Lasagna Soup

Apparently this is a lighter version of a Paula Deen recipe. I've never tried the original, because this one is plenty flavorful and filling.  It really does taste just like lasagna!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken lasagna noodles (You can use whole wheat noodles for an even healthier version.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I didn't use quite this much.  I think I used probably half that.)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (again, you could go low-fat here, but I don't)

1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over med-high heat.  Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook until sausage is browned and veggies are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

2.  Add broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Simmer about 20 minutes on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.

3.  Bring back up to a boil, and add noodles.  Cook on medium heat, uncovered, until noodles are done, about 10-12 minutes.

4.  Remove from heat, and stir in basil and cheeses.

Serve with breadsticks or warm crusty bread.


source:
The Deen Brothers

Avocado Basil Pasta

Yet another successful Pinterest find!  We've made this a few times now and it has always resulted in a very quiet dinner table, because everyone is too busy eating to talk.  That's a big accomplishment with 4 children!
This recipe could be a side dish, but I actually like it as our main course in the summertime. The flavors are bright and it does not take a lot of time on the stove, which makes it perfect for summer.

Avocado Basil Pasta

12 oz. bow tie or wagon wheel pasta (or mix the two)
2 med. avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped
8 strips of bacon, cooked to crisp and crumbled
1/2 c. fresh chopped basil  (I really just use a handful)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese (to taste)

1.  Prepare pasta according to directions.  Drain.
2.  Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with hot pasta.  Sprinkle cheese on top or on individual servings. Serves 4-6

source:  Recipe.com via Pinterest

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It was one of the very first things I pinned.  I loved it's simplicity and clean flavors.  The problem was, the recipe was for 2.  I have 6.  Simply multiplying the ingredients didn't work quite right, so it took some trial and error, but now we have it worked out.
This is also one of my fastest pasta recipes short of just dumping a jar of sauce on it.
Don't skip the step about the pasta water.  It will look kind of wet & runny when you first put it in, but it will absorb into the pasta & sauce as you toss it.
The pine nuts I would say are totally optional.  The 6 year old doesn't care for them but the 10 and 4 year olds love them so I keep them in.

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

1 lb. spaghetti
1/2 c. olive oil
2/3 c. grated parmesean cheese
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts (optional)


1.  Prepare spaghetti according to directions (Boil for about 8 minutes). Reserve 1 c. pasta water.
2.  In small pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, a few minutes.
3.  In a small bowl, whisk together garlic oil, lemon juice, and cheese.
4.  Pour the mixture over the hot pasta and toss with a little pasta water, adding about 1/4 c. at a time to moisten.
5.  Toss in pine nuts, basil, and salt & pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

source: inomthings.com via pinterest

Pasta Pomodoro

This recipe comes from my sister, who typically makes it with angel hair pasta.  This week I decided to change it up and use bow tie pasta, since my toddler has an easier time picking them up.  The kids also really like the Piccolini pastas, but weren't able to find them at the local Price Chopper this week.
If you have tomatoes and basil in the garden this is a great way to utilize them for a light, summer pasta dish.

Pasta Pomodoro

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
1 lbs. plum tomatoes, diced (or, I use halved grape tomatoes)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 oz. fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
12 oz. angel hair pasta

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.
2.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil and add garlic.  Cook about 1-2 minute over med heat.  Add tomatoes and pepper and heat through stirring constantly 3-4 minutes, until tomatoes are heated through.   Tomatoes should not lose shape.)
3.  Toss cooked pasta with tomato mixture, basil, and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the top and serve.

source:  Emily B.

Taco Bake

Okay, gourmet food it isn't, but my family really likes it.  My husband doesn't normally like macaroni and cheese, but this version, dressed up with taco meat and salsa, makes for a yummy, kid-friendly, quick meal which he also enjoys.  Especially if, like me, you cook your taco meat up ahead of time.

Taco Bake

1 box macaroni & cheese dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
3/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 c. salsa

1.  Prepare mac & cheese according to directions on box.  Once completed, stir in sour cream.
2.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef, add taco seasoning according to directions.
3. Spray 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon in 1/2 of mac & cheese mixture.  Top with meat, 1 c. shredded cheese and remaining mac & cheese.
4.  Cover and bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
5.  Top with salsa and remaining cheese and bake uncovered fore 5 more minutes.
Serve.

source: Kraft Food & Family

Chicken Florentine Lasagna

This is a nice change from the regular lasagna, but still has meat for those who aren't willing to go totally veg.  (Husband, perhaps?)  This makes a really good size lasagna and we did have tons of leftovers.  Of course, that could be because some of the kids wouldn't touch anything green.
To simplify/speed up the recipe, you could also use pre-cooked, cut up chicken.

