Ham and Cheese Tortellini

I love one pot meals. It is nice to not have so many dishes to clean up at the end of the meal when I am chief cook and bottle washer around my house. I especially love when I find meals that are as delicious as they are simple! The kids and I loved this meal and we will definitely be having it again!

Ham and Cheese Toretllini
(recipe found at kevinandamanda.com via pinterest)

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, diced
12 ounces ham, diced
1 cup chicken broth
9 ounces tortellini (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby sweet peas, frozen
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheese

Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and golden brown. Add the ham and continue to cook until lightly browned.
Add the chicken broth, tortellini, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes until the tortellini is tender. Stir in the peas and cream. Off heat, then stir in 1/2 cup cheese until well combined. Top with remaining cheese, then place under the broiler in the oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Chicken Club Pie

Betty Crocker is definitely the place to go if you want a quick and easy meal idea. This recipe was fast to make and yummy to eat. Seriously? Anything with bacon and chicken is a go for me! :) Loved this for a weeknight meal!

Chicken Club Pie
(recipe found at bettycrocker.com)

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/4 cup diced cooked ham
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup bisquick
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup light Caesar dressing
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Heat oven to 400. Spray 9" glass pie plate with cooking spray. In pie plate, layer chicken, ham, bacon and cheese. In medium bowl, stir bisquick mix, milk, eggs and 1/4 cup of the dressing with whisk or fork until blended. Pour over ingredients in pie plate. Bake 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, toss lettuce and tomatoes with remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Cut pie into wedges; top each wedge with lettuce mixture.

Breakfast Enchiladas

This was a breakfast recipe that I made when my father in law was in town and we loved it! I threw it together the night before, popped it in the fridge and then threw it in the oven the next morning when everyone was starting to get up. You can mix and match ingredients as much as you want and even take out the ham completely if you don't want any meat involved! I added mushrooms to ours and beefed up the other veggies a bit and made it a double batch. Super good!

Breakfast Enchiladas
(recipe found on pinterest via www.inspiredtaste.net)

2 cups diced cooked ham
1 bell pepper, diced
8 green onions, finely sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
10 eight" flour tortillas
6 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together ham, bell pepper, green onions and 1 cup of the cheese. Place 1/3 cup of the ham mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Stir together eggs, half and half, flour and salt and then pour over enchiladas. Heat oven to 350. If made ahead of time, uncover baking dish. Scatter the remaining cup of cheese over enchiladas. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, and then bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until set and cheese melted.

Ham Puffs

This was another fun appetizer that I made up for the bunco group. I had my wonton wrappers left over from my mini tacos on New Year's Eve, so I wanted to use them up on this recipe. I made half with onions and half without, but it didn't seem to matter since they were gone in a heartbeat also! Good thing, since I didn't want to have all this yummy food sitting around for me to finish up later! :)

Ham Puffs
(recipe found on justapinch.com)

1/3 cup chopped ham
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tube of crescent rolls or wonton wrappers

Roll out crescent rolls and press triangles together. Cut into 24 pieces. (Or skip this step and press wonton wrappers into the mini muffin pan.) Using a mini muffin pan, press dough into pan. Mix all ingredients together. Fill crescent rolls in muffin pan with mixture. Bake at 350 until brown (about 10-15) minutes. Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Ham in Cider Gravy

This was a super yummy and easy way to cook up the ham that I had in my freezer. The gravy was good, but a bit tart for my liking... I did not need to use all the cider from the crock pot to make the gravy. I would definitely do that ham again, but make a different gravy for the potatoes we would have on the side!

Slow Cooked Ham in Cider Gravy
(recipe found on pinterest via www.savvyeat.com)

1 1-4 pound ham
2 cups apple cider, unsweetened
3/4 cups maple syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Place the ham in a crockpot and cover with the cider and syrup. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Transfer the ham to a plate. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the cider on the stove-top over low heat until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-low. Whisking continuously, add the cider a little bit at a time, until it is all in the gravy. Keep whisking as the gravy bubbles until it is thickened. Serve with the ham.

Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas

Once again I found myself cooking up breakfast on the weekend! I love to be able to do that, but I also love being able to sleep in. This means sacrificing one or the other... Well, this weekend I got to fit both into my schedule and the kids weren't even moaning and groaning about how hungry they were!! BONUS... These tasted fabulous and I would show you a picture, but it turned out horribly and I don't want to turn you off from how good these were! I guess that you will just have to make them yourself to find out how good they were! :)

Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

1/4 pound cubed cooked ham
1 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
6 eggs
4 egg whites
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons fat free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Divide ham between eight greased muffin cups and top with cheese. Beat eggs and egg whites until combined and add chives, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over cheese. Bake at 375 for 22-25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Carefully run a knife around edges to loosen; remove from pan.

Serves: 8
Points: 2 per frittata

Deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu

Wow, this was a fabulous meal!! The whole family enjoyed this meal... My only complaint was that it was a little hard to cut up because of the ham slices, but I think that next time I will use chunks of ham instead or cut up the ham and sprinkle it over top. This would make it WAY easier for me when I am cutting up 4 plates!!



Deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu
(recipe found at Nourishing Hearts)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
8 slices swiss cheese
6 ham slices
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
2-3 cups pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
1/3-1/2 cup melted butter

Place chicken on bottom of baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Top with ham and swiss cheese. Mix soup with milk and pour over layers. In a separate bowl, mix melted butter with stuffing crumbs and spread over casserole. Cover with aluminum foil. Freeze.

To prepare: allow to thaw completely. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 or until hot and bubbly all the way through. I left foil on for most of the baking time.

Cheddar Chowder

I LOVE a good soup and when I find one that is quick, easy and delicious I love it even more. This recipe is a definite keep because not only is in all these things - it also includes ingredients that I usually have on hand - YAY!!

Cheddar Chowder
(recipe found in A.C.C.C.)

2 cups water
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup ham, diced

Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Boil first 7 ingredients together until vegetables are tender. Do not drain. Add ham. Cheese Sauce: melt butter in saucepan, add flour and milk. Add cheese and melt. Add cheese sauce to undrained vegetables and ham. Serve.

Easy Linguine Casserole

I loved that this was an easy meal to throw together early and have in the oven in time to run out the door... Such is our life right now! :) Anything that can be prepped ahead of time is high on my list of meals and one that is super tasty makes it even better! My only problem with this recipe was that one cup was not quite enough for me - I wanted more it was so good!



Easy Linguine Casserole
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

8 ounces uncooked multigrain linguine, broken in half
2 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham
1 3/4 cups shredded swiss cheese, divided
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ham, 1 1/2 cups cheese, soup, sour cream, onion and green pepper. Drain pasta; add to ham mixture and stir to coat.

Transfer to a 13x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Serves: 8
Points: 6 per 1 cup

Spiral Stomboli

Okay, I will start with being honest.... This tasted awesome, but I had a hard time putting it together!! Hopefully you are more coordinated with dough then I am! :) I had it all over the place, holes in the dough and stretched way too thin... It was a crazy mess, but it tasted great so I will try my luck again on another day! :)



Spiral Stromboli
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated crusty french loaf
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced hard salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained (I left these out)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Unroll dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 14x12" rectangle; sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheeses to within 1/2" of edges. Layer with hard salami, deli ham and pimientos. Roll up tightly, jelly roll style, starting from short side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut with serrated knife. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.

Ham and Pickle Wraps

These are another one of those family favorites that end up at a lot of our get togethers... They are easy to throw together and are gone before you know it. I made them up in advance for my husband's surprise party that I just threw and they tasted great!!



Ham and Pickle Wraps

1 package ham lunch meat
1 (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 large jar pickles

Spread cream cheese on one slice of ham. Add pickle and roll. Cut into slices. Repeat until you have as many as you want!

Scrambled Eggs and Cheese Pizza

I'm working on eating healthier with my family and shedding the rest of that baby weight, so I am busting out my weight watchers recipes... Now, if it doesn't taste good, I just can't keep up eating right, so you know I won't be posting something that tastes like cardboard! I used my own crust for this pizza and you can find the recipe for it here. I also doubled the toppings because my pizza stone is bigger then the 13" that they call for in the recipe. It was super tasty and hit the spot with my family! I served it with a side of fruit for a light and healthy meal.



