Grilled Cajun Ranch Pasta

chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tbsp white sugar, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

in a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, worcestershire sauce, cajun seasoning, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. let stand for 5 minutes. pound chicken breast to 1/4" thickness. place chicken in the gallon size ziplock bag, and stir to coat with the marinade. cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the longer the better). preheat the grill for medium-high heat. grill chicken for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. slice and serve over pasta.

pasta
16 oz bowtie pasta
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (can substitute evaporated milk)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp pepper
2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/4 cup butter
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

cook pasta according to package directions. drain; set aside.
in a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, cajun seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. in a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta. top with cajun ranch chicken and sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Italian Drip Sandwiches

1 whole beef chuck roast or sirloin tip roast, about 4 lb

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

1 jar (16 oz) pepperoncini peppers, undrained

deli rolls

butter

provolone or cheddar cheese slices

combine all ingredients (except rolls, butter and cheese slices) in a crock pot. do not drain pepperoncini-pour entire jar into the crock pot. cook at low heat for 8 to 10 hours. (i started with a completely frozen roast and it took about 10 hours to be fork tender.) remove roast from crock pot and place in a large bowl. discard any large fat pieces. use two forks to shred the meat. remove pepperoncini from the crock pot and stir into shredded meat (i like to remove the stems from the peppers at this point, but that is optional). if desired, strain remaining liquid in the crock pot, reserving the strained juices. serve meat and peppers on the rolls with a small bowl of the juices for dipping. recipe from noemptychairs

Strawberry Dessert

crust:

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and press into 9x9 pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Let cool.

1^st layer:

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cool whip (4 oz)

mix well and spread over crust

2^nd layer:

1 pkg vanilla instant pudding (prepared*)

4 oz (softened) cream cheese

mix together and spread on top

top with sliced strawberries then more cool whip and strawberries for decoration.

Red Beans and Rice

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups hot water

1 tsp salt

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pkg (14 oz) smoked sausage

1 can red beans

zatarains creole seasoning

add the rice, water and salt to a sauce pan with a lid. bring to boil, reduce heat to low, then cover &simmer for 15 mins. meanwhile, thinly slice the sausage and drain the juice from the red beans into the sink. add 2-3 tbsp olive oil to to a large skillet and begin heating over medium heat. add the sausage, give a sprinkling of creole seasoning and stir occasionally for about 7 mins until the sausages start to get sizzly on both sides. add the red beans and stir until warmed through. about this time, your rice should be done too. serve the beans and sausage over the rice. add extra creole seasoning as desired at the table. serves 2-3. recipe from kevinandamanda

Italian Meat Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup pasta sauce

2 eggs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 (9 oz.) package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

cook pie crust in pie dish as directed, then lower temperature to 350 when crust is finished. meanwhile, brown ground beef in a skillet until cooked thoroughly, drain well. add pasta sauce; mix well. bring to a  boil, reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. beat eggs in a medium bowl, add parmesan cheese and spinach. spoon half of beef mixture into pie crust, top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. spoon spinach mixture evenly over cheese and top with remaining beef mixture. bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes (cover pie crust edges with foil to prevent excessive browning if needed). sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and cook until cheese is melted. *not actually pictured above. recipe from pillsbury

Pudding Chip Cookies

1 cup flour

1 pkg (4 serving) instant pudding (sugar-free, fat-free for fluffier cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 large egg

1 large egg white

morsels

preheat oven to 350. combine flour and pudding in small bowl. beat in brown sugar and baking soda until well combined. beat in egg and egg white. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in morsels. bake on ungreased baking sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes. recipe from nestle

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (12 oz) bottle barbeque sauce (jack daniels honey smokehouse)

1/2 cup italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar (I omit this, I think it's too sweet)

2 tbs worcestershire sauce

place chicken in a slow cooker. in a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. pour over the chicken.
cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. recipe from allrecipes