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to directions
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 c. chopped chicken
seasoning salt, to taste
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen, spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess water (you could also use fresh)
2 lg. eggs
1 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Sauce:
1/4 c. butter
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsely
1/4 c. flour
1 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over med. high heat.  Season chicken with seasoning salt and add to pan. Cook until lightly browned.
2.  In a large bowl combine cooked chicken, spinach, eggs, 1/2 c. mozzarella, basil, oregano, and nutmeg.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter over med-low heat.  Add garlic powder, parsley and flour. Stir until well combined and cook for about a minute.  Slowly add chicken broth and milk and keep stirring.  Add Parmesan and stir until sauce is thick and creamy. 
4.  Layer lasagna noodles in a greased 9x13 pan.  Top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the white sauce.  Repeat with remaining noodles, chicken, and sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

source:  Family Feasts for $75 a Week

Spaghetti Carbonara

My husband and I spent a birthday/date night once at a cooking school inside a local grocery store.  It was a couples participation class and the theme was "An Evening in Italy."  Of all the recipes made that night, this was our favorite.  It has since become a staple in our household, and very popular with the kids.
The recipe calls for white wine, but we don't keep that in our house, so I substitute chicken stock and lemon juice.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb. bacon diced 

1 c. dry white wine (I substitute 2/3 c. chicken stock & 1/3c. lemon juice) 

3 eggs 

½ c. grated parmesan cheese 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 lb. spaghetti 

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position.  Set ovenproof serving bowl on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees F.  Bring 4 quarts of water to rolling boil in large stockpot. 

2.  In large skillet, cook bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp.  Pour off about ¼ c. fat from skillet and discard.  Add wine to bacon and remaining drippings in skillet; simmer until alcohol aroma has cooked off and wine is slightly reduced 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.   

3.  In small bowl, beat eggs, cheese, and garlic together with fork; set aside. 

4.  When water is boiling, add pasta and 1 Tbsp. salt, stirring to separate pasta strands;  cook according to package directions until al dente.  Reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking water and then drain pasta in colander for about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet.  Transfer drained pasta to a warm serving dish. If pasta appears dry, add some reserved cooking water and toss to moisten.  5.  Immediately pour egg mixture over hot pasta and sprinkle with ¾ tsp. salt; toss well to combine.  

6.  Pour bacon mixture over pasta, season generously with black pepper and toss well to combine.  Serve immediately.

 (Sorry, no picture. It was eaten too quickly!)

source:  Dierberg's School of Cooking

Jumbo Stuffed Shells

I adore stuffed pastas, but I don't make them very often because of the work involved.  This recipe is actually fairly easy.  The shells are much easier to stuff than a manicotti or ravioli.
I made my own sauce, and I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese this time because that's what I had on hand.  I also couldn't find my oregano & parsley (it's buried somewhere in the pantry) so I used Italian seasoning instead.
If you find you don't get enough filling, feel free to double the cheeses.

Jumbo Stuffed Shells

12 dried jumbo pasta shells  (I add a few more for my family of 6)
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 c. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or make your own)

1.  Cook shells according to directions. Drain and let dry a bit on greased foil.
2.  Stir egg, chesses, parsley and oregano together.  Stuff each shell with a spoonful of filling.
3.  Place shells in a 2qt. casserole dish, and top with spaghetti sauce.
4.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake another 15 minutes.  Serve.

source:  Erin P.

Marinara with Butter and Onion

I have never had the desire before to make my own pasta sauce.  I didn't see the point.  I've always been a Prego girl, and spaghetti was always a quick convenience food for me,. Fussing over a simmering sauce all day was not my idea of convenient.
I decided to try this recipe from a speckled handle because of its very simple list of ingredients and the possibility of doing it in the slow cooker.
Oh, my heavens, is it good!

I've made it several times and tried different brands of tomatoes, and I have to say that the San Marzano tomatoes are the best for this recipe.  I loved the sauce every time I made it, but the time I made it with these tomatoes (found at Whole Foods) I found myself standing and eating it with a spoon directly out of the pot.   Unfortunately, the San Marzano tomatoes were $3.99 a can. (Not exactly the most economical choice.)  That being said, I was perfectly satisfied with regular whole canned  tomatoes from my regular store and my husband said he didn't notice much of a difference and that they were good every time.  I think as I continue to make this recipe, I will keep experimenting with different tomatoes, and perhaps only pick up the San Marzanos for special occasions or when very much on sale.

Note:  For the second, smaller can of tomatoes, I used a local store brand of diced tomatoes rather than whole each time that had italian seasonings because I had several of them on hand.

