Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

Another America's Test Kitchen recipe. I make this to go with the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets and they went together fabulously. Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves 4

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional. I used half the amount)
Table Salt
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
1/4 C. minced fresh parsley leaves (optional. I actually sprinkled dry parsley on at the very end)
Ground Black Pepper

1. While preparing/cooking noodles according to directions on box, heat oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.
2. When draining pasta, reserve 1/4 C. cooking liquid, drain pasta and return to pot. Add garlic mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, and optional parsley; toss well to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mozzarella

This fit the bill for dinner tonight - I could make it ahead and stick it in the fridge, pop it in the oven when we were ready and it turned out delicious.

I have a love/hate relationship with sun-dried tomatoes. Sometimes they are yummy. Other times they really turn me off. I added them this time, but this would still be really good without them.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mozzarella

{serves 4}

Topping:

3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces penne pasta

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half worked fine for me)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

3 ounces mozzarella, grated

4 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in some salt and the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the cheese and the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

{Modified from Mel's Kitchen Cafe}

Classic Italian Lasagna

In a way I see it kind of pointless to copy a recipe from another recipe blog just to put on my own recipe blog. What do you girls think? Well, The only reason I'm going to do it here is because next time I'm going to do a few things differently (and there WILL be a next time) I make this. It was fabulous and I thank Mel from mykitchencafe for posting this recipe from wherever she got it from. Here it is...make it. I don't even really love Lasagna but this was fabulous! I made two 8x8 pans and froze one and we had one for dinner two nights in a row...can't wait for the frozen one!

Classic Italian Lasagna

Red Sauce:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped (omitted these, thanks but no thanks)
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

White Sauce:
3 cups milk (not skim)
5 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

9 lasagna noodles, boiled for half the time on the box. - I used the no-boil noodles (Barilla Brand) obviously don't boil these...skip the boiling step.
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (I would use a little less cheese next time, there was plenty of cheese)
8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the turkey. When cooked through, drain. (I like to put it in a strainer and run hot water over it to get as much grease off as possible) Set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. When oil/butter is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly. When garlic is lightly browned, but NOT burned, add the onion and mushrooms. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and browned and the fluid has mostly cooked out. Remove from heat and blend vegetables into a paste-like mixture - because I did not use mushrooms in this recipe, I opted to NOT blend my onions. Return the pot to the heat (pour the pureed vegetables back in pot) and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey. - NEXT time I make this I think I'll 1.5 this red sauce and meat part of the recipe. I could have used just a little more of this when I made (and ate) my lasagna.

While the red sauce simmers, boil your noodles if you need to. Once cooked (for half the amount of time on box) drain but do not rinse. Add a dab of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. If you are using no-boil noodles, you can skip this step.

Also, while the red sauce is cooking, melt the four Tbs. butter and when melted, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine and letting the mixture cook, while stirring, for a minute or two. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk he shite sauce, ensuring it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan, while cooking it over medium heat. Continue slowing stirring or whisking while the white sauce cooks and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of mozzarella for good luck, if you wish! (Oh yes I wish!)

To begin layering the lasagna, keep in mind that you'll have three layers of noodles as well as three layers of the sauces and cheese - so plan on splitting all the sauces and cheese into thirds so you don't run out at the end! On the bottom of your lightly greased baking pan, layer three pre-boiled noodles or four no boil noodles, slightly overlapping the no-boil noodles. Layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges and top with another layer of noodles. Again, layer the red sauce, white sauce Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and top with the final layer of noodles. Layer the sauces and cheeses again.

Cover the lasagna with a greased layer of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Removes the foil and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!!

Tomato Sauce with Butter

This is another family recipe, created by one of my uncles. It is amazing and really not hard to make! The veggies are delicious.

A bonus? This freezes and reheats well.

Tomato Sauce with Butter

2 lb ripe plum tomatoes (or 2 cups canned work as well)

1/4 lb butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 med. onion, peeled and quartered

1 med. carrot peeled and quartered

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

If using fresh tomatoes, wash and cut in half and cook over low heat in a covered pan for 15 minutes. Put through a food mill to have a fine puree. If using canned tomatoes, measure 2 cups into a food mill along with about 1/2 cup of the juice and process for a fine puree (or press through a sieve to puree and remove seeds).

In a medium saucepan, put butter, onion, carrot, sugar and salt. Add tomato puree. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes uncovered. Stir frequently and make sure it doesn't turn to a boil. Add more salt if needed and serve over pasta.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Another great, easy, yummy recipe from allrecipes.com. We've made this a couple times and I love it because I usually have all the ingredients on hand and it is fast to whip it up for a delicious dinner.

