One Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
To assemble ahead:
2 bell peppers (sliced)
¼ cup red onion (sliced)
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed; or 19 oz)
7 oz can corn kernels (1 cup)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Add fresh when cooking
1 cup stock
2 cups small pasta shapes (6.5 oz; see note *)
Just before serving
½ lime (juiced; 1 tablespoon)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Instructions
In a medium pot, combine all ingredients including pasta and stock. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and mozzarella cheese, until evenly distributed and melted.
(Optional) Serve with lime wedges and cilantro.

To assemble ahead:
Combined all 'assemble ahead' ingredients in a large meal prep container or in a heavy duty freezer bag.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
If frozen, thaw completely before cooking as directed above. You may need to remove the pot lid during the last 5 minutes of cook time to allow the liquids to reduce.

Notes
Black beans can be replaced by two large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes.
*this recipe was tested with rotini and fusili. Any small pasta shape should work, but adjust the cook time as needed if you do try a different one

Cozy Extra Veggie Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Source: https://thenaturalnurturer.com/veggie-loaded-lasagna-soup-vegetarian/#recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots 
1 cup diced zucchini 
3/4 teaspoon salt divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups pasta sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
3-4 cups loosely packed baby spinach roughly chopped
6 ounces lasagna noodles (6-8 sheets), broken into about 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 more minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon of salt.
Add balsamic vinegar and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in marinara and broth and bring soup to a simmer.
Once simmering, add broken lasagna noodles to the pot and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or according to the cooking time on the box of your lasagna noodles.
After the soup is done cooking, stir in the last 1/4 teaspoon of salt, spinach and grated parmesan and let the spinach wilt in the hot soup for a minute or two. Taste soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve and enjoy!

Spinach Pasta Toss

Spinach Pasta Toss Total Time: 25 min Makes 6 1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained 16 oz pasta (penne, ziti, elbow, etc.), uncooked 1 cup water 3-4 c spinach leaves 1 cup mozzarella cheese Put tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spinach; simmer, covered, until wilted. (Note: It might be easier to add the spinach in small batches.)Stir. Stir in cheese. Results: Delicious! I was skeptical about this recipe but all four members of the family loved it! So good and so easy! (This is a note from the old blog...)

Creamy Vegetable Soup

adapted from: https://legallyhealthyblonde.com/vegan-pot-pie-soup/ 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
8 tablespoon butter
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups Celery chopped
2/3 Large yellow onion diced
1.5 tsp Garlic powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
10 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
4 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced or 2 russet potatoes
2 cups Frozen petite peas
2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel and finely dice carrots.
Dice celery and onions.
Melt butter in large non-stick pan. Add onion, carrots, and celery.
Peel and dice potatoes.
Once the onion is translucent, add garlic.
Add the flour and immediately stir to combine. Cook and continue to stir until the flour becomes lightly golden.
Add the milk and mix into the flour and vegetables until it becomes a thick, creamy sauce.
Add the broth and combine thoroughly. (Reduce amount of broth by 1-2 cups if you want a thicker soup).
Add chopped potatoes, and bring the pot to a simmer.
Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the soup has reduced to your desired thickness.
Stir in the frozen peas while the soup is still hot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup

Source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/wprm_print/cheddar-broccoli-potato-soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/3 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes , cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)*
1/2 cup heavy cream*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Instructions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain).
Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Notes

* I skipped the cream and just used milk (3.5 cups total).

This broccoli potato cheese soup won't freeze well because of the dairy. If making in advance, store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
You could also use cauliflower instead of broccoli in this vegetarian potato soup recipe.

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Source: https://www.shugarysweets.com/wprm_print/copycat-panera-broccoli-cheese-soup-recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup diced onions yellow or white
1 cup shredded carrots 
2 1/2-3 cups broccoli florets chopped small
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup milk *
1 cup heavy whipping cream*
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add in onions, carrots and broccoli. Cook to soften about 5 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size vegetables you cut).
Slowly add in broth, milk, and cream.
Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Continue stirring and heating over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
Once thick, add cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
Serve soup and enjoy!

*I just used 2 cups of  1% milk, and it was still good. 

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Source:https://www.spendwithpennies.com/wprm_print/dill-pickle-pasta-salad

PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes
Makes  8 servings

Ingredients
½ pound dry shell pasta about 3 cups
¾ cup pickles sliced
⅔ cup cheddar cheese diced
3 tablespoons white onion finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh dill
½ cup pickle juice

Dressing
⅔ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup sour cream
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons pickle juice
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Boil pasta al dente according to package directions. Run under cold water to stop cooking.
Toss cold pasta with about ½ cup of pickle juice and set aside for about 5 minutes. Drain & discard pickle juice.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Creamy Pasta Salad with Ham

Source:
https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/bow-tie-pasta-salad/

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Chill Time: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons relish (sweet or dill)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
1 pound bow tie pasta
8 ounces cheddar cheese diced
1 cup fully-cooked ham diced
1/2 small white or sweet onion peeled and finely diced
1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
1/2 cup red bell pepper seeded and finely diced

Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate while you move on to the next steps.
Boil the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

  Source:https://www.kevinandamanda.com/spicy-sausage-pasta/

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Yield: 4 servings 

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsps minced garlic)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper   
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions 

Instructions
Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Ham Pasta Salad

Ham Pasta Salad 

Source: adapted from https://www.heathershomemadekitchen.com/ham-pasta-salad/

Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Chill Time: 1 hour 

Servings: 8 

Ingredients 

8 oz box small pasta, (rings, shells or macaroni) 

1 cup diced ham 

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

4 oz mild cheddar cheese, cubed 

1½ cups mayo or miracle whip 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo/miracle whip, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the pasta, ham, peas and cheese. Gently fold together until it is mixed thoroughly. Cover and chill until ready to serve.