Enchilada Twist

PW's Simple, Perfect Enchiladas are always a huge hit. I've made them for family gatherings, church potlucks, when we have guests over, and have stocked our freezer full for a yummy meal on those busy nights when we need something quick.

I was intrigued by the variation on the recipe which uses sour cream and cheese as the filling instead of the usual ground beef. So therefore, in addition to the old standby, I made these tonight. I must admit, the kiddos stuck with the original, but Steve and I really liked the meatless variety. Basically, the method is very much the same...the filling is the only difference.

Worth a try! And definitely a great addition to the original. A perfect combination to serve your guests and also a great way to offer a vegetarian option.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Earlier this winter, a good friend of mine at work told me about THIS recipe and said it was just "out of this world" good. No, this is not from The Pioneer Woman, but from what I know of her, she would LOVE it. The first time I tried it at home and I absolutely loved it. Very rich flavors and the gnocchi add such a nice bite (literally). I had never bought gnocchi before--but they are similar to a potato dumpling. I purchased them from Dillon's in the dry food aisle that has the italian pasta and sauces. Although I loved it at first bite, my critics weren't so sure. Especially of these "round things" floating around in their soup bowls.

A couple of months later, we had a family reunion at our house and I decided to make two different soups and have sandwiches. I pulled out the Chicken Gnocchi soup recipe and everyone loved it. Even my kids were a bit more enthused.

That brings us to last night. Again...a couple more months down the road. It was a high of 32 degrees on this March day with cold, drizzling rain. And I had gnocchi and chicken on hand. So, here we are...and I can safely give this dish a 5 star rating after the seconds each child and Steve had last night. Does this go to show the more you introduce something to your children, they will soon begin to like it??? Hmmm...

This is from the Copykat recipe site, which is a fun website to visit and check to see if some of your favorite dishes/recipes are listed that you may find in restaurants. This particular recipe is a knock-off from the Olive Garden.

Spring Break Special...Sour Cream Noodle Bake

We are back...once again. Obviously, my family has been fed the last few months. They are thriving, and thriving well. And some of their thriving has been on old tried and true PW favorites over the last few months. But now after our Spring break has come to an end, and some of our Spring cleaning has been caught up (the last of the winter decor is finding it's new home), and basketball has ended for this season, and Wednesday evening church is breaking until next year, the KITCHEN is bellowing out to me.

I worked 12 hours one day this past week at the hospital and Steve took vacation to be with the kids. In my head, I had it all planned out. This perfect recipe for the girls to try their hand at making a complete meal for the family since I would not be home from work until way past dinner time. I even THOUGHT AHEAD and had Natalie fry the hamburger and grate the sharp cheddar cheese. So, the hardest parts were done. But, Steve had a different idea for dinner that evening which included eating at Grandpa and Grandma's---and the kiddos didn't seem to mind.

This worked out for me because we got to make Sour Cream Noodle Bake the next day for our lunch break from washing windows. Did you see the picture above? That is what was left of this dish which is so, so, simple to make. It is a "comfort food" at its max. And a great recipe for your children who are learning to cook in the kitchen.

I have to admit, this recipe is not far off from a casserole I have put together in the past. It also has a somewhat "lasagna" flare to it also. But at any rate, it was a hit here in our household and I will be using it again. And I might even start putting a couple of them in the freezer to have on hand.

The only variation we did from PW's original recipe was to use whole wheat egg noodles, our favorite Newman spaghetti sauce with some added seasonings, and turkey pepperoni (because I had extra on hand I needed to use up). This dish would be even better with ground beef so the kids thought. An easy and filling recipe...just add a green and garlic bread and YOU ARE SET! Enjoy!