Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Yes, I know we have a lot of chicken and broccoli casserole recipes on this blog. I can't help but share this one, though! It has a great, light flavor. It doesn't have any condensed soup in it (I've been minimizing my use of condensed soup lately). And it's just a bit different than any that I've tried before now. I very much enjoyed it. James even liked it (he loves pasta and broccoli :) )!

I found this recipe at Lillian's Food. It's the same blog where I found the recipe for Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The flavors of her recipes are sophisticated and light. I like them a lot.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

adapted from Lillian's Food

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked pasta (I used bowtie, but penne or rotini would work well, too)

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

2 broccoli heads, cut into small florets*

vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, diced (other types of onions work, too)

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

3 c. milk

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 c. panko (or other bread crumbs)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 T. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

*Lillian said that this casserole can be made with almost any vegetable. She listed asparagus and zucchini as good options.

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Steam broccoli for a couple minutes (longer if you like your broccoli very tender). This casserole doesn't cook in the oven for very long, so you want your broccoli to be almost the way you like it before putting it with everything else.

Heat a little bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides and fully cooked in the middle. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes. Add flour, stirring constantly, and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Add chicken, broccoli, and white sauce to the pot and combine. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Turn oven on to broil.

In a small bowl or ziploc bag (I prefer ziploc bags since it's so easy to shake up all the ingredients), combine panko, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Place casserole under the broiler until bread crumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling around the edges. Check frequently so that it doesn't burn (it goes fast). Mine took about 5 minutes.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this casserole because it's slightly different from others out there. Be sure to season it with enough salt and pepper so that it isn't too bland. Here's a link to the original recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.

Tortellini Salad with Asparagus and Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

This salad is so yummy! It makes a nice, light weekday meal. Both Paul and I found it hearty enough to stand alone as a meal, but it would also make a nice side dish for a bigger meal.

I love the flavor of the fresh basil and the shallot. And James really gets a kick out of the tortellini. :)

Tortellini Salad with Asparagus and Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

6 T. olive oil

1/2 c. fresh basil, finely chopped

3 T. lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

1 lb. asparagus, tough ends broken off and sliced on the bias (about 3/4 to 1 inch pieces)

2 packages (9 oz each) fresh cheese tortellini*

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 c.)

1/4 c. pine nuts**, toasted (optional)

*You can find fresh cheese tortellini with the fresh pastas in the same aisle as the cheese. It can be pricey, but since there is no meat in this dish, the cost is still comparable to other meals.

**OK, pine nuts are extremely expensive! Who knew? I have left these out both times we've had this salad, and it's still been delicious. I'm sure the pine nuts would add a nice texture and flavor to the dish, though, so if you're in the mood to splurge, go for it!

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and season with 1 T. salt.

In a large bowl (big enough for the whole salad), whisk together the olive oil, chopped basil, lemon juice, minced shallot, minced garlic, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper.

When water is boiling, add asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Scoop out asparagus with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander, do not discard the water. Return the pot of water to the stove and return to a boil. Rinse asparagus under cold water until cool. Toss asparagus in the bowl with the salad dressing.

When water returns to a boil, cook tortellini according to directions on the package. When pasta is tender, drain and toss with the asparagus and dressing while still hot. Refrigerate salad until chilled (at least 30 minutes).

Just before serving, toss salad with halved tomatoes and Parmesan cheese (and toasted pine nuts, if using). Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Enjoy! :)

Spicy Mac and Cheese

This recipe is one of my favorites that I've tried recently. I've made it twice now, and I liked it even more the second time. It comes from one of my favorite food blogs: Annie's Eats.

I'm a big fan of homemade mac and cheese, but Paul tends to find it a little bland for his tastes. He likes this recipe because it is packed with flavor. Definitely not bland at all! It's not too spicy, but it has a nice kick and a wonderful flavor. The combination of the different types of cheese and the spices and vegetables is just really yummy. :)

If you love cheese, you should definitely give it a try!

Spicy Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

4 c. pasta shapes (this time I used mini bowties, and it was fun)

1/3 c. onion, finely chopped

1/3 c. roasted red peppers*, finely chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (If you want it to be spicier, you could leave in some seeds...I prefer the flavor of the jalapeno without the overwhelming spiciness, so I scrape the seeds and membranes all out with a spoon.)

