Easy Alfredo

This might just be my favorite Alfredo recipe.  I got it from my friend Natasha.  We've had it at multiple youth activities and it's always a huge hit!  It's so delicious and simple to make!  It's easy to double to feed a crowd.  You can serve it in a warmed crockpot.

The noodles in this photo are my new favorite as well!  They are cauliflower noodles from Costco!  I'm not sure I'll use anything else!  You have to try them!

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
corn starch slurry to thicken if desired

Melt butter and cream cheese together.  Add pepper and garlic powder.  Add milk a little at a time stirring until creamy.  Add cheese last and stir until melted and creamy.  Thicken with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and water if desired. 

Lemon Chicken Pasta

This recipe is simple, delicious and has a freshness about it!  It's a twist on alfredo sauce.  My kids loved it!

Pasta of your choice
7 - 8 chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup featherlight flour
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups milk
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, brown chicken in butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Just before chicken is cooked, add garlic cloves.  When chicken is fully cooked add flour and stir.  Cook for  1 minute.   Add whipping cream, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth and melted.

Serve over pasta.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This chicken pasta recipe is quick, easy and delicious!  My kids love pasta, so when my friend shared this recipe with me I knew it'd be a keeper!  The creamy sauce is light and flavorful, and the spinach and tomatoes add the perfect amount of flavor and color!

10 - 12 chicken tenders, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup water
1 cube GF chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 - 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
14 oz gluten free fettuccine

Begin by boiling salt water for pasta.  Cook pasta while preparing the sauce.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add chicken and cook 3 - 5 minutes until no longer pink in the middle.  Removed the chicken and set aside in a bowl.  Add cream, water, bouillon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.  Whisk until sauce starts to thicken.  Add chopped spinach and tomatoes.  Simmer until spinach starts to wilt.

Serve over pasta.  Enjoy!

•  I pack the spinach into a measuring cup to measure it, then pour it out and chop it.
•  I cheated and used the can of Parmesan cheese and yes, it was still delicious.
•  In this picture I used 1 tomato.  My kids don't love tomatoes, so I didn't add too many.  If you like tomatoes, by all means add more!

Pressure Cooker Sausage Pasta

I love the sausage and basil flavor of this easy pasta recipe.  The brown rice pasta cooked perfectly in the pressure cooker!  5 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the pasta to cook.  This is a kid friendly recipe that adults will enjoy too!  I got the recipe from the recipe book Pressure Cooker Perfection and adjusted it to be gluten free!  This recipe is so versatile.  You could change up the spices, or use beef instead of sausage!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
16 oz bag brown rice macaroni noodles
1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in pressure cooker until hot.  Add sausage, onion and green pepper.  Brown until sausage is no longer pink.  Add tomato sauce, water and pasta.  Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.  Use the quick pressure release, then take the lid off.  Stir in basil and salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve!

Pad Thai

I found some gluten free Pad Thai noodles at my local health food store and decided to give them a try!  They were delicious!  I used a Jasmine Red Rice noodle, but you could use any gluten free Pad Thai noodle.    I think I'm going to be trying several variations of this recipe!  That's what is so cool about this recipe; you can change it up.  You can add chicken or shrimp and make it more of a main dish, or you can also try adding other vegetables or sauces!  This dish was quick to put together.  I recommend having everything ready to go before you begin.  If you're serving this as a main dish it probably serves about 4.

8 oz Jasmine Red Rice Pad Thai Noodles
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce or Tamari Sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Bring 8 cups water to a boil and add noodles.  Boil for 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.  In a large sauce pan heat canola oil.  Add cabbage, carrots, onion and ginger.  Cook on medium high heat until vegetables are tender.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce.  Stir until heated through.  Add noodles and cilantro.  Cook for a few minutes until noodles are heated through. 

Hungarian Goolash

I'm currently the Relief Society Emergency Preparedness specialist in my LDS ward.  One goal I have is to help women come up with meals that they can have on hand in case of emergency.

I've started putting together some meal ideas that I can have on hand for a 3 month supply of food.   This one is perfect for it!  It is a quick meal I can put together with the food in my pantry, plus ground beef.  The recipe calls for 1 lb of hamburger which is what I will usually use, because I have a freezer full of ground beef.  Although, I am in the process of finding some canned beef that is gluten free that I can have in my food storage.  This would be a good recipe to use it with.

This recipe reminds me of the days as a young wife, prior to Celiac disease when I would cook "Hamburger Helper" after a long day at school.  I have to say this is WAY better than my memories of "Hamburger Helper," but the same idea.  Plus, my kids love it!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, minced or 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 cube GF beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons featherlight flour
3 cups dry GF pasta

Cook pasta, according to directions.  In a large skillet, brown hamburger, onions, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add water, bouillon, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, paprika, dry mustard,  and cayenne pepper.  Simmer about 10 minutes.  Mix flour and water.  Stir into beef mixture, and simmer until thickened.  Drain pasta and combine everything!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

This recipe is a great food storage recipe.  You can store all the ingredients you need in your food storage.

