Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Shrimp Pasta

I promise you this is yummy!!!  I always get asked for this recipe and the good news is, it is kid friendly too....and not just my kids, because yes, my kids....they eat anything.  But other peoples kids love it too!

Shrimp Pasta
3lbs peeled and de-veined shrimp (or I use what I have)
1 lb tri-color spiral noodles (a package and 1/3 of another)
16 oz Velveeta
1 cup margarine (I use salted butter)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp BBQ sauce (I use whatever I have)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp. salt & pepper (I just sprinkle some)

Melt the margarine and mix in all the herbs, Worcestershire, lemon juice, BBQ sauce & salt and pepper.
Pour it over the shrimp in a 9X13 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  While the shrimp are cooking, cook your pasta as directed and melt your cheese with a little milk - I do this on a stovetop.  Pour the pasta and cheese into the casserole with the shrimp and butter sauce and mix well.  Bake it an additional 10 minutes at 350.


This pasta is super easy and I promise you family will enjoy it!  It's by far Meredith's favorite meal.  I have often made it with diced chicken breast when I don't have shrimp on hand and she ask for it, but she loves her some shrimp!  I always have left overs of this, but they are gone before we wake up because Josh takes them all to work before anyone else can claim them.


From the peanut gallery....
Josh - gives this two thumbs up!
Meredith and Margot - two thumbs way up!!!
Noah - gives the green & white noodles two thumbs, but the orange ones only one thumb up!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Poppyseed Chicken


Tonight the kids and I ate with my parents.  Josh was on call and it was a long day.  So I whipped this up and ate with them.  My mom and dad love it and the kids requested it.  This is also not a dish I heard of until I moved to South Mississippi.  NEVER.  Of course we never ate a lot of casserole type things growing up and I'm not necessarily a casserole person, but this one I love!

Poppyseed Chicken
6 chicken breast cooked and cubed
2 cans of cream of mushrooms soup
2 cups of sour cream 
4 teaspoons of poppyseeds. 

Mix it all together and pour into a baking dish.  Crush one pack of ritz crackers in a large ziplock bag, melt 1/2 stick of butter, pour into a ziplock with the crackers crumbs and mix well.  Pour and spread over poppyseed chicken inthe dish.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

I serve this over rice!  and always have left overs which my kids will actually beg to eat the next day! I think Mahatma is the best.  I also served it with cream style corn.  The grown ups didn't get any corn, because Margot and Meredith ate it all.

From the peanut gallery -

The kids gave it two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
My parents gave it two thumbs up too!
Josh had a big bowl when he got home and said it was delish.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Santa Fe Soup

This morning as I was getting the kids dressed I mentioned I loved chilly weather, it was perfect for soups, gumbos and beef burgundy.  Noah said I want soup!  So I asked what kind...broccoli & cheese, potato, asparagus, chicken noodle, taco soup?  His eyes lit up and he said Taco soup.  So I wrote out my grocery list to make taco....or Santa Fe Soup.  This recipe was passed along by my childhood friend who was like a 2nd little sister to me.  Gosh I miss her and her big sis.  Thanks Lisa dePriest Evans!

Santa Fe Soup
2lbs ground sirloin/beef
1 can rotel
2 cans of corn
2 cans of kidney beans (I omitted these I don't like beans)
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning
32oz Velveeta
(I cut all these ingredients in half for my family.  It makes a lot with the above ingredients and it freezes well too.)

Brown ground beef in a large pot and drain the fat, if you use sirloin, there won't be much fat.  Combine the browned meat with all of the ingredients.  Do not drain the cans, that is what makes the soup.  Chop up your blocks of Velveeta and melt it in the soup.  Cook until the cheese is melted.  Garnish it with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and guacamole if you would like.  I do!


Noah, Margot and Josh gave this a two thumbs up.  Well Noah gave it one, because he was too busy eating with the other.  Sorry for the bad picture.  Josh was left on photo duty of our dinner time tonight....he used a camera phone.  The kids absolutely think it is hysterical that I photograph them eating now....I'm becoming their Poppy Greg.  It is one of my favorite and easiest soups to make.  Meredith ate a sandwich way before everyone else.  Cheer practice sure can mess up family dinner time.