Ratatouille

1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 small-medium eggplant, chopped (see notes)
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 to 1 green pepper, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
Tomato sauce or tomato soup (see notes)
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
Pinch thyme

1. Saute onion and garlic in enough oil to cook them until tender. Add chopped veggies until cooked, adding more oil if needed.
2. Add salt to taste. Add tomatoes and spices and enough tomato sauce or tomato soup to desired consistency.
3. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice or on its own like a soup.

Notes: Eggplant will brown quickly, so chop it right before you cook it. Also, eggplant absorbs a lot of oil, so be careful how much you use to cook the eggplant. You can use leftover spaghetti sauce in place of the tomato sauce, or whatever tomato-based sauce or soup you have around. The recipe doesn't call for it, but we like to add in some spicy sausage.

Thanks to Kimberly for this recipe.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (2)

3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. tapioca (or flour mixed w/ pineapple juice)
2-3 lbs chicken, chopped
1 small can pineapple, with juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Crockpot directions:
1. Layer carrots, onion, and bell pepper on bottom.
2. Sprinkle tapioca over top.
3. Add chicken.
4. Mix remaining ingredients and pour on top.
5. Slow cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high 5-6 hours (this seems a bit long to me...see notes)
6. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Oven directions:
1.Prepare as above, except place in casserole dish or 9x13 pan.
2. Bake for about 1 hr. at 350 degrees.

Notes: Tasty and easy to make. We did it in the oven, and the chicken was a little dried out after an hour, so I suggest less time or using frozen chicken. The crockpot directions also seem a little long. I would think the chicken would be overdone after that much time. The (2) in the recipe name is there because I have another sweet and sour recipe on the blog, here.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. ground beef
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans green beans
4-6 servings of mashed potatoes
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Paprika (optional)

1. Brown ground beef in large skillet or fry pan. Drain.
2. Add tomato soup, green beans, and enough water to reach desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a casserole dish or 9x13 baking pan.
3. Place dollops of mashed potatoes over top. You can also spread the mashed potatoes (this is how J's mom makes it).
4. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes in the last 5 minutes of baking.

Notes from B: This is also how J's mom makes it, and I can never get it right...the picture shows the cheese under the potatoes. I always made it without cheese and garnished with paprika on top. This is a recipe you can be creative with.

Pizza Pot Pie

1/2-1 lb. spicy ground sausage
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Oregano
Garlic powder
Onion powder
2 C. broccoli
1 1/2 C. diced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 lbs. pizza dough
Olive oil or cooking spray
Parmesan cheese

1. Brown ground sausage. Remove from heat.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, pepper, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Add broccoli and mozzarella cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. In 6 10-ounce ramekins, evenly divide tomato and meat mixture.
5. Roll out pizza dough and cut circles with a paring knife that are 1 inch wider than the ramekins. Place over ramekins and press down to seal, making sure to pull the dough over the edge of the ramekin.
6. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (I just used cooking spray) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut a small slit in the top of each pot pie with a paring knife.
7. Bake until the pizza crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Serves 6+.

Notes from B: These directions are a mixture of what I actually did and what I would change next time I make this recipe. It is based off of a recipe I saw on the Food Network a while ago. I used frozen broccoli, and it turned out kind of watery. I think I would use fresh broccoli next time. I also used tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes (since that is what I had) and I think that also contributed to the watery consistency. I think it would be much better with crushed tomatoes.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
1 can tuna
3 c. cooked egg noodles
1/2-1 c. frozen peas (can also use canned)
Bread crumbs (optional)

1. In a casserole dish, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, and sour cream. Add more milk or sour cream to reach desired consistency.
2. Add cheddar cheese. Flake tuna into the mixture.
3. Gently add in egg noodles and frozen peas and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Top with bread crumbs, if desired.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 20 minutes (depends on how hot your oven bakes).

Notes: This recipe uses approximate measurements. Feel free to change them according to your likes/dislikes (ie. if you like more/less peas, thicker consistency, etc.).