Meat Lovers Pasta Bake

Vegetarians and Vegans beware. This post is not for you. I'm sorry, but I'm not. 

I'm a lady who proudly enjoys bacon with everything. And this dish is one of them! 

Bacon, ground pork, and pepperoni. Yep, that just happened. It's like a meat-lovers pizza all wrapped up in a creamy pasta sauce. Best part is, this meal is quick-easy-and downright yummy. 

Perfect for a weeknight dinner!  

Meat Lovers Pasta Bake

serves 4-6 

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente 
• 1 cup fat-free cream cheese
• 1 lb ground pork
• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 cup of pre-sliced pepperoni 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes [or more if you like an extra kick]
• 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
• 3 cups jarred marinara 

1. begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees and cooking bacon in a large pan. cook until browned. then remove from pan and let drain on a paper towel. reserve bacon grease in pan. 
2. add ground pork to pan. brown and season with garlic powder, Italian Seasoning, and red pepper flakes. add yellow pepper, onion and pepperoni slices. stir well. 
3. melt cream cheese into meat mixture and add marinara sauce. stir until well blended. 
4. remove from heat + slowly add spaghetti to sauce pan a little at a time. use tongs to combine sauce and pasta well. pour into greased casserole dish. 
5. top with browned bacon, colby-jack cheese and a sprinkle or two of Italian Seasoning. bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

check out that cheesy-meaty goodness. 

it's a beautiful thing. 

Cheesy Chicken and Sausage Bake

I've noticed recently that I seem to start a lot of my posts about the weather. I've come to two possible conclusions about this...Either I am well on my way to early-bird-special status and have nothing better to talk about besides the weather. Or the weather usually dictates my mood and food choices. Lets go with the latter option, mkay? The truth is the weather really does affect me. It affects my mood and it affects what I am in the mood for. Take for instance Sunday evening. It was cold, wet, and rainy all day. For dinner I was in the mood for something warm, comforting, and tasty! This cheesy pasta combo was just that. As my father would say, "it hit the spot!"

check out that cheesy-goodness!

Cheesy Chicken and Sausage Bake
serves 4-6

• 1 lb gemelli pasta [penne or rigatoni would work well too]
• 2 tbsp EVOO, separated
• 2 links of chorizo sausage, sliced
• 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 2 cups jarred marinara
• 8oz [reduced fat] cream cheese
• 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• s+p to taste 

1. begin by boiling water for pasta and pre-heating oven to 375 degrees. 
2. add pasta and cook 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. drain and rinse with water. 
3. meanwhile, begin sauteing onions and garlic with EVOO [1 tbsp] over medium heat. after about 2-3 minutes add sausage. cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring well. then add spinach, sprinkle with lemon juice and the remaining EVOO. season with s+p. let simmer.
4. in a large bowl place cream cheese + marinara. add cooked pasta and chicken and mix until all of the sauce is combined.[the heat from the pasta should melt the cream cheese so it blends together nicely!]
5. remove spinach and sausage mixture from stove, add to pasta mixture. before stirring, add red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. stir altogether. [take a whiff...yep-gonna be good]
6. add pasta mixture to a olive oil greased casserole dish. cover with cheese and more Italian seasoning if desired. bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

this pasta bake is a triple threat.

it's cheesy, savory, and spicy.

cheesy thanks to the cream cheese & melted mozzarella.

savory thanks to the Italian Seasonings & baby spinach.

and spicy thanks to the red pepper flakes & the smoky chorizo sausage!

a triple-threat is bound to get a winning reception.{and a standing ovation}

make this and share.

you'll make new friends & keep the old ;)

Avocado + Tuna Salad

There's something about having a good lunch to look forward to that makes getting through those mornings that much easier. At least that's the case for me some-days at school. Newsflash- being a teacher isn't always finger-painting, sunshine, roses and rainbows. Shocking, I know. So for those days, when your patience are running thin and you have that overwhelming 'too-much-to-do' in not enough time feeling, it's nice to know you have a yummy meal to break up your day. This meal is just that. Deeelish without being heavy and nap-inducing. Don't get me wrong...nap-inducing meals are great. When you have the time and place to do so. Mrs.Weis napping under her desk...no bueno! 

yes, my tupperware lid serves as my plate. stop judging! 

Avocado + Tuna Salad

tuna salad recipe care of Momma Marj :)

serves 2 

• 1 can [15 oz] cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
• 5 oz tuna in water, drained and flaked
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped sparsely
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup kalamata [or black] olives, chopped
• s+p to taste
• 2 avocados, ripened and halved [seeds removed]
• tip: how can tell when an avocado is ripe? when the outside of the avocado feels the same as when you make a loose fist and feel that patch of skin between your thumb knuckle and your pointer finger knuckle. try it!

