Creamy Spaghetti Sauce

My two year old went crazy over this one! He said, "Yummy!" after almost every bite!  I find that traditional spaghetti noodles are hard for toddles to eat.  Try a noodle that is easier for them to pick up and put in their little mouths. Penne, Farfalle (bow ties), Fusilli (corkscrews), Route (wagon wheels) are all great for little ones. Especially if the 'wagon wheels' are race car wheels! 

• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 8oz block of cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 lb box of noodles (I used Penne) 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 1 lb of shrimp- I use a bag of frozen, peeled and deveined with tails off for convenience (you could use cubed chicken or ground beef or turkey as well)

Boil noodles according to package directions.  heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add meat to the skillet and cook through. (If you are using shrimp it only takes a few minutes per side.  Remove the shrimp from the skillet as soon as it is cooked to prevent over cooking. All other meats can stay in skillet while sauce is cooking.)
Add spaghetti sauce and cream cheese to skillet. Stir until cheese is melted and combined.  (Add the shrimp to sauce now)
Toss sauce with noodles and eat up!

Southwest Shrimp Tacos

This recipe was great!  We made a few changes (which I have noted) and they were fantastic! I especially love the Creamy Chipotle Sauce (recipe below).  It was great on grilled corn also.  I think next time we will toss the shredded cabbage in the sauce before assembling the tacos.  This is a new favorite in our house- even our 2 year old was gobbling up the shrimp! 

• 10  to 12 (10-inch) wooden skewers
• 2  pounds  unpeeled, large raw shrimp (21/25 count) (A bag of frozen raw shrimp works great too)
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2  tablespoons  hot sauce (I left the hot sauce out and it was perfect)
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ancho chile powder
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 16  to 20 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn or flour tortillas (we used white corn)
• 3  cups  shredded cabbage 
• 1  cup  grated carrots
• Lime wedges

Soak skewers in water 20 minutes (I used metal skewers).

Meanwhile, peel shrimp; devein, if desired. (I bought a bag of frozen, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp without tails)  Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat.

 Toss shrimp with hot sauce and next 4 ingredients. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill shrimp, covered with grill lid, 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Grill tortillas 1 minute on each side or until warmed.

Combine cabbage and carrots (I used a bag of shredded coleslaw mix). Remove shrimp from skewers just before serving. Serve shrimp in warm tortillas with cabbage mixture and lime wedges. Top with Creamy Chipotle Sauce and shredded mexican cheese. 

Grilled Corn with Creamy Chipotle Sauce  (Good on anything!)

• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  cottage cheese
• 1/4  cup  loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 1/4  cup  plain yogurt
• 1  to 2 tsp. adobo sauce from can

Place garlic, pepper, and salt in a food processor; process until minced. Add cottage cheese and next 3 ingredients; process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Stir in adobo sauce. Cover and chill until ready to serve (up to 24 hours).  Serve with tacos and over grilled corn on the cob.
Spray cold grill, preheat to 350-400 or over med-high.  Grill fresh corn on the cob, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until tender.

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine- August 2010