Pasta alla Vodka

Are you needing an easy week night dinner that tastes like you've been slaving for hours? Look no further! This amazing dish has by far the absolute best sauce I've ever made! I made it twice, but it was still too involved and, per my husband, required too many dirty dishes for clean-up. The second try I think was the better of the two recipes! This is so creamy and delicious that I am thinking it might be on our weekly menu. I'm sure the liquor store will think we have really taken a liking Vodka when we keep coming back for it.

Pasta alla Vodka

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Cooks Illustrated

Yields: 5 servings

16 oz dried pasta shapes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 can crushed tomatoes (15 oz)

1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 cup vodka

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup reserved pasta water, if needed

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves

freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente and drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Mix in garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour the crushed tomatoes into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and add enough water to make it 2 cups (about 1/4 cup of water is necessary). Add this and the salt to the pan with the onion mixture. Remove pan from heat and add the vodka. Return pan to heat and simmer briskly on medium heat until alcohol cooks off, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if simmer becomes too brisk.

Stir in the cream and cook an additional 1 minute, being sure to not cook too long or else the sauce will separate. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss well. Cook on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes to allow the sauce to be absorbed by the pasta. If the pasta seems to thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Both times I used all of the 1/4 cup and it made the dish much more creamy! Add the basil and top with Parmesan cheese when serving.

Chicken Stroganoff

This recipe originally called for cubed turkey, but I'm not seasoned enough yet to experiment with it; nor do I know where to find turkey like that (reasonably priced anyways). Chicken is a great substitute and tasted amazing in this easy skillet dinner. You can always cook the chicken when you have time and just store it in the fridge. That really makes this dinner take no time at all to prepare. We also always substitute frozen corn for peas with any recipe since we both dislike peas. My husband even took all of the leftovers (and yes, I mean ALL) for lunch the next few days. None of this was thrown out if that says anything about the taste. Next time I might not use as many noodles since it wasn't as creamy as I'd like. I added quite a bit more than the recipe called for. :) That's what I do, though.

Chicken Stroganoff

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Yields: 4-6 servings

1 can chicken broth (14 oz)

1 jar turkey gravy (12 oz)

2.5 cups uncooked wide egg noodles

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup sour cream

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (or turkey)

In a large skillet, heat broth and gravy until boiling. Stir in noodles, carrots, peas, sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return pan to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken (or turkey) until noodles and vegetables are tender and warm.

Penne and Smoked Sausage

Ever get into a slump when it comes to weeknight meals? I know I usually do. When it comes to smoked sausage I have two recipes. Two. How sad is that?! I can make hundreds of things with ground beef, chicken, etc. Why should smoked sausage get ignored? Not anymore! I was inspired by some recent commercials of a woman making a pasta dish with her smoked sausage. Seemed like a great idea. This pasta turned out better than I'd expected, but my husband wasn't totally impressed. It was good enough for dinner, but not for leftovers. You can decide for yourself, but I think it was rather tasty. It has very few ingredients and is a quick weeknight dinner for those with a family!

Penne and Smoked Sausage
Adapted from: Taste of Home
Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 lb cooked smoked sausage, halved and diced
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of celery soup (10.75 oz)
1 1/2 cups french fried onions, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup frozen corn

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 13x9 casserole dish and set aside. In a large bowl, combine milk and soup. Mix well and add 1/2 cup french fried onions, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, corn and sausage. Mix until well incorporated.

Transfer contents of bowl to the greased baking pan. Flatten slightly with a spoon. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove foil and top with remaining 1 cup of french fried onions and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Ragu

When I look at this picture, it reminds me of Chef Boyardee’s Beefaroni. Trust me, it tastes nothing like that! Wait, is that a good thing? ;) This beef ragu was really delicious. I don’t think I cooked the veggies enough because they were still crunchy so I would suggest cooking them a bit longer. Other than that, my husband approved. He likes meat, meat and more meat. This was perfect for him to come home to one day after work. I also think this would go really well with some homemade garlic bread. Although it does take a little bit of time to simmer, I know that it is worth it.

Hearty Beef Ragu
Adapted from: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally Williams-Sonoma
Serves: 6-8

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1 lb ground beef
2/3 cup cranberry juice (or red wine)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb pasta shapes (penne, rotini, etc)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary. Cook until veggies are softened, about 10-12 minutes. Add 1-2 Tbsp water, if needed, to keep the pan from drying out and vegetables from browning. Add the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spatula, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add cranberry juice (or wine) and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, about 30-40 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.

