bake it, and it still tastes great:)

Delicious Chicken Marinade

A fantastic marinade for chicken that is easy to throw together, and tastes delicious:)

Delicious Chicken Marinade

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. liquid smoke
2-3 TBSP. molasses
2 TBSP. sesame seeds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
4 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, whisking to thoroughly combine. Place whatever cut of chicken you prefer into a large gallon sized ziploc bag and pour the marinade over top, press the air out and seal the bag. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Remove chicken from the bag and grill or bake to desired doneness.
**This recipe makes enough marinade for about 20 chicken tenders, or 16 boneless, skinless thighs, or 8 chicken breasts etc...

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn

This is one of our favorite movie treats, and is easy to make since the ingredients are most often in my pantry.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped**

Preheat the oven to 250* F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla, and cook until thick and bubbly. Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl. Pour the buttery mixture over the popcorn, and stir until the popcorn is evenly coated. Spread the popcorn into a large roasting pan or on a large cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, then turn the heat off, and allow the popcorn to stay in the oven 20 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving.
**Somtimes I use 2 to 2 1/2 bags of popped popcorn, it just depends on how much I need to fill up my big stainless steel mixing bowl.

Macaroni Salad

An easy and simple macaroni salad that makes a perfect accompaniament dish for all of the fun Summer BBQ's and holiday cookout's coming up:)

Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 - 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip
2-4 TBSP. sweet relish
1 TBSP. prepared yellow mustard
1 TBSP. dried minced onion
1-2 TBSP. cider vinegar
2-4 TBSP. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Run under cold water while still in colander to chill the pasta. Drain well. Pour into large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Start with the lowest amount of the ingredients and adjust as needed to your taste. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes about 8 servings

Homestyle Meatballs (Baked)

I love meatballs and gravy over cooked egg noodles, and this meatball recipe works perfectly for recipes like that. I make my make my meatballs slightly smaller than called for and this way I can get enough meatballs out of this recipe to use for 3 different meals. It's all up to you though what size you prefer.

Homestyle Meatballs (Baked)

3 lbs. ground beef (I like lean)
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (1 oz.) pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, using your hands. When thoroughly mixed, shape and roll  into small meatball sized portions and place on baking sheet. Bake @ 350* F for 25-20 minutes. Cool slightly then divide into meal sized portions for your recipes and freeze until needed.

Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies

I love recipes that are big enough to fit in a cookie sheet, and this one does just that. Yummy, and makes enough for a crowd? It's a winner!

Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies

1¼ cup rolled oats (quick or regular)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 TBSP. peanut butter
1 TBSP. oil
Hot water to desired consistency

Preheat oven to 350* F. Mix all brownie ingredients in a large bowl. Batter will be thick. Spread evenly onto a greased 17×11 cookie sheet with your hands. Bake @ 350* F for 15-20 min. until light golden brown. Cool completely, then frost.
For frosting- Mix sugar, vanilla, peanut butter and oil together. Add hot water until desired consistency. Pour over brownies and frost evenly. Cut into 48 squares.

Beanie Weenie Stew

Yes, I will admit it, I adore beanie weenies. It's right up there as one of my all time favorite meals. Yes, seriously. Not sure why, they weren't much of a staple when I was growing up, but they are a fun supper time solution in my house for my kids. This recipe is easy, delicious, and one that I can throw together at a moments notice, and I usually have every ingredient on hand which makes it even easier.

Beanie Weenie Stew

2 (28 oz.) can baked beans
1 1/3 cups ketchup
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2-4 TBSP. brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 (12-16 oz.) pkgs. hot dogs, sliced

Throw all ingredient into a 6 quart or larger Slow Cooker. Cover and cook on 'HIGH' for 4-6 hours or 'LOW' for 8 hours. Serve with a green salad and a crusty loaf of french bread.

Ice Cream Cake

While there isn't any actual cake in this dessert, it's still a huge hit at our house. Also, this would be the perfect "cake" for birthdays in the hot summer months because there is no baking! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

20 Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies***
3 TBSP. butter, melted
1 (1/2 gallon) box chocolate chip ice cream, softened
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed

Place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until they"re fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until well mixed. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch** springform pan. Spread the softened ice cream evenly over top of the crust from edge to edge. Drizzle the chocolate syrup evenly over top of the ice cream. Carefully spread the Cool Whip evenly over top from edge to edge. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. To serve, let sit on the counter for 15 minutes then cut into wedges and serve. Makes about 12-16 servings.
**You can also use a 10-inch springform pan, but increase the cookies to 25 and the butter to 4 TBSP. Also, your ice cream and Cool Whip layers will be thinner than they are in the smaller springform pan so you could increase those ingredients if you prefer.
***I used the Walmart store brand cookies that compare to the Chips Ahoy brand, and they gave identical results. You can also sub Oreo cookies (or store brand equivalent) if you prefer.

Spaghetti Pie

This is an easy casserole to make ahead of time, keeping it chilled in the fridge up to 3 days before baking, or freezing it for up to 3 months. I adore anything that makes my life easier and is a hit with the kids, which this one does admirably.

Spaghetti Pie

1 (16 oz.) pkg. spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces
3 TBSP. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs (well beaten)
1 (24 oz.) tub small curd cottage cheese
3 cups Italian Blend shredded cheese, divided
1 1/2 (32 oz. jars) Prego spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Stir in the butter and stir until melted. In a small bowl, mix the beaten eggs and Parmesan cheese. Stir into the buttered spaghetti, stirring to mix well, making sure to coat evenly. Grease a 10x14-inch baking dish. Pour the coated spaghetti into the pan and spread it out like a crust to cover the bottom and slightly up the sides. In a medium bowl mix together the cottage cheese and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Spread evenly over top of the bottom of the spaghetti crust just to the sides. Mix the 1 1/2 jars of pasta sauce with the ground beef and mix well. spread the sauce mixture evenly over top of the cottage cheese layer, spreading it from egde to edge, covering the entire top of the pie.
*To Bake: Bake @ 350* F, uncovered for 45-55 minuntes. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese over top for the last 15 minutes of baking. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes about 10-12 servings.
*To Freeze: Cover and label the casserole and place the last 2 cups of shredded cheese in a ziploc baggie and attach to the covered casserole and freeze. Thaw in the fridge completely before baking, at least 24 hours. Uncover and bake as directed above.
*To Chill: Cover and chill up to 3 days until ready to serve, storing the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese in the fridge with it. Remove from the fridge about 45 minutes before baking, then bake as directed above.