6 1/2 T. butter, divided

2 1/2 c. milk, plus additional to thin out sauce if needed

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

8 oz. colby jack cheese, shredded

4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. baguette or crusty Italian bread (or about 1 1/2 c. bread crumbs)

*Roasted red peppers are sold in jars in the same aisle as the pickles and olives. They are a little on the expensive side, but one jar can make this recipe twice. You can also roast your own if you are talented that way. I am not. ;)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to directions on package. When the pasta is done, drain and return to pot. While waiting for water to boil, saute the onion, red peppers, and jalapenos in 1/2 T. butter for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Set aside until needed.

Then, while pasta cooks, melt 4 T. butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and stir continuously for about two minutes. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until mixture boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Whisk in spices, and then whisk in the cheeses until well incorporated. If the sauce seems too thick, add some milk to thin it out a bit. (I added 1/2 c. this time, and it was still thick and creamy, but not overly so.)

Combine pasta, vegetables, and cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan (or 2 quart casserole dish).

Cut baguette into chunks and pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs are formed. Melt the last 2 T. butter in the microwave and pour over bread crumbs. Pulse a few times to distribute the melted butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the pasta and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes (or until mixture is bubbly and topping is golden brown). Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Here's a link to the original recipe: Spicy Mac and Cheese.

This is definitely one that will be making repeat appearances in our household. :)

Creamy One Pot Pasta

I made this recipe recently when my family was in town and everyone went back for seconds. So yummy, but also very basic and healthy. The sauce is very light and flavorful and mixes great with the veggies. It's also nice to have another meatless meal (since most of the meals I make have meat in them and that gets expensive at times). I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and I believe she got it from the pampered chef website or something like that.

Ingredients:
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 jar of sun dried tomatoes*
3 cans (5 and 1/4 cups) chicken broth
1 lb. uncooked pasta (I used bow tie)*
1 head broccoli (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
grated parmesan

Directions:
Cook garlic in 1 tbsp. oil in stockpot for a couple minutes. Add broth, cover, and bring to boil. Stir in pasta, cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, chop broccoli and carrots and slice tomatoes. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add veggies, cheese, salt and pepper to pot. and stir until cream cheese is melted (do not drain pasta). Reduce heat, cover and cook 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

* Sun dried tomatoes are pretty pricey ($6 a jar at my store)...so I substituted chopped red pepper and I loved how it turned out. I think you can use pretty much whatever veggies you feel like.
* The recipe actually calls for penne or ziti, but I used bow tie pasta because that's what my sister-in-law used the time she made it and I really liked it with that kind of pasta. So I altered the amount of time to cook the pasta (penne would take longer).
* If you like your pasta more on the firm side, I would put the veggies in a bit sooner so they have time to get tender before the pasta gets too soft.

Lemon Chicken Linguine

This dinner was so yummy! I've really enjoyed the recipes I've tried from My Kitchen Cafe. I think I'll keep trying them out.

This was very flavorful, definitely lemon-y, and the chicken was nice and juicy.

It was a tad on the oily side for me, so I may decrease the amount of olive oil next time. Also, she mentioned that Cajun seasoning can be very spicy and said that you could put in less if you didn't want it to be too spicy. Being pregnant, I thought that would be a good idea; however, it ended up being not spicy at all. Next time I'm definitely going to try it with the whole tablespoon! :)

Lemon Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

Marinade:

1/2 c. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed with the back of a knife

1 T. Cajun seasoning (you can reduce this to 1 1/2 t. if you're worried about it being too spicy)

juice of one lemon

2 T. fresh parsley, minced

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. soy sauce

2 chicken breasts, sliced*

1 lb. linguine (we used Whole Grain)

2 T. olive oil

zest from one lemon

juice from one lemon

3 green onions, diced (whole thing, green and white)

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper

*I used three because ours were very small, and even then Paul said it could have used more chicken.

Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together lightly. Slice chicken (I chose to slice mine very thin so that the pieces wouldn't be too big). Pour chicken and marinade into a ziploc bag and refrigerate for 3-12 hours. (I ended up marinating it for about 7 and a half, and it was nice and flavored.

