Pizza Pasta

I think we have been on a pizza kick lately.  The other day I posted my Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza and now I am posting this.  I don't think I see weight loss coming anytime soon!  That's ok... I'll just be fat and happy :p

My grandma brought me a recipe very similar to this for my father's birthday dinner.  I LOVED it!  I tweeked it and it was a huge success with my toddlers.

My girls are my worst critics.  They are picky and hardly ever eat anything except chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and mac and cheese.  I usually ask them "Is it good?" about five minutes into dinner and they don't ever have a problem telling me "NO".  I didn't hear any "NO's" on this dish.  Matter of fact, I didn't hear any talking at all!  They ate it all!  YIPPEE!

This pasta is incredibly easy to make unless you get fancy and decide to make your own pasta sauce. It takes 30 minutes to prepare....
30 minutes to bake.....
and 5 minutes to devour :)

Oh and by the way... This recipe makes ALOT!!  I made two 9x13's.  One we ate for dinner and the other I stuck in the freezer for a rainy day.  I love big recipes that surprise me and give me an extra meal.  

Pizza Pasta Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lb hamburger

2 c sausage - I used Jimmy Dean

2 boxes of noodles - any shape or size.  You can even mix different ones together

1  minced green pepper 

1 minced onion 

1 container  fresh sliced mushrooms 

1 pack pepperoni

4 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

2 c parmesan cheese

1 large jar Prego pasta sauce

1 large can pizza sauce

Makes 2 9x13 dishes.

1)  Brown the sausage until done.  Drain and crumble.  Set aside.

     ( Do not cook with the hamburger.  I did this and it became too greasy.)

2)  Brown the hamburger in a large skillet with green pepper and onion.  Drain and add to a large pot.

3)  In the large pot with the hamburger, add the sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, and both sauces.

      Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

4)  Meanwhile have your noodles boiling in a seperate pot.  Drain when done.

5)  In the 9x13 dish add noodles.  Layer the sauce mixture on top. Finish off with cheeses.  

     I layered mozzerella, then extra pepperonis and mushrooms, then a layer of parmesan.

6)  Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes on 350.

The girls patiently waiting for it to come out of the oven :)  Sorry my child's hair was straight up from nap time lol.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

 

 

Seafood.  People either love it or hate it.  I admit, I am not much of a seafood lover at all.  Crab stuffed mushrooms however, I could eat them all day long! 

 

 

Mmmm.  Doesn't that look good!? Juicy, cheesy, flavorful.  These bite sized mushrooms contain so much flavor that it's almost impossible to eat just one.  Thinking about them, I may just have to go eat some more out of my fridge haha.

 

 

 

 

 

My dad's girlfriend made them for dinner one evening and he came home bragging about them.  I am pretty sure that is what sealed the relationship (other than her great personality of course! )

I had her make them for my husband and I one night and got the recipe! YAY! Now I make them quite often, and can share them with all of you!....You're Welcome :)

 





 

 

 

Here is the recipe!!!

 

2 packs Baby Bella Mushrooms
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp seasoning (Butt Rub brand or Seasoning Salt)
1 1/2 c Fiesta Cheese
1 package crab meat (or imitation)


1)  Grease a glass casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350.

2)  Wash mushrooms and take out the stems.  Mushrooms should look like little bowls.

3)  Melt  butter and brush on top and around mushrooms.  Leave small puddles of butter in 
     the centers of the mushrooms.  You should have butter left over. Let marinate for a few minutes.

4)  Chop the crab meat into fine pieces.  Put in a medium bowl with any leftover melted
     butter, garlic salt, and seasoning.  Top with cheese and microwave about 2 minutes stirring
     occasionally until the cheese begins to melt.  Stir.

5)  Take a spoon and spoon the mixture into each mushroom.  Place the mushrooms with the crab
      side up onto the glass dish.

6)  Top with more melted butter or a pinch of cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

 

Crock Pot Pork Roast and Vegetables

Pot Roast is one of those meals that just warms you up.  On a cold night, this is one of my favorites to make!  It is easy, made in the crock pot, and makes your entire house smell delicious! 

I absolutely adore my crock pot!  Having two tiny babies, all I have to do is throw some things in there and get on with my day.  When dinner time comes, the food is already ready! I don't have to worry about making a mess, setting timers, or getting dinner cooked before bed time.

This week has been very busy for my home.  The other day we had several appointments to get to so I decided to throw a roast in my crock pot so dinner would be done when we got home. 

Usually when people make a pot roast they use beef.  While grocery shopping I told my husband that I wanted to make a pot roast.  He accidentally picked up a pork roast instead.  I am not going to lie...when I put this thing in the crock pot and realized it was not beef I got kind of upset.  I was expecting it to be salty and chewy like pork usually is.  I was not happy at all.  However, I let my husband and dad try it first and they really liked it!  When I tried my first bite, I was very shocked!  It was actually better than the beef!  Not only was it more tender, but it gave more flavor to the vegetables!  The broth stayed clear unlike brown when you use beef, and the potatoes didn't turn brown or mushy!  This will be used every time fro now on!

Sorry for getting upset honey! :-)  You made an awesome mistake :-)

This is my favorite recipe!  Whenever I have ate a roast at other people's homes, the meat just seems too dry.  I like my roast juicy and tender.  Chicken broth and a slow cooker is the secret :)

You need:
Crock Pot
Bag of baby carrots
1 - 2  onions
1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
4 - 6  medium brown potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
Pork roast (whatever size you would like, as long as it fits in your crock pot)
48 oz container Swanson's Chicken Broth

 

 

 

Slice up your onions and separate them.  Place most of them in the bottom of your Crock Pot (about 3/4 of them.) 

 

 Put your roast in on top of the bed of onions.  

 

Wash and cut the potatoes up into 1 inch cubes.  Layer the potatoes on top of the roast.  

 

Now layer the carrots, followed by the mushrooms.  If you choose to use the celery and green pepper, layer them on top now.  

 

Next, place the final slices of onions on top.  (My picture doesn't show the layers because my husband just dumped all of them in at one time haha)

 

Slowly pour the broth into the crock pot.  You'll want the liquid to cover the potato and carrot layer, but not the final onion layer (as the roast cooks - the roast and veggies will settle)  Any left over broth could be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days or placed in the freezer for 6 months - in case you have any left over. 

 

Cooking with the lid on - this thing takes a while - minimum of 6-8 hrs on high or 10-12 hrs on low.  Your choice.  You know it's done when the roast is fork tender - basically if you stick it on the side with a fork it'll start to come apart. 

YUM!

I serve mine in a bowl with juices and all!