This week I’m sharing with you another favorite here in our household – lasagna!  The thought of making lasagna was intimidating to me at first but when I found this recipe I was hooked!  It’s so easy and so good, enjoy :)

Photo credit: cookingrecipesguide.org (not a picture of this recipe)

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box of lasagna noodles (will not use all)
1lb. container of cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1lb. jar of pasta sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 beaten egg

1. Brown the ground beef, drain grease, and set aside.
2. Mix the cottage cheese with the mozzarella cheese.  Then add the beaten egg.
3. Mix the beef with the pasta sauce (separate from the cheese mixture).
4. Grease a 9×9 or 8×8 baking dish and spread the lasagna noodles along the bottom.
5. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the layer of noodles, then spread half of the meat mixture.  Repeat all three layers, ending with sauce.
6. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees F.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.

*Have a recipe you wouldn’t mind sharing?  I’d love to feature you!  Just email tara@3psmama.com

I’d like to welcome Audrey’s Mom from In the Kitchen With Audrey.  She has provided this delicious-looking recipe for today’s What to Eat Wednesday.  Make sure to visit her blog for more yummy recipes and to see which are “Mom’s tasks” and “Audrey’s tasks” during their cooking sessions.  So cute :)

Photo Credit: In the Kitchen With Audrey

Black Bean Brownies

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Lightly grease an 8×8 square baking dish.  Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.  Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. 

*Would you like to be featured for What to Eat Wednesday!  I’d love to have you, just email me at tara@3psmama.com

This week I am excited to feature Chrysa from Thrifty Jinxy.  If you enjoy this recipe then make sure to visit Chrysa’s recipe blog, Thrifty Recipes, to find some more to try!  Thanks Chrysa :)

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Healthy Style General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Chicken Breast (boneless,skinless) – cut into pieces
• 12 oz bag frozen Sugar Snap Peas
• 1/2 c. corn starch
• 1 c. water
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tsp grated fresh ginger (may substitute powdered if necessary)
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (can omit if you don’t like any spice or increase if you like it spicy)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Thaw frozen peas in the microwave appx 2 minutes or until room temperature. In a medium bowl combine 2 Tbsp of the corn starch with 1 cup of water and whisk until smooth. Stir in garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and remaining corn starch with salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir until coated.

In a large, nonstick frying pan or skillet, heat the oil at medium high. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Separate pieces from each other while cooking. Once brown remove from skillet and set to side.  (If your skillet is small, you may need to cook the chicken in two batches to keep it in a single layer.)

Add sauce mixture and sugar snap peas to skillet. Heat 3-5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Return chicken to skillet and toss all together.

Note from Chrysa -

It’s a lot cheaper than ordering Chinese takeout and a lot healthier too.  I will sometimes substitute broccoli for the snow peas, which is actually more traditional for General Tso’s Chicken.  If you prefer a variety of veggies, you can use a bag of Chinese stir fry veggies instead.  This can be served with either brown or white rice.

Want to add some egg rolls?  Check out Chrysa’s egg roll recipe too!

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Do you have a recipe you wouldn’t mind sharing?  I’d love to feature you!  Contact me at tara@3psmama.com

Featured for today’s What to Eat Wednesday is Bronson from My Reflection of Something.  Just looking at the picture she included makes me hungry!  Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!

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At the beginning of this year, we decided to start eating more meatless meals.  Believe it or not, this decision has really increased my passion for cooking!  I find myself trying out new vegetarian recipes every week, and I have made some amazing new dishes.  This is one of the dishes that convinced my husband early on that perhaps vegetarian food wouldn’t be so bad!  It is simple to make, and can easily use reduced fat dairy to make it even healthier.  Enjoy!

Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce
 
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

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Do you have a yummy recipe to share?  Email me at tara@3psmama.com – I’d love to feature you!

For today’s What to Eat Wednesday I am featuring one of my best blogging friends, Tara, from Mommy Head Adventures.  Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!

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First off, I want to say thank you to Tara for allowing me to share with you today! I am super excited to let you in on a little secret that I have learned in my 4 short years of marriage. They have been blissful and glorious, let me tell you.

For those that don’t know me, my name is Tara and I blog over at Mommy Head Adventures. On any given day, you will find giveaways, reviews and cute little stories of my wonderful, special children, Bear and Lion. With my two being two and under, I always need some quick ideas on how to cook quick. Plus, I am not the greatest cook anyway.

So, today’s What to Eat Wednesday recipe is Shredded Chicken

Here are your ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen chicken breasts

Yes, that is truly it! Since the chicken is frozen, you shouldn’t have to add water or anything. You will need a crock pot for the cooking.

All you have to do is place all of the frozen chicken breast in the crock pot and turn it on low all day. I put mine on about 10 a.m. and then it is ready for dinner when hubby gets home at 6 p.m. or so.

The perfect recipe for the working mom. The easiest recipe for the stay at home mom.

The best thing about this recipe is you can add seasonings or eat it plan. Add a bottle of Barbeque sauce and have pulled barbeque chicken sandwiches. Add a package of taco seasoning and have chicken tacos. Add italian seasoning and have italian chicken.

The possibilities are endless. You tell me, what would you add for your dinner of shredded chicken?

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Would you like to share a recipe for What to Eat Wednesday?  I’d love to have you!  Just email me at tara@3psmama.com

Hello all!  Today is the first day of my new weekly series – What to Eat Wednesday!  I struggle to come up with new things to cook so I thought this would be a fun idea because I’m sure I’m not the only mama out there with this problem!

Want to be featured on What to Eat Wednesday?  Each week I’ll post a recipe from a different blogger friend :)  Just send me an email if you have one you’d like to share!  Tara@3psmama.com

The first recipe is a favorite in this house, and it’s super easy.  Healthy, not so much…but with a few minor adjustments it can be made a bit healthier :)  The original recipe is from Campbell’s and it’s called Swiss Vegetable Casserole.  We decided to change it up a bit, so here’s my recipe!

Chicken Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken coup
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen vegetable combination (green beans, corn, carrots, peas), thawed
• 1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 bag of egg noodles
• 1 boneless chicken breast

1. Boil chicken breast until cooked thoroughly.  Shred (I just use two forks to pull it apart)
2. Cook egg noodles.
3. Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, pepper, vegetables, 1/2 can of french-fried onions, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, noodles, and shredded chicken in a large casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
5. Remove casserole from oven and stir.
6. Cover top with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 can french-fried onions.
7. Bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Yummy!  This recipe makes a ton.  We usually get another meal out of the leftovers, sometimes more.

I’ve made it with and without the sour cream, there’s not a huge difference.  It just seems drier without the sour cream.  I’ve also made it with and without black pepper, and sometimes I add broccoli florets.  You pretty much can’t go wrong!  Well, the first time I made it with tuna, we weren’t huge fans of that ;)

I hope you’ll all try it and enjoy it!  Let me know if you do :)