Chicken Noodle Soup

The PERFECT lunch on a cold day. You'll have to bear with me though because I didn't follow a recipe, I just put it together on the fly :)

Last night I put 1 can of chicken broth and 4 - 5 cans of water (enough to cover everything) into the crock pot. I then put 3 large whole chicken pieces (bone in) into that. You could use boneless chicken breasts too, if you prefer.

Then add:

1 large chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 to 1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (I actually had some rotisserie seasoning I used)
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb wide egg noodles (more or less depending on how many you like in your soup)
salt and pepper

Put everything in the crock pot except the salt, pepper and egg noodles and turn it on low. Cook for about 8-10 hours. I did it overnight so we'd have it for lunch today.

Take the chicken pieces out making sure to get all the bones out too. Remove the bay leaves and toss. Cut the chicken up with a fork and toss the bones. While you are doing this the broth should have settled and you can skim any fat off the top with a spoon. Add the chicken back in. If it doesn't seem like you have enough liquid, you can add a bit more water. Put the egg noodles in and cook another 45 minutes or so on low, until the egg noodles are done. Serve and season to taste with salt and pepper.


This is an easy recipe to alter. Just leave things out you don't like. You can also add things like parsnips, potato, leak, dill...

"Buttered" Noodles

Now, this isn't something I'd personally want to eat on a regular basis but when you have a picky toddler it may very well be something you find yourself making on a daily basis. My 20 month old son, like many toddlers, is on a carb and dairy diet. He will eat waffles, pancakes, bread, noodles, milk, yogurt and cheese. And blueberries. Oh, and sometimes a banana. He used to be a banana freak but lately hasn't been eating them too often. He used to be GREAT about eating his veggies. Green beans, carrots, peas, broccoli and even spinach but one day he just stopped. I HAVE to get some veggies into him. "Buttered" noodles are one way.

Pretty much, I cook 8 ounces or so of some kind of toddler friendly pasta (bow tie, penne) and then mix in a tablespoon or two of margarine or butter along with 6 - 8 ounces of squash puree. Make sure it is VERY smooth so your kids can't tell it's there. You can buy jarred squash puree if you want to save time. Mix in some parmesan cheese as well.

I always serve veggies like broccoli or peas and carrots along side or mixed into the noddles (or mac and cheese below), but just in case he picks them out I know he got *some* veggies hidden in the noodles.

You can also mix squash puree into Kraft Mac and Cheese. Just skip the milk because this will add enough liquid.

Any bit helps!

Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli - SOOOOOOO easy and yummy.

I got this from crockpot365.blogspot.com It is SOOO freaking good. Great with some crusty bread and salad and wonderful for a cold day.

--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crock pot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stove top, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crock pot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese if you have it.

Tuna Casserole

This isn't your normal yucky tuna casserole, this is actually good. Try it.

3 cups cooked egg noodles
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon butter
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use reduced fat to save calories)
1/2 (10 1/2 ounce) can evaporated milk (can use regular milk, I use skim)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen peas and carrot
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, one drained
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, divided (I use 1 1/2 cups reduced fat and the rest regular)
1/2 cup crushed potato chips or you can use saltines to save calories.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
In same pot, melt butter and sauté celery and onions until tender.
Combine all ingredients in large casserole, except for potato chips and 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Put cheese on top, then sprinkle top with potato chips.
Return to oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.
Eat with crusty bread. Yum.

Tofu and Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (12 ounce) container tofu
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 to 2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce, depending on how much sauce you like. You could also use Alfredo sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat combine carrot, zucchini, onion and spinach. Pour in just enough water to cover; cook until tender and spinach is thawed and drain.

In a large bowl, mash the tofu with a fork. Stir in carrot mixture, Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, pesto, ricotta cheese, egg while, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Stuff each cooked pasta shell with about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling. Place shells in an un greased 2-quart baking dish. Pour sauce over shells.

Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

Please note... I labeled this as healthy because it is but it is FAR from low fat :)

Mac and Cheese Sneak

Another idea from Jessica Seinfeld's book "Deceptively Delicious". I didn't like her recipe for mac and cheese however, so I used the general idea of what veggies to sneak in and found my own recipe online. The basic mac recipe is called Four Cheese Macaroni from All Recipes. You can use all cheddar cheese instead of the 4 different cheeses if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat) For easier pick-up you can use shells or the corkscrew pasta.
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup Muenster cheese (cubed or shredded)
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (cubed or shredded)
  
• 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese (cubed or shredded)
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 8 ounces cubed processed cheese food
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
  
• 1 cup pureed sweet potato, butternut squash or canned pumpkin.
• 1 cup chopped broccoli. I finely chop it because my son is only one, you can leave it as is if your kids are older or omit if if they are seriously picky eaters.
  

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes you want it to still be firm because it'll cook more in the baking process; drain well and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in microwave and stir into the macaroni.
2. Mix all the shredded cheeses together.
   
3. In the pan you cooked the macaroni in, combine the the shredded cheeses, cubed processed cheese, half and half, pureed cauliflower and pureed sweet potato. Cook over low heat until cheese are melted, mix well.
   
4. Remove from heat and add the macaroni back to the pan, stir in eggs and then the broccoli.
   
5. Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of butter.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve.

To make it a more complete meal add in 1 cup of cubed cooked chicken, turkey or tofu

I calculated the nutrition info on this based on a toddler sized serving which I guesstimated at about 20 servings per recipe after I portioned them off in zip loc bags. This is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so the percentages will be higher for a toddler diet. You can lower the fat content by using non fat sour cream and a lower fat version of the processed cheese spread, but I wouldn't use low fat cheese, it doesn't melt correctly. I also think the dietary fiber is higher because of the pasta I use, I don't think it calculated it correctly.

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
20 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		146.9
Total Fat		11.2 g
	Saturated Fat	6.7 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.5 g
Cholesterol		53.8 mg
Sodium		254.8 mg
Potassium		93.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate		6.0 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.7 g
	Sugars	1.0 g
Protein		6.7 g

Vitamin A	44.9 %
Vitamin B-12	3.6 %
Vitamin B-6	3.5 %
Vitamin C	15.3 %
Vitamin D	1.0 %
Vitamin E	1.6 %
Calcium	19.3 %
Copper	1.6 %
Folate	4.3 %
Iron	1.8 %
Magnesium	2.4 %
Manganese	5.1 %
Niacin	0.9 %
Pantothenic Acid	3.1 %
Phosphorus	9.9 %
Riboflavin	7.4 %
Selenium	6.6 %
Thiamin	2.0 %
Zinc	4.0 %

Quick and Easy Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound lean thin steak, cut in strips
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, undrained
• 6 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained

PREPARATION:

In a skillet in a small amount of oil, brown meat. Add onion and garlic and cook just until tender. Combine soup, sour cream, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mushrooms with liquid; stir to blend. Pour over the meat and heat through. Serve over noodles.

Chicken Florentine

This pasta could very well be mine and Deon's favorite meal and it's always a hit with crowds too. I use about 3/4 of the chicken broth it calls for b/c it makes it a little too soupy and I use more rosemary b/c I love it :) I also throw another tablespoon of pesto in for good measure.

Chicken Florentine

1 cup uncooked penne pasta
6 ounces chicken breast cuts (cooked)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 jar (7-1/4 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and sliced
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup Alfredo sauce
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the chicken, spinach, red peppers, rosemary, garlic powder and pepper in butter until spinach is wilted. Stir in the broth, Alfredo sauce and pesto; cook for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Drain pasta and add to the sauce. Sprinkle with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Yield: 5 cups.