Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I realize it has been FOREVER since I updated my blog last! I had a baby, and lets just say I haven't had a whole lot of motivation! I am sure many of you can relate :)

I have still been cooking and baking, although not as much as I used to!  I think I have gone thru what I would call a period  of "un-inspiration"! Even though I have been feeling somewhat un-inspired in the kitchen, I have whipped up some great recipes! Most of them have been really easy!  I can't wait to share them with you!

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's blog.  Anything with pasta tends to attract me!  So I gave it a whirl.  I did make a few changes from her recipe.  Basically I added onion to the ground beef and some more spices.

It was really, really tasty! Very Comforting.  

I could imagine it being superb on a cold winter day.  Perhaps you trudged home from school (four miles one way) in four feet of snow, and you enter the front door to the wonderful smell of this in the oven. (That was just an imagined sceneario.  It never happened.  I have never lived in an area that has ever received that much snow!)

Creamy noodles, a lovely "tomatoey-beefy" taste, and a nice sharp cheese. Yum!...This recipe definitely satisfies!! I served it with toasted garlic bread. And green beans.  It was divine.

 These pictures do not do justice.

SOUR CREAM NOODLE BAKE

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 pound Ground Beef
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles (5 cups)
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.
To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.
Serve with crusty French bread.

Recipe Notes:  I used NO YOLKS brand egg noodles.  They were great!  While browning the beef, I added about 1/2 cup diced onion.  After beef was cooked through, I sprinkled on Italian Seasoning, Basil, Crushed Red Pepper (just a little), Parsley, and Lawry's All Season.  I also used more than one cup of cheese...maybe more like 2 cups. The cheesier the better :)

Bayou Chicken Pasta

It has been a long time since I have updated!!  Pregnancy has made me slack in this department I guess!  :)

If I haven't mentioned, I have a deep love for pasta.  I could probably have it every night of the week!  This particular pasta is creamy, full of flavor, and downright fabulous! Oh...and it has a nice little kick!  Thanks to Emeril Lagasse for this wonderful recipe!

One bite of this and you won't want to stop!

This is what gives it a nice kick! It calls for a habenero pepper, but I didn't want to make it too spicy so that my toddler couldn't eat it!  This jalepeno pepper added the perfect amount of kick!

Green onion, yellow onion, garlic, jalepeno pepper, heavy cream (don't try to cut fat and use light cream...it just doesn't work!) , freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and tomatoes.  (I used Muir Glen's Fire Roasted diced tomatoes)

Mmm! Almost ready!!

Add the bit of green (green onion and parsley) and NOW it is ready!! DIG IN!!

BAYOU CHICKEN PASTA

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped habanero pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

1/2 cup chopped green onion tops

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves



Directions

Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and habaneros to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup