Wednesday Night Dinner

Wednesday night dinner has become something very special to me. Typically during Wednesday night programing at our church Sam, Danny, Kristin and I would walk down the street to Plaza Guadalajara for dinner every week before church. This year has formed into something a bit different and I am totally loving it. Every Wednesday around 3pm, I pick up my two nieces... we come to our house and play, color and blow bubbles. Around 5pm Sam, Kristin, Danny and Shawn all come around too. We all sit around the table and have dinner together. Its the best!! Family and friends are such a blessing and I truly enjoy our fellowship together! This week I made a yummy recipe... Olive Gardens Pasta Fajioli.... it was so simple, I had it the night before and then warmed it through right before we were ready to eat. This recipe makes 9 quarts of soup... so we cut it in half and still served 8-9 people. Enjoy!!

3 tsp. Oil 

2 lb. Ground beef

12 oz. Onion; chopped 

14 oz. Carrots; slivered 

14 oz. Celery; diced 

48 oz. Tomatoes; canned, diced 

2 C. cooked Red Kidney beans  * I just doubled the red kidney beans because thats what I had on hand*

2 C cooked White kidney beans 

88 oz. Beef stock 

3 tsp. Oregano 

2 1/2 tsp. Pepper 

5 tsp. Parsley; (fresh chopped) 

1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce * I used Tapitillo*

48 oz. Spaghetti sauce 

 8 oz. dry pasta Shell macaroni; or other pasta 

Sauté beef in oil in large 10-qt. pot until beef starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce, and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.