One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Broccoli

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Classes have started back up for me. I am busier than I ever was, After November began, time flew. It was a very difficult end of 2015 for my family and I, but we made it through. That was one of the main reasons I have posted anything on my blog for such a long time. It went to the back burner after the beginning of November. 

The New Year has flown by, I can't believe it is already the beginning of February. Because I am so busy, sometimes I want something that's loaded with CARBS and quick to make. This One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta kicks butt. It is so yummy, and easy to make. Throw everything in pan, put a lid on it and stir it every so often? Sign me up! Because it's pasta, I don't have it often, but sometimes I just need a cheat on my healthy diet, and this usually does this trick. Plus, I add brocolli-- so that means the whole dish is healthy...?

Side notes: This pasta is cooked in the same pot from start to finish. This recipe can be doubles very nicely. The addition of the broccoli is optional. I add the broccoli about 10 minutes before the pasta is done cooking.

One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Brocolli

adapted from Damn Delicious

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk, or more, as needed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 pkg. frozen broccoli (12-14 oz.) (optional) (fresh broccoli can be used)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken broth, milk, butter and fettuccine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Bring to a boil; add broccoli. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy your pasta!I know, I will! 

Peace, love, bake on.

                                             Andrea 

37 Pumpkin Recipes

Why is it that it is only acceptable to have pumpkin everything during the fall? I believe it should be socially acceptable to enjoy pumpkin in all it's many forms all year round. Let's raise up and say "We want pumpkin everyday all year round!" Let me hear you. 

I was looking for some Pumpkin recipes and found a whole bunch. I thought I would share the love. :) Here are 37 delicious, drool-worthy pumpkin recipes from soups to pasta to desserts from some of my favorite blogs and such. I started with desserts because I believe in having dessert first. 

Desserts:

1. No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes 

                                                   

2. The Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese- Filled Brownies

3. Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler (Do I have to share?)

4. Clean Eating Pumpkin Ice Cream

5. Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

6. Slower Cooker Sticky Caramel Pumpkin Cake

7. Pumpkin Creme Brulee (I love creme brulee!!)

8. Oatmeal Pumpkin Creme Pies

9. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

10. White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Fudge

11. Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffle (Low Carb!!)

12. Pumpkin Better Than... Cake (a poke cake!)

13. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (Good anytime of the year!)

14.Pumpkin Roll (No list would be complete with out a Pumpkin Roll recipe.)

Breakfast:

15. Pumpkin French Toast (yes, please.)

16. Pumpkin Donut Holes

17. The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (I'm drooling right now.)

18. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

19. Starbucks Pumpkin Scone 

Pasta:

20. Skinny Pumpkin Pasta Bake

21. Creamy Pumpkin Prosciutto Rigatoni

22. Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Soups:

23. Pumpkin Chili

24. Low Carb Pumpkin Sausage Soup

25. Creamy Panera Autumn Squash Soup

26. Creamy Parmesan Pumpkin Soup

Breads:

27. Moist Pumpkin Bread

28. Pumpkin Cornbread

Beverages:

29. Crock Pot Pumpkin Spiced Latte (take a sip of that after a long day!!)

30. Pumpkin Pie Frappe (Drink your pie!!)

31.  Best Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte  (save you a bit of money :) )

32. Iced Pumpkin Spice Coffee

33. Skinny Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino 

Extras:

34. Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

35. Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Just another reason to drink coffee)

36. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

37. Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies (Kids will love these.)

I hope you get your fair share of pumpkin this Fall and everyday of the year. And don't forget to share the love of Pumpkin with those that you love. I hope you have a very happy Fall (and lots of Pumpkin). :)

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                                                   Andrea

Polish Reuben Casserole {my favorite casserole in the whole wide world}

Polish Reuben Casserole is one of my very favorite foods. I could eat it all day, everyday. I really can't get enough of it. Although, it wasn't always like that. The first time my dad made it, I hated it. But after several years, I grew to like it. But not just like it, I loved it. 

So, what exactly is Polish Reuben Casserole? Polish Reuben Casserole has layers of sauerkraut, noodles, and polish sausage topped with a creamy mushroom mixture, bread crumbs, and Swiss cheese. If you like Reuben sandwiches, you'll love this casserole. 

My dad first found this recipe in a big cookbook. However I can't remember which cookbook. Through the years we have made small changes to suit our family. It originally called for only 8 oz. of wide egg noodles, but we wanted more noodles on it. So, I doubled the noodle amount, and in doing so, I have doubled the amount of milk called for in the recipe. 
Everyone always asks me if I'm Irish simply because of my red hair. When I tell them "no", they go onto ask if my parents have any Irish blood in them. I then answer "no" and that I am actually very German. On St. Patrick's Day, however, I become an adopted Irishmen with my friends very Irish family. Polish Reuben casserole may not be  corned beef and cabbage, but it would make a great substitute if you are in a time crunch. As St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, Polish Reuben casserole would make a festive sauerkraut dish for St. Patrick's Day. 

Polish Reuben Casserole

Ingredients:

2-3 cans (10.75 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup

3-4 cups milk (I do 3.5 cups)

1 onion, chopped

1-2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 can (16 oz.) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. (16 oz) wide egg noodles (uncooked)

1 1/2 lb. Polish Sausage, cut into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces

8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

 2 tsp. butter, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Combine soup, milk, onion and mustard in a medium bowl and blend together well.
3. Spread sauerkraut on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Top with uncooked noodles.
4. Spoon soup mixture evenly over the top. Top sausage.
5. Combine butter and bread crumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top. Then sprinkle the cheese on top. 
6. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in oven for 40 minutes- 1 hour or until noodles are tender. 
7. Serve up and enjoy!

