Philly Cheesesteak Tortellini

4 lbs tortellini, cooked following package directions
2 blocks cream cheese (16 oz total)
3 lbs. ground beef
1-2 red or green bell peppers
12 oz. Provolone cheese

1) Cook tortellini according to package directions

2) Cook peppers and ground beef until beef is no longer pink. Add in cream cheese, breaking it up as it melts. Turn off heat.

3) When tortellini is cooked, drain and add to the ground beef mixture. Stir continuously until pasta is coated and well combined. 

4) Add half of the provolone cheese and stir into pasta mixture and stir until melted. Add the remaining cheese on top and place a lid on to allow cheese to melt.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

 original recipe found here

1 lb linguine pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled & diced
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets 
2 small zucchini (or 1 large), cut into bite size pieces
1 small orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 cup basil paste
salt & pepper to taste

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta to water and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add diced carrots to heated oil. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until carrots are softened. 
• Add broccoli and zucchini to skillet. Stir and cook another 3 minutes. Then add all the bell peppers. Continue to cook and stir vegetables for another 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and basil paste. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat off and remove skillet from burner.
• Drain water from linguine. Return linguine back to the pot and add the cooked vegetables, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Carefully fold and stir to combine everything. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve warm with extra basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Mac Salad

 original recipe found here

1 lb. macaroni
2 cups celery
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups mayo
6 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
4 TBSP sweet OR dill relish
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt

1) In a large pot, cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to the instructions on the package. Do not overcook. Drain well and rinse it under cold water to stop cooking.

2) To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, relish, mustard, salt and pepper a small bowl. Mix well.

3) In a large bowl, add the cooled macaroni, the dressing, celery, carrots, red pepper, and onion. Mix well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

4) Refrigerate the macaroni salad for at least 1 hour before serving.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

 original recipe found here

6 TBSP salted butter

1 TBSP garlic, minced

2 TBSP flour

1.5 cups heavy cream

1.5 cups whole milk

1/2 cup romano cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. 
• Add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner.
• Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to low to bubble. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.
• Slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired.

Easy Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

 original recipe found here

• 1 pound RAW shrimp (I used 31-40 count size), thawed & peeled
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 dashes Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup packed fresh baby spinach (I didn't use this because 3 of my girls won't eat it)
• Handful fresh basil cut into thin strips
• Salt & pepper to taste

• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring until smooth. 
• Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Stir in the cream, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce heat if it's bubbling too much. 
• Add the shrimp and cook for around 5 minutes or until they're cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, taking care not to overcook them. 
• Add the spinach and basil and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately. You could also grate some fresh parmesan over top if you wish.
  **I actually doubled the sauce, but used the 1 pound of shrimp, and it was the perfect amount for 1 pound of linguine.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

 Original recipe found here

2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2-3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt if needed.  Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Dump & Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Original recipe here 

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
• 22 oz jar Alfredo sauce (approximately 2 ½ cups total)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend cheese)

• Preheat oven to 425°F
• In a large baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken stock, chicken and garlic. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Uncover; give the pasta a good stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but with a tender bite). I have had good luck with the 30-minute cook time; however, some readers have noted that it required about 10 or 15 minutes longer. If it’s still too hard after 30 minutes, just cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
• Sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake uncovered for 8-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).

Chicken Parm Casserole

 Original recipe found here

1 pound pasta (rigatoni, ziti, penne)

32 oz. marinara sauce (or more if you're REAL saucy)

3 cups Mozzarella cheese (freshly grated)

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

6 breaded chicken breasts, frozen (store bought or make your own)

1) Prepare pasta to al dente. Drain, put back in pot, and stir in half of sauce and 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.

2) Cook frozen breaded chicken breasts in air fryer at 400° for 8 minutes, flip chicken over, then cook for another 6-8 minutes. Let the chicken cool enough to touch, then cut into bite size pieces.

3) Spray 9x13 inch pan, and add pasta mixture to it. Place chicken over the pasta, and spread remaining sauce over top of the chicken. Sprinkle on remaining Mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

4) Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.

Cooking Pasta in Instant Pot

Original recipe found here

16 oz. pasta
6 cups water
2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP butter or oil\

-Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot (make sure pasta is covered with water).
-Secure the lid and turn pressure release to "sealed" position, and make sure it's set on High Pressure.
-COOK TIME: set manual time to 5 minutes
-After pasta is done cooking, let the pressure release, then drain pasta.

Instant Pot Mac & Cheese

recipe found on activehipmama.com

16 oz. box elbow macaroni

3 TBSP butter

2 tsp salt

4 cups water

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-Place the macaroni, water, salt, and butter. Set Instant Pot on 4 minutes manual.

-After the Instant Pot runs its course, let the steam out.

-Take off the lid, and set Instant Pot to "Sauteé" setting. Add heavy cream and shredded cheese and stir constantly until cheese is melted.

SOOOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!!!