Category Archives: Six Ingredients or Less

January 2, 2012 · 10:11 am

Baked Spaghetti

The other day my good friend, Candy, had said that she was going to make baked spaghetti and chocolate chip cookies for dinner. That just sounded so good to me, so I went searching for a baked spaghetti recipe. This is an adapted version of Paula Deen’s baked spaghetti.

Ingredients:
4 cups pasta sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, turkey or chicken
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat pasta sauce over medium heat in a medium sauce pan.

Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the sauce.

Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce/meat mixture. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Did I change anything? This recipe has been greatly simplified by using jarred pasta sauce.

What did the family think? They really liked it. I thought it might be a bit disappointing because I thought it might taste too much just like plain spaghetti, but it was different enough to be interesting.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from Paula Deen

photo from about.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

December 6, 2011 · 11:15 am

Creole Salmon

A little bit spicy, but it can definitely be tweaked so it’s not so spicy.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dried.)

Instructions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first three ingredients. Add salmon; shake to coat.

Place salmon on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 10-14 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Did I change anything? I left out the ground pepper that was in the original recipe.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it and it was a good departure from how I have been making salmon lately.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

Photo from Taste of Home

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

November 9, 2011 · 12:33 pm

Meatball Sandwich

I realize this is more of a dinner idea than a dinner recipe, but it was quick and easy and was perfect last night when I only had about 35 minutes to make dinner and get it on the table before I had to zip out the door to go to a meeting.

Ingredients:
Hoagie/hot dog or sub sandwich-type buns
Frozen Meatballs
1 jar pasta sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:
Thaw frozen meatballs in the microwave.

While those are defrosting heat pasta sauce in a medium sauce pan until it begins to simmer and then turn down to low.

Put warmed up meatballs in the sauce and let them simmer for a few minutes.

Spoon meatballs and sauce into bun and sprinkle with cheese. (If meatballs are too big, you may need to cut them in half.)

Top with a sprinkle or two or three of cheese.

We had this with fruit salad and a green salad.

What did the family think? They loved it and I sent leftovers in lunches today.

Where did this recipe come from? Desperation on my part for a quick meal that everyone would eat.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

November 8, 2011 · 10:08 am

Baked Acorn Squash

It’s that time of year, when the grocery store aisle is full of a variety of squash and I ask myself, “Do I really want to cook one of those things? They are a pain in the tush to cut open and they take forever to cook.” But then I remember how good they taste and I put a couple in my cart.

Ingredients:
1-2 acorn squash
a few dabs of butter
maple syrup
salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut acorn squash open from stem to bottom and scoop out all of the seeds.

Pour a small amount of water in the bottom of a cookie sheet or casserole dish..about 1/4 in. deep.

Place the squash cut side up on the cookie sheet/casserole dish.

Put a little dab (1/2 tsp) of butter in each half.

Pour about a tsp of maple syrup in each half.

Sprinkle a dash of salt in each half.

Score the inside of each half with a sharp knife a few times.

Cook for about an hour.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU OPEN THE OVEN. It will be steamy in there from the water you put in the bottom of the pan.

Let cool for a few minutes. Enjoy.

What did the family think? Turns out I am the only person in my house that likes acorn squash. They have no idea. It’s super tasty and super duper good for you.

Where did this recipe come from? This is basically how my mom always cooked it. I think she may have used brown sugar instead of syrup though.

photo from Big Oven

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Filed under Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

November 3, 2011 · 10:51 am

Pizza Casserole

In my weekly challenge of taking some sort of noodle and combining it with red sauce and some sort of Italian-type of meat (think meatballs or Italian sausage) and coming up with something new so that my children will eat without complaining, I give you (drumroll please) the pizza casserole from For Mamas.

Ingredients:
2 jars pasta sauce
1 bag egg noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 lbs. crumbled Italian sausage or hamburger
1 package pepperonis

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions and drain.

Cook sausage and drain off fat.

Using a casserole dish begin layering ingredients. First pour about 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then put half of the meat, then half the cheese, then half the noodles and then more sauce and repeat until you end up with the last layer being sauce.

