Tasty Tuesday - April 22, 2008

Today's "lazy"... er, Tasty Tuesday tips come from Cara, who is a woman after my own heart. She knows how to work those pre-packaged meals and make them her own. Spaghetti sauce in a jar? By the time I've added sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms and a few of my own Italian seasonings, you'd never know I didn't spend all day slaving at the stove.

(Oh, and I only use the word "lazy" up above, because that's the word Cara used when she gave me these ideas. In reality, this lady is anything BUT!)

Here are a few of Cara's tips for turning store-bought into tastes-like-homemade:

• Pasta Roni with ground turkey. (Cara writes: I usually season the turkey with garlic salt, then mix it into the Pasta Roni)
• My "Po' Mama" Chicken and Dumplings. (Says Cara: I heat up 2 cans of Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup, then make the dumplings from Bisquick and drop them in the soup)
• And then of course, Skyline chili from the can over spaghetti! Never fails.

For all of you non-Cinci folks who haven't experienced Skyline, it's a meaty chili seasoned with cinnamon and chocolate (yeah, you read that right). I didn't grow up here, so I can't really stomach it, but locals love the stuff. As Cara notes, you can buy it in the can and make a classic three-way by pouring the chili over spaghetti, then adding tons of shredded cheddar cheese. Not sure if Skyline chili contains any veggies, but you just might have all the food groups covered.