Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream

Ingredients:

1 12-oz package bow tie pasta

2 T. olive oil *

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled **

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c. diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped ***

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/2 t. salt

3 T. minced fresh parsley

* I didn't use the olive oil at all.

** I just bought a package of Italian sausage, browned and drained it.

*** Bought a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes and didn't drain.

Recipe:

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

2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly browned. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir cooked pasta into sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

We loved it! The red pepper adds a nice little kick. The cream sauce is perfect. It's just really good. And best of all, it's served with "butterfly noodles."

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, p. 186

Chocolate Mug Milkshakes

Ingredients:

4 c. chocolate ice cream

2 c. milk

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

Recipe:

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses.

Rating: 2 of 5

Basically, we were really disappointed in this one. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was TOO chocolate-y. If you really, really, really like chocolate, then this is the shake for you. We were sad this one didn't turn out as we expected it.

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, p. 15

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

3 c. white sugar

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk

1 t. vanilla extract

Recipe:

1. Combine butter, cocoa, sugar, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 7 minutes.

2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

3. Carefully pour hot mixture into a blender and blend for 2-4 minutes. Serve immediately and store any leftovers in refrigerator.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

This was a pretty good recipe. I liked it a lot, I just didn't think it was thick enough. Definitely only good when warm. But, I think I might have a high standard for hot fudge sauce.

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, pg. 27

Strawberry Shortcakes

Ingredients:

1 quart strawberries, sliced

1 c. sugar

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

3 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. margarine or butter, melted

Recipe:

1. Sprinkle strawberries with 1 c. of sugar; let stand 1 hour. *

2. Preheat the oven to 450.

3. Mix flour, 2 T. sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and margarine just until blended.

4. Sprinkle a surface lightly with flour. Turn the dough onto the surface. Gently smooth into a ball.

5. Knead 20-25 times. Roll or pat dough 3/4 inch thick; cut into shortcakes with a floured 3 to 32 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. **

6. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

7. Split warm shortcakes crosswise; fill and top with strawberries. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

* I put the strawberries back in the fridge for that hour.

** I don't have cookie or biscuit cutters and just used a large cup.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I am not a huge fan of shortcake, but I thought this was pretty good. It actually tasted a lot like my Grandma's biscuits which are sooo good. You can never go wrong with strawberries and whipped cream though. LaDon declared it "perfect" while eating.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

No, this food has not been eaten yet. Just cut up a little.

Ingredients: **I halved the recipe**

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ground black pepper to taste

1 t. garlic salt

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced *

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 t. dried basil

1 t. oregano

1 t. rosemary

1/2 t. dried thyme

*The usual dried chopped onion substitute.

***TIP: Italian Seasoning usually is a combination of the above ingredients. The type of Italian Seasoning I buy has just oregano and thyme. This might save you a trip to the store!***

Recipe:

1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken and add basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve on rice or pasta.

Rating: 3 of 5

This was a pretty good recipe. We ate the chicken on spaghetti noodles. The chicken turned out pretty tender, but we aren't a huge strong balsamic-taste fans. That being said, I liked enough to make it again some day. I honestly don't think seasoning the chicken does a thing since I couldn't taste the pepper or the garlic salt, but whatever!

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, pg. 131

Almond Dijon Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets

2 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. mayonnaise

½ c. almonds, chopped

cooking spray as needed

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375. combine Dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.

2. Coat chicken with mustard mixture, and top with chopped almonds. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.

Rating: 4 of 5

This was a nice tasty dish. LaDon loved it and declared that he doesn't know why we even go out to eat on dates because my cooking has gotten better than restaurant cooking. He's funny. Seriously though, the chicken was nice and tender, the flavor was full and zesty, and the almonds added the perfect crunch factor! If you like the Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken, you'll probably like this as well. Oh, and the best thing of all: I had absolutely every ingredient on hand and it's such an easy recipe that LaDon could make it.....with his eyes closed (if he wanted to cook)!

Source: Food on the Table

Cheesy Italian Tortellini

Ingredients:

½ lb ground beef

½ lb Italian sausage, casings removed

1 16-oz jar marinara sauce

1 14.5-oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 9-oz package refrigerated or fresh cheese tortellini

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Recipe:

1. Crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage into a large skillet. Cook over medium-high hear until browned. Drain.

2. Combine the ground meats, marinara sauce, and tomatoes in a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

3. Stir in the tortellini, and sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Cover and cook for 15 more minutes on low, or until the tortellini in tender.

Rating: 3 of 5

This really was a good recipe. We just thought there was too much meat. I also prefer the Italian sausage taste to beef, so I think next time I will double the batch and only use 1 lb. of Italian sausage. I've come to discover that tortellini is not my favorite pasta. I would also try using cheese ravioli next time.

Source: Allrecipes, http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Italian-Tortellini/Detail.aspx