Place the pepperonis on top.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and it’s bubbling. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use any pepperoni. I think it would be have been super tasty that way, but certain people in our family would have had a fit. In retrospect, they could have just picked them off.

What did the family think? This made quite a bit of food, but after having seconds and eating it for lunch in leftovers for a couple of days, it’s now all gone. They must like it if they keep eating it. 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? For Mamas

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less

October 24, 2011 · 11:33 am

Waffle Iron Eggs

My husband sent me a link the other day explaining how to make waffle iron eggs. I thought I would humor him and give it a try and I am SO glad that I did. First of all, they’re fun. Eggs shaped like a waffle? What’s not fun about that? Also, for some reason, when eggs come out of a waffle iron, they can be eaten as a finger food which is great if you have little ones.

Ingredients:
5 eggs, scrambled
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Heat up your waffle iron.

While that is heating up, scramble the eggs and put in the cheese.

When the waffle iron is ready, spray liberally with cooking spray.

Pour eggs in the waffle iron, close the lid and wait. Check on them after about a minute. Continue to check on them until they are as done as you want them. Be careful though, eggs in a waffle iron create a lot of hot steam.

I used a pair of cooking tongs and a spatula to slide the eggs out of the waffle iron.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone, even the youngest who isn’t a huge egg fan.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe from The Novice Chef

(I know this picture is terrible, but it’s all I’ve got. Trust me, they are yummy.)

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

October 21, 2011 · 10:31 am

Beer Pizza Dough

This is a no fail way to make pizza dough that doesn’t involve yeast. One recipe makes two pizza which works out perfectly for our house…one pizza for the kids and one for the adults. There is also something very rewarding about making your own pizza dough. I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz can beer (use a light kind or your crust will taste “hoppy”)
olive oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the beer and mix well.

Spread a handful of flour on your work surface and dump the dough onto it.

Toss the dough around to coat it with flour and prevent it from sticking.

Knead it 2 or 3 times.

Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in two if you are making 2 thin crust pizzas.

For a deep dish pie do not divide.

Grease your pizza pan with oil and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle.

Brush crust with olive oil lightly and then add your sauce and toppings.

Bake for 12- 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

What did the family think? I made two batches of this which made two deep dish pizzas. I think everyone would have been happier had I just made one batch of it that would have made two thin crust pizzas. Our oldest and I liked the crust the way it was, but hubby and our youngest weren’t too thrilled.

photo by me

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

October 19, 2011 · 11:23 am

Goat Cheese, Meatball and Sun-dried Tomato Panini

This is what happens when you are super hungry and all you have are interesting tidbits of things in your frig to eat. Everything in this panini was leftover from some other recipe I’d made, but together they were yummy and perfect.

Ingredients:
2 slices bread
2 meatballs, cut in half
2 sun-dried tomatoes
Goat cheese, the soft spreadable kind

Instructions:
Make a sandwich out of the above ingredients. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? I was the only one who ate this and I would make another one right now, but I am out of meatballs.

Where did this recipe come from? Me

Photo from Appliancist

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

October 12, 2011 · 12:22 pm

Tuscan Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

This could have easily come from a restaurant. It was so good and so different than the pasta dishes I usually make. Everyone loved it and we even had enough left over for the boys to take it in their lunch boxes to school too.

Ingredients:
1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli (or whatever kind you like)
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce (I found some by Classico)
2 tablespoons white wine
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, throughly drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

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 tomatoes and 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.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone!

Where did this recipe come from? My Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

October 10, 2011 · 8:46 am

Pesto Salmon

I bought some salmon at the store yesterday, but I didn’t have any really big plans for it until I remembered that I had some leftover pesto in the frig…

Ingredients:
1 lb. salmon
2-3 T pesto
cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place salmon, skin side down, in the baking dish.

Spread pesto on salmon.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes (depending on how thick the salmon is).

What did the family think? The boys don’t normally eat salmon, but hubby and I thought it was fantastic.

Where did this recipe come from? Me

photo from Cook Everyday

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make