Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups

When you feel up to letting the kids help prepare dinner, then this is a good recipe to do! The girls have so much fun putting this together and love eating it just as much. I had some leftover lasagna noodles one time and tried this recipe from Taste of Home. I'm glad that I did!

Ingredients

• 6 lasagna noodles
• 1-1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. teaspoon minced chives
• 1 tsp. teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tsp. teaspoon dried basil
• 48 slices pepperoni
• 4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into thirds
• 2 cups meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine the ricotta cheese, chives, oregano and basil; spread 1/2 cup over each noodle to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with pepperoni and Swiss cheese; carefully roll up.
• Place seam side down in a greased shallow 1-qt. baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Chicken Potpie

There are a couple different reasons why I like this recipe:
- it is budget friendly
- it freezes well, so I can make two and save one for the next month
- I can make just this for dinner with maybe some bread and it is a well balanced meal
- Nathan and the girls (for the most part) like it.

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)

Directions

• Place the carrots, potatoes and turnip in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Drain vegetables and place in a large bowl; stir in the white sauce, chicken, peas, mushrooms and onions. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. round baking dish.
• Place pastry over filling; trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
• To use frozen potpie: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking. Cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; remove foil. Bake 55-60 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. She loves to make soups during the winter and this is one of my favorites that she makes. I like to make it and eat the leftovers. Nathan likes to take it to work during the winter. You can make it more spicy by adding jalapenos or more rotel chilis. You can add black beans, etc. The next time I make it, I may try adding some additional ingredients but it is still good as is!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans cream of celery
• 2 can enchillada sauce (mild)
• 2 can refried beans
• 2 cans rotel chils (small ones)
• 1 fat can diced tomatoes 
• 1 big can of corn
• Montary Jack cheese
• cut chicken pieces (white and dark meat) big pack
• tortilla chips

Preparation:

1. Boil chicken until cooked all the way through and cut up into small pieces.
2. Pour out about half of the chicken water into another pot. (in case you need to add some if the soup is too thick)
3. Dump all the ingredients into the pot of water with half the water and let simmer about 20-30 minutes.
4. Add cheese on top to serve and serve with tortilla chips 

Banana Nut Bread

I got this recipe from my mom. It turns out yummy and moist every time! Nathan and Lydia prefer it without nuts, but the rest of us like it with the nuts. We like it served warm for breakfast. It is a great way to make use of those browned bananas.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
• 3 mashed bananas

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs.
2. In a bowl, mix together baking powder, baking soda, flour and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and blend.
3. Add bananas and nuts and stir.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then put foil on top for at least ten more minutes.