Before the sauce is finished, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the stock pot with the sauce. Mix well to combine and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm.

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

My husband has been the most supportive person in the entire world during the first half of my pregnancy. He has put up with mood swings, the occasional stomach ache, and my constantly-changing body (and not in the ‘honey I’m getting a six pack’ kind of way). I absolutely love him for that and for always paying attention. His memory is ten times what mine is. When I sent him to the grocery store to get some white cheddar cheese, all of it was unpasteurized except one. He remembered that our OB’s office told me to never eat unpasteurized cheese (I miss real queso). What an amazing husband I have!

I needed white cheddar cheese, shredded, for this recipe and it only comes in blocks. I guess almost all grocery stores keep them near the deli counter instead of where the general shredded cheese is. This kind of cheese and the way it melts is really the only kind of cheese I would recommend for this dish. It really gave a great taste to the chicken and pasta. The spices really kicked it up a notch, especially for my husband who loves spicy foods. This is a perfect weeknight meal to take for lunches in the days after cooking it. It keeps well and still tastes great!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
Adapted from: Homemade by Holman
Serves: 4-6
For the chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ tsp mustard
1 Tbsp thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the Pasta:
1 lb short-cut pasta (bowtie or rotini)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle spices onto both sides of raw chicken pieces. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and brown about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked all the way through. Set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and add flour. Whisk to combine. Add wine, garlic, onions, and mustard and cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir well to melt.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Once everything is warmed and cooked through, add together in the large skillet with the cheese mixture. Add thyme and oregano and toss well to incorporate. Serve warm and top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes as desired.

Stove Top Mac N Cheese

Mac and cheese is always a welcomed guest in my home. I like to dress it up, keep it basic and even throw in some meat once in a while. That is exactly what I did with this recipe. It’s a great side dish as-is, but I wanted to just have it for dinner. Since my husband won’t eat anything without meat, I thought ham chunks would go over well; and they sure did! He didn’t complain or even suggest (as he has in the past) about this not being “a real main dish.” As a side dish, however, this would be fantastic for a weeknight dinner or even something easy for New Years.

Stove Top Mac & Cheese
Adapted from: Homemade by Holman, originally Food Network
Serves: 6-8

14 oz pasta shapes (I used rotini)
3 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
9 oz evaporated milk
½ tsp hot sauce
½ tsp mustard
½ tsp dried thyme
2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Cook to al dente and drain. Reduce heat to medium-low and return the pot to the stove. Add butter and melt with pasta. Whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and pour mixture over top of pasta. Stir and cook about one minute. Add cheese and stir constantly to melt and incorporate well. Cook an additional 2 minutes and add more salt or pepper later if needed. Serve warm.

Mom's Skillet Goulash

Although this doesn't look as tasty as you might think, goulash very much is! Goulash always looks like mush and other things I won't mention on here, but it actually doesn't taste all that bad. It's not one of my favorite dishes, but I'll work on tweaking it to perfect the recipe. For now, it's a pretty easy weeknight dinner if you have little time and energy after a long day at work.

Mom's Skillet Goulash

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Serves: 4

8 oz uncooked pasta (rotini or mini shells)

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)

1 cup chopped onion

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (15 oz each)

1 can condensed tomato soup (11 oz)

1 tsp dried basil leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet or dutch oven, cook the beef, celery and onion on medium-high heat until meat is no longer red. Drain and return to skillet. Add the cooked (and drained) pasta and all remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. Serve warm.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken Pasta

I used to get the Real Simple magazine at home. Unfortunately I have taught myself to cut back on certain things while I am job-searching. As tough as the market has been, surprisingly, I have not missed too much of my "luxuries" but this magazine sure is one of them. Fortunately for me, right before my last subscription a while back, I received a recipe booklet from them with easy recipes and this was one of my favorites! I did change the recipe around a little because the cheese and chicken liked each other a lot and wanted nothing to do with the pasta. I.e. there were chicken/cheese chunks throughout the dish.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Adapted from: Real Simple

Serves: 4

12 oz orechiette pasta (or small shells)

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with a fork and set aside. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Return pasta to the pot and add the rosemary, pasta water, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Mix and heat on medium-low heat until cheese is melted and creamy. Add the chicken last and then cook until warmed thoroughly, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese onto individual pasta dishes and serve immediately.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

