One Pan Cheesy Tortellini

1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1/2 pound ground beef
1 (16 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 cup sliced fresh baby bella mushrooms

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated or fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large deep skillet. Drain. Add the marinara sauce, mushrooms, and tomatoes . Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tortellini, cover and simmer another 7-8 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cheese will be melted on top. Serve and enjoy!

Marinated pork tenderloin

This is a delicious recipe I tried out from allrecipes.com last week. The whole family LOVED it! Sweet, tender, and tasty.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry(I omitted this)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch garlic powder
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins


Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, dried onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and a touch of garlic powder in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and shake to mix. Place pork in bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Lightly oil grate. Place tenderloins on grill, and discard marinade. Cook 20 minutes, or to desired doneness. Slice into medallions, and serve.

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

This is the perfect soup for a cold winter day!

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk


Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Recipe from allrecipes.com.

Pork Chow Mein

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. extra lean pork, cubed (can substitute chicken)
1 c. sliced onion
1 c. celery, slant cut
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 can chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1 bag chow main noodles
2 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Stir fry pork or chicken in 1 Tbsp. oil until brown and tender.
Remove from pan. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and stir fry all
vegetables for 5 min. or until vegetables are tender crisp.
Add meat and mix well. In separate bowl, mix sugar, soy
sauce, cornstarch. Add broth. Add mixture to meat and
vegetables, stirring until thickened. Serve over chow main
noodles or rice. Garnish with green onions.

Chinese Stir-Fry

I found this recipe on the Kraft website a few days ago. We tried it and loved it!

1 tsp. oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices
3 carrots, sliced
1/3 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and carrots; cook and stir 5 min.
Stirin dressing and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 7 min. or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add onions; cook 1 min. Serve over rice or lo mein noodles.

Try adding different vegetables-broccoli would be a delicious addition too!

Pork Chops and Gravy

4 pork chops
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil
1( 10¾ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 large onion, sliced
6 oz.(1/2 can) evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Brown in oil, drain,and transfer to slow cooker. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mushroom soup, onion,and evaporated milk until smooth. Pour over chops. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. (My Rival slow cooker cooked the meat in 4 hours on low. It depends on the slow cooker. The high setting on mine always overcooks everything.)

Stir sour cream into mixture during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

I just tried this recipe the other day and it was great(and easy!) Serve it with mashed potatoes and use the gravy for you potatoes too! Yum!

Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp red curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 inch thick
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c chopped green onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

On a plate combine the flour, curry, cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to distribute the spices. Coat the pork chops with the flour mixture, and shake off any excess.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the pork chops in the hot skillet and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
While the pork chops cook, stir together the chicken broth, coconut milk, peanut butter, honey, ginger, and 1/4 tsp salt. Remove the pork chops to serving platter, and keep warm
Pour the peanut sauce unto the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Pour peanut sauce over the chops, and garnish with onion, peanuts, and cilantro.

Italian Baked Pork Chops

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 pork center loin chops(about 6 oz. each)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400*F. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, and Italian seasoning. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then brush both sides of chops with mustard mixture. Press Parmesan into both sides of chops. Place chops on baking sheet or dish. Bake 25 minutes or until just cooked through(time depends on thickness of chops).

This is simple and delicious. We all love it, even the kids!