Alfredo Sauce

From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. It should be nice and bubbly.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

CrockPot Fried Rice

From A Year of Slow Cooking

LOVE this one! Helps me easily use leftovers to make something new so I don't hear the occasional whining [from kids] about eating leftovers!

Ingredients:
2 c leftover rice (or quinoa)
3 T butter
2 T soy sauce
2 t worcestershire sauce
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1/2 diced yellow onion
1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand
leftover meat
1 egg

Directions:
Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.

Pesto Spinach Lasagna

From A Year of Slow Cooking
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 (26-oz) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 (10-oz) box lasagna noodles
1 (11-oz) container pesto (or homemade)
1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (12-oz) bag baby spinach
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 c water

Directions:
Use at least a 4 quart slow cooker. Put a spoonful of pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup) into the bottom of your cooker and swirl it around. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you're going to have to break them to make a layer). Smear ricotta cheese and pesto onto the noodles. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, and top with a layer of Parmesan and slice mozzarella cheeses. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. The spinach is fluffy, so you may have to squish it down to make it all fit.

Before closing the pot, put 1/4 cup of water into the empty pasta sauce jar and close and shake. Pour this saucy water over the top of everything.
Now cover up and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 to 4. You'll know it's done when the top layer begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It will also pull a bit away from the sides. Uncover, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Creamy Lemon-Shrimp Pasta

From Kraft Recipes
serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cu Penne pasta, uncooked
1-1/2 lb. uncooked deveined peeled medium shrimp
1/2 c Chicken broth
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
2 t. zest and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
1/4 c Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding shrimp to the boiling water for the last 3 min. Meanwhile, heat broth in large skillet on medium heat. Add cream cheese, zest and juice; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until cream cheese is melted.

2. Drain pasta mixture. Add to cream cheese sauce in skillet with Parmesan; mix well.

3. Top with mozzarella; cover. Cook 3 to 4 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.

Zuppa Toscana

Copycat of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana (but less watery)
Try it- you'll LOVE it!
From Favorite Family Recipes

Ingredients:
3 cans Chicken Broth
2 c whipping cream
red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced, sauteed
1/2 pkg. bacon (cooked and crumbled) or bacon bits
4-5 c chopped kale
3 to 4 potatoes scrubbed and cut into slices or small chunks (skins left on)
1 lb Johnsonville mild Italian sausage

Directions:
Put everything except for potatoes together in a large crockpot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Add potatoes the last 40-60 minutes.

We serve with bread sticks or garlic bread- so good!

Banana Chocoloate Chip cookies

from Gooseberry Patch

Ingredients:
1/2 c margarine
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t vanilla
3 bananas, mashed
2 1/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
12 oz package chocolate chips

Directions:
In a bowl beat margarine, brown sugar, vanilla & banana until creamy. In separate bowl, combine flour, powder, & soda. Stir flour mixture into margarine mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375F 8-10 mins or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks. Makes 2-3 dozen.

Lindsay's French Toast

This is enough for 5 of us plus sometimes some leftover depending on how much the kids eat- which is usually about 2-3 slices each! It's a family favorite for sure. I've added several recipes of what I like together to come up with this:

Ingredients:
Loaf of bread (we use wheat like you use for normal sandwiches, but the best to use is sour dough bread or french bread- I usually use about half the loaf when I make this)
6 eggs
abt 1/4 c milk
1-2 T vanilla (depending taste preference)
nutmeg
cinnamon

Directions:
In a pie pan, put cracked eggs, milk, & vanilla. Stir. Add nutmeg sprinkling once over the top of the egg mixture. Stir. Add LOTS of cinnamon. Stir. Add cinnamon until there are lots of brown dots in the mixture. Stir. Dip bread into mixture and flip so both sides are generously covered (but not soaked). I fry them on my plugged in griddle until done (or looks eggy/ light brown on each side). Add cinnamon as needed to make sure there's enough on each slice of french toast.