Sunday, February 24, 2013

"Comfort" food...

Wow, it's been a while since I shared any recipes with y'all! I just looked through my pictures and realized I have several worth sharing! Please take note of all the cooking I do now--I am not sure how my time in the kitchen will be spent once Baby S arrives! 

First up, I have a super easy pasta dish. It's a chicken, asparagus pasta dish...if I have shared it before, I apologize! This is an improved version of the last time I made it, though!
Ingredients:
About 8 oz. pasta {any kind you wish!} 
1 lb. chicken {breast or tenders}
1/2-1 lb. asparagus
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sour cream
Shredded cheese {however much your heart desires}
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
Grill your chicken breasts or tenders.
 Snap the ends off of the asparagus and break into 2-3 inch pieces. 
 Boil the pasta according to package directions. Also boil the asparagus for about 5-10 minutes. 
While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, chop the chicken. 
 Add the pasta and chicken to a large mixing bowl. Next, add the asparagus and seasonings. 
 Add the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, butter, and cheese. Stir until well mixed. 
 Add to a greased baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. 
 Here's the finished product....so delicious! 

Next, is shrimp and grits...who doesn't love that combo? Me actually--because I am allergic to shrimp--but I substituted sausage for the shrimp in mine, so all was good! I also found a cream cheese grits recipe--two of my favorite foods combined...
Ingredients {shrimp}:
1 lb shrimp
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
Green onions
Garlic Salt

Ingredients {cream cheese grits}:
1 cup stone ground grits
2 cups heavy cream 
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cream cheese
Creole seasoning
Salt and Pepper 

 Britt deveined the shrimp since I can't touch it. I chopped the green onions while he was doing that. 
 Add olive oil and green onions to skillet. 
 Add lemon juice and seasonings to the green onions. 
 Add shrimp and sauté until shrimp becomes a light pink color. 
While the shrimp was cooking, I grilled the andouille sausage and then chopped it up.
 
Now onto making the grits....Pour the heavy cream and milk into a saucepan. 
 Add grits and seasoning.
 Whisk together and bring to a boil. Cook on low-medium heat for 25 minutes, uncovered and stirring often. 
Once the grits are cooked, add cream cheese and creole seasoning {if you prefer a kick} and whisk until mixed. 
 

 
 After the grits are finished, add them to a bowl, top with sausage {or shrimp} and add another spoonful of grits.
 Top with green onions and you have a meal to die for! 

Valentine's Day is a holiday Britt and I choose not to "really" celebrate. We celebrate our love every other day of the year!! Anyway, we decided not to go out to eat and spend a ton on money on a meal since we could cook at home for more than half the price and probably better taste. Growing up, Britt's mom used to make Lazy Mom's Lasagna. It calls for red sauce, but Britt is a white sauce kind of {as I may have mentioned before}. It's a quick easy meal that you will love! 

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove {minced}
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano 
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 oz. cheese ravioli {frozen, not thawed}
14 oz. jar of alfredo {or spaghetti sauce}
8 oz. provolone cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
 Begin browning the hamburger meat and chop the onion and garlic. 
 Add the onion, garlic, and seasonings and cook until the meat is no longer pink. I use an iron skillet for this recipe. 
 Drain the meat and add the cheese ravioli to the skillet. Then add the beef.
 Add the alfredo sauce and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes without stirring so the ravioli can heat through.  
 
 Add the provolone cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-50 minutes. I broil it for about 5 minutes at the end to get the golden look. 
 We had caesar salad and bread with the lasagna and it was great!

Last, I found a cheeseburger soup recipe that was perfect for a cold night last week. I saw it on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try it. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion 
3/4 cup chopped {or shredded} carrots
1 tsp basil
1 tsp dried parsley
4 tbsp butter {divided}
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups chopped potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups Velveeta cheese {cubed}
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
First, brown the hamburger meat.
 Chop the onion and carrots. 
 Add butter, carrots, onions, and seasonings and sauté until tender. 
 Meanwhile, chop the potatoes and velveeta cheese. 
 Add chicken broth and potatoes.  
 Then add the beef. Boil for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 
 While the soup mixture is boiling, add 3 tbsp of butter and 1/4 flour to a small skillet. Stir until bubbly for about 5 minutes {until it thickens}. 
 Add the flour mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Then add the milk and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. 
Simmer on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes.  
 Remove from heat and add the sour cream. Stir until sour cream is melted. 
 Top with a pinch of cheddar cheese!