Marinara with Butter and Onion

1 29 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1 15 oz. can whole tomatoes
6 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, peeled and quartered.

1. Place ingredients in slow cooker. Cover.
2.  Cook on high for about 2 hours or on low for 3-4.
Note:  I recommend removing the lid and cooking the last 1/2-1 hr. on high with the lid off to thicken the sauce a bit.  
On the stovetop:  Bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered 45 minutes.
3.  Remove onion.  Blend sauce in pot with an immersion blender or carefully ladle into a blender.
4.  Serve over pasta of your choice.  Makes enough to lightly coat 1 lb. pasta. 

source:  aspeckledhandle.blogspot.com

Creamy Italian Chicken

My friend with whom this recipe originated calls this Chicken Tetrazzini.  While it meets some of the criteria for a tetrazzini, ("chicken prepared in a cream sauce with mushrooms and served over pasta; usually topped with cheese") it's probably more descriptive to call it Creamy Italian Chicken.

You could certainly add mushrooms to this recipe (making it more tetrazzini-like), but honestly I haven't tried it.  The kids like it just fine as it is, and I'm afraid adding mushrooms may result in a mutiny. 

Creamy Italian Chicken

 8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix 
1/2 c. water 
2-4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken
1 lb. angel hair pasta, prepared

1.  Place chicken in slow cooker.
2.  Cover chicken with Italian seasoning and water.
3. Combine soup and cheese in a med. saucepan.
4.  Warm over med. heat until cheese is melted and blended with soup.
5.  Pour over chicken, cover, and cook for 4 hours on high.
6.  Serve over angel hair pasta.

source:  Clarissa G.

Chili 5-Way

I don't know about you, but I can't make a small pot of chili.  So unless I'm feeding a large group there will invariably  be leftovers.  One way of using it up is recreating this dish from Steak n' Shake. I never eat it with the chopped onions, so I should probably call it Chili 4-way.

Chili 5-Way

1 lb. spaghetti
3 c. prepared chili
1/2 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 c. colby/jack cheese (cheddar will work well too)
1 onion, chopped
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
oyster crackers or crumbled saltines

1.  Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.
2.  Combine ketchup and worchestershire sauce.  This makes the chili sauce.
3.  To prepare each serving, top spaghetti with 1/2-3/4 c. chili, drizzle chili sauce around chili.  Top with shredded cheese, onions, crackers and Parmesan cheese,  Serve.

source:  Steak n' Shake

Creamy Ranch Chicken

This recipe was a huge hit with the kids.  How can you not love a recipe that starts with bacon!?  It also comes together really quickly--a great recipe for a busy mom!

Creamy Ranch Chicken

6 slices bacon                                                          

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces            

2 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. Ranch dry salad dressing mix

1 ¼ cups whole milk

3 c. dried medium noodles

Finely shredded Parmesan Cheese

1.  Cook noodles according to package instructions.  

2.  Cut bacon in small pieces and cook until crisp.  Place bacon on paper towel to drain.  Reserve 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings.

3.  Brown chicken in bacon drippings until tender and evenly cooked.  Add flour and ranch seasoning.  Cook for 1 minute, then add milk.  Stir until thickened then add bacon.  Toss with noodles; sprinkle with Parmesan.  




source:  Erin P.

Zucchini-Carrot Fettuccine

This one is a big hit with the kids.  The zucchini blends in well with the pasta so they don't realize they're eating it.  It's also a great one to have the kids help with, since most of the prep is done with a vegetable peeler.
The sauce is nice and light, and it makes a great summer dish when the zucchini is plentiful.  I've made a few changes to the original, adding more vegetables.  If you find it too much for you, you can cut back on the zucchini and carrot.

Zucchini-Carrot Fettuccine

1 box uncooked Fettuccine
1 onion
2 carrots
2 medium zucchini
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or 1/4 c. fresh)
1 c. chicken stock
1 1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
salt & pepper
crumbled feta cheese


1.  Cook pasta according to directions.
Meanwhile,
2.  Cut onion into long, thin slivers.
3.  Peel carrot & zucchini;  then, using the vegetable peeler, peel the flesh of the vegetables into long, thin shreds.  Keep vegetables separate.
 4.  Melt butter in large skillet over med-high heat.  Add onion, cook for about 5 min, stirring occasionally.  Add carrot shreds and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add zucchini, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, parsley and broth.  Simmer at medium heat 5 min.
 5. In small bowl or cup, combine milk and cornstarch.  Pour into skillet, mixing well.  Cook a few more minutes until thick.  Add more broth if it gets too thick.
6. Add pasta and toss together with salt & pepper to taste.
7.  Serve sprinkled with feta cheese.

source:  Family Feasts for $75 a Week