Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Italicized ingredients are not optional
1.  Cook noodles
2.  Cook ground beef or other protein with onions and garlic.  Cook broccoli florets.
3.  Mix beef and broccoli with ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, peas, kalamata olives, parsley.  Mix with the pasta.
4.  Grate cheese - I used mozzarella, cheddar, and jack.
5.  Layer noodle mixture and cheese, with cheese on top, and bake in the oven.

The second photo was of the leftovers.  I froze the remaining ziti.  After defrosting it, I mixed in quartered turkey meatballs and more tomato sauce and then topped it with grated smoked cheddar cheese before rebaking the ziti.

Chicken Fingers

Chicken Fingers

This is also the same recipe to use for Fish Sticks.

1.  Cut your protein to the correct size (pound/cut chicken, cut fish, etc.)

2.  Coat in flour, dip in egg, coat in herbed/spiced breadcrumbs.
(I used ground cereal instead of bread this time around).

3.  Bake in oven until done; serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

Mexican Dip

Who doesn't love Mexican dip???  Pictured above is a simple one: refried beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, olives.


What I like to put in my Mexican dip depends on what's around the house and the time I have to make it.  Refried beans, cooked beans, ground beef (with taco seasoning), Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, corn, onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, onion, olives, peppers, etc.

I froze the leftovers with an added can of refried beans.
When I defrosted it, I used the mixture for tacos, adding sour cream, avocado, and salsa.

Mac & Cheese Casserole

Pictured above is a Mac & Cheese Casserole with whole wheat noodles, ground bison, peas, and four cheeses:  cheddar, mozzarella, colby, and feta.

I grew up eating Tuna Casserole.  This is an adaptable recipe that is delicious.  It's also the best way, in my opinion, to make Mac & Cheese (if you leave out the other ingredients), better than the cheese sauce method.

Layer the ingredients in a baking pan. Cooked noodles, shredded/grated/cut cheese, a protein like canned tuna or ground beef, vegetables like peas and corn, spices/herbs like minced onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, mustard, paprika, etc.  Adding a little bit of tomato sauce is optional.  Finally, bake and serve - for a special treat, crumble potato chips on top.

Baked Chicken

Baking chicken requires little prep time and but cook time with bones is not too quick.

The chicken here was baked with some herbs and barbecue sauce.