Home cooking!

I have been trying really hard to stick to meal planning and keeping to a strict grocery budget.  I have been shopping at ALDI lately with surprising results.  We have really liked almost everything we have eaten!!!  I found a blog with ALDI meal plans and shopping lists and I have been tweaking those recipes to better suit our family! I also love trying new recipes from Pinterest.   I have been asked to share so I will start with a few recipes here and try to update with our favorite ones!

Tortellini Soup (Served with Tastefully Simple Salted Pretzel Rolls and homemade cinnamon applesauce) adapted from:
 ( http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/tortellini-soup/e2a8d3ac-207d-4617-b20c-df3517f0aa8a)

Ingredients

3

tablespoons butter or margarine 

2

garlic cloves, finely chopped

2

medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)

1

medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)

2        Cartons (32 oz each)  chicken broth (8 cups)

4

cups water

2

packages refrigerated  cheese-filled tortellini

2

 1/2

teaspoon pepper

Pinch of Basil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• 1Melt butter in 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cover and cook garlic, celery, carrot in butter 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 2Stir in broth and water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding tortellini in the last 2-3 minutes until tortellini are tender.
• 3Stir in Basil, pepper. Cover and simmer 1 minutes. Top each serving with cheese.

Mexican Style Stuffed Peppers: adapted from

http://www.wishesdocometru.com/2014/03/stuffed-green-peppers.html

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Mama Casita Salsa

9 multi colored  peppers

Mama Casita taco seasoning

1/2 cup Happy Farms cheddar cheese (leave off for healthier choice)

2 cups cooked mexican style rice ( I used the microwaveable pouches)

1 bag frozen corn

2 lb Ground Beef

Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Cook rice as it says on package

2. Cook corn as it says on the bag.

3. Dice one pepper

4. Brown the ground meat, add diced pepper and cook for 5 minutes.  Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup of water.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add Corn, Rice, and salsa and let simmer

5. Slice the top of the peppers off. 

6. Fill peppers with rice and meat mix. Top with cheese

7. Bake in 370 oven for 30 minutes or until peppers are soft and cheese is melted and browned

****Both of these recipes made excellent leftovers for lunch the next day!!!   I had extra pepper filling that I filled tortilla shells with and made delicious burritos with!!!******