Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

This is a fast and delicious meal!

-Cooking Classy

1 (20 oz.) pkg. refrigerated three-cheese tortellini

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. onion powder

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 1/2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 ½ to 2 tsp. dry)

2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dry)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 Tbsp. finely shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving

Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Cook tortellini according to directions listed on package.

Meanwhile, in a large and deep skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, then add flour and onion powder and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and cream, then whisk until smooth. 

Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to simmer, then add tomatoes, spinach, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook several minutes longer until sauce has thickened and spinach has wilted. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Toss prepared and drained tortellini into sauce mixture (note that as the pasta rests, the sauce will seem thicker and it will sort of soak into the noodles. So, if you won't be serving it for 10 minutes or so you can stir in some pasta water, milk or cream to thin it out if desired).

Serve warm sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese if desired and optional red pepper flakes.

Banana Cake

This cake is delicious and great for a large group. It stays moist for several days and is always a crowd favorite.

-Mom Pulsipher

1 ⅔ cup sugar
⅔ cup shortening
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup mashed banana (3 medium)
1 tsp. vanilla
⅔ cup buttermilk
2 ⅓ cup flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
⅔ cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. heavy or whipping cream

ream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, banana and vanilla and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to mixture, alternating with buttermilk and ending with flour. Stir in pecans.

Pour into greased sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cake tests done. 325 for dark pan. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Carne Guisada

Delicious!

-Just a Pinch

1 green bell pepper

1 medium onion

3 large cloves of garlic

2 large tomatoes

3 lb boneless beef shoulder roast (or stew meat)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp heaping tablespoon of lard (vegatable oil or olive oil can be substituted but will not give it the same flavor.)

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 c water

1 Tbsp flour 

In a large stove top casserole pan add lard, (or oil), and turn heat to medium. Cut up shoulder roast to 1 inch cubes and add to pan. Roughly chop the tomato and add on top of meat.

Remove seeds from bell pepper, rough chop and add to top of ingredients.Roughly chop the onion and add to pan.

Chop garlic cloves small and thin and add to top of pan. Add cumin, salt and pepper. Stir well and cover with a lid. Cook on LOW for 2 ½ hours. 

Now you will notice that the vegetables have cooked down to practically nothing. They have converted to pure flavor! Stir flour into water and add mixture into pot and let simmer on low for the next 20-30 minutes.

Greek Meatballs

These meatballs are delicious and great served in homemade pita!
-House of Nash Eats

Meatballs
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground lamb or pork
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Sandwiches
4-5 pita bread
2 Roma tomato, sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
Greek Tzatziki sauce

Meatball preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, gently using your hands to mix everything together until the meat is uniformly seasoned.
3. Divide the mixture in half, then in half again so you have 4 equal parts. From there, divide each portion of the meatball mixture into 5 meatballs so you end up with 20 equal-sized meatballs. Roll each meatball between your hands to shape it and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven from 10-14 minutes, until they are nicely brown and cooked through.

Gyro assembly
1. To assemble gyros, warm the pitas on a grill or in the oven, just until soft.
2. Place a few slices of tomato and some of the red onions onto each pita bread, then top with 4 or 5 meatballs. Add a couple dollops of tzatziki sauce and serve with Greek feta fries.

Tater Tot Casserole

We enjoy this twist on traditional tater tot casserole. It is a simple recipe that is easy to prepare and good for busy weeknights. 

-Tamileetips.com

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion
Salt & Pepper
1 can Rotel, we use mild, but you could easily use a hotter variety
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 16 oz package frozen Tater Tots
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425°. In a skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add Rotel and cream of chicken soup. Stir to combine. Transfer to 9x13 pan and top with Tater Tots. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until Tater Tots are browned. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese has melted. 

Peach Upside-Down Cake

This is a delicious cake best served warm. I cut the cake portion of the original recipe in half to accommodate my pan and substituted some peach flavoring to give it a little boost of flavor.

-Southern Living, modified

¼ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

4 peaches, peeled and cut into 4 slices

¾ cup butter

4 oz. cream cheese

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. Wilton Treatology peach flavoring

2 Tbsp. milk

1 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla

½ to 1 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 1⁄4 cup of the butter in a small saucepan over medium; stir in 1⁄2 cup of the brown sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Pour mixture evenly into a Bundt pan that has been heavily greased with cooking spray. Place peach slices in an even layer on top of brown sugar mixture.

Beat cream cheese and butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Beat in vanilla and peach flavoring.

Sift together flour and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter carefully over peaches in prepared pan; level with a spatula.

Bake in preheated oven until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack until pan is cool enough to handle but still hot, about 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan to rack, and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl, adding more milk if needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

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American Flag Cake

This cake takes a little time and effort, but the results are fun and impressive! 

-Betty Crocker, slightly modified

Red Cake Layers

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, stems removed, pureed in blender or food processor to about 1 1/4 cups

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon red paste food color

Blue Cake Layer

½ box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix (about 1 2/3 cups dry mix)

½ cup blueberries, pureed in blender or food processor

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

½ teaspoon blue paste food color

White Cake Layer

½ box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix (about 1 2/3 cups dry mix)

½ cup water

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 egg whites

Frosting and Sprinkles

3 cubes butter

6 cups powdered sugar

4 ½ tsp. vanilla

6 Tbsp. milk

Red, white and blue sprinkles, as desired

To make red cake layers: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray two 8-inch round pans; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of each pan. In large bowl, beat red cake layer ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pans. Bake 29 to 34 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Gently remove from pans to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Flatten cake layers by trimming off rounded tops. Cut layers in half horizontally to make 4 thin red layers. In 1 layer, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze 1 thin layer and the layer that was cut out of; save for another use.

To make blue cake layer: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray 8-inch round pan; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of pan. In medium bowl, beat all blue cake layer ingredients except sprinkles with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pan. Bake 29 to 34 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Gently remove from pan to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Flatten cake layer by trimming off rounded top. Do not cut in half horizontally. Cut small round out of center, using 4-inch round biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze 4-inch round; save for another use.

To make white cake layer: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray 8-inch round pan; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of pan. In medium bowl, beat white cake layer ingredients with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pan. Bake 29 to 34 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Gently remove from pan to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Flatten cake layer by trimming off rounded top. Cut layer in half horizontally to make 2 thin white layers. In 1 layer, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze the layer that was cut out of; save for another use.

To assemble cake: Place 1 red cake layer on cake stand or serving platter; spread ½  cup frosting on top. Top with 1 white cake layer; spread ½ cup frosting on top. Top with second red cake layer; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Gently top with blue layer. Spread thin layer of frosting on white 4-inch cake round, then top with red 4-inch cake round. Carefully spread a thin layer of frosting on the edge of the white and red rounds, then insert into blue layer; press slightly. Frost side and top of cake using remaining frosting. Top with sprinkles. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.