Cheesy Chicken and Bacon Ranch Pasta

8 slices Bacon, cooked and chopped up

• 2 lbs Chicken (I used canned chicken) 

1 tbsp Garlic (I used fresh and minced it)

• 1 cup Ranch dressing

1 box Rotini noodles1 packet Ranch dressing mix, dry2 cups Monterey jack cheese (I used Colby/Jack shredded mix)

Instead of the cup of ranch and the dry packet. I used 1 cup of Mayo 1/2 cup of milk and mixed it with a Western Family Dry ranch packet.  

• Heat a pan to medium heat on the stove. Drizzle oil on you pan.You can use which ever type of cooking oil you prefer, I used coconut oil.
• Dice your chicken into bite sized pieces, then sauté them in a pan on the stove until cooked.
• About mid way of cooking the chicken add in the garlic.
• While cooking the chicken boil the noodles. When they are done drain them and set aside.
• While cooking noodles and chicken also cook your bacon, you can do it in the microwave or you can do it on the stove just make sure it is cooked crispy! I prefer cooking it on the stove.
• Once chicken is done add chicken to pasta, then add the bacon.
• Then add the ranch dressing and the dry ranch mix. stir well to make sure everything is good and coated.
• Get out a big baking dish and spray with non stick spray, pour mixture into your pan top with cheese.
• bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (until the cheese is melted)

Adapted from a recipe on Midgetmomma.com

Pasta and Spinach Salad

4-5 chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 can black olives (I left those out)
1/2 cup Craisins
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 package baby spinach

Toss together and add this dressing:

1 cup oil
1 1/2 Tbs. red onion
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 Tbs. poppy seeds

Blend in blender for 2 minutes.

Refrigerate salad and dressing separately until ready to serve. Add dressing right before serving. After adding dressing (you might not need all of it) sprinkle sugared pecans or walnuts on the top. You can make them yourself or just buy some honey-roasted pecans or walnuts in the baking aisle.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

From: Wendy's friend ChyAyn (from Laura)

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
1 Tbsp. pepper*
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled ( I used the packaged real bacon bit pieces 1 bag is equal to 1 lb of bacon)1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese1
(12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you're apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.
[ directions ]
Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Pasta Red Sauce

Recipe By: Faith & Hailey Connors

Ingredients
Onion, Diced
2 cups Water
2 T Olive Oil
Crushed Tomtoes (1 Can)
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper

Cooked and drained Penne Pasta

Directions
Put Oil in saucepan and heat, add onion. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add Can of crushed tomatoes, pinch of red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
Add 2 cups water and simmer.

Fettucine Alfredo

Recipe By: Faith & Hailey Connors

Ingredients
1 Cube Butter
Cooked fettucine noodles
1 Cup Cream
1 Cup Grated Parmessan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
Melt butter in sauce pan. Add Drained Pasta noodles, cream and cheese.
Stir gently over low heat until cheese melts.
Add Salt and pepper, serve immediately!

Seafood Pasta Salad

Recipe By: Wendy Connors

Ingredients
1 Cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
Salt
Green onion, sliced, cut
Pepper
2-3 Stalks Celery
Pinch of Sugar
1/3 Cup Imitation Crab Meat (or use cocktail shrimp instead)
Noodles (I use penne pasta)

Directions
Boil noodles, when cool add veggies and just enough mayo to coat (You don't want too much mayo) mix in crab meat. Add salt, pepper and sugar mix well and serve Very COLD.
* If dry when using as left over, add a spoonful of Mayo to desired coating.

Italian Pasta Salad

Recipe By: Jenn Barnes

Ingredients
1 pkg Spiral colored Noodles
1/2 Bunch of Green onions chopped
Italian Salad dressing
1 Large Cucumber diced
1 Cup Cheese Cubed
Celery if desired
1 Cup Ham Cubed
1/2 Cup Diced Tomatoes

Directions
Cook noodles according to package, cool with cold water, pour salad dressing over noodles just until coated, add remaining ingredients, You don't want to over do the dressing…
Add Dressing as need so that it isn't dry and has enough flavor. If kept overnight, more dressing will need to be added before serving.

Wendy's Version of this salad has pepperoni slices, mozzarella shredded cheese instead of ham, and sliced olives.

Baked Ziti

Recipe By: Wendy Connors

Ingredients
1 pound ziti pasta
1 1/2 Cup Sour cream
1 onion, finely chopped
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
2 T Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 jars Prego Spaghetti sauce
1-2 Cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions
Boil Ziti noodles according to directions on package. In large skillet brown ground beef and onion over low heat. Cook until done. Add Sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter a casserole dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture. Remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mix.
Top with Parmesan Cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.