Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Bake

I found this recipe a few days ago on Pinterest, and I decided to try it out using my own Alfredo sauce recipe instead of the kind from a jar. I also varied the amounts of some other ingredients. This is what I came up with.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Ingredients

2 cups half and half

2 sticks butter or margarine

8 oz. softened cream cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. Pepper

3 cups small pasta shells, cooked according to package directions

2 cups cooked/ shredded chicken

3 cups steamed broccoli

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add half and half, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir until smooth, then bring to soft boil and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let thicken. Once sauce has thickened a bit, stir in cooked pasta shells, chicken, and broccoli. Pour this mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

This is a recipe my mom made that I really like from when I was younger. I never actually got her exact recipe, but I took the basics of her recipe and created this one. It's pretty quick and easy, and very flavorful and good.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

Ingredients

1 box chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing mix

½ cup water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Directions

Pour stuffing mix into a bowl, then moisten with the water. Set aside. Mix together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. Spread this mixture across the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay chicken breasts on top of the spread out mixture. Top with stuffing mix. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped
12 medium tortillas 
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Desired toppings

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil, then add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir in water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until hot. Do not boil. Remove from heat and set aside. In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef, then drain. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until the onion is translucent (3 to 5 minutes). Moisten with half of the sauce. (The other half of the sauce will be used to top the enchiladas). Preheat oven to 400°F Begin filling tortillas with the beef mixture. As each one is filled, roll it tightly and place seam-side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce, then cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.

I topped mine with lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes, but you can serve as is or choose whatever toppings you like.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

This is a recipe that I found recently online and made only a few small adaptations to. These were easy and really good. They were both cheaper and better tasting than the frozen kind, but not that difficult. They could also be made with beef instead of chicken. Freezing them before baking would also make an easy meal later on.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup salsa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
3-4 sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
12 small tortillas
Cooking spray

Sour cream and/or salsa for dipping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil, sprayed with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients but the tortillas. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds until they are soft enough to roll
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Roll the tortillas as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortillas seam side down on the baking sheet. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa and/or sour cream for dipping.

Layered Taco Bake

I had bought one of those kits that was supposed to make something similar to this, but I was really disappointed with the kit. It just contained some tortillas, taco seasoning, and a very small packet of nacho cheese that would barely even cover one layer. So, I re-created the recipe, making some additions, which made it much better.
It doesn't make a lot, so I would recommend making two of them if you are feeding a family.

Layered Taco Bake

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

¼ cup water

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup salsa

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup diced tomatoes

½ cup jalapeno slices

Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

3 (8 inch) tortillas

Directions

Brown ground beef, drain. Add water, taco seasoning, salsa, and most of the onions and jalapenos, leaving aside a few for topping. Cook and additional 5 minutes, or until beef mixture thickens and is well heated through.

Place one of the tortillas in an ungreased pie pan. Top with a later of the beef mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and serve.

Individual servings may be topped with desired extra toppings, such as lettuce, sour cream, additional salsa, etc.

Crock Pot Ravioli

I found a recipe for Crock Pot Ravioli on Pinterest, and decided to try it today, with my own adaptations. It was very easy, and very good. This is definitely something I will be making again soon.

Crock Pot Ravioli

Ingredients

2 (25 oz.) jars of pasta sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

1 can of condensed cheddar cheese soup

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping

1 (25 oz.) bag frozen ravioli- you can use meat or cheese filled, but I used cheese

Directions
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients except ravioli. Stir well. Spoon ⅓ of the sauce into the slow cooker, top with ⅓ of ravioli. Repeat layers three times. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve with each individual serving topped with additional shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bisquick Bacon Egg Cheese Casserole

This is a recipe my mom has been making since I was a child. I have varied the amounts of certain ingredients a bit, but basically I make it the same way. It makes a great breakfast casserole, but we usually have it for dinner. It is also a great way to use leftover ham if you use that in place of the bacon.

Bisquick Bacon Egg Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

3 cups Bisquick

1 cup cold water

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ lb. Bacon- cooked and crumbled, or 1-2 cups of chopped ham, whichever you prefer

4 eggs

½ cup milk

½ tsp. salt

Directions

Heat oven to 425. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Mix Bisquick and water until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Gently smooth into ball on floured cloth-covered surface. Knead 10 times. Pat into dish, pressing up ½ inch on sides. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over top. Bake for 20 to 25 min.