The recipe uses the Meals in a Bag strategy.  I got the original recipe from the book, "Gluten Free Food Storage, It's in the Bag," which I would recommend!  I adapted this recipe a little.  All of the ingredients you need for the meal is in the bag, with the recipe with it!  When I make this recipe I like to use about 7 frozen chicken tenders that I thaw and cook in the saucepan first, (with some salt & pepper of course) instead of the canned chicken.  If I'm in a huge rush, or I'm having one of my kids make it, then I'll use the canned chicken breast.

8 cups water
16 oz GF pasta
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (13 oz) can chicken meat, including broth, or 1 pint home-canned chicken breast

Resealable bag:
1 teaspoon salt for pasta

Resealable bag:
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to boil.  Add pasta and salt to boiling water and stir gently.  Return to boil and cook 14-15 minutes or according to desired pasta tenderness.  Remove from heat and drain.  In a medium sauce pan, combine remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Gently toss pasta with tomato sauce until pasta is thoroughly coated. 

Beefy Vegetable Noodle Soup

This hearty soup is colorful and delicious!  It's a one pot meal that is quick to put together.  I love that it uses leftover roast beef and gravy!  My kids aren't huge into soups, but they all loved this one!  It is also perfect to grind up into baby food because it full of veggies, meat and noodles.  My baby loves it as much as anyone!  It is adapted from Valerie Phillips "Beef Vegetable and Noodle Soup" in her Soup's On! cookbook.  (Which is a great find!  It has a lot of soup recipes that are naturally gluten free, or easily adaptable.)

2 cups leftover roast beef, diced
1/2 cup leftover gravy (GF of course!)
1 (16 ounce) pkg frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups frozen diced O'Brien-style hash browns
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried onion
6 beef bouillon cubes (Western Family is gluten free)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups water
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups GF brown rice spiral pasta

Put everything except the salt, pepper and pasta into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Take out bay leaf prior to serving.

Minestrone Soup

This Minestrone Soup recipe is definitely a keeper!  My sister Cheyenne gave it to me and told me it was a MUST try!  Wow!  I was completely surprised by the delicious flavor!  It has it all; veggies, pasta, beans, cheese, and delicious spices!  How can you go wrong?  It's hearty and good for you too!

2 slices of bacon, chopped (or 1 oz Pancetta, chopped)
1 1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
3/4 cup celery, minced
1/2 small head green cabbage, chopped in 1 inch pieces
1-2 small zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 quarts whole tomatoes
1 quart water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 (15 - 19 oz) can Cannelloni, Great Northern or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2" x 3" piece of Parmesan Reggiano, cut into smaller pieces
2 cups dried GF pasta (macaroni or shells)

Prepare veggies before you begin and set aside.  Drain and rinse white beans.  Mash half of the beans and leave the other half whole.  Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large soup pot until bacon has released its fat, 2 - 3 minutes.  Add onion and saute until almost tender.  (If bacon doesn't produce enough grease to keep the onions from sticking, add a little olive oil.)  Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add carrots, celery, cabbage, zucchini, rosemary, parsley and basil to the pan.  Cook and stir until veggies begin to wilt, about 5 - 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon, salt, beans, Parmesan cheese, and pasta.  Cook until pasta is tender, about 16 - 20 minutes.  Stir every few minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or keep warm in a crockpot until ready to serve.

•  If adding fresh spices use the following:
        1 4-inch sprig rosemary, chopped
        1/4 cup packed parsley, chopped
        1/2 cup packed basil, chopped

•  I use whole tomatoes I have canned myself.  If using store bought canned tomatoes, I would use stewed tomatoes.

Alfredo Sauce

 

This recipe is great because it's quick and easy!  My kids love it!  You can stir fry some shrimp or chicken and add on top, or you can just serve the sauce with the pasta!

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons featherlight flour
4 cups milk
1/2 package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
dash of pepper

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add salt and garlic.  Give it a quick stir until garlic is fragrant and then whisk in flour.  (If you cook garlic too much it will turn brown, which won't look pleasant in the white Alfredo sauce.)  Stir until heated through and gradually stir in the milk.  Cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.  Stir in cream cheese and cook until melted.  Add in Parmesan cheese until melted.  Add a dash of pepper and stir.  Serve over gluten free noodles.


Shrimp

This shrimp is crazy easy to make and it tastes so good because of the seasoning!  I buy it at Costco.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning
12 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined with tail removed

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan.  Add 1 tablespoon garlic seasoning.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.

Hamburger Gravy over Rice or Noodles

This is a quick meal that I like to make when I haven't really planned ahead.  I always have the ingredients, and it's simple to make.  I just throw some rice in my rice cooker, make the gravy and there you go - dinner is served!  My kids like it too!  You can also serve it over pasta.

