Tamara's Meals

Comfort Food
Chicken Ravioli Carbonara

Okay ladies, this one is an Easy one-skillet meal; however, you can also just use a pre-deboned Rotisserie chicken to make things even faster. 
Ingredients:
2 T Italian dressing
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2" strips
3/4+ C chicken broth
one package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1/2 C half and half
4-5 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (save time here and just buy the real bacon bits though other way is better)
Shredded Parmesan cheese
top with fresh parsley at end if desired

1. Heat dressing in large skillet and cook chicken turning until brown. 
2. Add broth and ravioli to skillet.  Heat to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered until ravioli tender and almost all broth evaporated. 
3. Stir in half and half and reduce heat to low.  Simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes until sauce is hot and desired consistency.  I also add broth here if dry. 
4. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese, and parsley to serve.

Serve with garlic bread sticks and green beans, asparagus, and green leaf salad

Crockpot
Taco Soup

A weight watchers recipe!  Feeds many!
Ingredients:
one large diced onion
hidden valley ranch dressing package
taco seasoning package
16 oz. canned pinto beans
16 oz. chili beans
16 oz. can corn
8 oz. Mexican stewed tomatoes
8 oz. diced tomatoes (Rotel)
1 # ground meat

Cook meat and onion, drain, add taco and ranch seasoning.  Add other ingredients without draining cans and simmer in crockpot on Low 4 hours (or stove top for one hour).  Serve with warm corn bread.

Ethnic
Chop Suey and Asian Rice

Ingredients:
one stalk of celery, diced
one yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
garlic pepper seasoning
Tony's seasoning
olive oil
soy sauce (We use the light)
Worchestershire sauce (just 3 dashes) -- optional
one pound of ground beef
hot sauce (if you prefer)
La Choy can beansprouts
La Choy crunchy rice noodles for topping
Prep 2 Cups of Jasmine or other rice of choice

In large skillet place soy sauce and some olive oil  and saute celery by cooking on medium to medium low until tender (about 30 minutes).  Add minced garlic, 3 dashes Worchestershire sauce, and Tony's (not much salt seasoning however since soy sauce is salty).  In separate skillet cook ground beef with diced onions and drain.  Once both skillets are done, combine and add Bean sprouts, more soy sauce.  Serve over rice and top with  crunchy rice noodles. 

Fast Fixin
Chicken BBQ Cheddar Pita

This is fast since I just save the chicken from the previous night or thaw out some deboned Rotisserie chicken from Sam's.  If I do not have Pita bread, I just use tortillas or have even used left over biscuits or rolls (in microwave vs. oven, that is).
Ingredients:
6 pitas, about 6"
1 # shredded chicken
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C - 1 C BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray)
1/4 C. sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  cut Pitas clear around edge to make 2 pita halves.  Top each with chicken, BBQ, cheese, green onions.  Set on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 min. until cheese melted and bubbly. 

Serve with carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, to dip into ranch.

Budget
Tortellini with Smoked Sausage and Edamame (or Sweet Peas)
Serves about 6
Ingredients:
1 # frozen cheese tortellini ($3)
1 C. frozen edamame already shelled (can substitute can of Le'Sueur sweet peas or frozen) ($2)
1 C. diced red pepper (or green) ($1)
1 # Hillshire farm beef smoked sausage ($3)
1/2 C. Italian dressing

Stir fry red pepper and diced smoked sausage about 5 minutes.  In separate pot, cook tortellini for about 5 minutes in boiling water.  Add edamame to water and boil for another 2 minutes..  Drain well.  Toss everything together with Italian dressing and heat through.  If using can peas instead of edamame then just add after draining tortellini.

Plan B: If I do not have the tortillini, then I have used rotini pasta and a can of Ragu Alfredo sauce instead of Italian dressing.

Friday Meatless
Veggie Meal: Squash Dressing, Green Beans, Asparagus, or Black-eye peas,Tilapia

I will type 2 great squash recipes, one compliment of my mom and the other from my sweet widow neighbor, Ms. Winnie
Mom's Squash Dressing
2 C. cooked mashed squash
1 stick butter
2 eggs, well beaten
one onion, chopped
Poultry seasoning - tony's and garlic pepper to taste
1 can cream of chicken (large can--hmmm does this still make it meatless?...well I guess you could use mushroom!)
one package Mexican corn bread mix

Cook cornbread as directed.  Crumble into bowl, Add rest of ingredients.  Mix well and pour into baking dish 350 degrees, 30 minutes+.

Ms. Winnie's Squash Supreme
2 C. cooked squash
one carrot grated
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T butter
one medium onion, chopped
1 C. sour cream
one can cream of chicken soup (or mushroom!)
one pound package of Pepperidge Farm Herb seasoned stuffing (blue/white package), divided

Mix together cooked squash, S & P, butter, add onions and carrots, stir together cream soup and sour cream, and add to squash mixture.  Layer half stuffing/bread in bottom of 9 x 13 dish.  Pour squash mixture over it, then top with other half of bread.  Bake 350 for 30 min. 

Serve with green beans or seasoned oil brushed/baked asparagus and/or black-eye peas.  We really like the parmesan breaded tilapia from Sam's or skillet tilapia would be better here since you have a breaded squash. 

Family Favorite
Stackable Chicken Enchiladas:  Chris' Grandma Wald's recipe (they used to live in NM!)

... A great recipe that feeds alot, has minimal ingredients, and is also a budget meal!

Ingredients:
One large can of tomatoe juice (not sauce!)
one stick of butter
Wondra flour (in blue cylindar can)  My aunt told me about this pre-sifted flour and we also use to make all our gravys for its ability to dissolve without clumps!!
Chili powder (2 T) plus or minus -- I just go by taste!
one deboned and shredded rotisserie chicken ($5 from Sam's)
shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese
small corn tortillas

In large pan, heat tomatoe juice and melt butter together.  Add 2 T chili powder (plus or minus),  bring to a boil and slowly sprinkle in Wondra flour until desired thickness.  This could take about 10 minutes or so.  Once this is ready, just dip tortillas into sauce and place on plate, followed by scoop of chicken, sauce then cheese, repeat one more time.  Then microwave plate to melt cheese on top.  Serve with fresh salad and/or guacamole with chips. Yum!