Chicken Macaroni Casserole

Another great casserole recipe that I made as a variation of a recipe I found on Pinterest. This recipe ended up making a really BIG casserole. After we ate it for dinner, I ended up freezing half of the casserole as well as having leftovers in in the fridge for the week!

Chicken Macaroni Casserole

• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. margarine
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 2 1/2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 (13.25 oz.) box whole wheat elbow noodles, cooked
• 1 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken breast cubes with chopped onion and margarine in skillet over medium high heat until chicken is no longer pink in the center. In large bowl, combine cooked chicken and onion with milk, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, cooked noodles, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in greased 9x13 casserole dish and top with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese, and return to oven until melted.

Sausage Skillet

Here is a savory sausage skillet recipe that's perfect for a cold winter day!

Sausage Skillet

• 14 oz. turkey smoked sausage, sliced
• 4 red potatoes, sliced
• 15 baby carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 (15.25oz.) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried thyme 
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in large skillet and toss until evenly coated. Cook over medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and sausage are browned and veggies tender.

Easy Lemon Cake Bars

My husband loves lemon bars, and so I decided to try out this lemon bar recipe that only takes 3 ingredients that I found on Pinterest. They were husband-approved, and made a quick and easy dessert!

Easy Lemon Cake Bars

• 1 (16 oz.) box angel food cake mix
• 1 (21 oz.) can lemon pie filling
• powdered sugar

In medium bowl, mix together cake mix and pie filling.

Spread in greased 9x13 baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until slightly browned. Allow to cool, and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Sensational Sides: Layered Mexican Dip

Made this popular dip recipe for our Super Bowl party with some friends last weekend, and it was a big hit! There are a lot of different versions of this recipe out there, but I thought I'd share my version with you! Enjoy!

Layered Mexican Dip

• 1 (16 oz) can fat free refried beans
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning, reduced sodium
• 1 cup guacamole
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce
• 2 roma tomatos, chopped
• 8 green onions, chopped
• baked tortilla chips

In medium bowl, mix together refried beans and taco seasoning. Spread in bottom of 9x13 glass dish followed by layers of guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and green onion. Refrigerate until serving, serve with chips. 

Skinny Stroganoff

Sausage stroganoff is one of my go to meals for a quick dinner during the week. It takes simple ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes to make. I decided to change up the recipe I had from my mom with some lighter ingredients. It was much healthier but didn't change the flavor at all! I hope you will give it a try!

Skinny Stroganoff

• 1 lb. ground turkey sausage
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4oz.) 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 pkg. whole grain extra wide noodles, cooked

Brown turkey sausage with chopped onion on stove until no longer pink. Reduce heat and add cream of chicken soup, skim milk, and sour cream. Stir well and allow sauce to heat through, but do not boil. Serve over noodles.

Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken

Here is a very flavorful chicken recipe that is great paired with pasta or a salad!

Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 Tbs. dried basil
• 1 Tbs. parmesean cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Combine marinade ingredients with chicken breasts in large ziplock baggie and rotate until evenly mixed. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, rotating and shaking the bag every 30 minutes. Place chicken breasts on grill and baste with extra marinade. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Biscuit Pizzas

As the Super Bowl approaches this weekend, I thought I would share a great game night party recipe for you to try. Biscuit pizzas are one of my favorite childhood recipes that my mom would make for us. They are quick and easy to make, and only need 3 simple ingredients. They are also a great recipe for kids to help with and get creative by making their own pizzas. Feel free to make them your own by adding any of your favorite pizza toppings.

Biscuit Pizzas

All you need is 1 can of Pillsbury flaky layers biscuits, pizza sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Flatten biscuits on greased cookie sheet.

Spoon sauce on each biscuit.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top (add other pizza toppings as desired).

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 10 pizzas.