Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad!

With Easter and Spring right around the corner, my mind is wandering to recipes that are more suited for warmer weather and cookouts!  It can't get here soon enough for me.  I think we all think of eggs and "Deviled Eggs" when we think of Easter.  This recipe is a really delicious combination of hard boiled eggs, macaroni, and veggies with a tasty dressing.

 Here is what you will need:

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked according to pkg. directions

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced

2 cups mayonnaise

1 Tbs. yellow mustard

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. white vinegar

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin including the green blades

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

paprika

Drain the cooked pasta well and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sugar and white vinegar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.   Stir in the pickle relish, celery, bell pepper, green onions, seasoned salt, and black pepper.   Place the pasta and the diced boiled eggs in a large bowl and pour the dressing over all and toss lightly until it is all coated.  

Sprinkle the top with paprika!

You can serve this immediately or chill and serve cold!   This would be great for cookouts or potlucks, because it feeds a crowd and it is so tasty!

Macaroni Sausage Bake!

This is an old recipe that I got from a family friend.  It's one of those recipes that you can prepare pretty much at the last minute without having to run out and get the ingredients, because most of the time you have them on hand. 

It's also quick to prepare and it's very inexpensive per serving.  If you add a salad and rolls or we like it with pinto beans and cornbread, you have a meal.  Kids and adults both enjoy this also.   

 Also, for those who complain about the canned soups and processed cheese, this recipe has neither!  Can you believe it?  I was so tempted to add some Velveeta to this just to bug those of you who constantly lament about the evils of Velveeta, but I didn't! Velveeta is so misunderstood by some!

 Here is what you need for this:

8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 lb. pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
4 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided ( use what you like, sharp, mild...doesn't matter)

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions minus about a 1 minute of cooking time. Be sure to salt the water.  Drain and set aside.

Crumble and brown sausage along with onion and peppers in a skillet.   When the sausage is browned and the onion and peppers are soft, add the flour to the mixture and cook just a little to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Add the salt and pepper.

Add the milk and cook until it starts to bubble and thicken a little.  Let it bubble for a minute or two.   When it's thickened a little, turn the heat down and add 2 cups of the cheese. Save the other cup for the top. 

Fold in the macaroni and mix together.

Pour into a 2.5 or 3 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Sprinkle the other cup of cheese over the top.

 Place in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.



Lasagna Soup!

  

 

This soup is one that I came up with one night when I wanted lasagna, but I didn't want to wait a couple of hours to eat.  It was also really cold outside and I sort of just wanted some soup so I took my ingredients that I had been intending to make lasagna with and turned them into lasagna soup.  It's much quicker to prepare than lasagna and it's a little lighter on the calories, but those lasagna flavors are all there.   Here is what you will need:

1 lb. ground chuck (you can use Italian sausage if you prefer)
1 cup onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
3 beef bouillon cubes
6 cups water
1 (26 oz.)  jar spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce ( I prefer the Ragu Sun Dried Tomato Sweet Basil)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes (I like the seasoned ones with garlic and basil)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seed (optional, some don't care for fennel)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, crushed (optional, leave it out if you don't care for the heat)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
8 oz. mini lasagna pasta or technically it's called mulfalda (this can be hard to find so you can use broken lasagna noodles or even rotini or bow ties would work)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, divided

Brown ground chuck or Italian sausage along with the onion, green pepper, and minced garlic. Add all other ingredients except the pasta and cheeses.  Bring to a boil and then turn it down to low and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Stir in the uncooked pasta and 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese, simmer until pasta is tender and the cheeses are melted...about 10 - 15 minutes more. Stir from the bottom to be sure the cheese doesn't stick and melts through out the soup! 

 



Sprinkle each bowl with additional cheese and a little parsley and serve with hot bread sticks!

Lasagna Soup!