Italian Nachos

I got this recipe from Mom, and I've heard that Alice's family loves them and Hannah's doesn't. We fell into the "love" category.

Italian Nachos

Pasta Chips
12 wonton wrappers (we got egg roll wrappers and just cut them)
1 egg white, frothed
1/2 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning mix

Nachos
1/2 lb Italian sausage, cooked an crumbled
1 (10 oz) container refrigerated four cheese pasta sauce or Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 (2 1/4 oz) can sliced ripe olives
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped (more to taste) or banana peppers, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Cut wontons into 4 triangles each and toss lightly in olive oil.

Cover a cookie sheet with a single layer of wontons. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, heat the sauce, brown the italian sausage and drain fat.

On a platter layer the pasta chips, sausage and sauce. Top with the tomato, onions, olives and peppers. Finish with shredded cheese and red pepper glakes.

Place in warm oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese and serve.


*We didn't have jalapenos or red pepper flakes, and we don't like olives so didn't use any of these. We also thought it would be good with chicken.

Mom Mobley's Tortellini Soup

During the family reunion in July Mom Mobley made this WONDERFUL soup! I'm so excited to add this to my recipe collection!

Tortellini Soup

1 ½ pounds hot Italian sausage

1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 large onions, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

4 cups sliced zucchini

1 cup lentils

4 cups tortellini

1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 29-ounce can tomato sauce

8 chicken bullion cubes

3 quarts water

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (combination basil, oregano, sage, etc.)

Brown the sausage and cook through. Drain well. In soup kettle cook garlic, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil and bullion. Add lentils, and cook for about ½ hour or until lentils are nearly soft. Add salt, pepper, seasoning, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for a couple of hours. Add vegetables and cook for 15 minutes. Add tortellini and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve to the troops.

Fast Pork Fajitas

3 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs ground cumin
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
pork tenderloin, about 2 pounds, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
10 to 12 flour tortillas, warmed

In a shallow bowl combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Coat pork pieces with fajita seasoning.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry pork pieces with onion and green pepper and 2 Tbs olive oil until pork is cooked and vegetables are just tender.

Wrap portions in flour tortillas with any of the following: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cheese.

I made this for dinner last night and we all really liked it. Even Ellen who has been pretty picky lately. It was a large amount, but it was just right for dinner for our family plus some leftovers for James' lunch. There was plenty of extra seasoning mixture left over so I think next time I'll just use half of it and save the rest for next time. I served it with rice, which we like to put in the fajita instead of eating on the side.

Stuffed Pork Chops

Hannah gave me this recipe a while ago and we love it. She said Philip (her Philip) didn't care for it, but my kids will even eat it and Samuel always asks to take it for lunch the next day.

I usually at least double the dressing, but that is the part I really like.


Stuffed Pork Chops

4 pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c. water

DRESSING:
3 c. soft bread crumbs
1/4 c. melted butter
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 c. water

Trim fat and bone from pork chops. Brown and place in baking dish. Mix dressing lightly. Put in mounds on top of browned pork chops. Mix water and soup together and pour over top of dressing mounds and chops. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Ham Quiche

1 pie crust, baked according to directions
4 ounces ham, cooked and diced
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cover bottom of crust with ham. Beat eggs, cream and seasoning. Pour into pie crust until 3/4 full. Randomly cover top with little butter pieces (1/2 inch cubes) and sprinkle with pepper. Cover edges of crust with foil and bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until golden brown. (Quiche should not move when you shake it).

Oven-Fried Pork Chops

This is from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and we love it

4 pork chops
2 T margarine or butter melted
1 beaten egg
2 T milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c herb-seasoned stuffing mix crushed or italian style bread crumbs

Pour margarine or butter into a 9x13 baking pan. Combine egg, milk, and pepper. Dip chops into egg mixture. Coat with crumbs and place in pan. Bake at 425 for 10 min. then turn chops over. Bake about 10 min more or till meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.