1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons featherlight
2 cups water
3 beef boullion cubes

Brown hamburger and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle flour on top of cooked meat.  Stir and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Pour in water and stir.  Add beef bouillon cubes.  Stir every minute or two, until thickened.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  The Tinkyada brown rice macaroni noodles in this are great!  This recipe is one that you can easily change according to your likes.  If you like more liquid, add more water and bouillon.  If you like more carrots and celery, you can easily throw them in.  I cook everything in a big pot, to make things simple!  I add about 8 bouillon cubes, and then taste it.  I add more until I like the flavor.  This is a recipe I usually don't measure things out, I just add what I feel like!

3 1/2 quarts water

7 - 8 chicken tenders, or 2 - 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 celery ribs, sliced

7 carrots, sliced

1 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon pepper

10 chicken bouillon cubes

3 cups dried noodles

Place water, chicken, celery, carrots, onion, and pepper in a large saucepan.  Boil until chicken is cooked.  Pull out chicken using a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board.  Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces.  Place back into the water.  Add bouillon, dried noodles and pepper.  Cook until noodles are tender.  Serve.

Crockpot Italian Chicken with Mushroom Gravy

Before my diagnosis of Celiac disease, I used to make a recipe similar to this with canned cream of mushroom soup.  Thanks to my diet I discovered a much tastier recipe!  The fresh mushroom gravy is delicious.  I also like the green chili's in this recipe.  It adds so much flavor!  You can serve this over rice or noodles.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mushroom gravy – recipe below

1 cup milk

1 can chopped green chili's

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 package cream cheese, softened and cubed

Put chicken in crock pot.  Pour mushroom gravy on top.  Add green chili's, Italian salad dressing mix and milk.  Cook all day on low.  Stir in cream cheese and cover and cook until cheese is melted.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Mushroom Gravy

Saute:  8 ounces sliced mushrooms

             ½ of a medium onion

             3 – 4 T butter

Add:  1 – 2 T featherlight

           Pinch of xanthan gum

           2 – 3 cups milk

           1 – 2 cubs beef bouillon

When I make mushroom gravy I don't ever measure anything.  I just add enough milk to make it the thickness I want.  I also add the bouillon until it tastes right.  Anyway, just saute the mushrooms, onions and butter.  Add flour and xanthan gum and stir until heated through.  Stir in milk and bouillon and whisk.  Cook until thickened.

Cheesecake Factory Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

This is a quick recipe that tastes and looks like you've been slaving away in the kitchen for hours!  The heat from the Cajun seasoning adds a nice kick!

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup clam juice

1/2 of a green pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 of a red pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 of a yellow pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 of a medium red onion, cut into thin strips

1/2 lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled deveined, tails removed

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

16 oz gluten free linguini pasta

Place the butter into a saute pan.  Allow the butter to melt slightly.  Add the seasoning into the pan and stir together with the melted butter.  Add the chicken into the pan and saute the chicken until it's cooked through.  Add the clam juice, peppers and onions.  When the vegetables are almost done, add the shrimp.  Continue to cook until the shrimp is done.  Add the tomatoes.  Continue to cook until tomatoes are heated.  Serve over cooked pasta.

Note:  

  •  I often use cooked shrimp and add it at the end, cooking it only until the shrimp heated through. 

  •  Gluten free spaghetti noodles work well in this recipe too!

Rachelle's Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb hamburger
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 teas garlic powder
1 quart whole tomatoes
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 2 Tbsp oregano
1 - 2 Tbsp basil
1/2 teas garlic powder
1 teas vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 teas salt
1/8 teas pepper
2 T corn starch
2 T water

Brown hamburger, & onion.  Season with garlic powder and salt & pepper.  Drain and return to saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer 5 minutes.  In a separate bowl combine corn starch and water.  Gradually add it to the sauce to thicken.  Simmer another 5 minutes.  Serve over brown rice noodles and top with Parmesan cheese.

Note:  I make this recipe to taste.  I keep adding ingredients until it tastes "right."  This is my basic recipe, but tweak it until you like it!  I like it best with fresh garlic and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Pasta with Fajita Sauce

12 oz brown rice macaroni noodles

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 small onion, diced

6 -7 tomatoes, cubed

1 pkg McCormick Chicken Taco Seasoning Mix

2/3 cup water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

3 Tbsp Italian Dressing

Parmesan Cheese

Boil noodles until tender.  Meanwhile, saute chicken & onion in nonstick pan.  Add tomatoes, chicken taco seasoning, and water.  Simmer 5 - 6 minutes.  Add olive oil, garlic salt and Italian dressing.  Simmer 1 - 2 minutes.  Drain noodles and add to chicken tomato mixture.  Mix together.  Sprinkle with 3 or 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese.  Serve.