This casserole is so easy to make. I hope you find to love this recipe like I did. The great thing about cooking at home is that you can make the way your family likes it. So if your family wants more sauerkraut, add another can of sauerkraut. Want less noodle, but the same amount of sauerkraut? Then halve the noodle amount and milk amount. This recipe is simple a blueprint. And with that I shall I say goodbye and have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Peace, Love, Bake on... & the luck of the Irish.

                                                  Andrea 

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I love finding new soup recipes to try. It's winter, and so, it's pretty chilly outside. Because of this, I have been in a soup making mood. I have been trying to make a new soup once a week. A great thing about having soup is that it goes great with sandwiches like paninis. My amazing boyfriend got me a panini grill for Christmas, and it's amazing. I have been using it daily. Soup is also easy to make for large families, which I have. 

I purchased some tortellini from the store and decided that I wanted to incorporate into a creamy tomato soup. I found a ton of great recipes. 

This creamy tomato tortellini soup is amazing. I could eat the whole bowl, but I restrained my self. It's really delicious. My family loved it especially with grilled cheese that I made with my panini grill (yummy). I'm drooling just thinking about it.  

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

adapted from The Recipe Critic

Ingredients: 

• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini (also the tortellini found in the pasta isle works)
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• (or 3 cups milk & 1 cup heavy cream)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used the Italian blend cheese, use what ever is on hand)
• Additional shredded parmesan cheese for topping, optional
• Oyster Crackers, optional

Directions: 

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. In a large pot, add the tomato soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and reduce soup to a simmer.
2. Drain tortellini and add to the soup. Add parmesan cheese. Serve and sprinkle with additional cheese on top and/or crackers if desired.
3. Enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Oh, and I hope everyone had a safe and joyous holiday season. 

Peace, love, bake on.

                            Andrea 

Baked Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Allow me to first start off with that my dad hates macaroni and cheese, and he also happens to dislike cream cheese. But does that stop me from making dishes with my first love, cream cheese, and making gooey comforting macaroni and cheese? No.

That does, however, make me stop and think of a macaroni and cheese recipe that I hope everyone will like. You see, I had been using a mac and cheese recipe for a year so that was just mediocre. My dad wasn't a big fan nor was the rest of my family; it was truly just meh-- not bad tasting just meh. I wanted something extraordinary that was creamy, filled with flavor, and extra cheesy (of course). 

What I found and created, I believe is truly yummy and extremely comforting. The secret ingredient is cream cheese. I had never really thought of cream cheese in mac and cheese. I never thought of combining the two, but I'm glad I did. 

When I ever use cream cheese in any dish, it's always treat and oh-so-delicious. So, enjoy the dish (and the calories). 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
8 oz. macaroni
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
(or just do 2 cups of milk instead 1 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 Tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Cook noodles according to directions. Cook to al dente.
3. In 3 quart sauce pan, melt butter and then stir in flour over medium-high heat. Cook for a minute or less, or until smooth & bubbly. Stir constantly. 
4. Mix in cream cheese, milk, salt & pepper, and dijon mustard. Cook sauce until it has thicken. Mix together thoroughly so that the cream cheese softens and mixes in throughout. 
5. Before adding noodle, add cheese. After adding cheese, mix in the noodles. 
6. Pour in a greased greased 2-3 quart casserole dish. 
7. Melt butter (I melt mine in the microwave). Mix butter and bread crumbs together. Sprinkle on top of macaroni and cheese. 
8. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Please enjoy and savor this recipe like my family and I do. Please comment or email me with your questions or comments. Have a happy fall!

Peace, love, bake on.

                                The Fiery Redhead

Cheesy taco pasta.

It's been way to long since I have last posted anything, and for that I am sorry. I have been super duper busy lately. Tennis seemed to take over my life. Anyway on to better things. Things such as comfort food. Ahhh Comfort food. Lets take a moment of silence to savor these words. (brief pause) Just typing these words bring me comfort.

 Comfort food can be defined under a wide variety of cuisines. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary comfort food is defined as food that is satisfying because it is prepared in a simple or traditional way and reminds you of home, family, or friends. Sounds simple enough. To me anything with cheese, cream, pasta, or many other not-so-healthy items of food are comforting.

This brings me to my next point, sharing a delicious comforting recipe with ya'll. This recipe could be easily defined as comfort food and under the umbrella of super easy and quick. 

Cheesy Taco Pasta

adapted from Emily Bites

Ingredients:

8 oz. of pasta of your choice (I either use wide egg noodles or shell pasta)

1 pound of ground beef

1 packet of taco seasoning (or something equivalent to a packet)

1 1/2 cups salsa (I used a chunky salsa)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2  cups shredded cheese (used half cheddar & half Colby-Jack)

salt and pepper to taste

Olives (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, brown (cook) the ground beef in a large skillet. Break and crumble the beef while it is cooking. After it is thoroughly cooked, drain the grease from the beef.
3. Add the taco seasoning, salsa, water to the beef and let simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture. Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and stir until it is combined. After the cheese has melted thoroughly, remove from heat and serve immediately.
5. ENJOY!

As you can see, this recipe is easy and really good. I loved it the first time I made it. When I first made my family thought it looked kind of gross, but after they tried it they loved it. As always please and enjoy. Tell me what you think by either commenting or emailing me.

                                

Peace, Love, bake on.

                                                The Fiery Redhead