I won't lie. These were messy. Messy usually means delicious in my book! I usually make a "normal" lasagna but I was feeling extra spicy this past week and so I was inspired by a fellow blogger to make lasagna in a different way. My husband knows his meat, and unfortunately he knew that it tasted "different". Well, I tried to sneak in some ground turkey but he cannot be fooled! It's back to ground beef .. for now. ;)

These were messy to make and messy to eat but they were a very traditional lasagna in an untraditional display. I love making things over again, but in a different way and these turned out great! I just used my regular lasagna recipe, halved (I didn't want too many leftovers) and it seemed to work perfectly.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Inspired by: Homemade by Holman, Recipe original to Kelly's Kitch

1 pound ground beef
1 small can tomato/spaghetti sauce (14-16 oz)
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1/3 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 lb lasagna noodles, cooked
1/2 tub racotta cheese
mozzarella cheese, for topping
parmesan cheese, for topping

Brown meat in large skillet. Add onion and cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Stir in tomato sauce, paste, water, garlic and seasonings. Cover and simmer on low 25 minutes. Once eveything is cooked, take lasagna noodles (halved) and spread 1-2 tsp ricotta on the noodle. Place 1-2 tsp of the skillet mixture on top and place in a 8x8 greased baking dish. Cover with remaining meat mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese to cover. Cover with foil. Bake, covered, in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Taco Mac

Sometimes I love to just get some boxed foods and make those for dinner but I have grown to despise the taste of salt. I know, totally un-American. During our early years of dating, my husband and I were either in college or fresh out in the new world so Ramen Noodles and Hamburger Helper stocked our cabinets as far as the eye could see. I really hated both because of the insane amount of sodium packed into them. My husband, however, absolutely loved them both. How we ever eat together is amazing to me every day.

So I saw this recipe on Annie's website and thought that my husband would love a "Hamburger Helper" night and I would love that it doesn't have that nasty, bloating sodium taste in it. We were both extremely pleased and I was happy that it made a lot so I could eat it all weekend for leftovers.

Creamy Taco Mac

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Delish

1 1/4 lb ground beef

8 oz dry pasta shapes (I used mini-ziti)

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes, drained (14 oz)

4 tbsp taco seasoning

3 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet, brown the ground beef. A few minutes before it is done cooking completely, add the onions and cook until done. Add in garlic until fragrant (30 seconds). Mix in diced tomatoes and seasoning and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved pasta water (except cheese) and mix well until blended. Simmer an additional 3-5 minutes to allow some of the liquid to reduce a bit. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

Quick Skillet Lasagna

It's really not often that I venture away from my traditional lasagna that is so delicious and has wonderful layers of pasta, cheese and beef. This week, however I had asked my husband to find recipes and cook them for me. It was somewhat out of frustration of my always cooking (and he rarely does the dishes to help out) and partially because I wanted to see what he would come up with. I need more ideas of things he might like. On a side note, I very much love my husband and even though he might not do the dishes, he does a lot around the house in terms of fixing it up/construction and what I like to call 'manly duties'.

This was one of the recipes that he had picked out for the week. I knew he liked lasagna but this was a quick and easy recipe with only a few ingredients. I'm sure he thought to himself, "Why doesn't Kelly make this lasagna recipe instead of the one she slaves for hours over?" Well .. the traditional lasagna is an impressive culinary dish for large get-togethers of our friends and family. This dish is something I can whip together in 30 minutes or less just for the two of us and there isn't too many leftovers that will get wasted. PERFECT for us!

Quick Skillet Lasagna

Adapted from: Biggest Book of 30-Minute Meals

6 oz dried mafalda noodles (mini lasagna)

1.5 lb ground beef

1 jar marinara/pasta sauce (24-26 ounces)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large 10-inch deep-dish skillet cook ground beef until browned. Strain the ground beef and wipe skillet out with paper towel.

Layer half of the cooked pasta in the skillet. Cover with half the pasta sauce and meat. Cover with cheese. Repeat layer with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until cheese on top has melted. Remove from skillet and let stand for 3 minutes and serve.

Classic Fettucini Alfredo II

I love pasta. I can't emphaasize that enough. I am so grateful to have good genes (in some areas) and that my parents have very high metabolisms and don't gain weight very easily. I am probably not doing myself any favors by eating pasta all the time though. Well I tried this recipe a while back and it was pretty good. The sauce was amazing since I had never made home made fettucini sauce before. I have always loved my fettucini with tomatoes. I put tomatoes on everything: pizza, pasta, doesn't matter. I thought this would be a wonderful addition to the recipe. I also used fettucini noodles instead of spaghetti this time (I forgot last time) and it was just fantastic.

