This is such a crazy time for all of us. I was sitting here thinking about how we are staying home and cooking more. The sentimental part of me thinks of the “old days” growing up when we really did stay home and our Moms and Grandmoms really did cook good meals and watched their spending much more than we do today.
My husband and I were discussing memories of when stores all closed at 5:00 pm and weren’t open on Sundays. I wonder how many of us kind of “like” this time right now when life isn’t so busy and we are rethinking what is really important. A friend of mine with a Senior in high school said she has to admit she is looking forward to not having a “Maycember” with all the graduation parties, etc. While we hate that our Seniors aren’t going to have the traditional graduation, it’s kind of nice to slow our pace down.
So, I looked at some of the recipes I already have on here and made a grocery list for 5 meals that would overlap a lot of ingredients and they are all very easy meals. I am going to include the grocery list and then link the recipes. Please share how you are doing during this “Stay at home” time and any recipes you have found that use common ingredients we might all have in our pantry. The * means it will be used for more than one meal. The # means you probably already have this item in your pantry/fridge or, if not, you will use it again.
- Marinara
- *Cheese Tortellini
- Italian Sausage
- Diced tomatoes w/garlic, basil, and oregano
- #Dried basil
- #Jar of minced garlic
- #flour
- #milk
- *heavy cream
- *grated Parmesan cheese
- *Fresh Spinach
- *Bacon
- *Eggs
- mushrooms
- pine nuts
- #red wine vinegar
- #dry mustard
- #olive oil
- *chicken strips
- egg noodles
Cheese Tortellini w/Sausage and Creamy Spinach and Tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 20-ounce Package cheese tortellini (in refrigerated section of grocery)
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream ((whipping cream))
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to top)
Instructions
- Brown Italian sausage, crumbling as you cook until there is no pink left and it is completely cooked. Drain and set aside
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, according to package directions.
- As soon as you start heating the water combine tomatoes, chopped fresh spinach, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and cream. Stir this mixture into the saucepan when the tomato mixture begins to bubble, along with the Parmesan cheese. Heat through, then reduce heat and simmer until thick (about 2 minutes). Add the cooked sausage and keep warm while cooking the tortellini.
- Drain the tortellini when finished cooking, but do not rinse. Put back in the large pot and pour the sausage, tomato, spinach cream sauce and stir to coat.
- Top with shredded Parmesan cheese on plate or in bowl.
- Serve with fresh Spinach Salad https://www.kitchenkreative.com/spinach-salad/
Ravioli w/Marinara
Sometimes we just need a quick meal to eat at home but we don't have time to make a recipe. We had this recently and it was delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 package Buitoni Refrigerated Pasta, your choice
- 1 tub Buitoni Marinara sauce
- Shaved or Shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package dirctions
- Heat marinara until warm
- Top pasta with marinara and parmesan cheese
Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- Fresh Spinach
- fresh mushrooms, sliced
- crumbled fried bacon
- sliced hard boiled egg
- toasted pine nuts
- Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing https://www.kitchenkreative.com/mustard-vinaigrette-dressing/
Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¾ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a tightly sealed container/jar and shake until well blended.
Notes
Great on Spinach salad
Fettucini Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce package egg noodles
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1+ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2+ cup 1/2 and 1/2
- course ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat a 2 quart casserole dish in oven while cooking noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles when finished cooking
- Place soft butter in hot casserole dish.
- Add cooked noodles to hot casserole and toss gently.
- Add cheese and toss. Add cream and blend (lightly toss).
- Sprinkle with pepper.
- I tend to use a little more cheese and 1/2 and 1/2 than the recipe calls for.
Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, per person
- 1 slice Velveeta or American cheese per every 2 eggs
- Splash milk
- salt and pepper
- 1 pat butter (enough to coat the bottom of a skillet
Instructions
- If you have a blender, add eggs, milk, salt and pepper and blend
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Pour the eggs in and slowly "scrape the bottom of the skillet" with a silicone spatula. This allows the eggs to stay fluffy. You will just run your spatula back and forth to keep the eggs from sticking and they will fluff up.
- Once they are cooked, add the cheese and softly stir until the cheese is blended and melted.