Tortellini Soup

1 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves fresh garlic
4 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz)
18-20 oz. package fresh four cheese tortellini
1/4 c. frshly grated parmesan
1 can stewed tomatoes (14 oz) not Italian or Mexican
(I put in 2...oops! It was still delicious and I don't like tomatoes!  However I did blend mine up so there wasn't huge tomato chunks.)
1 bunch of fresh clean spinach or 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
6 fresh basil leaves chopped or 1 tsp. dried crumbled basil

Melt butter in soup pot on medium heat. Add crushed garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in broth; add tortellini and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer briefly until tortellini are just tender (about 5 min). Stir in tomatoes, spinach, and basil. Simmer 3 minutes. Serve and sprinkle parmesan on top.

To freeze:  I simmered the soup without the pasta in it. Then added the pasta at the end till it was just barely al dente. I can get 2 bags of soup from each pot. When the soup cools add the parmesan to the mix before freezing.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

from:   http://freezermealsforus.blogspot.com

2 lbs ground beef - I just used one pkg ground beef (a little over 1lb) and it was plenty!
1 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (26 once) jars spaghetti sauce
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced pepperoni

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in oil. Drain. Stir in pasta, seasoning, spaghetti sauce, and 3 cups cheese. Place mixture in 2 greased 9x13 pans or 2 8x8 pans. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with pepperoni (I would mix the pepperoni in when you put the pasta in so it is throughout!). Cover and freeze or bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.  I froze one 8x8 pan and cooked the other one.  I like to add parmesan cheese too!

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

From:http://forkinit.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-barbecue-chicken.html

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray's all the way!)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. place chicken in crockpot. pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. you pretty much don't even have to stir it... how easy is that!? and please eat it with these.

Zach and I shredded our chicken and ate it on hamburger buns! Very Yummy!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 spice cake mix
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 egg
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 tsp. pumkin spice

Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix ingredients together.  Grease cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Biscuits & Gravy

I do not usually like biscuits and gravy because I hate that country gravy in a packet. But I love this recipe for the gravy!

Biscuits Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425*.  Mix all ingredients together with a fork.  This will be too sticky to roll out, so sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour over the mixture and stir again.  Continue doing this until dough is thick and workable.  Sprinkle some flour on your countertop.  Scrape the dough onto the flour, sprinkle with more flour on the top of the dough.  Pat out with hand and roll until 3/4" thickness.  Cut out with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Gravy Ingredients:
1/2 c. sausage (I used the whole lb since all you need is the drippings)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage until browned.  Pull sausage out, leaving drippings behind.  Set sausage aside.  (I left a small amount of sausage in the pan to have in the gravy.)  Stir in flour with the fat drippings.  If there is not enough fat drippings to create a paste (roux) with the flour add some butter.  Slowly add half the milk and whisk until all the lumps are gone.  Then add the rest of the milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue stirring gravy over medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn off heat.  If gravy is not thick enough add a small amount of flour. If gravy is to thick add more milk.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

1/4 c. flour
2-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Only cook what you will eat)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Place flour in a shallow dish.  Sprinkle chicken with salt; coat with flour.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Add chicken; cook, turning once until golden, 2-4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken from skillet; place in a 9x13 baking dish.

2. heat remaining olive oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add garlic and onion; cook until garlic is fragrant and onion is tender, 1-2 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high; add whipping cream, parmesan and pepper.  Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.  Spoon sauce over chicken in dish.

3. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of chicken registers 180*F, 8-12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

4. I cooked some linguine pasta while chicken was baking.  Place the pasta on the plate and top with chicken and sauce.