Scrambled Eggs and Cheese Pizza
(recipe found at www.weightwatchers.com)

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
16 ounces frozen pizza crust dough, thawed
1 serving cooking spray
1 1/2 cup fat free egg substitute
1/2 cup fat free skim milk
1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces ham, lean only, diced

Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle flour on a clean, flat surface and roll out pizza dough into a 13" circle; lay dough on a baking sheet or stone. Build up edges of dough to make a crust and then prick dough generously with tines of a fork; bake until light brown, about 15 minutes.

While crust is baking, coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Beat egg substitute and milk together in a large bowl; pour into skillet and scramble. Place scrambled eggs on pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese and ham; bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Points Value: 5 per slice (if you don't double the toppings!)

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

What do you do when your hubby doesn't feel so hot and hasn't eaten for over 24 hours? Make him a yummy soup to help him feel better! This was super yummy, very cheesy and meaty enough to satisfy the hubby!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
(recipe found at www.cucinfamiglia.com)

1/2 cup butter
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup flour
1 can chicken broth
4 cups milk
10 potatoes
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups ham, diced
salt and pepper to taste
green onions for garnish

Peel, cube and boil potatoes until soft. Then in a large sauce pan, saute onion in butter. Then add flour and make a roux. Whisk in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil. Continue stirring until sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and add cheese, potatoes and ham. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

Ham and Asparagus Casserole

Asparagus is a vegetable that my kids all like and we don't eat a lot of. So, when I saw this recipe I knew that we had to try it... The kids loved it for supper that night and leftovers a couple days later! Beau kept asking what the asparagus pieces were, but he at them right up! :) Warning... This recipe used most of the pans in my kitchen!!

Ham and Asparagus Casserole
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)
Serves: 4 (the 5 of us ate this twice, so I would beg to differ with the serving size)

3 3/4 cups uncooked yolk free whole wheat noodles
2 1/2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1 inch pieces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon reduced fat butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup fat free milk
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup french fried onions
2 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add asparagus. Cover and cook for 2-5 minutes or until crisp tender; drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onion in butter until tender. Combine the flour, thyme and pepper; gradually whisk in milk and broth until smooth. Add milk mixture to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice. Drain noodles; add the ham, parsley, sauce and asparagus. Transfer to a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with fried onions and cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Slow Cooker Ham and Wild Rice Soup

Like I have said before, I love a good crockpot recipe when we are running out the door around the time that we normally have supper. Tonight we had to be somewhere by 6:00, which is when we normally eat and I have daycare kids until 5:00. While I can usually throw something together while the kids are here, it is way easier to just have something in the crockpot that I can dish up as soon as they last kids walk out the door... So, here's another recipe that can help you do just that!

Slow Cooker Ham and Wild Rice Soup
(recipe found at www.pillsbury.com)

2 cups diced cooked ham
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half

Mix all ingredients except half and half in 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours. Stir in half and half. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes or until hot.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

This was a quick meal that I made on a weeknight. The boys loved it and Bella devoured the ham pieces before her pizza cooled down enough to eat!! Pizza as usual was a huge hit at our house...

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup alfredo sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed
10 breaded chicken nuggets, thawed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Unroll dough into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Spread with alfredo sauce; sprinkle with garlic salt and swiss cheese. Top with ham, chicken nuggets and mozzarella. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Ranch Medley Casserole

Thought that I would try something different then beef or chicken for once! This turned out deliciously!! Josh's first comment was "mmmm.... ham!"

Ranch Medley Casserole
(found in Casseroles and Slow Cookers)
Serves 6

1 (1 pound bag) frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
2 cups diced cooked ham
2 cups refrigerated diced potatoes with onions
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
24 round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix frozen vegatables, ham, potatoes, Alfredo sauce and ranch dressing. Spread evenly in ungreased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. In small bowl, mix crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.