Classic Fettucini Alfredo II
Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Brown Eyed Baker
For chicken breasts: (OMIT for vegetarian entree)
1-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper, to taste

For fettucini sauce:
3 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1.5 cups heavy cream
1.5 cups parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste
3/4 cup chopped roma tomato pieces

First, boil water stove top and cook noodles to preferred consistency. Meanwhile, cook chicken breasts with oil in a small skillet on mediut heat 3-5 minutes on each side until no longer pink. Slice and set aside. Keep warm.

Then, melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic and cream, simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook an additional 5-7 minutes until thickened. Mix in cheese until melted and salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss in the tomatoes and serve warm with chicken on top.

Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Sometimes I wish I had excellent photography skills. This is one of those times. My picture does absolutely nothing for this fantastic recipe. This is surely a household favorite now! The original recipe was only stuffed spinach shells but I now know better from when I attempted to feed my husband spinach lasagna. If there is no meat, he won't eat it. End of story. So I decided to add some spicy Italian Sausage and my oh my was it a wonderful addition! It was also wonderful that I got to use my new 5 quart casserole dish that I haven't been able to yet. I was so excited it could have been a complete flop and I wouldn't have cared since I got to use my new dish. Since it was a complete success it made it just that much more worth it!

Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Adaped from: New Cookbook, Bridal Edition (Better Homes and Gardens)

1 lb Italian Sausage (I used Hot)

20-25 dried jumbo shell macaroni

3/4 lb package frozen spinach, thawed (about 7 oz)

2 eggs, beaten

8 oz shredded cheese (I used mexican blend)

1-1.5 cup ricotta cheese

26-28 oz pasta/marinara sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and set aside. Meanwhile cook the Italian Sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat crumbling as it cooks until completely browned. Once browned, place into a large mixing bowl with drained spinach 1.5 cups of cheese, ricotta and eggs. Spoon about 2-3 tbsp (or enough to fill pasta) into shells and place into large baking dish. I used a 5 quart and completely filled it up.

Then pour the marinara sauce over the shells. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprink with remaining shredded cheese before serving.

Beef and Vegetable Linguine

I can't remember what magazine I got this from but it has been a huge family favorite in our house for a while. I just cut out the recipe and put it on an index card a while ago before blogging. I think it may have come from a Kraft magazine but I could be wrong. At any rate, this pasta dish has everything you could ever want: beef, veggies and not too much sauce. When cooking the suace it seems like it won't be enough to coat all the linguine but it will be. It comes out to be the perfect amount. I also am a HUGE fan of broccoli and carrots so this is a fantastic, easy, quick weeknight meal for just my husband and myself. Plus as an added bonus I rarely ever make steak so he really loves anything I cook with that in it.

Beef and Vegetable Linguine

Adapted from: source unknown (possibly a Kraft Food Magazine)

8 oz linguine

3 cups broccoli florets

2 cups carrot slices

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 lb beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

Cook pasta according to package directions in large pot. Add broccoli and carrots during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta mixture and return to serving bowl. Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Add the meat and cook until browned, sitrring occasionally. Stir in dressing, teriyaki sauce and ginger. Cook until sauce thickens, about 5 additional minutes. Pour meat and sauce mixture on top of noodle mixture in serving bowl and toss to combine.

Spicy Mac and Cheese

If I could eat macaroni and cheese every day for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I would never complain. I absolutely love almost any variation of macaroni and cheese. When I saw this post online I knew I just had to make it because I had never had a spicy macaroni before! Plus I was allowed to use my own noodles and had a bunch of rotini leftover so it was the perfect way to use it up. I actually had half a box of whole wheat and half a box of white .. but my husband didn't seem to notice. ;)

This was the most perfect macaroni. My husband's only complaint was that I made it for our main course so it didn't have any meat in it. Yeah yeah yeah .. sure thing honey. So next time, for him, I think I might add some spicy Italian sausage for meat. If I do make this again, I might double the recipe and have guests over. This would be an absolute MUST for my Thanksgiving dinner table as a side dish (without the meat addition).

If you notice I did go a little crazy with the bread crumbs but I won't do that next time.

Spicy Mac and Cheese

Adapted from: Annie's Eats

4 cups pasta shapes (I used rotini)

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (or roasted red pepper)

2 jalepenos, seeded and finely choppd

6.5 tbsp butter, divided

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

2.5 cups milk

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

16 oz four cheese blend, shredded (you can use any 4 cheese combo)

italian bread crumbs, for topping

Cook pasta stove top to package directions. When finished cooking, drain and keep in collander. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 tbsp butter in small skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper and jalapeno to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5-7 minutes until softened and remove from heat and set aside.

