1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
5 tbsps of diced onions (I personally use less since I am not a huge onion fan)
1 jar chunky tomato pasta sauce
1 box (10.6 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated Parmesan breadsticks with garlic
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12×8 (2 qt) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in pepperoni, onions, and pasta sauce. Cook until boiling.

Unroll dough into 1 large rectangle. Spread garlic mixture from the box evenly over the dough. Separate dough into 10 breadsticks. Cut each breadstick into 3 crosswise pieces.

Pour ground beef mixture into baking dish. Spread dough pieces evenly over hot ground beef mixture.

Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until topping is golden brown and no longer doughy. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

I’ve had two sick kids this week, and this easy to make recipe is a life saver for times like these.

1 bag (25 oz) frozen Italian style sausage filled ravioli, thawed
1/2 cup pepperoni slices
1 jar roasted tomato and garlic pasta sauce
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Heat over to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except cheese and Italian seasoning. Put into a 8 inch square (2qt) glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake 40 - 50 minutes until heated and bubbly.

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 pkg spaghetti

Brown ground beef and onions and drain.

In slow cooker, mix ground beef and the remaining ingredients except the spaghetti.

Cover and cook at the low setting for 6-8 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, cook spaghetti as directed on package. Serve over spaghetti.

Now, this should make about 6 servings. This is a somewhat bland sauce (I have two little ones whose food can’t be too spicy), so you can adjust this easy to make recipe accordingly.

3 cups uncooked rotini pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded american-cheddar cheese blend

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Brown beef, onion, garlic powder, and salt and drain.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and pasta. Pour into an ungreased 8 inch square glass baking dish.

Cover with foil. Bake 30-40 minutes or until its bubbly around the edges. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

12 uncooked manicotti pasta shells
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 jar (26 oz) tomato pasta sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with Italian-style herbs, drained
1 egg
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
basil

Heat over to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

Cook sausage, garlic, and oregano until sausage is browned and drain. Stir in pasta sauce and tomatoes. Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in a 13×9-inch glass baking dish.

In a bowl, beat the egg. Stir in the ricotta cheese and 2 cups of the Italian cheese blend. Spoon cheese mixture into a food storage bag. Cut a hole in one bottom corner of the bag and squeeze the bag to pipt out about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture in each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells over the meat sauce in the dish. Pour the remaining meat sauce evenly over the shells.

Cover the dish with foil. Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with remaining cup of Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 - 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle basil over the top before serving.

For breadsticks with a little zip, sprinkle them with garlic powder before baking.

1 cut up whole chicken (3 - 3 1/2 lbs) (I used a roaster for this recipe instead. You just have to cook it a tad longer)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 envelope savory herb with garlic soup mix
1/3 cup of chicken broth
1 large onion cut into 6 wedges
2 - 3 handfuls of baby carrots
2 medium unpeeled russet potatoes each cut into 8 peices.

Heat over to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix broth and soup mix. Brush both sides of chicken pieces with about half the oil mixture.

In a large bowl, mix celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, and remaining oil mixture. Arrange vegetables in an ungreased pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Place chicken pieces in pan overlapping the vegetables if necessary. Bake 35 - 40 minutes longer until vegetables are tender and the chicken is 170 degrees for breasts and 180 degrees for thighs and legs.

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope of Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix
1 can (14 oz) diced tomato
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or you can use Monterey Jack cheese)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 13×9 baking dish, arrange the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup mix, tomatoes, and oil. Then pour the mixture over the chicken.

Bake uncovered 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional two minutes or until cheese is melted.

9 lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce
1 container (16 oz) ricotta cheese
1 1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Prepare the noodles according to the packaging directions. Drain noodles. Rinse with cool water; drain again. Lay noodles flat on wax paper.

Cook the ground beef, onion, garlic in a skillet until browned. Drain fat. Add pasta sauce and heat to a boil. Spread 2 cups of meat sauce into prepared baking dish.

Mix ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella in a large bowl. Spread cheese mixture over each noodle.

Roll up noodles tightly. Place seam side down on top of the meat sauce in dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over rolls and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake rolls until heated through (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and let stand for 5 minutes.

1 can diced tomatoes undrained (I personally buy the ones with lots of spices added, but you don’t have to do that)
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Pour tomatoes with their liquid into a bowl. Add stuffing mix, 1/2 cup hot water and the garlic; stir until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside. Put chicken into 13×9 baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese, and top with the stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.