Semi-Homemade Manicotti

Obviously, I love Italian food. I also love shortcuts on these long days. I just popped this one in the oven. Overall, it takes just over an hour to prepare! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 C ricotta cheese
1 3/4 C shredded mozzarella
3/4 C grated romano cheese (use parmesan in a pinch)
1/3 C chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T milk
3 large eggs
1 C water
3/4 C flour
3 C store-bought meat sauce (I use 1 jar of Classico Italian Sausage)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 C mozzarella, 1/2 C romano, parsley & milk.
2. Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk the eggs with water. Whisk in flour.
3. You may need to brush the skillet with a dab of oil... ladle 3 T batter onto the skillet then tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter.

Cook 1 minute, flip & cook 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking the crepes on a plate.
4. Spread 1/2 the meat sauce into a 9x13" baking dish. To save some time, in between pouring the crepe batter, spoon cheese mixture down the center of each already done crepe.

Roll closed & arrange into baking dish.


5. When your baking dish is full, top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Deconstructed Lasagna

The Spring semester is the busiest time for me so I just don't have time for elaborate meals. I had a craving for lasagna the other night - who ever has time for that!? :) This is another Rachael Ray recipe that satisfied my taste for the traditional. Fusilli is hard to find sometimes, so sub bowtie pasta if needed!

Ingredients:
kosher salt & pepper
1# long fusilli pasta (or a little less if you're using bowtie)
2 T EVOO
1# lean ground sirloin
1 small carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 C beef broth
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
a few leaves of fresh basil (or sub a dash of dried)
1 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 T butter
2/3 grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (or regular parm)

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot, salt it & add pasta. Cook to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add beef, crumbling to bits as it cooks until lightly browned (3-4 min).
3. Over the skillet, grate in carrot, onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened then stir in beef broth, tomatoes & basil. Let simmer.
4. In small bowl, stir together ricotta & parsley.
5. When pasta is done, drain & return to pot. Stir in butter then the parmesan & meat sauce. Serve over a dollop of the ricotta mixture with a hunk of toasty garlic bread alongside! MMMM!

Granted, it's not quite as good as the real thing, but it gets the job done! Enjoy! :)

Lean, Mean Meatloaf

When I have the time, I prefer my "beefed up" meatloaf recipe. If you're short on time, though, this one is quick to prepare and DELICIOUS!! It's also healthier without the sugar & sodium-heavy traditional ketchup topping, not to mention that substituting oats for breadcrumbs boosts the fiber content! Enjoy!! *Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
3/4 C rolled oats (regular oatmeal)
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1 - 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
salt & pepper
1 1/2 lb. 93% lean ground sirloin
***I substituted 1# ground turkey breast!

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a food processor, coarsely grind oats & transfer to a large bowl. Add onion to processor & finely chop.
3. In a sm-med skillet, heat EVOO over med heat then add onion & cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 min). Meanwhile, puree roasted peppers in processor, setting aside 1/3 C.
4. Whisk the remaining puree into the oats along with the onion, 6 T parmesan, parsley, egg & egg white, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.
5. Crumble the meat into the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Transfer mixture to a 5x9 loaf pan, spread the reserved puree on top & bake for 50 minutes.
7. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup with Chicken

With cold weather rolling in and my seasonal head cold to go with it, I had an itch for soup and came up with this... it only took about 45 minutes total. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 C broccoli florets in bite-sized pieces (about 1 head)
4 carrots, roughly chopped
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boiled*, chopped
2 T butter, divided
3 stalks of celery, sliced or diced
1 C onion, chopped
1 T flour
1/4 tsp salt
A dash or two of black pepper, thyme and basil
1 C half-n-half (substitute milk, if desired)
2-2 1/2 C chicken stock, divided
4 oz Velveeta cheese, sliced

*To prepare chicken, place breasts in small pot and cover with water. Add a little salt if you wish. Cover and bring to a hard boil, then remove from heat, leaving covered for 15-20 minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces. It should come out just done, not overcooked or dry.