In medium sauce pan, melt 4 tbsp butter on medium-high heat. Once melted, slowly whisk in the flour and add the milk almost immediately. Cook until well blended and bubbly (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low and mix in the spices. Then add in the cheese and mix well until completely melted. Try at this point to refrain from eating all the cheese mixture because it is soooo good. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small casserole dish (2 quart). Return the drained pasta to large pot that it was cooked in. Add the cooked vegetables and cheese mixture to the pot and combine well. Pour into the casserole dish and gently flatten. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top (not too many). Bake for 25 minutes or until mixture is heated and top is golden brown. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

I am not really sure where to begin to talk about this dish. My husband and I both love cajun food. This looked like it would be a fantastic hit. The preparation and cooking was so easy for this I thought that maybe I had missed an ingredient (as usual) or it wasn't going to be what I had expected. It completely surpassed both of our expectations!! This was a 110% success. All of the spices came together perfectly. There wasn't too many bell peppers. The pasta and sauce went wonderfully together. The only thing I might change next time is adding a little more chicken for my husband. He likes his meat.

I was also surprised to find out that my dish (despite my best picture taking efforts) actually looked almost the exact same as the original blog I found it on. That almost never happens! And my husband took every last morsel for himself the next day for lunch. I think next time I will double the recipe with no problem. I'm sure the leftovers will get eaten very quickly around here. The recipe below is adapted to what I will make next time (just adding that extra half chicken breast).

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Smells Like Home

For chicken:

1 tbsp butter

1.5 boneless chicken breasts, uncooked, cubed

salt and pepper, to taste

cajun seasoning, to taste

For pasta and sauce:

8-10 ounces bowtie pasta

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped (I omitted this time)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1.5 cups whipping cream

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

3 scallions, chopped

First, heat a medium skillet on medium-high heat melting 1 tbsp butter. Once melted add the cubed, uncooked chicken, salt and pepper. Toss to combine until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Meanwhile, begin to heat a pot of boiling water for the pasta. When chicken is done, set in small bowl and set aside (it may cool off but this is okay). Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions until desired consistency.

While pasta is cooking, heat butter and oil in medium skillet (used previously for chicken) on medium heat. Once butter is melted add peppers and onion. Mix in the salt, pepper, cajun and cayenne seasonings. Cook until peppers are softened (about 6-8 minutes). Add whipping cream to skillet and simmer. Meanwhile, in a very small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and whisk well. Once skillet mixture has started to bubble, add the cornstarch mixture. Continue to simmer abother 5 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently.

When sauce has thickened, add chicken and pasta. Toss to coat well and cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes to warm chicken pieces up. You may add additional cajun seasoning to taste. I added another 1.5 tsp at this point because we like a lot of spiciness!! Also add the scallions at the last step. Toss well and serve warm.

Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna is my favorite thing to make. I always make the traditional meat, ricotta, tomato sauce. I found this one on another blogger's website and the pictures just looked amazing! My pictures aren't the best, but I am working with a point-and-shoot. I do see a dslr in my near future though.

Anyways, this lasagna was FULL of ricotta and other cheeses. I usually love cheese but this was cheese-overload. I would have happily halved the recipe and baked in a smaller 8x8 pan. Based on most recipes with ricotta and my experiences with Lasagna, I used only 2/3 of what the original called for. It still was too much. The parmesan cheese, however brought a wonderful taste to the palate. I might use more of that next time. My husband was not fond of this at all! Most people say they are a 'meat and potatoes' person. Well, he is just a meat person. He loves his meat. Me? My cholesterol is over 300 and I need to eat better! It's a really good thing I don't like red meat at all anyways.

If you do like lasagna, spinach and ricotta then you will love this one!! I have adapted the recipe below to what I made. I will post another adaptation as I begin to make it suitable to what my carnivorous husband will eat.

Spinach Lasagna

Adapted from: Smells Like Home, sauce from Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Pasta

Bechamel Sauce:

6 tbsp butter

4 cups warm milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch of nutmeg

In large saucepan on medium heat melt butter. Add the milk and flour and whisk together. Add seasonings and mix well. Reduce heat a little to make sure sauce does not boil! Cook for about 10 minutes until thickened. Place in heat-proof bowl (I placed in a mixing bowl), cover and put into the freezer* for later.

