Recipe

Fiesta Pasta Baked Potatoes with VELVEETA® and Ro*Tel® #Recipe

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February 14, 2012 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

This pregnancy has been a starch overload. French fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, you name it. Problem is they were getting boring and predictable. I need something to spice things up a bit.

When it came time to prepare my next recipe I knew that I wanted to do something that could go with my potatoes but also something that my boys would eat. Since I’m the only one in the house that likes tomatoes I needed something that could be several things in one.

Looks great right? It was delish!!!

I ate it just as pictured and it covered every pregnancy craving I was having at once. Hubby had the same thing minus the Ro*Tel® tomatoes. The kids had the VELVEETA® pasta combo on the top.

We all loved it and while it looked like I had spent the night being a short order cook I really wasn’t. VELVEETA® and Ro*Tel® made it really easy to take our meals to different levels without actually making different meals!

Fiesta Pasta Baked Potatoes
2 Baked Potatoes
1 box Rotelle pasta
16 oz. VELVEETA® cheese
1 Bag Frozen Broccoli Florets
1/4 Cup Ro*Tel®

Boil water and cook pasta as stated on box. Boil water and cook florets at same time. Strain pasta was cooked and add cubes of VELVEETA® into pan. Melt. Add pasta in and stir. Then add florets and stir.

Stab holes in potatoes with fork and cook in microwave. My microwave actually has a baked potato setting if yours doesn’t just place in for 3 minutes and turn over then 3 more minutes.

Split open potatoes and scoop pasta into opening. Spoon Ro*Tel® over the top. Eat!

VELVEETA® and RO*TEL® are hosting an amazing sweepstakes to encourage simple, easy weeknight family meals and entertainment ideas. Winners will be picked each week, and the more points you collect the more chances you have of winning! Grand prize winner will receive $15,000!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VELVEETA/RO*TEL. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Dinner, Recipe, Side Dish Tagged With: Baked Potato, Fiesta, pasta, Ro*Tel, Velveeta

Glazed Apple Pie Danish #Recipe #CreativeCrescents

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January 23, 2012 By Jennifer 7 Comments

I like short cuts. Especially short cuts that are good. I recently discovered the seamless crescent rolls and it has literally been life changing. If you’ve noticed I’ve been knocking out some great recipes lately thanks to crescent rolls and I can’t wait to see how many more I come up with!

Ingredients

1 Pkg. Seamless Crescent Roll
3 Granny Smith Apples
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tablespoon Whipping Cream
1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Nutmeg

Directions

Peel, Core, and Slice apples and mix with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Place in 9×9 pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350.

While apples are baking take your seamless crescent rolls and smooth out with a rolling pan (if you can’t find seamless that’s okay you’ll just need to take more time with a roller). Do this on top of parchment paper you can later move to the baking sheet.

Next, spoon your apples down the center.

Take a knife and cut lines in a downward manner. You’re going to want to take them one by one crossing over making a braid like pattern.

When you come to the bottom just overlap and press together. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 or until golden brown on top. Remember your apples are already soft.

Remove and in small bowl combine powdered sugar, whipping cream, vanilla, and pinch of nutmeg and whisk until smooth.

Brush glaze over danish while still hot. Eat warm or save for later.

Vote for my Creative Crescent Recipe and you’ll be entered to win a $1,000 grocery gift card!

Find more quick and easy Pillsbury recipes at www.CreativeCrescents.com.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Contest Rules.

Filed Under: Blog Frog, Dessert, Recipe Tagged With: #CreativeCrescents, apple, Danish, dessert, Pie

Fiesta Beef & Black Bean Enchiladas with VELVEETA® and Ro*Tel® Recipe

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January 12, 2012 By Jennifer 3 Comments

So when I was reading my latest copy of Food & Family the quarterly magazine I get in the mail from Kraft Foods and saw the Fiesta Beef & Black Bean Enchiladas recipe I knew I had to try it. I switched the salsa for Ro*Tel® which also helped me save a few dollars too!

