Common Cuisine |

Simple to assemble, this recipe doubles easily, and also freezes well.

• ½ pkg large shells (about 18)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Cook shells according to package directions; drain.

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill each shell with shredded cheese, about 1 Tbsp, and place seam side down in 9″x13″ baking dish.

When dish is full, pour spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6.

This is an excellent take-along for a potluck dinner.

• 2 pkg 12 oz frozen hash browns
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 C sharp grated cheddar
• 16 oz sour cream
• ¾ C chopped onion
• ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Thaw potatoes in large bowl. In separate container, combine remaining ingredients. Fold into thawed potatoes. Bake in 9″ x 13″dish for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Serves a crowd.

I love bleu cheese, but if its strong taste is not something you prefer, you can substitute something like feta. If I were going to use feta, I would add a little red onion and chopped black olives to give it a Greek flair.

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 cups cooked cut up chicken
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced peeled cucumber
• 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, mix mayo and sour cream. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Chill before serving.

Serves 6.

This is another family dish that brings back fond memories of large holiday gatherings when I was a child.

• 1-2 eggs
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken or onion, or cheddar cheese)
• ½ cup milk
• Large bag frozen chopped broccoli
• 2-4 cups bread cubes (or garlic croutons)
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (any kind you like)
• ½ small onion, diced

In small bowl, mix egg, soup, and enough milk to make the soup mixture thin enough to pour.

Gently fold together broccoli, bread, cheese, and onion, and place in large baking dish. Pour soup mixture over top. Bake 40 minutes until the top is browned.

Serves 6-8.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup salsa
• ½ C milk
• 6-8 fresh tortillas, cut into 1″ pieces, or ½ pkg tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. In skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to crumble meat. Pour off fat.

Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese. Spoon into 2 qt shallow baking dish. Cover.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Serves 4.

This recipe felt rather labor intensive, but everyone at the dinner table agreed, it was well worth the effort and should become a regular part of the lineup! One tip I can offer for cost is to look for non-perishable ingredients and stock up on them when they are on sale; I figure I could have saved about 40% had I shopped more carefully. We served it with salad and whole-clove-roasted-garlic artisan bread. Yum!

• 1 10-oz box frozen spinach
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 sm onion, peeled and halved
• 1 C chicken stock (broth)
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained and chopped
• A couple of handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 pound cheese tortellini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minutes. Whisk in the broth, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Taken from: Express Lane Meals: A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook. Rachael Ray. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2006.

This is one of my all-time favorite party foods. For some reason, though, I always forget to buy the chips. Make sure you don’t do the same!

• 1 can bean dip, refried beans, or pureed black beans
• 1 avocado, diced* (or mashed in a bowl with a fork)
• 1 cup sour cream, with 2 tsp taco seasoning mix (1/2 packet) stirred in
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 med chopped tomatoes
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 4 oz can sliced black olives
• 1 bag corn chips

In a shallow dish (a pie plate will work well), layer above ingredients (except chips) in the order given. For best effect use a clear glass dish. Serve with chips.

*To dice an avocado, cut it in half and remove the pit. Slice into the flesh, not through the skin, making a grid pattern. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.