Boil water and prepare linguine as directed on package. Meanwhile, combine remaining olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, onions, and parsley in a small bowl. Set aside. When pasta is finished cooking, drain it and return it to the warm pot. Add juice/oil mixture and toss to coat.

Pour chicken and marinade into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute until chicken is done. For me, this only took about 7-8 minutes because I had sliced the chicken so thin. Pour hot chicken and sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper as needed, toss and serve.

Miscellaneous notes:

I need a zester. Seriously. My cheap-o grater just didn't do the job!

Next time, when I reduce the oil, I'll probably use only 1/4 c. in the marinade and 1 T. at the end.

The pasta was VERY lemony. It was delicious, but very strong. I think increasing the amount of Cajun seasoning next time will help to balance it out.

I really like Parmesan cheese, and when I tossed it with the hot pasta it got a bit lost. I recommend topping each bowl with a little additional Parmesan cheese.

Paul and I both agreed that this is a recipe I will make again and again! :)

Here's a link to the original recipe on My Kitchen Cafe: Beach Street Lemon Chicken Linguine.

I labeled this as 20 minutes because that's how long the actual cooking lasted. I obviously am not including marinating time.

Tuscan Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Happy New Year, everyone! I was so excited to see some new recipes pop up here this week! Fun stuff. I can't wait to try them out.

Since coming home from our vacation to Colorado, Paul and I haven't been very good about eating dinner at home. Finally, yesterday, Paul said, "Would it be ok if we have a home cooked meal tonight?" Oops. My bad! ;) He was right. We definitely needed to break our current trend of picking up something somewhere each night.

I was in the mood to try something new, so I headed over to My Kitchen Cafe and browsed the recipes for a while.

This is the recipe I ended up choosing. It was delicious (despite some mistakes on my part)! I'm going to try it again for sure because I was missing one of the main spices.

You should try it, too!

Tuscan Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Ingredients:

12 oz. Italian sausage*

2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni

8 oz. cream cheese, cubed and softened

1 c. sliced olives (I just used a small can even though it was less than a cup because Paul's not a huge fan of olives)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 T. butter

1 1/2 T. flour

1 t. dried sage**

1/4 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 c. milk (I used James' whole milk so it would be creamier)

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

*The recipe actually says to use pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage, but Paul was picking up the ingredients for me on his way home, and it was much easier for him to find Italian sausage. Plus, I thought Paul might enjoy Italian sausage more. She did mention in her original recipe that Italian sausage could be substituted.

**Yep, I thought I had sage, but I didn't. I was worried the dish would be too bland without it, so I increased the amount of thyme. I probably shouldn't have done that because the thyme flavor was a bit overwhelming in the end.

Directions:

Cook macaroni noodles according to directions on package, except reduce cooking time by 1-2 minutes because the pasta bakes in the oven later. Brown sausage and drain grease. Combine pasta, sausage, olives, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese in a large bowl (or, if you are me and want to limit the number of dishes, just use the big pot you cooked the pasta in).

Combine flour and spices in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add the flour/spice mixture and stir with a wire whisk constantly for about 30 seconds. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Pour over pasta mixture.

Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 11x7 baking dish. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Then, top the pasta with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

It was a really flavorful dish! James even loved it! I especially loved the tomatoes on top, and I'll probably add even more tomatoes next time. The olives also added a great flavor, though I probably won't get away with adding more of those since Paul doesn't really like them.

Here's a link to the original recipe: Tuscan Macaroni and Cheese Bake.

Manicotti

I love this dish! I make it the night before so when I come home from school I can just put it in the oven. I usually have a salad and garlic bread on the sid

e. Hope you enjoy it!

1/2 (8oz) pkg manicotti pasta (7 tubes)

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp parsely flakes

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cups tomato sacue

Additional 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook manicotti pasta according to pkg directions. Drain. Place on foil or wax paper to cool.

In large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsely and pepper. For easier handling, refregerate at leaste 15 min.) Fill cooled pasta tubes with mixture using a small spoon or use large decorator cylinder or disposable pastry bag without a tip to fill the tubes.

