No Longer M.I.A.

It has been months since my last post and I apologize. I have been super busy so let me give you an update on the Zobel life.
I went home to Illinois to stay with the parents over the summer. It was great being home and being able to visit everyone but the little munchkin and I missed daddy! Let me rephrase that - he is no longer little! Bentley is now eleven months old and cruising around everywhere, he definitely keeps me busy. We have been back in North Dakota since the middle of July now and settled right back into our home.  I have been going to school online again full time since the summer began.  I am taking classes for Special Education and they are going great.  Over the summer I got all A's and so far (almost midterm time) I have all A's again! I have been working so hard on little time so it feels good for it to pay off.  Bryan is still working in the missile field so being without him most days is tough but we get by.  Every week we get a little surprise when we get to see each other again, it's the best feeling!

Anyways, my little man is tugging at my jeans so I must go play and I will post a new recipe ASAP. Promise!

 

Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo

This evening I made a delicious meal! So quick and so easy! It makes SO much for my little family so there will definitely be leftovers. Bryan is huge fan of cheese so this dish went over very well with him. I wouldn't change this recipe at all.

Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo INGREDIENTS: 1 (16-ounce) package penne or elbow macaroni 2 (10-ounce) containers refrigerated Alfredo sauce 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese 2 garlic clove, minced 3 cups COOKED chicken, chopped 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 cups mozzarella cheese DIRECTIONS: Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Stir together all ingredients except mozzarella cheese. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Before:

After:

YUM! Don't forget to comment after you make a meal and let me know what you would or wouldn't change. This girl loves some constructive criticism. :)

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

My second recipe for you all is a crock pot one, so throw it in the slow cooker and enjoy your day! Every 6 days Bryan has to trip out to the field for work. He is gone for 3 days and I don't see him. Basically, Bentley and I use this time to be uber lazy and 'let ourselves go'. ;) Last month I decided on the day that Bryan comes home from the field (known as travel day) I will designate it as crock pot day too. This way I don't have to worry about dinner and can clean the house while dinner is taken care of. This was my first time making any sort of sesame chicken so I thought why not try it in the slow cooker? It turned out good though I might tweak it a little next time. I am not a huge fan of soy sauce so I may just reduce the measurement a little next time. Otherwise, pretty darn good for my first time.  

CROCK POT HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons diced onion
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
• Sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Let me know your feedback! Enjoy.

Welcome & Spaghetti Pie

Welcome to my new blog Mrs. Z's Delish Dish! Before I was pregnant I NEVER cooked - only baked occasionally. I was also very narrow minded when it came to food and cooking.  I was pretty boring - always ordering the same entree's at restaraunts & eating the same foods at home. However when those pregnancy hormones hit me I developed a new set of tastebuds and was willing to try to new things and - GASP - learn to cook! Check back for new recipes often and if you try a recipe I've posted please let me know what you think. I enjoy feedback. I will do my best to post regularly but the little boy of mine makes it difficult to get some computer time.

The first recipe I will be posting is SPAGHETTI PIE.  I recieved this recipe from a girl named Samantha who I met at work.  She too has a little one and being a new mommy makes it difficult to cook meals that take a lot of effort and preparation.  She was telling me how that night she was going to make something called Spaghetti Pie and told me what was in it, all the things I love. She left and I haven't seen her since.  I went home to Illinois on leave and when I came back and returned to work she had left me the recipe. How sweet of her! I haven't seen her since so I was unable to thank her personally but THANK YOU Samantha, my husband and sister loved it! It was super easy to make and turned out delish!


SPAGHETTI PIE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 lb ground beef (salt, pepper & garlic to taste)
• 26 oz jar pasta sauce
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup green onions
• 1 ½ cups cheddar

DIRECTIONS:

Boil spaghetti and brown ground beef. Add seasonings and sauce to beef. Simmer 20 minutes. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, and green onions. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add spaghetti to pan than sour cream/cream cheese mixture, then meat sauce, then cheddar cheese on top. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 25 minutes and then 5 minutes uncovered.