Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

I tried this recipe once last week and we've had it twice since then, adapted to what we have on hand! It's that good! It's really pretty basic, but it's a little bit different than a regular red spaghetti sauce in that it's a little bit creamier. You can use whatever pasta you have on hand, and other than some chopping, it whips up really quick for a weeknight dinner! I found it on Inspired Dreamer.  Oh, and, it's a one-pot dish pretty much, so you can make and serve without dirtying up your whole kitchen!

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

*(ground beef, if desired; I tried it both ways and both were fantastic)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (I used about a pound of fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

a pinch (or more, depending on your preferred level of spiciness) of red pepper flakes

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 oz cream cheese (I used a dollop of heavy cream instead one time, because that's all I had)

1/4 C grated Parmesan (I used asiago once, a little less than called for)

1/2 lb penne (again, twice I also used regular spaghetti and added the sauce to it on the plates)

1/2 9-oz bag fresh spinach (optional)

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a skillet until transparent and softened (about 5 minutes). I used a cast-iron skillet.

2. Add tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and cook on low until tomatoes are slightly smashable with wooden spoon and mixture is juicy.

3. Add tomato paste and 1/2 C water to skillet and stir until paste is incorporated into sauce.

4. Turn heat to low. Cut cream cheese into a few pieces and add to skillet, stirring with whisk until cream cheese has melted in (alternately, pour in a dollop of heavy cream and whisk in; you don't need much, just a tbsp or two).

5. Add Parmesan (or asiago) and whisk in until melted.

6. Add spinach and gently stir into sauce until wilted (about 3-5 minutes). Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

7. Add pasta, cooked al dente. Stir and serve. (Or pour over any other al dente pasta you choose and serve.

*You can make this sauce with ground beef as well. If you choose to, just brown some with the onions and garlic at the beginning and continue as described above.

Really, you can be very creative with this basic recipe as well. I still want to try the sauce with mushrooms and other veggies to see how it is!

This sauce was also amazing leftover. I just made new pasta, reheated the sauce, mixed the two together in a large bowl, and served with some cheese on top. Goes great with a salad and a glass of wine! Enjoy!

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

I got this recipe from the blog "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" and it was super quick and easy. It's really basic, the meat is flavored deliciously (I'll definitely be using it in other recipes as well), and you can be creative with the toppings :) AND this recipe includes a homemade taco seasoning too :)

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used WAY less, like maybe about 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1. Mix all spices together. Store in airtight container.

Tacos

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 small can green chilies, diced (I used a fresh jalapeno)

1 can refried beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 recipe's-worth of taco seasoning (above)

2 C shredded cheese blend

18-20 hard taco shells

(shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream, plain yogurt, lemon or lime wedges, sliced black olives, or any other desired toppings)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off excess liquid.

3. Return to pan, add chilies, beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes if mixture seems runny.

4. Spoon meat mixture into taco shells and place into a 9x13 baking dish, standing up.

5. Sprinkle cheese on top of taco meat and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese has melted and tacos are heated through.

I served these with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, plain yogurt, sliced black olives, and lemon wedges (other ideas: salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream... the list goes on!). Enjoy!!!

Mexican Pizza

This is a recipe from Trader Joe's website, adapted slightly. I love this recipe because you can be as creative as you want with it. If you like Taco Bell's Mexican Pizzas, you're going to LOVE these!!!

Mexican Pizza

(Makes 2)

1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 medium onion, diced (I used a little less)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin (I'd use a little less of this; the flavor is too overpowering for me)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt (I'd use just a little more)

4 9" flour tortillas

1 15-oz can refried beans (we used refried black beans!)

1/2 C chunky salsa (or a little less; we used this amount and they came out just a little bit soggy)

2 C 3-cheese blend (we used the Trader Joe's Lite version)

2 green onions, chopped

2 roma tomatoes, diced (I used WAY more because I LOVE tomatoes!)

1/4 C large black pitted olives, sliced (again, I used way more, because my husband loves black olives!)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place meat, onion, and garlic in skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned.

3. Drain off grease.

4. Mix chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Season meat with mixture.

5. Coat 2 pie plates (I used a cookie sheet) with non-stick cooking spray. Place 2 tortillas down and cover with a layer of refried beans.

6. Spread half the seasoned meat over each tortilla, then cover each with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

7. Spread half the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives.

8. Return pizzas to oven, bake until cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes. (I may bake them a little longer next time to crisp them up a little bit.)

9. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve.

I doubled this recipe and we had a leftover pizza. I just put it in the fridge in foil and we had it the next day... just pop it in the oven for 10 or 15 minutes (or more depending on how crispy you want it) and it's DELICIOUS leftover! I served this with limes and creamy plain yogurt (instead of sour cream) and it was delectable :) Enjoy!!!

Baked Spaghetti

This is Paula Deen's recipe (which I adapted just a tad with seasoning), which I found on pinterest. It's delicious and even better leftover! I served with salad; some crusty garlic bread would've been a nice addition :)

Baked Spaghetti

2 C canned diced tomatoes

2 C tomato sauce

1 C water

1/2 C onion, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Paula Deen's House Seasoning (which is 1 C salt, 1/4 C black pepper, and 1/4 C garlic powder)

1 1/2 tsp Paula Deen's Seasoned Salt (I had Lawry's so that's what I used)

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (I just divvied it up evenly between dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 small bay leaves (I didn't have any so I left this out)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta

1 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 C Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In stockpot, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, 3 seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves.

3. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

4. Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining (next time I may season the meat a little for flavor... even without seasoning though, this recipe was tasty).

5. Drain fat from meat (I didn't, but mine was pretty lean to start out) and add meat to stockpot. Simmer for 20 minutes more.

6. Cook pasta according to package directions.

7. Cover bottom of 13x9x12 dish with sauce. Add a layer of pasta then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese.

8. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce.

9. Bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with remaining cheese and bake for about 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!!!