Got Quads?

I am a big fan of any meal which makes my life easier. That’s why I like slow-cooker meals.

You’ll need:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. Italian dressing

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. parsley

Beat cream cheese, soup, dressing and wine with whisk until blended; pour over chicken in slow cooker; cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours; cook pasta as directed on package about 15 minutes before chicken is done; drain; serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley

If Hubby had it his way, we would eat some type of Mexican fare every day, so I’m always looking for easy ways to satisfy those cravings.

You’ll need:

1 roasted chicken or 2 lbs. shredded chicken breast

12 flour tortillas

2 c. reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese

1 c. mild green chili salsa

1 c. mild red salsa

If using the roasted chicken, remove meat from bones and shred; lay 1 or 2 tortillas in bottom of baking dish, overlapping slightly; layer tortillas with chicken, cheese and salsas; repeat layers until bakin dish is full; finish with cheese and salsas; bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees; top with sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced black olives, sliced green onions and sliced avacado.

You’ll need:

2 9 oz. packages refrigerated cheese ravioli

1/2 c. chive and onion cream cheese spread

1 c. milk

1/4 c. and 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

4 c. baby spinach leaves

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

cook pasta as directed on package; place cream cheese spread in large skillet, then add milk; cook on medium heat until cream cheese mixture is melted and well blended; add 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, the spinach and dill; mix well; drain pasta; add cream cheese sauce; toss to coat; serve topped with remaining parmesan cheese

Whoever created the first casserole is a genius. I don’t know how I would get by without the various casseroles in my recipe box. The thing that I love the most is that I can make a casserole whenever it’s convenient and then bake it later.

For this recipe you’ll need:

8 oz. spaghetti, broken in half, cooked and drained

2 c. chopped cooked turkey

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

3 c. frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1 c. sour cream

1 c. grated parmesan cheese, divided

Mix all ingredients except 1/4 c. of the parmesan cheese in a large bowl; spoon into 2 quart casserole dish; sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese; bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes

I’m not a big mushroom person. I can spot the smallest mushroom and will be immediately turned off, so I’ve found cream of chicken soup works just as well. My favorite time to make this recipe is right after Thanksgiving with the leftover turkey because it adds a different flavor to the casserole. Enjoy.

First, a note for you Entrecard visitors. As many of you are aware, Today.com blogs will soon no longer be allowed to display the Entrecard widget due to changes in the Entrecard advertising policy. I am no longer accepting ads and will remove my widget once all my previously approved ads have run. Thank you for your faithful readership. I will continue to visit your sites, even though I will not be able to drop my card. I hope you will continue to visit me as well. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you would like to exchange links.

Now, on to Sunday Suppers…. I just tried this recipe last week and it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. 

You’ll need:

1 1/2 c. multi-grain rotini pasta

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 c.)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 c. fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

2 oz. Neufchatel cheese, cubed (1/4 of an 8 oz. pkg)

1 c. 2% milk shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for last three minutes; meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; add chicken; cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently; stir in broth; simmer 3 minutes or until chicken in thoroughly cooked; add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir on low heat until melted; stir in 1/2 c. mozzarella; drain pasta and broccoli; add to chicken mixture; mix lightly; spoon into 8-inch square baking dish; cover; bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees; sprinkle with remaining cheeses; bake uncovered 5 minutes; let stand 5 minutes

The best part of this recipe? If you use the exact ingredients it has less than 500 calories per serving! I served it with bread and salad and we had plenty of leftovers.

This simple dish is great for a big family or a potluck. If you’re only making it for a few people you will have lots of leftovers.

You’ll need:

1 bag frozen hash browns

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 stick melted butter

1 oz. sour cream

2 c. shredded cheese

2 c. corn flakes

Mix the frozen hash browns, soup, sour cream and cheese (I generally use cheddar, but you can use whatever is handy) in a 13 x 9 casserole dish; mix the corn flakes with the melted butter and spread over top of hash brown mixture; bake covered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees; uncover and bake for another 30 minutes

Two cups of corn flakes will not cover the entire dish. If you want the corn flakes to serve as a “topping” then you will need to double the recipe to 4 cups.

I’m cheating a little bit because this isn’t a meal. But it’s such a yummy snack or appetizer.

You’ll need:

Stouffer’s spinach souffle

3 oz. cream cheese

9 oz. parmesan cheese

2 Tbs. green onion

1/4 c. mayonnaise

prepare the spinach souffle as directed on the package; combine souffle, 8 oz. parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, onion and cream cheese; put in baking dish; top with remaining parmesan cheese; place dish on baking sheet; bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees; serve with tortilla chips or crackers

Depending on where I shop I can’t always find the Stouffer’s spinach souffle. Here’s a variation:

Half a package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed)

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

9 oz. parmesan cheese

1-2 c. of whatever cheese you have in the fridge (shredded)

Combine everything expect for 1 oz. of parmesan cheese; use that 1 oz. as a topping, bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. 

The name is misleading. This meal is actually good for adults, too.

You’ll need:

1 c. acini de pepe or pastina

1/3 c. finely diced carrots

1/3 c. finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 c. frozen baby peas

1/3 c. finely chopped broccoli

1/3 c. frozen whole-kernel corn

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water for 7 minutes;

stir in veggies and cook for 5 minutes; drain; mix in oil and pepper

I actually found a package of frozen vegetables that contained everything but the red pepper, which made the prep time even easier (no chopping and dicing!). A word of caution to pasta-neophytes like myself… acini de pepe is really tiny and really messy. We’re past the “finger food” stage, and the pasta was hard to eat with toddler silverware. It made for a mess on the floor, but was tasty.

My daughters are not big on vegetables. Sure, I try to serve veggies, but I think the girls know when I’m trying to be sneaky. This recipe, however, has a little surprise and, most of the time your kids won’t even notice.

You’ll need:

2 c. sliced carrots

1 can (15 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, or 15 oz. tomato sauce

8 oz. dried multigrain penne pasta

2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

cook the carrots in lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes until they’re tender; use a food processor to puree both the carrots and the tomatoes; cook the pasta according to the directions on the package; drain and return to pan; add sauce and heat pasta on medium; top with Parmesan cheese if desired

That’s the “fancy,” out of a magazine recipe. I found a shortcut that works, too. Shred the carrots and put them in store bought sauce. It’s quicker if you’re short on time. A word of warning: shredding the carrots makes them easier for your children to detect (versus pureeing). My pickiest daughter found the carrots in the sauce on her first bite when I shredded them… but she didn’t care! Score one for Quadmama!

This is one of my favorites. It’s quick, it’s easy and it tastes good.

You’ll need:

4 skinless chicken breasts (or more depending on the size of your family)

1/2 c. salsa

1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips

1/4 c. sour cream

1/2 c. cheese

place the chicken on a baking sheet; slice 3 cuts on the top of each piece; top chicken evenly with salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips; bake 45 minutes at 400 degrees; remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese; bake another 10 minutes at 400 degrees

You may need to play with the bake time. The original recipe I found instructed you to bake the chicken the first time for just 20 minutes. I’ve tried that and the chicken is never cooked all way through.