Chicken and Vegetable Alfredo

1 small onion
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 to 1 1/2 Shredded cooked Chicken
1 jar Alfredo sauce
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1lb Rigatoni Whole Wheat Pasta
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

• In a large pasta pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta
• Cut up onion, zucchini and squash into small bit size pieces
• Heat oil in a large skillet and sautee vegetables until soft.
• In a medium sauce pan, heat Alfredo sauce and add cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Stir until melted.
• Once veggies are soft, add chicken to the pan to warm
• When pasta is cooked, drain the water and return to pot.
• Add veggies and chicken to pasta
  
• Pour cheese sauce over the pasta.
• Mix together, add salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer to a 9x13 backing dish.
• Place in an 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until dish is heated through.

Words to the Wise

This dish was a good one with the kids. They ate it up, including the vegetables. For the shredded chicken in this dish, I use Rotisserie chicken. I like to buy Rotisserie chicken at the store after they are marked 40% off, usually after 8pm. I will buy two or more at a time, pull the meat off, place in bag (from 2 chickens I get four 1 to 2 cup serving) and freeze until I need them for easy, quick meals.
You don't have to add the cheese to the jarred sauce but I think that it gives the sauce a more home-made taste and more flavor and creaminess. It is my way of making a home-made sauce with out all the fuss.

Creamy Spinach and Sausage Pasta

1lb 'tube' pasta like Rigatoni or Penne
1lb bulk Italian Sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 package frozen creamed spinach
1 8oz package cream cheese, soften
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

• Preheat over to 350 degrees
  
• Cook pasta according to package directions
• Brown sausage and onion in large pan, drain
  
• Stir in tomatoes, spinach, cream cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella until all melted
  
• Mix cooked pasta into the spinach and sausage mixture
  
• Transfer to a large baking dish and cover
• Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted

Words to the Wise:
This is a very yummy dish. We really, really enjoyed it. I used whole wheat penne pasta for this dish. And I couldn't find creamed spinach at the store. So I used on package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and with all the water squeezed out and about 1/2 cup sour cream. It worked for me so feel free to use whatever.

Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients

Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

* 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
* 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
* 1 large egg, beaten to blend
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
* 2 cups marinara sauce
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.

Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.


Words to the Wise:
This recipes by Giada de Laurnetiis. I just love this recipe. It is a bit on the complicated side and not one really for a busy week night but it is just to make on the weekend like a Sunday afternoon perhaps. It is something a little different then your standard lasagna.

Rachael Rays' Fake-Baked Ziti

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
* 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)* If San Marzanos are not available, add a teaspoon sugar to your sauce, optional
* Coarse salt
* A handful fresh basil leaves, torn
* 1 pound ziti rigate, with ridges
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* Freshly ground black pepper
* A generous grating nutmeg
* 2 cups whole milk
* 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
* 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella
* Crusty bread, to pass at table

Directions

Put pasta water on to boil.

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, saute garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Chop whole tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes and salt and simmer 10 minutes, add basil and simmer over low heat 10 minutes more.

Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook 6 minutes, leaving pasta a little chewy.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook 1 minute, adding salt and pepper and nutmeg to flour. Add milk and bring sauce to a bubble. Reduce 5 minutes.

Drain pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish. Pour the tomato and basil sauce over the pasta and turn to coat the pasta. Pour the bechamel over the already coated pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with Asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella. Place the casserole under hot broiler and melt the 3 cheeses until brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately with Spinach and Artichoke Salad and bread.

Word to the Wise:
This recipe is really good and simple but sometimes to simplify things even more, I will use a store bought Spaghetti sauce instead of making one. I usaully skip all the fancy cheese like fresh mozzarella and asiago and just use shredded mozzarella. I have also been known to add meat to the sauce like ground turkey, Italian sausage or hamburger.

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 to 6 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
3 table spoons garlic salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
1lb thin pasta like angel hair or spaghetti
1/2 cup graded Parmesan cheese

• Heat oven to 300°F
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook, set aside
• Cook pasta according to package directions
• In large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, garlic salt, butter and wine or stock.
• Add pasta and mix together
• Pour into grease baking dish
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45 minutes

Words to the Wise:
This is a house favorite. This comes together in a matter of minutes and just bakes away until dinner time. This is also a perfect dish to make at one time and then cook at an other, just refrigerate until ready to cook.
I found this recipe in our local paper.

Ravioli Lasagna

1 jar Spaghetti sauce
1 family size package (20 oz) of Cheese or Meat Ravioli, thawed (if using frozen)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded red peppers
1 cup thinly sliced turkey sausage or meat of you choice or no meat if you choose.

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Coat baking dish with cooking spray, along with one side of foil used for topping dish later.
  
