Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

I've lost my mojo. I got pulled over today for speeding. I haven't gotten a ticket in probably 9 years. I was kind of surprised that I got pulled over because usually the police here are too busy chasing a person that's going 50 miles over the speed limit or trying to catch the murder suspect in the car up ahead. Yes folks...welcome to Florida. 

This morning I was on my way to meet friends for an early lunch when I was pulled over for mildly speeding. I tried to squeeze a work out in before so I had just showered and was rushing to meet them.

I've talked my way out of tickets in the past with a smiles and apologies. But between my wet hair, my protruding belly, and a car that smells like a Happy Meal - I figured the gig was up.  I abandoned all hopes of sweet talking my way out of this one before I had even rolled down my window for the officer.

He greeted me by looking at my son in the back seat and saying, "Well at least the baby is strapped in a car seat."

Yes, just because I'm going a little over the speed limit also means I'm probably letting my toddler ping pong aimlessly in the back of my car. I also let him lick batteries and stick metal objects in light sockets for fun.

So I'm stuck with a hefty fine or 6 hours of traffic school; both equally painful.

I liked this meal so much that I've made it twice in the past 2 weeks because it's easy and my family loves it. Something about the aroma of garlic and onion cooking on the stove always draws my family into the kitchen. I've had this recipe tucked away for a while. Wylie sent me this recipe; our husbands played football together at Ricks college forever ago. It's one of those easy, inexpensive recipes that you can't mess up. And since I may be forking over some money for a ticket, inexpensive is good. I know you are thinking that this is just a basic pasta recipe but sometimes the simplest ingredients combined in the right way are magical. Thanks Wylie!

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta
Source: Wylie Tidwell
Makes 4-6 servings

4-5 Italian sausages (about 1 pound) found in the fresh meat department (I used spicy turkey Italian sausage; I really think a spicy sausage adds a lot of flavor)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
12 ounces penne pasta (get a 16 ounce box and use 3/4 of it)
grated Parmesan for topping

Directions:
1) Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, according to package directions.
2) While pasta is cooking, brown the sausages and cut them into slices - little circles (I actually removed the casings and then browned and crumbled the sausages like you would ground beef).
3) Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a couple of minutes.
4) Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and heat through.
5) Pour in the cream and heat through. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.
6) Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.
7) Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Someone needs to send the memo to Florida that fall is officially here. My sons had back-to-back soccer and baseball games on Saturday and I about had heat stroke sitting in the sun chasing around my other kids. But fall baking gets me in the mood no matter what the temperature is. I have an unwritten rule for myself that I don't start baking pumpkin recipes until October 1st since I tend to burn myself out on them. I'm not really good at that moderation thing. So don't worry, the pumpkin recipes will be coming soon.

Until then, enjoy these mini Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes. There were perfectly creamy with chunks of Oreos throughout. They only have a few ingredients which I like especially when my boys are helping me in the kitchen. Cheesecakes can be intimidating and involved with water baths and springform pans but these were so easy. I knew it was a sign that I had to make these because I bookmarked them and on the same day my friend Kaela posted them. I cut the recipe in half and took them to my friends house for dessert. I dare you to eat just one!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
Source: Martha Stewart

42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275°. Line standard muffin pans with liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving. Best served really cold! You can garnish with fresh whipped cream and crumbled Oreos if desired.

Makes 30 cheesecakes.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu was one of the first meals I attempted as a newly married woman. I had never heard of pounding chicken to make it thinner and spent a lot of time in the kitchen violently trying to pound out the chicken and roll all of the fillings up inside. In the end, most of the cheese and filling leaked out while baking and I was left with a dry chicken breast. I boycotted chicken cordon bleu since that experience figuring it was way too much work for me.

When I saw this EASY version of chicken cordon bleu, I thought I would give the dish one more chance. Yum! You know how most things taste better when someone else cooks them? Well, this is one dish that I really enjoyed even though I cooked it myself.

One thing I've learned since I've been in the food world is that people really look down on using cream of chicken and mushroom soups. I'm not totally against them; I believe they have a purpose sometimes and make life easier. But this dish uses a from scratch sauce instead and oh my gosh - it's to die for! This is a great easy dish for company or just for your family. It's comfort food at its best.

I followed Mel's advice of using fresh bread crumbs. We are already doing things the easy way and fresh breadcrumbs make this dish look and taste gourmet. To make the breadcrumbs I threw the heels of my bread in my little food processor. You are supposed to use dry bread but in Florida that's pretty much impossible since it's so humid. My Oreos, Nillas, and anything that's supposed to stay crisp gets soggy within a day. You can toast your bread to dry it out if you live in a humid climate like me. 

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

For the Cordon Bleu:
3 large, thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to make two thinner chicken breast cutlets; you will have 6 total thin chicken breasts)
12 slices good quality deli ham
1 cup bread crumbs (preferably fresh)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound (8 ounces) thinly sliced Swiss cheese

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*Note: Mel saves the heels of her bread and stores them in the freezer until she needs them then grinds them up quickly in a blender or food processor.

Directions:
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with slices of Swiss cheese, layering across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

When the chicken is almost done, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.

Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. If it's too thin, simmer longer.

Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

For some reason, during this pregnancy half the food I crave is really bad for me.

The other half is really, really bad for me.

For example, my husband bought one of those huge bags of chocolate at Costco for his seminary students. You know those big bags of assorted miniature candy bars that they sell around Halloween. He hid the bag, because hello, he's been married 10 years to me and knows better.

