Mexican Manicotti

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti, cooked and drained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, optional
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, chili powder and cumin. Stuff into manicotti shells.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine tomato sauce and chilies if desired; pour over manicotti. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
I left out the optional chiles, but otherwise pretty much stuck to the plan. I chose this recipe to use up some refried beans and it worked like a charm. Pretty tasty and relatively easy to assemble. Although I notice every time I make manicotti I think to myself "man, I really hate making manicotti." Such a pain in the butt, stuffing all those shells. *sigh*

Garbanzo Bean Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
6 slices reduced-fat process American cheese product
Dill pickle slices, fat-free mayonnaise and ketchup, optional

Directions:
Place the beans, water and lemon juice in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, egg and seasonings and mix well. Shape into six patties.

In a large skillet, cook patties in oil in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Serve on buns with cheese. Top with pickle slices, mayonnaise and ketchup if desired.

Comments:
I have to admit I was kind of surprised when Adam picked this recipe out. He's a MEAT kind of person so it amused me that he'd opt for a burger made of beans. These were pretty easy to make. I think it was overkill with the breadcrumbs though - made the mixture really dry and the burgers didn't stay together too well. They were definitely delicious.

Pasta Bake With Sausage, Broccoli and Beans

Inspired by this recipe from the show "Cook Yourself Thin"



Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, knocking off two or three minutes from the cooking time. In the last two minutes, add the broccoli to the water as well. Drain, and put into a large bowl.

Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it browns. Drain and add to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli. Add the beans and cheese and stir.

Put the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Comments:
I caught parts of this while I was reading on the couch earlier this week. I didn't bother to go and look up the actual recipe until after I made this, but I knew I had broccoli to use up, I had thawed sausage for a dish I didn't end up making, and pasta and cheese are always welcome on my plate. I think I needed some more liquid, but overall it was good. I might browse their recipes to see if anything else catches my eye. I saw a different episode where they made cupcakes using grated zucchini instead of butter. Interesting...

Creamy Shells with Tomatoes & White Beans

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo pasta shells
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
One 16-ounce can navy beans or other small white beans, rinsed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.

2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta, the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with the 1/2 cup parmesan and chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass more parmesan at the table.

Comments:
When Adam asked what was for dinner tonight while we were out shopping during my lunch hour, he was not too happy with my answer. His response? I don't like beans or tomatoes. Yeah. I told him to have an open mind and if he totally hated it he could make something else. Guess what? He liked it. So there. My only reservation about it is the ridiculous amount of butter and heavy cream. Like, heart attack much? I might modify that if I make this again. We'll see how the lactose treats my body and then make a decision about the fate of this one.

Chili Spaghetti

From Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2000



Ingredients:
ground beef
onion
garlic
tomato juice
kidney beans
spaghetti
Worcestershire sauce
chili powder
salt & pepper

Comments:
This recipe really peaked my interest. I'm a big fan of pasta so I'm always on the lookout for a way to spice things up. Adam wasn't interested at all since he has this thing with beans, so I made it just for me. And it was yummy. I ate the leftovers with delight. I think I might scale back on the chili powder the next time though because it gave me some nasty heartburn and scary spicy burps. Was that TMI? Sorry...

Corn Tortilla Chicken Lasagna

From 2008 Taste Of Home Annual Recipes (recipe isn't on the site so I can't link)



Ingredients:
tortillas
chicken breast
kidney beans
salsa
sour cream
green peppers (left out)
olives (left out)
Jack cheese
cheddar cheese

Comments:
Adam doesn't like green peppers or black olives which is why I omitted them. This left the "lasagna" probably more gooey and runny than if the cheese had two more groups of things to grab onto. Regardless, it's tasty and an interesting concept.

Vegetable Chili

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
onions
green pepper
garlic
water
vegetable oil
carrots
potatoes
chicken broth
chili powder
sugar
cumin
oregano
zucchini
squash
crushed tomatoes
ketchup
kidney beans
garbanzo beans
black beans
black-eyed peas

Comments:
Despite the lengthy list of ingredients, this chili is actually pretty easy to make once you get all the veggies chopped and cans opened. It's relatively quick and tastes great. I'm thinking next time I make this I might try and convert it to a crockpot recipe. We'll see how that goes.