Tortellini Chili

I loved that this recipe was easy to prepare and was pretty delicious. It had more of a soup consistency to it than chili, but it was still good.  AND it made me decide that next time I make my lasagna soup, instead of noodles I am going to use tortellini. YUM! 

1 lb. tortellini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

1 lb. ground beef

32 ounces chicken broth

15 oz can rotel

1 can red beans

1 can black beans

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Pour olive oil in a pan and add in onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.  Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain beef and tortellini.  In a large pot mix meat, broth, tomatoes, beans, cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in tortellini.  Heat for 10 minutes until hot. 

Crock Pot Chicken Quesadillas

I haven't made quesadillas in a while. I had one of those fancy quesadilla maker things, but someone decided to make a cookie in it and when that didn't work out so well we had to throw it away. I don't know why I never thought to make them on the griddle, but it worked out well.

1 small cans green chilis, diced

12 oz jar salsa 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken 

salt and pepper, to taste 

shredded cheese

Place chicken in crock pot. Place remaining ingredient (except cheese) on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Once done cooking shred chicken.  Place tortillas on griddle and top with cheese and chicken mix. Top with another tortilla and flip to cook to your liking. 

Pizza Roll Up

I've made something similar to this before here, but I used bread dough. I wanted to try this recipe because it used pizza crust instead. This one was much better and had less prep than the other recipe.

1 can pizza sauce

1 can pizza crust dough

cheese

pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread out dough and cover with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. You could add any other toppings you wanted also.  Roll up dough. Tuck in the ends and pinch the seam together. 

Sprinkle some cheese on top.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until dough is golden brown. 

One Pan Spinach & Sausage Pasta

This dish was really delicious and easy to make. I liked it because it wasn't a casserole so I only needed to wash one dish afterwards and it tasted just as good.

6 oz. smoked sausage 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can rotel

2 cups chicken broth 

8 oz. pasta 

3 cups fresh spinach 

1 cup shredded cheese

Thinly slice the sausage and add it to a large skillet with the olive oil. Saute the sausage until browned.   Drain if needed. Add the onion and saute until the it has softened. Add the can of rotel and the chicken broth. Stir to combine.

Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is all submerged under the liquid. Cover and let come to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.  Stir in the spinach. Heat for a few more minutes until spinach is wilted and sauce thickens. Sprinkle the cheese on top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.