Here are all the ingredients you will need:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, divided

1-1/4 cups Ro*Tel®, divided

1 cup rinsed canned black beans

12 flour tortillas (6 inch)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350.
Depending on your oven you could actually wait to do this until after you have the meat mixture made as mine was preheated in no time and waiting on me to catch up.

Brown hamburg.

Drain.

Take half the Velveeta and cut into small cubes and put aside. Take the other half and cube the same way.

Add half of cubed cheese and 1/2 cup Ro*Tel® into hamburg.

Once cheese is melted, add black beans. Remember you will need to drain and rinse beans before you add them.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of each enchilada. It will seem like a lot but it is the perfect amount. I found folding it in half and then pushing the top side back and then rolling evened it all out perfectly.

Place each finished enchilada fold sided down in a sprayed down 9×12 baking dish.

Spread remaining cheese cubes over enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Pour remaining Ro*Tel® over cheese blocks. Bake another 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

When it comes out of the oven this is what you get. So good!

I added (not in recipe) some shredded cheese. My hubby loves cheese and can never get enough so basically everything in my house gets more cheese then it should. Sprinkled chopped cilantro and you end up with these:

I also made some yummy nachos to go with them. I bought my hamburg in bulk to get a lower price and added in kidney beans. layered them for cheesy yummyness all over. I added jalapeno peppers and lettuce. Yummy!

Of course also serve with toppings that your family enjoys. I can’t stand sour cream and no one but me likes tomatoes so those are both add your own for toppings. The recipe actually specified to put the sour cream over the enchiladas where I added the extra shredded cheese.

We absolutely loved this recipe and it is definitely one I will continue to make over and over again! It was super easy and definitely a crowd pleaser!

Make Ahead Version

Assemble enchiladas as directed; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake, uncovered, in 350ºF oven 25 to 30 min. or until enchiladas are heated through and VELVEETA is melted. Top as directed.

Print Version click here

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VELVEETA/RO*TEL. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Dinner, Recipe Tagged With: beef, enchilada, kraft foods

Fast & Easy Tortellini Vegetable Soup #Recipe

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January 11, 2012 By Jennifer 5 Comments

When it starts to get cold out I start wanting warm soup. Problem is some soups have so much prep to them that I fall asleep just reading what is required or it takes so long to make that I could drive across the country in the same time. I love things that can be made in no time at all and from things I normally keep on hand anyways. This Tortellini Vegetable Soup is just that! I found it of course by jumping pinterest and it’s a Family Fun recipe that can also be found on their site.

Tortellini Vegetable Soup #Recipe

5.0 from 2 reviews

Recipe type: Soup, Dinner

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Fast, Easy, & Delicious

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
5 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried basil (more if fresh)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 to 9 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese or meat filled)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cut up your onion, zucchini, and carrot and place them in a deep pot on medium heat and saute them with the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent. This will take 5-10 minutes.
Next, you’ll want to add the chicken stock, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes, and salt. Bring the heat up and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add in tortellini. I chose a multicolor pasta but really just any cheese tortellini will work. Cook for two minutes and then lower heat down to a simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add in parsley and pepper and cook one last minute.

Cut up your onion, zucchini, and carrot and place them in a deep pot on medium heat and saute them with the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent. This will take 5-10 minutes.

Next, you’ll want to add the chicken stock, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes, and salt. Bring the heat up and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add in tortellini. I chose a multicolor pasta but really just any cheese tortellini will work. Cook for two minutes and then lower heat down to a simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add in parsley and pepper and cook one last minute.

At one point your soup will look like the above shot but don’t worry about all the seasonings. When you spoon your soup into the bowl it won’t look so overwhelming. In fact it will look delicious! Of course my husband adds cheese to everything so here is how his looked- mine was the first shot!

This soup doubled well and preheated perfectly in the microwave the next day for lunch. Since it’s a pasta based soup know that you will have your tortellini suck up all the broth when you store it so you aren’t really having soup when you reheat it later. However, this soup was done in no time at all, it was delicious, and everyone loved it. What more can you really ask for?

Filed Under: Recipe, Soup