Spread 1/2 cup tomato sacue in 7"x11" oblong baking dish. Arrange filled pasta in a single layer over sauce. Pour 1 cup tomato sauce over pasta and cover with foil. Bake 30 min.

Remove foil. Top with grated Mozzarella cheese. Bake additional 10 min or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4

Make ahead directions:

After assembling manicoti, do not bake.

Cover dish tightly with foil, then plastic wrap. Freeze up to two months.

Remove plastic wrap; leave tightly covered foil. Bake 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove foil. Add mozzarella cheese. Bake additional 10 min or until cheese is melted.

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago, and it was quite good. I liked that it was fast and simple. I found it at Chef Britta.

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
Ingredients:
12 oz. rigatoni
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. tomato paste
1/2 to 1 t. garlic salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. red-wine vinegar

Directions:
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, brown beef in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender (about five minutes). Stir in tomato paste, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, and cook about two more minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in vinegar and season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve meat sauce over pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


I liked that it was different than regular old spaghetti. Those of you who know me, know that I'm not the biggest fan of spaghetti. This was different enough that I enjoyed it and would happily make it again.

Here's the link to Chef Britta's recipe: Rigatoni with Meat Sauce.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

I found this recipe randomly one day when I came across this blog. I had a couple classes with Lillian at BYU, but I had no idea she was such a cook! Her blog is full of yummy looking things, and after trying this recipe, I'm sure I'll be trying more of her ideas in the future.

The most interesting thing about this recipe is the way it is prepared. It's easy, but definitely different. Because of how it is made, the pasta tastes like it has a cream sauce, but there is no cream in it. It is really delicious, and I highly recommend it.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese*, grated
1/4 c. romano cheese, grated...or you can use a whole cup of either cheese (I used all Parmesan because that's what I had)
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. dry white wine (I just bought a small bottle of white cooking wine. It's in the same aisle as the vinegar and salad dressing at the grocery store.)
1 lb. spaghetti (or linguine or fettucine...I used linguine)
salt and pepper

*I used the powdered grated Parmesan cheese because that's what I had. I think if you used fresh grated Parmesan or romano cheese the pasta would come out more smooth, but it was still delicious when I made it.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place an empty oven-safe serving bowl in the oven. Meanwhile, boil water for the pasta.

Mix together the eggs, cheese, and garlic with a whisk. Set aside. Cook the bacon in the oil until crispy. Add wine and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. When the water is boiling, add 1 T. salt and the pasta. Stir frequently. Cook until pasta until it is al dente (about 8 minutes, or according to package). Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water, and then drain the pasta.

Remove serving bowl from the oven and add the pasta to the bowl. Immediately pour the egg mixture and the bacon mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. The hot bowl and hot pasta cook the egg as you toss it. Add the reserved pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce before serving. Serve with additional grated cheese.


Here's a link to the original recipe (her picture looks even more delicious): Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Lasagna

Now, I've tried a few different recipes for vegetarian lasagna, and I like them all for different reasons. I knew I had to try this one when I read the ingredients and it had hard boiled eggs in it. Talk about interesting! It's another one from the Home Ec teacher's Italian cookbook. I loved it, and so did Paul. And Paul's not usually a big fan of eggs, so that's saying something. The eggs and spinach gave it a very distinctive flavor.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Lasagna


Ingredients:
1 jar spaghetti sauce with vegetables
1 package lasagna noodles, cooked*
1 package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
8 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
2 (5 oz) packages mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

*I keep getting the lasagna noodles that you don't need to boil beforehand. They are way convenient; however, the top noodles always end up crunchy. I haven't figured out a way to make them soft. Let me know if you know of a way! Otherwise, if crunchy top noodles sound awful to you, you should probably use regular lasagna noodles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of an 11x13 baking dish. Line with one row of noodles. Top with a layer of sauce, spinach, eggs, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers two more times (three layers total). Finish with a layer of noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Suzie's Italian Chicken

Here's another one from Paul's Italian cookbook (the one with recipes from Home Ec teachers). I don't know who Suzie is, but it's a good recipe! :)

Suzie's Italian Chicken


Ingredients:
1/2 c. bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts*
4 to 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded, chopped**
1/2 c. chicken broth (it also said you could use cooking sherry for this, but I don't have any on hand)
1 T. dry Italian seasoning
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 lb. fettuccine (the recipe calls for a pound, but we found that the ratio of pasta to sauce was off)
1 T. butter
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

*I used thighs...but I don't recommend it! I saw that they were cheaper at the store and didn't know why I never bought them. Now I know. There is a huge difference that is most definitely not worth the dollar or two in savings. They are fatty and greasy. Gross!

