Fun Fall Recipes

Olive Garden Fagioli  
Seriously one of my FAVORITE recipes lately. SO GOOD and easy! 
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1cup)

1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)

3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2, 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes

1, 15 ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)

1, 15 ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)

1, 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1, 12 ounce can V-8 juice

1 tbsp white vinegar

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 pound (1/2 package) ditali pasta 

Brown the beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.  Drain off most of the fat.

Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1.5 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat.  Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough.  Drain.

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes more and serve.

World’s Best Cornbread  
Really, it is more like cake! It is YUM-O! 
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

3.5 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 cups milk

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and cornmeal.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add 1/3 of the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.  Add 1 cup milk and mix until combined.  Continue to alternate dry and wet mixing after each addition until all combined.   Bake uncovered in a 9x13 pan for 30-40 minutes or until top is light brown.  (I like to cut in squares and freeze half of it for later use!)

Shared by Jodi

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)

Salt and pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 tablespoons diced onion

4 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoon canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water

Sesame seeds

Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.

Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Shared by Brenna

Fajitas

Small flour tortillas
lime(s)
cilantro
sour cream
avocado
red or orange or yellow pepper
onion
chicken
pkg. fajita mix (you can also make your own)

I marinate the chicken in a fajita mix for a couple of hours (or 10 min).  Slice in strips and grill on BBQ.
Slice peppers and onions long and skinny strips.  Grill on BBQ.

Spread a bit of sour cream on the tortilla, add chicken, onion, peppers, cilantro, avocado.  Squeeze lime juice all over!
Delish!

Shared by MacKenzie

Zucchini Recipes!

Tis the season for zucchini!  Before you doorbell ditch your extras to your neighbors try these recipes:

Baby Zucchini Pies
4 cups shredded zucchini
(2-3 small to med zucchinis)
2tbs butter/margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
(Or fresh minced garlic)
1 cup shredded onion
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté' all the above for about 10 minutes (until most the juice cooks out).  Add 1lb cooked hamburger or sausage (I like hamburger- my husband prefers sausage- sometimes I do half and half).  Mix in 8oz shredded mozzarella.  Open 2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls. Flatten them out into their triangles.  Brush them very lightly with yellow mustard (if you hate mustard you can skip this step).  Spoon a tablespoon or two of the filling onto each triangle and then pick up each corner and pinch closed into little pockets.  Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
You can also use this same amount to make one large pie in a pie tin using only one package of crescent rolls as a bottom crust.


This is a summer tradition I grew up loving.  My mom always made the big pies but my kids love the little pockets better.  These are actually really tasty as leftovers for some reason- the way they set up in the fridge or something.  Also I avoid using large zucchinis- too juicy!

Summer Delight
(I am sorry this isn't an exact recipe- you just sort of throw in what you have- but it is fast and really tasty!)
Fill you pan with cubed yellow squash, zucchini, onions, etc.  Sprinkle with parsley, basil, and oregano (garlic, salt and pepper optional).  Sauté' for about 10 minutes.  Add cooked sausage and cubed tomatoes and cook just until hot.  Serve.  I use the precooked sausage links for this recipe and then just slice them up into circle chunks to add (I warm them up separate first).


An Easy Summer Dessert
1 large vanilla yogurt
1 large cool whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 bag frozen raspberries

Mix the yogurt, cool whip, and pudding powder.  Stir in the frozen raspberries and serve in cups.  Would also be tasty in a graham cracker pie crust. 

Shared by Brenda