#3762 - Bacon Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

12oz. three color rotini pasta
10 slices bacon (fried and crumbled)
1 cup mayo
3 TBSP Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder (dry)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper (to your taste; optional)
1 large tomato (chopped)
1 - 4.25oz. can sliced black olives (well drained)
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice of type)

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to bag directions, then drain but do NOT rinse. Let the pasta cool to room temperature. In a bowl add mayo, ranch dressing powder, garlic powder and pepper--stir well. In a large bowl add drained pasta, crumbled bacon, drained black olives and shredded cheese--toss to mix. Add the mayo mixture to the pasta mixture--toss to mix. Add more mayo as necessary and toss again until salad has the consistency you like. Cover and refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, drain any liquid off of the chopped tomatoes and add them to the pasta salad--stir to mix.

#2840 - Parmesan Cheese Sauce

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (cubed and softened)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
pepper (to your taste)
any cooked/drained pasta

In a microwave safe bowl add cream cheese, milk and Parmesan cheese--microwave on medium heat in two minute increments--stir after each two minutes. Usually takes about 6-8 minutes total. When sauce is hot and creamy, spread sauce over cooked/drained pasta.

#1033 - Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. box any shape pasta (cooked and drained according to box directions with 1 tsp. salt--rinse pasta in HOT water rather than cold water)
2 skinless/boneless chicken breast halves (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 - 8oz. bottle Caesar salad dressing
2 green onions (sliced thin) OR 1 small chopped onion
1 - 10oz. bag frozen sugar snap peas OR regular peas (thawed and drained)
1 fresh carrot (washed, peeled and sliced into thin pieces)
1 cup fresh spinach pieces
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Remove chicken breasts from package--cover each with Saran wrap, pound each with a meat tenderizer--remove Saran wrap, then salt and pepper both sides of each piece to your taste. Cut all chicken into bite sized pieces. In a skillet over medium heat add 3 to 6 TBSP of the Caesar dressing--add chicken pieces to the skillet. Stir and cook until chicken is cooked. Add onions, peas and carrot slices--stir and cook until hot. Add spinach--cook and stir until spinach is hot. In a large salad bowl add cooked/drained pasta and chicken mixture--toss. Pour the remaining Caesar dressing on the mixture--toss to coat. Serve warm. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top just before serving.

#1002 - Beef & Macaroni with Chopped Tomatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 3/4 cups chopped fresh garden tomatoes (OR 1 - 14oz. can chopped tomatoes)
1 chopped green pepper
1 cup dry macaroni (your choice of shape)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground chuck with salt, pepper, chopped onion and chopped green pepper. Once browned add chopped tomatoes and 1 cup water--stir over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add dry macaroni--stir. Cover, turn heat back to simmer and cook until macaroni is done to your liking. Stir, remove from heat, add shredded cheddar cheese--stir and serve.

#956 - Sausage Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. cooked kielbasa OR cooked polish sausage OR cooked turkey sausage (cut into coin shaped pieces)
1 chopped onion
1 TBSP water
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
5 cups cooked pasta (any shape--your choice)
cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

Cook pasta according to box directions--drain and set aside. In a skillet add cooked kielbasa (or sausage), chopped onion, water and 3/4 tsp. garlic--cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add vinegar--stir. Turn heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove lid, add cooked pasta and stir until pasta is coated. Add 3/4 tsp. garlic--stir. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle cheese on top and add halved cherry tomatoes before serving.

#920 - Garlic Chicken and Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 - 13.25oz. box pasta (your choice of shape)
1 - 26oz. jar of tomato/garlic pasta sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, dressing mix, and garlic powder--stir. Dip the chicken breasts in water, then drop into dressing mixture to coat each piece. Place breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish--cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip each chicken piece, return to oven and bake another 20 minutes or until done. While that's baking cook and drain pasta according to box directions. Leave drained pasta in the same pan and add pasta sauce--cook and stir on medium low until heated through. Add the oregano to the pasta--stir. Remove chicken from oven--pour pasta mixture over the chicken--sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Return to oven until cheese is melted.

#850 - Quick Chicken Parmesan

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 frozen breaded chicken breasts or cutlets
1 - 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes (Italian style or plain)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups any style pasta (cooked according to package directions and drained)

Spray a baking dish with Pam--arrange breaded chicken pieces in a single layer. Spread diced tomatoes over each piece of chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cook and drain pasta--set aside. Remove chicken from oven, sprinkle chicken pieces with mozzarella cheese and return to oven. Bake until cheese is melted. Serve chicken over the hot pasta.

#805 - Cream of Celery Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 chopped onion
1 pint frozen peas (thawed and drained)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. any kind of pasta noodles (cooked according to box directions, then drained)
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 slices bread (broken into bite sized pieces)

In a skillet, add ground chuck, salt, pepper and chopped onion--brown, drain and set aside. Cook the pasta according to box directions. In a bowl add soup and milk--stir. In a large bowl add cooked/drained noodles and ground chuck mixture--mix well. Pour soup/milk mixture into ground chuck/noodles--stir. Add thawed/drained peas--stir. Grease a 2qt. casserole dish. Pour entire mixture into the greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes--remove from oven, sprinkle shredded cheese and breadcrumbs on top and return to oven for 15 more minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.

#385 - Italian Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 Reynolds oven bag (plastic--large)
1 - 14oz. jar spaghetti sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 medium chopped green pepper
1 - 8oz. package your favorite pasta shape, cooked and drained

Use a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Spray Pam on the inside of the cooking bag. Place the bag in the baking pan--add the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the bag. Add chicken and green pepper to the bag. Turn the bag back and forth until chicken is coated with sauce. Arrange chicken evenly in the bag. Close the bag with included twister. Cut at least six slots in the top of the bag to vent. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is tender. Cook the pasta according to package directions while chicken is baking. Serve the chicken mixture over the pasta and add fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

#262 - Tuna Ranch Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. your choice of pasta
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2/3 cup bottled ranch dressing
1 - 6oz. can tuna (drained)
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, but save 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Coat a large skillet with Pam and heat over medium heat--add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add vegetables and pepper to the onions and cook 5 minutes. Stir in ranch dressing, tuna, pasta, and saved pasta water--heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the sharp cheese. Transfer entire mixture into a 2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sharp cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.