**I was a little scared that it asked you to seed the tomatoes because I had never done it, but it wasn't bad at all. I just cut the tomatoes in quarters the long way and scraped out the seeds before chopping them up. I didn't worry about getting every last seed, and it only took a minute or two.

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions given. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon bacon grease. Add chicken and cook, stirring until done. Remove chicken. Add tomatoes, broth, seasonings, and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Return chicken to pan, stirring until heated through. Toss pasta with butter. Serve pasta topped with sauce, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.

Pasta Toss

If we had a category that was easier than easy I'd almost want to put this one there. It's a very basic recipe that I got from the Hatrack Cookbook...which doesn't seem to be available online anymore. It was a collection of recipes someone put together from the people who post on the Hatrack Forums. Oh well. Anyway. You can really put whatever you want in it, as far as vegetables go. And it's quite good for you, since there's not much to it aside from pasta and vegetables.

Pasta Toss
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
2 yellow squash, chopped
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t. oregano
1 lb. pasta of your choice (I used some whole grain fettuccine)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions given. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add veggies and spices. Cook and stir for about 7 minutes (veggies should be slightly tender). Toss with pasta and Parmesan cheese.

I actually halved the recipe for me and Paul. And I didn't measure the Parmesan cheese. I just sprinkled it on our bowls. It was fast, simple, and yummy!

Baked Ziti

This is one of Paula's recipes. She was going to post it a little while back, but forgot to take a picture and never posted it. It's delicious! It's a variation on lasagna (similar ingredients, different noodle). I made this the other day to bring to someone in my ward, and I almost forgot to take a picture of it, myself!


Baked Ziti
Ingredients:
12 ounces ziti (small tube pasta...I actually used penne)
2 lb. ground beef (I always use less than this...probably more like 1 1/2 lbs)
1 jar spaghetti sauce of your choice
2 eggs
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese)
2 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

**This time I decided to add a little to the recipe. I added a chopped up onion, some fresh mushrooms chopped up, a couple small cloves of garlic, minced, about 1/4 t. basil and some pepper. These additional ingredients are unnecessary, but they add to the flavor.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta. Meanwhile cook beef (I added onion and garlic right off the bat) and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce (this is when I added basil, pepper, and mushrooms). Simmer. In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Drain pasta and add it to the cheese mixture. Toss to coat.

In a greased 9x13 baking pan, spread 1/3 of the meat sauce. Top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

This recipe makes A LOT. It was enough for me to bring to a couple in our ward for dinner, for Paul and me for dinner that night, and for lunch for Paul for two days. I made this when I was pregnant and put it in the freezer to have when James was born. It's a nice, easy meal. But it's a bit expensive because of all the cheese.

Big Noodle Soup

This is a chicken noodle soup that Brian had growing up and they called it big noodle soup, referring to the homemade noodles. As you can tell from the picture, Brian likes more stuff in his soup than broth. I always have more broth.

This recipe is more for the noodles than for the actual soup. I don't have an amazing soup recipe. It always tastes good, but it's just basic. You boil a chicken breast until cooked and then shred it. Meanwhile boil some water and add the veggies/onion and how ever many bouillon cubes for the amount of water. Once you give the veggies a few minutes add the chicken and cook the noodles.

Noodles:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Directions:
Measure flour into bowl; make a well in center and add eggs and salt. With hands, thoroughly mix egg into flour. Add water and mix. If you need more water, add it a little at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic...about 10 minutes. Roll dough paper thin (make sure to coat surface with flour). Cut noodles to desired thickness (a good way to do this is with a pizza cutter). Put into boiling soup and cook for 12-15 minutes.

*I've never made these noodles, Brian always does it. So, hopefully I got the directions right and it's not too hard.

