Category: pasta

Beef, Instant Pot, pasta, Recipes

Instant Pot Meatballs and Creamy Noodles

Nicole

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I have been making this recipe for awhile. I have included the original recipe source below. Please note I have modified their recipe. The first time I made this recipe I didn’t give it a lot of hope. I didn’t think it would have a lot of flavor, but in fact it is bursting with flavor. We all enjoyed this recipe. This is one of those that is a go to recipe now.

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs. beef meatballs frozen or thawed
  • 3 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups extra broad egg noodles (140g)
  • 1/2 cup half and half (you could use milk, heavy cream, canned milk, or sour cream)
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

  1. Add  beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
  2. Stir until spices are combined.
  3. Place meatballs in the Instant Pot
  4. Add noodles, spread into an even layer and press down gently but do not stir. Please note that the pasta will not be completely covered in  broth.
  5. Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 3 minutes.
  6. When the cook time is over, open the valve to instantly release the pressure, then remove the lid.
  7. Whisk together cream and corn starch and stir into meatballs.
  8. Hit cancel on your Instant Pot, then turn your pot on sauté and cook and stir just until sauce has thickened.

Original Recipe Source

Beef, pasta, Recipe, Side Dish

Cowboy Pasta Salad

Nicole

 

This recipe is super delicious. The calories are listed below. You might not want to look at that. BUT I will say that this recipe is worth the investment! I found the recipe on http://www.bellyfull.net. I changed it up a bit to what I had on hand and I didn’t follow the directions exactly the way Belly Full wrote them out, but that was simply because I didn’t read the directions until I was already halfway done. I guess I got the directions in my head the way I thought they should be verses the way they were. Nevertheless the recipe is super delish!

Honestly I had reservations. It’s a very odd and off the wall recipe if you ask me, but it performs in the end. We all loved it. We actually had it as a main dish but you could serve it on the side that’s for sure. For your waist line… that’s probably the way it should be served. This would be great for a potluck, or church event, or even to take to a party. My intention was a work potluck, but instead I got the flu and missed it.

Give this a try. I think it will surprise you!! We thought the taste was even better the second day. It says you can eat it hot or cold but I wasn’t a fan of it cold. I liked it either heated or room temperature.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound dried Rotini
  • 1 pound uncooked bacon
  • 1 pound 90/10 ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup barbeque sauce (I used G. Hughes sugar free)
  • 2 tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Heinz Worcestershire sauce
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce
  • 1 can (15 ounce) Whole Kernel Golden Sweet Corn, drained
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (Optional I omitted)
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used any cheese mix I had on hand)
  • 5 diced green onions
Directions:
  1. In a large pot Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In the same pot (to prevent additional mess) add diced bacon and cook in small batches until all the bacon is cooked. Allow bacon to drain on a few paper towels and set aside. Remove bacon grease from the pot, but there isn’t any need to wash the pot. The bacon drippings will add flavor.
  3. Add ground beef to the same pot. Cooked on a medium heat and break up the meat as you are cooking it. Once the meat is cooked and the grease has been drained mix in the cumin, red pepper flakes and the salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha Sauce until combined and smooth. Add pasta, bacon, beef, drained corn, cheese, and green onions. Mix well
  5. Eat right away or place in the refrigerator and re-heat when you are ready to eat. We found that the longer it sits the better it will taste.

Original Recipe Source

Chicken, Fall, Low Calorie, pasta, Recipe, Soup, WW Friendly

Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

Nicole

With all the early cold weather we have been having soup and stew have been on the dinner table all week. We had this soup last night and I must say it was probably one of the best chicken noodle soups I have ever had.

I didn’t really get the recipe from any one place it was more a combination of recipes I had seen online, a recipe my grandmother would make, and my own ideas. I am stunned how good this recipe turned out to be. It’s nice a hearty yet light and delicious.

What makes it kind of rustic in my opinion is that everything is basically a rough chop you don’t really need to measure or be precise on anything just chop and go. This is a huge time save and makes for a hearty delicious soup!
It’s so easy to make its almost criminal. I had everything chopped and cooking in less than 30 minutes now that’s my kind of recipe. If you are looking for something quick, easy, and delicious this is the recipe.

 

One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the fact that most things in it are pantry staples so you don’t have to spend a fortune to make it. It’s a great way to use up left over chicken, pasta, and vegetables that will be leaving this world soon. This recipe could be a base for just about anything you want to add to it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz., Cooked Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast -diced
  • 4 medium, Carrots – cut into ½ inch rings
  • 1 Onion Medium White – rough chopped
  • 4 Celery Stalks – rough chopped
  • 4 oz., White Button Mushrooms-  thick sliced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves – minced
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Can light Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1/3 cup Chardonnay
  • 1 cup dry, Fusilli
  • 3 oz. Raw Spinach

Directions:

  1. To a large pot add prepared onion, celery, and carrots and olive oil. Cook until the onion and celery are tender.
  2. Add garlic and chardonnay. Cook until the chardonnay is reduced to half.
  3. Add light cream of mushroom soup, diced chicken breast, mushrooms, chicken broth and water.
  4. Bring to a boil then cook on low for 1 hour occasionally stir to ensure nothing is sticking or burning.
  5. After 1 hour add fusilli bring soup to a boil then turn the soup back down to medium low and cook for about 15 minutes or until fusilli is tender.
  6. For the last 5 minutes of the fusilli’s cooking time add spinach. Serve with a hearty crusty bread on the side.