Simple Italian Meat Sauce
Simple Italian Meat Sauce cooks up quickly for a pasta dinner or to save as the base for a nice pan of lasagna. This sauce uses butter and a little milk, so it’s sort of like a bolognese, but only takes 45-60 minutes.
Rigatoni alla Vodka
I’m in love with Italian food. Isn’t everyone? So many dishes are creamy, rich and very satisfying. They’re easy to prepare and fun to make, unpretentious – something to please everyone. And Italian food is inexpensive and serves plenty. Besides, I have two tomato plants in my garden with lots of ripening fruit. So, I made a couple of batches of marinara sauce Saturday. And I made the sauce expressly with this recipe in mind.
Super Sloppy Joes
I bet everyone has a favorite recipe for Sloppy Joes. This all-American sandwich is a standard I bet eaten in most households in one form or another. I bet, too, that most of us make the sauce using a powdered pre-packaged mix or sauce from a can. I get it – it’s easy and quick. Great in a pinch when you have to get a meal on the table in a hurry, and one that the family will enjoy.
While I was raising my children, I got into the habit of making food from scratch. I thought pre-packaged mixes, noodles, rice, and the like had too much fat and salt. If I made dishes from scratch, I could control seasonings and change up the recipe in any way I wished. As a result, I’ve turned into a spice junkie. A visit to Indiana is not complete unless I shop at Penzey’s Spices. Gee – they have everything!
Broccoli Cheese Soup – Perfect Summer End and Fall Begin
Broccoli Cheese Soup
It’s still 90° in Billings, but what can I say? It’s close enough to September and blessed cool weather that I got very hungry for some broccoli cheese soup. My husband, Richard, loves soup of any kind. He’s feeling a little under the weather, and I had a boatload of fresh broccoli and cheddar cheese in the fridge, so what the heck? The air conditioner is on, right? (Sorry my pic is just horrible. I think I inadvertently did something to the auto focus – yikes!)
This is such an easy recipe that it qualifies as a “Quick Dinner.” Seriously, 30 minutes at the most from begin to end. My rule is to always keep fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli on hand. And I always have a variety of hard cheese in the fridge and chicken stock in the pantry. Although, for this batch, I had a half-gallon of homemade stock, so that’s what I used. I’m eager to make homemade stock out of already roasted chickens from Costco, Sam’s or the multitude of deli counters where they are now commonly found. I think the richness of the roasted chicken would lend itself well to homemade stock, and they’re cheap – but I digress – that’s ready for another episode . . .
This soup recipe will serve four. The basic recipe calls for sharp cheddar (I used white), and Swiss. But you could substitute other cheeses you have on hand, like cream cheese, Velveeta or another mild cheddar, or maybe a smoked gouda or oaxaca – any cheese that melts well and might offer a little different flavor. How about pepper jack served with cornbread?
Easy Chicken & Noodles
Looking for a satisfying, family favorite main dish? Why not give this simple recipe a try?
This is another of my favorite quick go-to recipes. Sure to please, this makes plenty, more than enough for four. If you add two more chicken breasts or thighs, you can stretch it to serve six. Serve this with a salad or apple sauce or fresh fruit or crusty bread, and you’re all set.