• 1/2 cup butter


• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese


• 2 teaspoons garlic powder


• 2 cups milk (or to the consistency you like - I usually add about 1 1/2 cups)


• 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese


• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Bake

I don't know about you, but dinner time at my house is C-H-A-O-S. Think baby screaming, toddler who is hungry and irritable, house that is a mess, and me...wondering what we are going to have for dinner.

To maintain my sanity I have been experimenting lately with freezer meals, using 1/2 for dinner and freezing 1/2 for later. So far I have found some REALLY great recipes to share and I have a stocked freezer (yippee!).

Here is one that we liked, with a few changes by moi:

Chicken & Vegetable Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
  
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• About 3 cups dried risoni pasta
• 2 chicken breasts
  
• 1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
• 1 cup grated cheddar

Bechamel sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 3 cups milk, warmed
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, corn, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. In the same frying pan, brown chicken until no longer pink.
   
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
3. To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until well combined. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Add the pasta, bechamel sauce and chicken to the veggie mixture and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 3L (12-cup) capacity ovenproof dish.
5. Combine the breadcrumbs and cheddar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the pasta mixture. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve.

• Freeze: At the end of step 5, set aside to cool. Divide among freezerproof, ovenproof dishes. Cover with lids, plastic wrap, or foil. Place in fridge for 4 hours or until cooled. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking 6-8 hours. To bake, leave foil on and cook at 375 for 25 minutes or so. I think you could cook it frozen, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. In case you forget to take it out in the morning...
  

{Photo & Recipe, with slight changes, from taste.com}

Easy Chicken Skillet

To save time, I'm just going to post a link for this recipe. I printed it off like a year or 2 ago and finally just made it tonight. It is so easy and tastes absolutely amazing!

Spring Stir-Fry in Peanut Sauce

Jess, I talked to Ryan about this recipe in Phoenix and told him I would post it on here so you could make it for him. I got it from kraftfoods.com. It's so yummy!

1/2 cup Catalina Dressing

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp. oil, divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

4 cups mixed cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli florets and red bell pepper strips)

8 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the pasta cooking water

2 green onions, sliced

MIX dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce and crushed red pepper; set aside. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to large serving bowl; cover to keep warm.

HEAT remaining 1 tsp. oil in same skillet. Add broccoli and bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

ADD pasta, vegetables and dressing mixture to chicken; mix lightly. If desired, gradually stir in enough of the reserved pasta cooking water until sauce is of desired consistency. Sprinkle with the onions.

Nutrition information can be found here.

Light Chicken Parmesan

I get daily recipe emails from Martha Stewart.com and this is the first one I have actually tried out. It turned out SO yummy. And I stole the photo from the website.

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg white
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (3 ounces)
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, place bread, Parmesan, oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with a fork until frothy.
2. Dip top side of a chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip same side in egg white, letting excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. (Do not bread other side.) Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer, breaded side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until breadcrumbs are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is opaque throughout and cheese is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve chicken with a generous amount of tomato sauce.

Meatballs and Rigatoni

I got this recipe from Gary's sister's blog. I've had them at her house before...they were fabulous and when I made them myself the other day, they were just as wonderful as I remember them being when SHE made them. So it's possible!

Meatballs with Rigatoni

2 slices white bread, remove crusts, cut in small pieces

1/4 C. milk

1 Pound ground Pork

1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped

3 small garlic cloves, minced

zest of 1/2 lemon

8 sprigs of fresh flat-leif parsley (italian parsley), chopped

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbs. olive oil

3/4 lb. rigatoni noodles

Red Hot Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)

Parmesan Cheese to serve on top.

1. Place bread in a bowl; pour milk over it. In another bowl, mix port, onion, garlic, zest, and parsley. Add salt and pepper (Mix with hands). Mash bread mixture to form paste; add to meat mixture. Mix; add egg. Combine Well.

2. Heat oven to 350. Form mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. To form the balls I used a cookie scoop (looks like a small ice cream scoop)

3. Brown Meatballs (on stove) and then transfer to a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.

4. Cook Red Hot Tomato Sauce

5. Cook Rigatoni

6. Serve. Layer Noodles, sauce, meatballs, parmesan cheese. I served with garlic bread, and green salad. If I had some frozen veggies, it would have been on the table too!

Liz mentioned that she makes more than one batch and then freezes the meatballs and also the extra sauce for a quick meal on another day. I took her advice and just doubled it...same amount of work anyhow, might as well. They are in the freezer calling my name today actually! She also BEGS (and after making it myself, I do too) that you do NOT skimp on the sauce. MAKE THE SAUCE! Store bought sauce will just not do the meatballs justice. The sauce is fabulous...I really liked it a lot!

Red Hot Tomato Sauce

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz. cab crushed tomatoes

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 Tbs. basil (I'm sure fresh would be fabulous in this, but I just used dried)

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, stirring so that it does not brown, until soft and fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring another minute.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid. Season with salt, pepper, and red-pepper flakes. Add 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened and has a deep, rich tomato flavor, about 20 minutes. Stir in basil just before serving.

