Pastitsio - Aldi-style

Oh. My. Goodness. One of my passions is Greek food. One of my favorite recipes, that I remember from a high school friend's Mom, is Pastitsio. I love the meat and pasta layers (not a huge fan of the bechemel layers, so I've omitted for this recipe). In my craving for greek food this evening, I decided to make an Aldi friendly version. And, it was DELICIOUS. TOO delicious NOT to share!!!

I know this recipe is SIMILAR to the Spaghetti Pie....but I guarantee the taste is soooo different. :)

I hope you enjoy as much we did.


Pastitsio

1 box Reggiano Penne Reggatte pasta
1 container Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese
1 lb Fit & Active Ground Beef (or ground turkey, which ever you prefer, I used Turkey)
1 8oz block Happy Valley Farms Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup Friendly Farms Fresh Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Jar Reggiano Pasta Sauce (choose your favorite brand)
2 Tsp Stonehill Classics Italian Seasoning Blend
1 Golden Hen Egg
1 Tbs dried minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to directions on the package. Drain & set aside to cool.

Brown ground beef (or turkey) on the stove, drain any excess fat. Add minced garlic and pasta sauce. Stir until mixed well and remove from heat.

While meat is browning, in a large bowl, mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir in Italian seasoning blend.

Stir the cottaqe cheese mixture into the cooled pasta. Mix very well.

Press this mixture into a 13 X 9 Lasagna pan. Pour beef/sauce mixture over the pasta. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour until very bubbly. (you can remove the foil at about 45 mins and bake uncovered).

Allow to sit about 5-10 minutes before diving into - and oh yes - you will dive!

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

These could also be renamed "Santa Bait" but, quite frankly after you taste them, you're gonna tell the Fat Guy in the Red Suit to fend for himself - let him know the Oreos are in the cabinet. :)

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Sticks Country Creamery Butter
1 Cup Benton's Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Cups Grandma's Best Sugar
2 Golden Hen Eggs
1 Tsp. Stonemill Classics Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Grandma's Best Flour
1 Tsp. Baker's Corner Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Sebree Salt
1 package Baker's Corner MILK Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add Vanilla and continue to mix well.

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add slowly to peanut butter mixture. Continuing to stir until well combined.

Add in chips and mix well.

Drop by tablespoons full onto a greased cookie sheet (I use a cookie scooper to make this easier). Bake 10-12 minutes until just lightly browned and crispy on the outside. Allow to cool on cookie sheet 2 or 3 minutes before removing to cooling rack. These cookies taste best when they are cooled.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

I love holiday baking. I love that during this time of year Aldi carries some specialty items and baking chips that make Christmas Cookie baking SO FUN!

One of my absolute favorite cookie recipes is a mesh between a Rachel Ray and a Sandra Lee recipe for a sugar cookie that sports coconut, white chocolate and macadamia nuts. USUALLY, I cannot make these cookies exclusively "Aldi". That all changes for the month of December when Aldi not only sells sugar cookie dough but also white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts AND coconut!!!

It's a very easy recipe, and Kristy (my friend), it does NOT start with a cake mix BUT a cookie mix! Pardon the short cut, but I've got enough other cookies to bake that take LOTS of time and energy. It's nice to have a go to, quick recipe that tastes great and works well as a quick gift!


Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

1 Pkg Baker's Corner Sugar Cookie Mix
1 Stick Country Creamery Butter
1 Golden Hen Egg
1 Cup Baker's Corner Coconut
1 Cup Southern Grove Macadamia Nuts
1 Cup Baker's Corner White Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Place sugar cookie mix, coconut, macadamia nuts and white baking chips into a large bowl. Melt butter and allow to cool to warm. Beat egg in small bowl. Add melted butter and egg to dry ingredients and mix well.

Bake one of two ways - drop by spoonfulls 2" apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown OR spread into a 13 X 9 pan and bake 20-25 minutes - until edges are golden and center is cooked.

ENJOY!!!!

Pink Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

I've been doing the rounds of the Christmas Parties. Friday, we had our homeschool group Christmas party and we took Cheesecake Truffles. Friday night I took a Peanut Butter version of the truffles. Tomorrow night, my homeschool friends and I are having a Mom's night in at another mom's house. We're going to chow down on some yummy goodies. My contribution is dessert, of course. My favorite part of any meal.

I decided to make a variation of my Pink Peppermint Ice Cream. This time of year, Aldi sells a Candy Cane Cream Cookie - it's an oreo like chocolate wafer filled with mint cream that has piece of candy cane in it. Oh. Yum. So, the crust is made out of them. They also sell Peppermint Extract and food coloring this time of year!

You WILL need an ice cream maker for this recipe. I own a Cuisinart Electric Ice Cream Machine and recommend it highly. This is so worth the effort of making your own ice cream!


Pink Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

1 Pint Container Friendly Farms Heavy Cream
2 Cups Friendly Farms Half and Half
3/4 Tsp. Stonehill Classics Peppermint Extract
1 Cup Sugar
7 to 8 drops Stonehill Classics Red Food Coloring
Bentons Candy Cane Creme Cookies
1/4 Cup melted Country Farms unsalted butter
4 Candy Canes (I think they're by Excitemint - you can use their starlight mints also), crushed.


