Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

This was the best thing I ate last week.  It was quick and delicious!!  
You probably have everything you need to make this pasta dish in your pantry right now.  This can be made ahead of time and baked when you are ready. I love these kind of dishes.  The pasta was really creamy and wonderful!  Absolutely loved it.  It was even better the next day at lunch.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

12 oz spaghetti
1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl.  Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.  Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

Crispy bread crumbs add a bit of crunch to tender slices of butternut squash seasoned with garlic and Parmesan.

Prep Time 25 Minutes
Total Time 1:15 Hr

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup Progresso® panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown.
3. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter-garlic mixture.
4. Brush squash slices with remaining butter-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and bread crumb mixture.
5. Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Makes 6 servings (1/2 cup each)

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

These have quickly become a weekend favorite. I make an entire pan full and then I have a yummy, wholesome breakfast to grab and take i'm running out the door to work. Yay for cooking once a week!  ;)

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

1. Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
2. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
3. Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
4. Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Crack an egg into each of the cups
6. Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
8. Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Notes:

• I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
• When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
• You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients

• 3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
• 5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided

• ¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

·        Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

·        Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

·        When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 large boneless chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken)
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (10 ounce) Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
1 – 8 ounce Velveeta cheese, cubed
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.In a large skillet melt butter or margarine. Add cubed chicken, garlic & onion. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and no liquid is left in skillet. Stir in soup, cheese and Rotel Tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in spaghetti and pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

The Best Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 pounds hamburger
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green Chiles
2 cans stewed tomatoes (include liquid in can)
1 can each chick peas and corn (15 oz. Each, include liquid in can)
1 cup water
1 cans pinto beans (15 oz. Each, include liquid in can)

1 can ranch beans
1 Package Taco Seasoning
1 Package ranch dressing mix (the dry stuff in a package)


Directions:
In a large soup kettle, brown hamburger.  Drain the grease.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.  (Do NOT drain the liquid from the cans.) 
Simmer all ingredients together for 15-20 minutes. Serves 8. 
Add cheese and sour cream if desired

Any type bean can be used.