(Don't you worry, Picture to come!)

Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry

Does everyone want to hear how cute my husband is? So Sunday after Church he rushes home and starts making dinner. He is a WAY better cook than me and doesn't have to use recipes. So, there is no recipe for this, but if you're looking for a good idea for a quick meal, he just cooked some broccoli, chicken, and spaghetti noodles, and then stir-fried it together with some Teriyaki sauce. It was DIVINE.

Lasagna

1 pound ground beef (can also use italian sausage)

1 small onion, diced

1 28 ounce can tomatoes

1 12-ounce can tomato paste

1 TB sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1 bay leaf

2/3 16-ounce pkg lasagna noodles (about 14 noodles)

2 eggs

15-ounce ricotta cheese

16-ounce mozzarella cheese, diced

1. In a 5 quart pan, cook ground beef and onion until juices evaporate and beef is browned. Add tomatoes, their liquid, and the next 8 ingredients.

2. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes. REduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring mixture occasionally.

3. Discard bay left. Tilt pan and spoon off any fat which accumulates on top of sauce. Cook lasagna noodles as label directs; drain well in colander.

4. In 13 x 9 baking dish, arrange half of drained lasagna noodles, overlapping to fit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. In a small bowl with spoon, combine eggs and ricotta cheese and spoon one-half of this mixture over lasagna noodles in baking dish.

6. Sprinkle with one-half mozzarella; top with one-half sauce. Repeat layers. Bake in oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta Dill Salad

I didn't even think to check if Steph has posted this already. We both love it and love to make it...and espeically love eating it! (call me lazy to not go back and check) This is a KEEPER...it's the first menu item that comes to mind when I think of bar-b-que up the canyon. LOVE IT!

Pasta Dill Salad
1 C. Mayonnaise
2 T. Cider Vinegar
1-2 T. fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 C. chopped tomatoes
1/4 C. sliced green onions, chopped, seeded
1 C. cucumber, cut in 1/4 slices
8 oz. pasta shells, cooked, rinsed & drained (and cooled)

Mix all ingredients together. Toss, cover and chill for a few hours. (Can make night before)

Cashew-Curry Chicken Salad

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Honestly, it's the yummiest light meal. I think I might make this TOO often and I have yet to get sick of it yet! I got it from my Sister in-law, Liz

12 oz. uncooked Rotini (spiral pasta)
2 C. cubed cooked chicken
1 C. halved red grapes
1/2 C. chopped red bell pepper
1/4 C. chopped green onions
2 oranges, peeled and chopped (I use a can mandarin oranges)

Dressing:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
3 T. orange juice (can use the juice from mandarin oranges)
1 t. curry powder
1/4 C. sour cream
2 T. honey
1/4 t. salt

Cook rotini as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Combine cooked rotini and all remaining salad ingredients. In small bowl combine dressing ingredients, blend well. Add to salad. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving time. Makes 8 servings.

I like to make this and split it in half to make two meals. I don't put the cashews on it until it's READY to eat because I don't like the soft nuts. And I don't put it on the stuff I'm keeping in the fridge for later (until I eat it).

Jessica...You guys like Curry right? You'll LOVE this!!!

Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Sorry Jessica this is NOT a meatless dish, but I had to post it becaues it is sooo good.

2-4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER spread, divided
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
3/4 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 heavy cream
2 tablespoons loosley packed basil

Season chicken, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper.

In non-stick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Spread over medium-high heat and cook chicken 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Remove and set aside.

In same skillet melt remaining 1 tablespoonbutter. Spread and cook tomatoes, onion, and salt, stirring occationaly, 3 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Stire in chicken broth, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occationally. stir in cream. Reduce heat to low and return chicken to skillet. simmer uncovered 4 minutes or until sauce thickens a little. Garnish with basil.

Serve with Bowtie pasta, and your favorite veggie.

I only made 2 chicken breats and the sauce was a good amount. If you make more chicken maybe increase the ingredients for the sauce a bit. It is sooo yummy.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

I found this recipe on Kraftfoods.com and made it on Friday night. It really is easy and it was soooo yummy.

Prep time: 5 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Serves: 6

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

6 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, divided

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1.5 cups shredded mozarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Pour spaghetti sauce into 13x9 baking dish. Carefully stir in 4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) parmesan cheese. Add chicken; turn over to evenly coat both sides with sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake 30 minutes. Uncover.

Top with mozarella cheese and remaining 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.

I served mine over pasta and then I also made beans and garlic cheese french bread. I buttered the french bread, sprinkled garlic salt over it, and then added some fresh shredded parmesan cheese and put it in the oven on broil for a few minutes. The edges got a little too toasty while we were saying the prayer. It usually looks a little better than this. :)