Mix heavy cream, half and half, peppermint extract, sugar and food coloring together. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Pour into ice cream maker and process according to directions.

Process all but 4 cookies into crumbs. Add melted butter to the crumbs and mix together. Press mixture into a 9" spring form pan, come up the sides a little.

When ice cream is soft serve consistency, add the crushed candy canes and allow to mix in. Stop machine and pour soft serve ice cream into crust. Cover and freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Defrost about 10 mins and cut with a warm knife.

ENJOY!!!!

Hamburger Rice Soup

Friday evening, one of the moms from the gym had a little holiday soiree at her house. We all dropped our gymnasts off at the gym and headed to her house for dinner and goodies. It was a delicious night. So many delectable goodies to sample! One of my favorites of the night, by far, was a Hamburger Rice Soup she made. It was so warm and comforting on a cold almost-winter's evening. Warmed me all the way to my toes. She graciously (thanks Christine!) gave me the recipe and I feel I MUST share it with you!!!! I made it for my family for dinner tonight and served it with Bakehouse Crescent Rolls.

Hamburger Rice Soup

1 pkg Fit & Active 92% Lean Ground Beef
3 Chef's Cupboard Beef Boullion Cubes
6 Cups Hot Water
1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Envelope dry Onion Soup Mix
1/4 Cup diced Celery (about 1 stalk)
1/4 Cup uncooked rice
1/4 Cup diced Carrots (about 1 carrot)
1/2 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp Parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Brown ground beef in a saucepan over medium heat. Drain any grease. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

EASY! And really inexpensive!!!!

Creamy Carrot Soup

A freak October snow storm has hit the north eastern coast of USA on Saturday. Our yard looks like a tornado hit, with downed trees and large limbs, they cannot bare the weight of snow on them due to still having most of their leaves. We did lose power, but for only a short time compared to most. Thankful for a gas cooktop on Saturday, I was able to make some soup to keep us warm. We put candles all around the house, we put a log in the fire, and we buckled down for what felt like a long winter's night. I will say, it was one of the most rewarding family nights we've had in a long time.

Well, OUR power was not out a long time, but a good friend's power was out. And still IS out. And WILL BE out until at least Thursday. Being fellow homeschoolers, and a fellow family of 5 trying to live with no heat, no water, etc for that long would just be too difficult. Now, they are cozy warm and staying with us. I confess that I sorta hope they really don't get power back anytime soon. Kind of enjoying having them all them here.

Last night was their first night here and I took out the ham I got on sale at Christmastime last year. We also had Aldi's Three Cheese Potatoes and asparagus. YUMMY. Our schedules were very opposite today, all of my stuff was cancelled, all of her stuff was on, so they were running like madmen, while I was home. It was lovely. I made a ham salad with some of the leftovers and wracked my brain on what to serve with it.

Something my husband said the night of the blackout came back to haunt my tastebuds...."Remember that really good Cream of Carrot Soup?". Oh yes. Creamy, sweet, warm, delicious? Fall in a bowl. Yeah, I was craving it.

I thought I'd share, in case there are other carrot fans out there.

Creamy Carrot Soup

2 lbs Carrots, sliced into coins
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 cloves Garlic
6 Boullion Cubes
4 Cups Water
Salt & Pepper to taste.
1 to 2 Cups Half & Half

Combine everything together in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 5 or 6 hours. Puree with a stick blender until very smooth, slowly adding cream. Start with half cup increments and use only to desired consistency. The water level of the carrots will determine how much you'll have to add.

This is excellent with a dollup of the Greek Yogurt that Aldi has recently started selling. Oh. YUM.

Aldisbury Steak

Growing up, one of my favorite TV Dinners was the Stouffer's Salisbury Steak and Macaroni & Cheese. I know, it's not fine dining, it's not high brow cuisine. But it's darn good, and it's so easy to just throw something in an oven and come back later and have dinner, voila!

A few weeks ago, I threw some ingredients in a crock pot, and made Salisbury Steaks. I will confess, I used premade, precooked steaks from a local deli - they were on sale REALLY CHEAP. BUT, they could easily be made with the premade burgers sold at Aldi - I recommend grilling them first so that they are cooked.

I did them again this evening, but did them in the oven vs. the crockpot. I adjusted the recipe a little to make it a little more to my liking. It was very good. Very good indeed. Since we're doing South Beach (mostly), we did not have mac and cheese with it, but Stouffers would have been proud! This second way was much better.

Feel free to serve with Mac & Cheese!!!


Aldisbury Steak

8 frozen burger patties, cooked
1 Can Fit & Active Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Fit & Active Cream of Chicken Soup
1 packet Chef's Cupboard Onion Soup Mix
1 Soup Can-full Friendly Farms Milk
1 10 oz package of white mushrooms, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 13 X 9 baking pan, mix soups, soup mix and milk together. Add in cooked burger patties, flipping to cover with sauce. Top with sliced mushrooms.

Bake for about 40 minutes until the sauce is very bubbly and the mushrooms are browned.