1. Steam broccoli and carrots, then drain and set aside.
2. In large pot, melt 1 T butter and saute celery and onion until tender.
3. Meanwhile, reserve 1-2 C broccoli and carrots. The rest goes into a food processor or blender with 1 C chicken stock. Process until smooth.
4. When celery and onion are tender, melt in remaining 1 T butter then stir in flour, salt, pepper, thyme and basil and cook another minute.
5. Stir in half-n-half and bring to a bubble, then add cheese to melt.
6. Stir in processed veggies and remaining 1 C chicken stock (or a little more to desired consistency), reserved veggies and chicken.
7. Bring to a simmer to heat through and serve.

Ravioli with Tomato-Basil Cream

If you are a follower of my recipes and haven't yet planted your own basil, well, it's never too late! :) This recipe is very quick and easy, courtesy of Southern Living. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
20 oz. *refrigerated* four-cheese ravioli (or 13 oz. three-cheese tortellini)
16 oz. jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 T white wine (or chicken broth)
14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained (or 2 med. fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 C (big handful) chopped fresh basil
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

1. Start water to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a saucepan large enough to hold everything in the end. Pour wine into sauce jar, shake well and stir into saucepan.
3. Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook over med-low heat until thoroughly heated through.
4. When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Dish up, top with Parmesan cheese and garnish if desired.

Family-Style Calzone

This is another Pampered Chef-inspired recipe... And a think ahead note: if you're not particularly fond of pepperoni and/or black olives, substitute chopped chicken and basil pesto! YUM!!

Ingredients:
1 egg, separated
1/2 C chopped pitted ripe olives (small can, already chopped works perfect!)
1 container (about 15 oz) ricotta cheese (part-skim if desired)
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C snipped fresh parsley
1 box Krusteaz Country White bread mix (including yeast packet)
1 T Italian seasoning
1 C very warm water
4 oz sliced pepperoni

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Separate egg, dropping white into a medium bowl. Reserve the yolk for later use.
3. Add olives, ricotta cheese, 1/2 C mozzarella, parmesan and parsley to the bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, prepare bread as directed on the box, adding the Italian seasoning with the water.
5. After kneading, divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece to fit the bottom of your baking dish. (I use a stoneware baker. If you use a regular baking dish, you should lightly grease and flour it 1st.)
6. Sprinkle 1/2 C mozzarella to within 1/2" of edge. Layer 1/2 of pepperoni then spread ricotta mixture evenly over pepperoni. Top with remaining pepperoni and mozzarella.
7. Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Press dough all around to seal the edges.
8. Beat the reserved egg yolk and brush over dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with some more parmesan (I like to use shredded here.)
9. Cut slits in top crust. This is easiest to do with kitchen shears.
10. Bake for about 18 minutes, until deep golden brown. Keep a close eye so that it doesn't burn! Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I've been bored with the same old things so going through my cookbooks... found a great and different way to do lasagna (courtesy of Pampered Chef, but I of course changed it up a bit)!! Following is the basic recipe but you can pack it full of vegetables - zucchini, squash, etc. for a healthy, hearty meal.

Ingredients:
8-10 No Bake Lasagna noodles I like Barilla
1 jar (about 16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 C coarsely chopped cooked chicken (see Notes below)
--Leftover roasted chicken could be substituted as well!
14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 (or 2) garlic cloves, pressed
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 C (or as much as you want) fresh baby spinach leaves

Ok, 1st of all I found that it's very quick and much easier to prep everything 1st, using a food chopper to get all the chopping done rather than the old fashioned way... if you don't have one, they're a great investment!

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, artichokes, bell pepper, onions and garlic. Add cheeses and mix together well.
4. Assemble lasagna:
--Apread 2/3 C sauce mixture over bottom of a deep dish baker.
--Top with 1/2 of the noodles, overlapping where necessary.
--Layer 1/2 of the spinach, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. (Here is where you can add whatever chopped veggies you prefer.)
--Repeat layers, starting w/ 1/2 of the remaining sauce.
--Top w/ remaining sauce.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly.
6. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to allow it to "set up".

This yields 6-8 big servings!

CHICKEN NOTE: To easily prepare chicken, place boneless, skinless breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. By the time you have your veggies chopped, the chicken should have finished cooking. You can also use the food chopper for the chicken!!