Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I think I found a secret ingredient here... Philadelphia Cooking Creme. It really made this dish. This recipe made LOTS & I loved every bit of the leftovers!

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

Ingredients

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup finely chopped white onion

1 clove minced garlic

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme - Italian Cheese & Herb

1 lb. bowtie pasta

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

2. Place oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion & cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in spinach leaves, cook, stirring until wilted about 2 minutes. Add chicken salt, pepper and cook until heated through, about three minutes. Add cooking creme, stirring to combine.

3, Cook pasta according to package directions, drain & run under cold water to stop cooking. Add pasta to chicken mixture stirring to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted. Makes 8 servings.

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake

So this wasn't my favorite dish of all.. but, for an easy weeknight... I'd make it again. Easy, healthy and usually have most ingredients on hand. It also made a reasonable portion for a family dinner. I do think it is missing just a little something ~~ salt? garlic? a fresh herb maybe? Anyone have any thoughts if you make it?? I forgot to take a picture. I think the snow has me all thrown off.

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake
Source: Kraft Food & Family Magazine

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups multigrain rotini pasta, uncooked

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.

DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.

BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.

WW points on points plus ~ 10.

Chicken Pepper Penne

This is a simple, quick weeknight meal..... especially when peppers are in season. My mom used to make this all the time for us ~ I am not sure where she dug it up. I had forgotten about it. Why did I forget to make this all summer?!? I'll put this recipe back into our rotation for sure.



Chicken Pepper Penne

Cook pasta

Cut chicken in slices ~ 4 breasts
Put in skillet sprayed with Pam.
Cook through

Add:
1 TBSP garlic, thyme, rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth (can use a whole can)

Cut a green pepper and a red pepper into slices
Add to skillet

16oz. tomato sauce

Simmer for a couple minutes

Blend with pasta

Sprinkle with parsley & parm cheese.

Simple Sesame Noodles

Thanks to my friend Jennifer for sharing this recipe! A nice easy side side or can be made into the main meal by eating some extra veggies and/or chicken/shrimp. We had it with some grilled pork chops and green beans. This was super easy to make!

Simple Sesame Noodles

Ingredients
12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained ( I used Udon noodles - I'd probably just use multi grain spaghetti next time)
¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Directions
Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Inside Out Ravioli

Ahhh ~ this recipe reminds me of my college days! Our group used to go to Lake Conesus in New York ~ we'd stay at the beautiful cottage of the Riches. We'd water ski, lay out and laugh and laugh. And our course, eat! That's where I was introduced to this recipe. Mrs. Rich used to put this together for us. It was great ~ easy to put together, can do ahead and freeze and goes great with a salad. I have made this one of my go to dishes when making a meal for someone that they can freeze and make when they need a meal. It never fails me.

Inside Out Ravioli

Source: The Rich Family

Ingredients

9 X 13 pan or large casserole dish

1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach

4 cups small seashell pasta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup oil (less!!)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 well beaten egg

Spaghetti Sauce ~ 28 - 32 oz.

Directions

Cook spinach and shells. Drain well. Make sure to squeeze the extra water out of the spinach. I put it in a dishtowel and 'wring'. Mix together spinach and shells.

In a separate bowl, mix together cheese, bread crumbs, egg and oil.

Mix spinach and shells with this mixture.

Mix in sauce, reserve a bit to top.

Spread in an greased/oiled baking dish.

Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Again, can be made ahead and frozen. Just bake as directed.

The Pioneer Woman's "The Best Lasagna. Ever."

If you haven't checked out the Pioneer Woman's Food Blog - You must!!  Amazing stuff!!  That is where this recipe came from.  We really enjoyed it.  It threw me as I made it because it was different.  I would make it again.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. hot breakfast sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 oz. cans whole tomatoes

2 4 oz. cans tomato paste

2 TBSP dried parsley

2 TBSP dried basil

1 tsp. salt

3 cups lowfat cottage cheese (yes, cottage cheese - try it!)

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese - yes, like the Kraft stuff!

2 TBSP dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. sliced mozzarella cheese

10 oz. package lasagna noodles

Bring large pot of water to boil.  

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic.  Cook over medium high heat until browned.  Drain half the fat.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 TBSP parsley, basil and 1 tsp. salt.  Mix together thoroughly.  Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more TSBP. parsley and 1 more tsp. salt.  Stir together well.  Set aside.  Cook lasagna noodles until al dente.

Arrange 4 noodles in the bottom of the baking pan overlapping if necessary.  Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles.  Spread evenly.  Cover the cottage cheese with a single layer of mozzarella slices.  Spoon a little less than half the meat mixture over the cheese.  Repeat, ending with the meat mixture.  Sprinkle generously with extra Parmesan.

350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.  or until top is hot and bubbly.

You can freeze or refrigerate for up to 2 day before baking or bake immediately.

Crock Pot Monterey Spaghetti

I have no idea where I dug up this recipe. I made it once for some friends and it got requested again. That's a good sign. It'd make a good dinner with a salad or a good side dish.
Crock Pot Monterey Spaghetti

Ingredients

4 oz. spaghetti, broken into pieces (I cooked about 1/4 box a whole wheat spaghetti)

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. crushed garlic

3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained (I ran warm water over the spinach. After thawed rolled it into a tea towel wringing out the water)

1/2 (6oz.) can french fried onions

Directions

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, grated Parmesan cheese and minced garlic. After beating the egg in a small bowl, transfer to the large bowl and blend together. Transfer to a greased crock pot.

Mix cooked & drained spaghetti, 2 cups grated monterey jack cheese, thawed spinach and half of the french fried onions and add to the crock pot. Stir contents of the crock pot until just blended. (I did all of this the night before.)

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. (I was going to be gone for 10 hours so I set my crock pot to low.)

In last 30 minutes of cooking, turn to high if cooking on low. Add remaining grated monterey jack cheese and french fried onions to the top of the casserole. Serve when the cheese is melted.

Three-Cheese Macaroni

Homemade macaroni and cheese - a winter staple. Who needs that little blue box?? This recipe got thumbs up from kids and adults alike. Another winner from Amber's Delectable Delights!

Three-Cheese Macaroni
Ingredients
8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs - optional
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Cook macaroni using package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in dry mustard. Add milk gradually, stirring continually.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup each cheddar, mozzarella and swiss. Mix cheese sauce and macaroni in a large bowl. Spoon into a 9x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar, mozzarella and swiss.
6. If desired, melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cheese.7. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

We were looking for a good meal for Christmas Eve dinner. In thumbing through a couple cookbooks, I found this recipe in Giada De Laurentiis Every day Pasta. I am glad I did. It was really good. Ben gave 2 thumbs up. A keeper. Served with a nice salad and toasted baguette slices.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
Serves 4-6

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages ( I couldn't find turkey so I used chicken sausage)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound rigatoni pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.