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30 Minutes or Less — I Promise!
by Patty Liston
 There is nothing my friends and I like better than to fix a good, healthy meal in a short amount of time. Let’s face it — WE ARE BUSY! And with summer coming, our lives are bound to get busier. Now, this is not a bad thing; it just means that we will need to plan ahead in order to come home and get ready to feed our family.
Here are 3 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less. Be sure to take inventory of your cupboards, then shop for any ingredients that you will need. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you have everything for a particular recipe, then finding out…in the middle of preparations... that you don’t. Something I do is put everything that I’ll need for a recipe, except perishables, out on my counter the night before. That way, when I return home from work, I don’t need to spend time collecting ingredients from various shelves. I just begin!
Meatballs and Mafalda Pasta
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
 NOTE: Mafalda Pasta is a flat wide ribbon pasta, somewhat similar to a narrow lasagna noodle, that is approximately ½ to ¾ inch in width and has rippled edges on both sides. This pasta is found both in short lengths of about 1 ¼ inches, and long lengths of 10 inches or more. It is also referred to as malfade pasta.
 1-1/2 cups dried mafalda pasta, short length (about 4 ounces)
1 14.5-ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
Dash ground black pepper
1/2 of a 16-ounce package (16) frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, soup mix, oregano, and pepper. Stir in meatballs. Bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in cooked pasta.
2. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 1-1/2-quart casserole. Bake, covered, about 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
 Download this recipe.
Beef Stew With Butternut Squash
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 to 12 hours (low) or 5 to 6 hours (high), plus 15 minutes (high)
 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound tiny new potatoes, quartered
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups)
2 small onions, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can beef broth
1 cup vegetable juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 9-ounce package frozen Italian-style green beans or 2 cups frozen peas
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add meat pieces, a few at time, shaking to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown meat in hot oil. Drain off fat.
2. In 3-1/2- to 4-1/2-quart slow cooker, combine meat, potatoes, squash, onions, and garlic. In a large bowl, combine broth, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sugar, paprika, pepper, and allspice. Pour over meat mixture.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
4. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in green beans or peas. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more. Makes 6 servings.
Download this recipe.
No-Bake Mac and Cheese
Serves 4
25 minutes
 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar, Parmesan and mustard until the cheese is melted.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.
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