Recipes that'll knock your socks off!

My marathon cooking experiment was a HUGE success! I was able to create several meals in one day which will allow me so much free time during the week! I hope to do this at least 2 Sundays a month and maybe even coordinate with a few friends so that I can triple my supply!!! If you are in the area and are interested in working out a plan, let me know!

Here are some of the yummy things I created yesterday!
Taco Meat from Jennifer's blog
Ingredients for seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
Ingredients for taco meat
Olive oil
1lb ground beef or ground turkey
one small chopped onion (optional)
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon of flour
Directions
Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan. Add onions and saute 2-3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add meat and countinue to cooke until meat is browned. Add 2/3 cup water then add 2.5-3 tablespoons of seasoing mixture (you will have seasoning leftover for next time!) , along with 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix all together and let simmer until done. About 10 minutes. Store in freezer bags.

Lasagna from The Pioneer Woman. It truly is the BEST lasagna EVER!!!
Ingredients
• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• 1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• ½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles(I do not cook my noodles. I use the oven ready type and it works out fine)
Preparation Instructions
In a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. To assemble:
Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat mixture over the top.
Repeat, ending with meat mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.
Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly

Cajun Chicken Pasta from the Pioneer Woman (can you tell I just love her?!?!)
Ingredients
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ cups White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!
Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.
Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.
Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!
Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Turkey Vegetable Chili Mac- my recipe!
1 pound ground turkey
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can mexican style stewed tomatoes, undrained (DelMonte makes these)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 cup macaroni, uncooked

In a skillet, brown turkey and drain. In a crock pot, combine black beans, tomatoes, turkey, corn, onion and seasoning. Cook on low 4-5 hours. Add macaroni and stir. Cook covered for 10 minutes then stir, you may have to add a bit of water at this point so it doesn't cook dry. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes until pasta is tender. Serve with cornbread! Yummy!

We ate the cajun chicken pasta last night and it was so good! You would have thought I had been to a fine restaurant to pick this dish up!!! The husband even loved it!!! Everything else I froze for later this week. It's supposed to be super cold this week so I am planning to have turkey chili one night for sure. I'm scoping the net for more recipes for my next marathon so if you have any please share!!!