Easy Breadsticks

We served it with breadsticks and they were delicious. You just let some rhodes rolls (one per breadstick) sit out until they are defrosted but still cold (you can microwave them a little if you're in a hurry). Then you roll them into skinny strips and line them up on a cookie sheet. Let them rise until doubled in size (just like you would with rolls). When they're ready to go in the oven you coat them with melted butter. Bake them for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until golden brown. When you pull them out put another coat of melted butter on them. There is a very similar recipe on the bag of rolls as well.

Mizithra Pasta

I don't know how many of you have been to The Old Spaghetti Factory, but this is seriously my FAVORITE dish there. I was so excited to see it on FFR. This was the easiest dish to make. Here are a few things to remember: 1) start the butter before the pasta and it takes time, 2) mizithra (myzithra) is hard to find, and 3) a cube of butter is really a stick (at least in the USA). I found my cheese in Smith's Deli section. Serve this up with garlic bread and a salad. YUM YUM!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. spaghetti (1 lb)
2 cubes REAL butter
1/2 to 3/4 lb. Mizithra Cheese, grated
Italian Seasoning (optional, I added that on my own)

Directions:
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain. While pasta is cooking, start slowly melting butter over medium heat until golden brown. The butter will foam up and rise, but just keep stirring until it turns brown. Remove pan from heat and allow the sediment to settle at the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Do not stir up the sediments in the pan, you want the clear butter separated from the stuff at the bottom. Pour the browned butter into a separate bowl, again, keeping the butter separated from the sediment. Toss the pasta with the butter when it is ready. Sprinkle with Mizithra cheese to taste. Serve immediately. You can sprinkle Italian seasoning on it here too!

Here's the original recipe: Mizithra Pasta

Hansen Family Hamburger Stroganoff

This recipe is almost exactly like the one Mandy posted the other day. I almost decided not to post it, but this one is just a tad simpler, so if you are in a hurry, this is a great recipe!



Hamburger Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1 T. flour
garlic salt, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Sautee onions in a little bit of butter (I actually just used some olive oil because it's easier to me, but my family uses butter). Add ground beef and cook until meat is done. Drain. Add flour and season with garlic salt and salt and pepper. Add cream of mushroom soup and mix well. Mixture will be quite thick. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. This is a good time to cook your noodles (if you're serving it with rice, you should have started cooking it a while ago ;) ). At the very end, add sour cream and mix well. Heat through, but don't bring to a boil. My dad says it tastes better when you add the sour cream at the end and don't bring it back to a boil. Serve over noodles or rice!

I don't know why, but this really hit the spot when I made it on Friday. It was quite tasty!

Chicken and Spinach Penne

This meal was surprisingly fast and easy. We were a little frantic as we were throwing it together because we didn't have much time, but it came together quickly in the end, and it was quite yummy. It's another Chef Britta masterpiece!


Chicken and Spinach Penne
Ingredients:
8 oz. penne pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (Okay, I don't know how to seed tomatoes, and I didn't have time to figure it out, so I just diced them and threw them in. It worked just fine.)
4 T. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
6 c. baby spinach
2 T. fresh lemon juice (I just had the bottled kind, so I used it. Also, it gives a pretty strong flavor, so I'd put in a bit less than two tablespoons.)

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and continue to cook until both the chicken and pasta are done. I don't have much experience boiling chicken, so I had no idea how long this would take. I set the timer for 7 minutes (because the box of penne said it took 10-11 minutes total to cook), and it was done when the timer went off. Reserve 1/4 c. pasta water. In Chef Britta's recipe she didn't specify a measurement for the water. She just said reserve 1/4 pasta water. Since 1/4 of the total amount of water would have been so much, I just took some out and estimated when the time came. In hindsight, 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. works out well. Drain pasta and chicken. Return pot to stove and heat oil and garlic over medium high heat for about one minute. My garlic got pretty dark pretty fast. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, spinach and reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Cook until spinach is barely wilted. I swear, this happens almost immediately. Our spinach was a little overcooked. Next time I'm going to just stir it all together and then add back the chicken and pasta immediately. Add the chicken and pasta. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

Here's the link directly to Chef Britta's recipe: Chicken & Spinach Penne.

Paul really liked this meal (and so did I). We were both surprised by the flavor. It's a quick and refreshing meal!