*If you make this sauce well ahead of time you may just place it in the refrigerator instead.

Lasagna:

8 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 recipe Bechamel sauce (above)

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (10 oz)

20 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large stock pot boil water and cook lasagna noodles according to directions on package. Meanwhile, in medium mixing bowl combine ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once noodles are cooked and drained, line bottom of greased 9x13 pan with noodles. Then add a layer of ricotta mixture, half of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the Bechamel sauce. Repeat layer. Cover with nooles again and top with remaining Bechamel sauce and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then serve.

Chicken, Broccoli and Noodle Supreme

To be honest, some recipes just scare me. This was one of them. I love broccoli, egg noodles and chicken. The other ingredients I was a little skeptical on if they would taste well together in the same dish or if we were going to be getting take-out somewhere again.

I was very pleasantly surprised and my husband was too. He rarely eats anything with broccoli or any green vegetable in it. When doing the dishes later, I was so happy to find that he didn't even push his broccoli aside, he ate them all!! Another fantastic success! Now if I could just find something to coat asparagus in..

Chicken, Broccoli and Noodle Supreme

Adapted from: Recipezaar

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

3 cups uncooked egg noodles

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Boil uncooked, cubed chicken pieces on medium-high heat in 80% water 20% chicken broth. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout.

After chicken is simmering, place a pot on stove to boil egg noodles in water (add a little extra for the broccoli in later step). In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, or once the noodles begin to loose their "stiffness" add the broccoli to the pot and cook another 5 minutes. Be sure to not over-cook the noodles though.

Drain the pot with noodles and broccoli and return to stove. Place on medium heat and add chicken cubes, sour cream, parmesan, soup, and pepper. Mix well and cook a bit longer until warmed.

Baked Ziti

I originally was going to make this for my husband's friends that were going to help us move a few weeks ago since it's such a huge dish. Well, our closing was delayed indefinitely and I still had all the ingredients. I knew we would eat the leftovers anyways so went ahead and made it. Plus I fully took advantage of having Brad pre-test it for when we do finally move.

My husband loved it and so did I. What a winner! I might even cut this recipe in half and make in a smaller dish just for us from now on. Now that I have a fabulous new garlic bread recipe I think it will go very well with this. The boys are gonna love this!

Oh and just to give you a visual, here is a picture of my very full 9x13 inch glass dish. I followed the recipe from the website as-is. If you have a deep dish pan, I highly suggest using that.

Baked Ziti

Adapted from: Annie's Eats , originally Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2009

1 lb cottage cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 lb ziti

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

20 oz turkey Italian sausage (1 pkg)

1/2 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can tomato sauce (28 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp basil (dried or fresh)

1 tsp sugar

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 tsp cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)

8 oz low-moisture mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup parmesan together in medium bowl and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until it begins to soften but not completely cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and crumble sausage cooking until nearly brown. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook until sausage is completely browned. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup basil, sugar, salt and pepper.

In small bowl, combine cornstarch and heavy cream. Transfer mixture to now-empty stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from heat adding the cottage cheese mixture, 1.5 cups of tomato sauce mixture and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add pasta and toss to coat evenly.

Transfer pasta mixture to 9x13 dish and spread remaining tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and cook 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and continue cooking another 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with basil to garnish.

Meaty Rigatoni

This is originally named Pasta alla Marlboro Man. I decided to give it a name that was recognizable. This dish is very meaty and the rigatoni goes well with it. I am more of a saucy-type of gal but it had enough spices in it to satisfy. My husband really loved this recipe. He is a big meat lover so I'm sure that had a little to do with it.

I split the recipe in half and had a ton of rigatoni leftover (I used one pound) so I think that I might use that for my fettucini later this week. I'm all about not wasting leftovers. We even bought a second set of tupperware to match our current set. At the beginning of the week it's hard to find tupperware for leftovers when all my prepped, cut and chopped veggies are in all of them.

Here is the delicious garlic bread recipe!

Meaty Rigatoni

Adapted from: Pioneer Woman

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb ground beef

salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp ground thyme

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 lb rigatoni

Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute. Make sure garlic doesn't brown. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain as much excess fast as possible and add salt, pepper, thyme and canned tomatoes (with juice). Stir, reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook an additional 20 minutes.

During second 20 minutes of cooking meat mixture, cook rigatoni according to package directions. Place in serving bowls and keep warm. Add meat mixture on top of rigatoni and sprinkle parmesan on top. This goes fantastic with garlic bread!