1. in a large mixing bowl whisk together EVOO, red wine vinegar, mustard, s+p, and red pepper flakes. next add beans, tuna, onions, and olives. mix well.  
2. sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice. stir without smashing. 
3. serve over halved avocado and combine as you eat!

Oh Steve...so wise.

You simply cannot ignore a meal this good! I am not a conventional tuna salad fan [at all!] 

and I LOVE this tuna salad recipe. I have an inkling you will too! 

Seared Steak with Ginger-Lime Slaw

Let's get straight to it, shall we? Made this. It rocked. Time-to-share!

mmmm pretty + tasty!

Seared Steak with Ginger-Lime Slaw

adapted from Shape Magazine 

serves 2, with slaw leftovers

• 1 cup peanuts, crushed 

for ginger-lime slaw

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• a pinch [or 3] red pepper flakes
• s+p to taste
• 1 bag [1 lb] of shredded coleslaw mix
• 1 cup shredded carrots

for steak

• 1 lb hanger or skirt steak 
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2-3 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning 

1. combine first 6 ingredients for slaw recipe in a large mixing bowl. whisk well until sugar dissolves. 
2. add coleslaw + carrots and mix until it is well covered. set aside in fridge to keep chilled.
3. season raw steak with EVOO and Montreal Steak Seasoning. heat remaining EVOO in large pan over high-heat. add garlic and saute until fragrant. add steak and don't move! keeping it still in the pan will allow to build the great crust. flip after 2-3 minutes. repeat same directions for opposite side. remove from heat and cover until desired temperature is reached. 
4. remove from pan and slice thinly on cutting board. serve with slaw and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.  

This meal was fresh, light (298 calories per serving. yep!), and tangy with just enough crunch thanks to the peanuts. The slaw dressing was such a welcomed change from the usual mayo-based heavy cole-slaws. We had a lot of slaw leftover, but not steak. SO! We had terrific leftovers. [score!] I threw this slaw, some grilled chicken and crushed peanuts into a wrap  for a quick dinner the following night. AND the next day I took it to lunch salad style with just the sliced chicken + crushed peanuts. 3 meals in 1?! Fabulous!  

TGIF!!

Quick + Spicy Peanut Noodles

You ever just have a hankering for something because of something you saw on TV or in a magazine. Well, this happens to me often. I'm an advertisers dream! I was looking back through some old cooking mags trying to decide which ones to keep + which to pitch and I came to a section devoted to Thai cuisine. One of the recipes was a peanut noodle salad of sorts. Mind you, this scenario was occurring at 6pm on Friday eve, while I was laid-up on the couch nursing a barometric pressure headache. Dinner time was right around the corner and I knew any minute Kev was going to saying--"so what's on the menu tonight, babe?" Sooooo, with some quick thinking [and using only what I had on my shelves] I came up with this quick + easy recipe. Cured my headache, hit the spot and it took me maybe 20 minutes to make. Success people! 

Quick + Spicy Peanut Noodles 

serves 2 

• 8-10 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti, cooked
• 3 tbsp seasame oil 
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots

1. heat sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over med-high heat. [be careful not to burn the red pepper flakes!]
2. add honey, soy sauce and peanut butter. slow stir until all ingredients are mixed well. 
3. remove from heat. pour sauce into a large mixing bowl. add cilantro + carrots. 
4. finally add cooked pasta and using tongs, combine with sauce. 

serve immediately. have peanuts on hand? add some for a yummy crunch! 

these sweet little chopsticks traveled all the back from Japan with me. 

[aww]

quick-easy-good. done!

Spicy Sausage Crock-Pot Marinara

my husband loves to boast that I've never made him the same meal twice. obviously this is far from the truth, and one meal I have made over and over is this crock-pot recipe I've adapted from my mother-in-law! it's sooo easy + seriously yummy!

 Spicy Sausage Crock-Pot Marinara

adapted from Momma Weis' recipe :)

• 45 oz of your favorite jarred marinara [the big guy!]
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 package pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 5-6 sausage links of your choice [we used beer brats, because my husband happens to adore them]
• 3 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp Italian Seasoning 

1. add all ingredients to the slow-cooker. 
2. stir so all ingredients mix well. 
3. cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. serve over your favorite pasta. 

we put this over gemili pasta and it was perfect! the onions, peppers, and mushrooms melt in your mouth. and the sausage [or brats] could not be more tender! as you can see the happy Carolina fan [yeah Heels!] thoroughly enjoyed his momma's recipe. 2 or 3 times I believe.

xoxo