Pasta Primavera

This is one of our favorite meals. Brian even asked for this for his birthday dinner last year. Amanda first made this meal for our dinner group in college and I think all of us like to make it now. I called it, "Amanda's yummy pasta dish", until Amanda informed me that it had an actual name! Who would have known! This recipe comes out of the checkerboard cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens). It's very light and summery and I love the vegetables that it calls for.

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:
14 oz. asparagus spears
8 oz. rotini, or other spiral pasta (about 2 and 1/2 cups)
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped baby pattypan squash or yellow summer squash
10 oz. Alfredo sauce (whatever brand you like)
Chicken, cooked and cubed
Dash of cayenne pepper

*With the asparaus I just chop up the whole bunch that I get from the store and put it in (I have no idea how much it is). Same with the squash, I buy a small squash, chop it up and put the whole thing in.

*The recipe doesn't actually call for chicken. That was Amanda's addition and it's SO good with the chicken. But, it's a great vegetarian dish without.

Directions:
Start the water boiling for the noodles. Snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus spears. Chop remaining spears into 1-inch pieces. Chop other vegetables to desired size. Add noodles to boiling water and cook according to package adding the vegetables to the water for the last 3-4 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add chicken, sauce and a dash of cayenne pepper.

*This recipe is really forgiving. You can add as much or as little veggies/sauce/chicken as you want. I was really intimidated by the recipe at first because I had never cooked those vegetables before. But, it has always come out great!

Thanks again Amanda, for introducing us to such a yummy and easy dish!

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

This is once again one of my favorite dinners that we had a lot growing up. I know Jennie and Paul make this one a lot as well. It's so easy and so delicious. I would highly recommend giving this one a try.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
2 (8 oz.) cans of tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. salt, dash pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. curly (egg) noodles
6 green onions chopped (less if they're big)
3 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. grated cheese (we usually use more than that)

Directions:
Brown beef with minced garlic and drain. Mix in tomato sauce, spices, and sugar. Cook slowly 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile cook noodles and drain. Combine green onions, cream cheese, and sour cream. Mix noodles with beef mixture. In a casserole dish layer about 1/4 of the beef mixture. Then dollop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over that (kind of like how you do with lasagna). Repeat layers ending with the beef mixture. Cover with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until all bubbly.

*The amount of garlic depends on how much you like. The recipe actually only calls for one clove. I usually put 2 and I think Jennie puts more too.
*In my family when we use green onions we use the white part and chop part way up the green (until it gets to the really dark green part). I know some people like to use more of the green than we do...if so, use less onions.

Yakisoba

I'm so lucky that Paul makes dinner for us once a week! I have really enjoyed trying more Japanese food, and this meal is one of my favorites.

Paul told me that when he was on his mission they would make this often and use whatever they had in their fridge that was going to go bad soon in it. You can use pretty much any kind of meat and any combination of vegetables. As you might predict, Paul's favorite meat to use is thinly sliced beef from the Japanese grocery store. :)

First, you need to buy some noodles. Occasionally, you can find them at a regular grocery store, but you may need to go to an Asian grocery store. They'll be in the refrigerated section. This is Paul's favorite brand:


Yakisoba
Ingredients:
1 package yakisoba noodles (seasoning packets included)
about 3/4 lb meat (Paul likes thinly sliced beef, but chicken or other meat works well, too)
1/2 large onion, chopped into thin slices
mixed vegetables of your choice (last night we used bell peppers and peas...though the peas didn't work very well when you're eating with chopsticks)

Directions:
Start cooking your meat over medium heat. Add the onions once you've chopped them up. Stir and cook until meat is done and onions are tender. Add other vegetables and cook and stir until they are done as well. If you're using frozen vegetables, this only takes a couple minutes. If you are using fresh vegetables such as potatoes and eggplant, make sure you chop them into small pieces and cook until they are tender. Add the noodles, and mix it all together, breaking up the clumps of noodles. Once the noodles are mixed in well, sprinkle seasoning one packet at a time and toss until everything is evenly coated. Paul only uses two of the three packets of seasoning.


This recipe makes enough for Paul and I, with enough leftover for one person's lunch. :)