• Spread a few spoon fulls of sauce on bottom of pan
• Top with layer of ravioli, careful not to overlap
• Sprinkle with veggies, meat, cheese and spread more sauce on top
  
• Repeat layers (ravioli, veggies, meat, cheese, sauce) until all ingredients are gone, ending with cheese
• Cover with foil, greased side down, and cook for 1 hour, removing foil for last 5 minutes

Words to the Wise:
This is a very fun recipe to have kids help with. Hayden loves to help me with the layering. I first learned of this recipe at Mama's Losin' It. Check out the link for a full demonstration.

Carabonara Deep-Dish Pasta-Crusted Pan Pizza

Ingredients

* Salt
* 2 packages fresh linguini, 9 ounces each
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 pound pancetta, cut as thick as bacon, chopped (I just used bacon)
* 3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup cream (I use half and half or whole milk, what ever is in the house)
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (I used dried)
* 1 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese (Mozzarella here)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat water for pasta in large pot, salt it and add pasta for 3 minutes.

While water boils, heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain pasta, add to pan and toss. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and season with salt and pepper. Beat eggs with cream and pour over top of pasta. Let eggs begin to set up, about 1 minute, and pat pasta into even layer to make the pizza pie crust. Place in oven and cook 5 to 6 minutes.

Mix together the ricotta and parsley. Remove pie from oven and smooth the ricotta over the top. Scatter with the provolone or mozzarella and return to oven. Bake 8 minutes more until cheese is melted and golden at edges. Cut into wedges and serve.


Words to the Wise:
This is a recipe of Rachael Ray's. I just copies it from the Food Network site. I have made this a few time for the family. We love it! It is really good weekend food.

Baked Pasta Casserole

1lb pasta, penne or rotini
1lb ground meat, I usually use ground turkey
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 jar Spaghetti sauce
1 can condensed cheese soup
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Mozzarella Cheese

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Cook pasta according to package and again, if you have not noticed I use whole wheat pasta
• Cook meat with peppers and onions until meat is no longer pink
• Stir in sauce, soup and seasoning along with some pepper to taste
• Drain pasta, return to pan and then mix with sauce
• Put mixture in a greased baking dish (9 x 13 works best) and sprinkle cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Words to the Wise:
A super easy meal that can be made in advance. This also freezes very well. If going to freeze, just double the recipe. Yet another kid pleaser. My kids have not met a pasta dish that they don't like.
This recipe is from the Taste of Home magazine.

Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Eggplant
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Mushrooms
Onion
Red Pepper
Frozen Peas, thawed
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella Cheese

• Heat oven to 400°F
• Chop all vegetables into 1 inch pieces
  
• Place on a large baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. You want the veggies coated so that they won't stick but not dripping in oil.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
  
• Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and return to pot
  
• Pour sauce over pasta and stir in vegetables along with peas. I use about half of a bag (if you forget to thaw them, no big deal just toss them in).
• Mix everything together. Once combined but in a baking dish. (For my family I use 2 smaller baking dishes because this freezes so well and then I can get 2 meals out of it.)
• Sprinkle with cheeses and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through

Words to the Wise
My kids love this dish and it is a great way to get them to eat vegetables. The don't even know that they are eating veggies because they are covered in sauce and cheese.
Also you can really use any veggies that you want in this dish. If you don't like one on the list then skip it and use your favorites. There is not a right or wrong amount either. The more you use the bigger the dish and the more for freezing or left-overs.
And if you want to know, if is an original creation made by me.

Spaghetti Bake

1lb cook whole wheat Spaghetti, cooked
8 oz 2% Velveeta Cheese, cubed
2 cans tuna
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Parmesan Cheese

• Heat oven to 400°F
• Cook pasta according to package
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and let cool
• Add sauce, cheese and tuna to a zip lock bag, once cool add pasta
• Mix all ingredients together in bag
  
• Poor mixture into a grease baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes or cheese is melted and heated through.

Words to the Wise:
This is a very good recipe. The kids really liked it. But the whole putting everything in a bag and mixing it together is not such a good idea, especially of the pasta is not completely cool. I say just leave the pasta in the pot and mix all the indigents together. It is much cleaner that way.

Live and learn, right?

This recipe was based on a recipe that was featured in Kraft Food and Family.

Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake

1lb whole wheat penne
1 package frozen spinach, defrosted.
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 oz) dice tomatoes
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup Mozzarella
Grated Parmesan Cheese

• Heat oven to 375 °F.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Sprinkle chicken cubes with Italian seasoning and then brown in large skillet that has been coated with olive oil. Cook about 3 minutes
• Add sauce and tomatoes and bring to a boil
• Simmer another 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked
• Add cream cheese and spinach (makes sure that all the water is squeezed out of the spinach, easiest way is to ring it out in a clean kitchen towel).
• Drain pasta; return to pan and the combine with chicken and sauce mixture
• Stir in Mozzarella cheese
• Poor into grease baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 20 minute or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

Words to the Wise:
This was a real winner. It was so good and creamy. The kids ate it up, even the spinach. This recipe was found in Kraft Food and Family magazine