I, of course, found his hiding spot and snuck a treat for myself and the kids every once in while. I didn't think I did much damage but after two weeks he checked his stash and was shocked to see that all that was left was a plethora of plain M&Ms.

Oops.

So after a slight reprimanding by my husband on self control, rebutted by me explaining that "chocolate makes me happy and doesn't he want me to be happy?", I headed to Costco to replace his bag of chocolate.

I don't know what it is about Costco but I seem to be a magnet there for unnecessary comments. Remember when the checker called me lazy.

Well this time as I was checking out, I was immediately stopped by the checker as she said, "Whoa...don't lift any of that. You're going to pop any second."

"Nope." I said, still unloading my cart. "I still have 12 weeks."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I actually am a lot smaller this pregnancy than any of my other pregnancies. Which really isn't saying much.

"Are you sure?" she said.

Oh man, Do I really have to answer that? - I thought to myself. In her defense, I did just eat a Costco sized bag of chocolate. At least is was better than the, "There's no way there's only one baby in there." comment.

Doesn't everyone know the only thing you should EVER say to a pregnant woman is, "You look great."

These Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches will have everyone saying only good things. I found them on my SIL Kristy's blog and since I trust her taste, I knew I had to try them. I've had a hankering for Chicken Caesar anything lately and these were super easy and hit the spot. The chicken thighs fall apart in the crockpot and are so much more tender than chicken breasts (although you could use those too). My family loved these.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Source: Sweet Treats and More

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I like Cardini's and Brianna's Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

September is finally here and all I can think about are all of the apple recipes I want to dig into. I've already lit my fall candles to get in the mood since we kind of have to fake the seasons over here in Florida. These caramel apple cupcakes smelled divine baking in the oven! These are super simple using a doctored cake mix but taste just like fall. I should know because I ate five three just to make sure...

Also, today my friend Micah from Micah Folsom Photography is having a photography giveaway. Micah is an amazingly talented photographer and if you happen to be lucky enough to be in the Oklahoma or Utah area, go check out her giveaway. I wish she still lived here so she could take pictures of my little "apple".

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Source: adapted from America's Best Recipes

1 (18.25-ounce) package spice cake mix
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup peeled, cored, and chopped Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple)
35 caramels
1/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream (or regular milk)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
24 wooden craft sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vegetable oil until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in chopped apple.

2. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine caramels and milk in a medium saucepan over very low heat; stir 4 minutes or until smooth. It's very important to keep the heat very low because if the caramel gets too hot it will become really hard when cooled.

4. Spread caramel mixture over cupcakes being careful to not touch the caramel to the paper liners or it will stick to the liners; immediately sprinkle with pecans, pressing in slightly. Insert a wooden stick into center of each cupcake. Store covered in an airtight container. It's best to serve the cupcakes the same day that you add the caramel topping. Caramel will soften if kept at room temperature for too long so store in the refrigerator until ready to serve then let come to room temperature to let caramel soften up a bit.

Makes 20-24 cupcakes.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

My mother is very thoughtful. My husband mentioned to her that he liked beef jerky when we were first married and every since then when we see her she has bags of beef jerky for him. She also knows I love See's chocolates and always has a box in our room by our bed when we come to visit.

My husband always jokes that we should tell her we really like money.

I must have some of my mother's genes because when John told me he loved Frank's Buffalo Sauce, I searched out every recipe I could find that had it in it. But somewhere in between this Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese and making this Buffalo Chicken Dip after every single football game last year, I burned him out on good ol' Frank's Buffalo Sauce.

So I backed off for a while.

But now it's time. Time to welcome Frank back into our culinary lives. I made this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad that I had pinned on Pininterest while my husband was at a work dinner and enjoyed some for dinner by myself. It came together really fast because I used a rotisserie chicken and my food chopper to quickly chop up the veggies. The next day he told me he heated up two plates for lunch and really liked it.

"Heated it up? It's a pasta salad...you're supposed to eat it cold." I said.

"Nope. It's good hot."

So this pasta salad would be a great cold side for tailgating or football parties...or as a warm scrumptious dinner. And I have to agree...it is really good warmed up.

And FYI mom, I will never, EVER get burnt out on See's chocolates.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Source: Snappy Gourmet

8 ounces small uncooked pasta (such as mezze penne)
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups precooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
(optional) 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente in adequately salted water. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water (If serving hot don't use cold water).
2. While pasta is cooking, whisk together hot sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt in small bowl until well combined.
3. Place the pasta in large mixing bowl. Stir in chicken, blue cheese, carrots, celery, and onion (optional). Slowly mix in desired amount of dressing. You may not want to use all of the dressing.
4. Can be served cold or hot. If serving cold, refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6-8 Servings.

Notes: If you would like it to be spicier, use more hot sauce and less olive oil. If the pasta salad seems dry after being in the refrigerator, add a little olive oil or hot sauce.

Caprese on a Stick

Here's a last minute appetizer for your Labor Day barbeques. I love Caprese Salad so these little bites are a perfect snack for me. These are fresh, light, and the flavors compliment each other perfectly. Goodbye summer!

Caprese on a Stick

cherry tomatoes

small fresh mozzarella balls

basil leaves

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

toothpicks

Place one cherry tomato, a basil leave (or half a leaf if it is large), and a mozzarella ball on each toothpick. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired and sprinkle with salt and pepper.