Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce


(adapted from recipe at SkinnyTaste)


Ingredients:
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced small
  • 2 celery stalks, diced small
  • 15 baby carrots, diced small
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp parsley flakes
  • 3/4 cup half & half
Directions:
  1. In a large frying pan, cook the bacon on low heat for about 5 minutes.  
  2. Add in the onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes on low.
  3. Add the ground beef and garlic, and turn the heat up to medium high and cook until browned.
  4. Drain the grease off, and add in the wine.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add to crock pot. Add tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
  6. (If preparing the night before, cover and put in the refrigerator)
  7. Cover and set slow cooker to low for 8 -10 hours. 
  8. Adjust
    salt and pepper to taste,
    add parsley and half and half.
  9. Serve over your favorite pasta.


My review:  This was delicious and made a TON!  I ended up making a lasagna with the leftover sauce - which makes about 4 meals for John and I.  You could make this and freeze into 2-4 meals for your family.  We both really loved the flavor of the sauce, and it's a nice, hearty, healthy meal, with lots of vegetables.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Lasagna Soup

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 (32 oz) box chicken broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups broken lasagna noodles
  • 1 (5 oz) package grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

  1. In a large pot, combine ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic. 
  2. Cook until beef is browned.
  3. Drain well.
  4. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt.
  5. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
  6. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender.  (If you want, you can boil these separately and then just add in at this point).
  7. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
  8. Serve in bowls, covered in mozzerella cheese.
My review:  This was delicious!  Tasted just like lasagna, with a little less work!  Serve with crispy baguette slices and a yummy green salad.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Philly Cream Cheese and Tomato Pasta


Ingredients
  • 1 pound fusilli or rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 jar of your favorite red pasta sauce (I used Prego Mushroom)
  • 3/4 block of cream cheese, cubed
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese


Directions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
  2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion on medium high heat.
  3. Drain the grease off of the beef, and return to the stove.
  4. Add in the garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Add the sauce and bring the whole mixture to a simmer.
  6. Once it is simmering, add in the cream cheese and parmesan and stir well.  It will take about 5 minutes for the cream cheese to melt and incorporate into the red sauce.  Keep stirring.
  7. At this point, you can either mix together with the pasta in a large dish, or you can just serve on top of the pasta, whatever floats your pasta-loving boat!
  8. Serve with a green salad, as the sauce is very creamy and rich.


My review:  This was amazing, and something I just threw together on a weeknight for dinner.  I planned on making spaghetti, but opened the fridge and saw cream cheese, and it was all over after that.  It was such a good hot meal after a crappy cold rainy day.  We both loved it, and it was another one where we were fighting over who got to eat the leftovers.  Yum!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

10-minute Tortellini Dish

I have a new love...  It's called Philadelphia Cooking Creme.  It's delicious, it's easy, and it makes a quick, delightful meal!  I plan to try all the flavors, but this is my first.





1 (19oz) package frozen cheese tortellini
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Italian Cheese & Herb flavor

Cook the tortellini as directed on the package.
In a large skillet,using medium heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water, and add peas and mushrooms.
Cook until the peas are warm throughout, about 5 minutes.
Add the cooking creme and chicken to the vegetables and stir, let heat up for 2 minutes.
Drain the tortellini, and stir into the cream mixture.
Enjoy!

My review:  This was delicious.  A wonderful quick meal for nights that I'm on the go.  I can't wait to try the other flavors of the cooking creme.  This would be great with any other vegetables you like too.  I think I would like it with broccoli or pea pods.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup

Who's a huge slacker??  This girl.  I've been up to my ears in my last 2 grad classes, wedding planning, house hunting, cleaning, and working that I haven't had much time to cook, much less be able to post recipes.  Thanks to an anonymous comment begging me to come back, I'm back!  I'm not promising crazy amounts of posts, but I'm hoping one new recipe a week.  So... here comes the first recipe!


adapted from the Well Fed Newlyweds recipe found here: Tortellini Soup.  Check out their blog for more delicious and wonderful recipes!


1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 quart vegetable broth (you can also use chicken broth)
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes (or canned whole tomatoes)
Salt
Pepper
2 (9oz) packages frozen tortellini, cooked according to the package
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese, for garnish
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage, cooked and drained (optional)


Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large soup pot.  When heated up, add the garlic and onion, and saute until the onions are soft.
Add the broth, oregano, and tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you plan to add sausage, add it at this time.
Bring the soup to a boil.  (You can be cooking your tortellini separately at this time)
Once the soup is boiling, stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tortellini, and remove soup from the heat.
Serve immediately with cheese to garnish.
With garlic bread, this makes a great dinner!

My review:  This was delicious.  I'm not a huge fan of cooked spinach, so I wish I would have chopped my spinach up smaller, but other than that, it was delicious!  I like it best with vegetable broth, and no italian sausage, but if I'm making it as a meal, I like to have the meat in there for some extra protein and flavor.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Roll Ups

I seem to have lost the picture that goes along with this... I will post it if I find it...


10 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and completely drained
10 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
15 oz. fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 - 1 cup of mozzerella cheese (depends how much you like!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute fresh mushrooms in some olive oil until they are cooked through. Set aside.
Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, mushrooms, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Pour about a cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Place a piece of wax paper or a cuttting board on yoru counter top and lay out lasagna noodles.  Make sure that they are dry.
Spread ricotta mixture over each noodle (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup per noodle).  Roll carefully, placing the seam side down.
Pour remaining sauce over the noodles and top each one with mozzerella.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

My review:  These were good!  If I make them again, I want to try adding some zucchini too!  One roll up was really filling, I paired it up with a small salad, and I was so full!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Tuscan Marinated Mushroooms

1 (8 oz) package mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing
Parmesan cheese, optional

Wash and cut your mushrooms into quarters.   Place into a skillet
Pour the dressing over top.
Cook on medium heat, sauteing and turning as needed, for about 8-10 minutes.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

My review:  I had mushrooms that needed to be used, so I went to my pantry on a hunt for something to cook them in, besides the usual butter or olive oil.  This was amazing.  I plan on making these many many more times.  These would be good served with a steak, on a salad, or with a chicken breast. 

Meaty MushroomThin Crust Pizza

I'm going to be making a lot of variations of these coming up.  I have class 2 evenings a week, with very little time to get something for dinner, and this is a quick, fun, and healthy meal.  My lovely friend, Nicole, is south beaching it, and she told me about this yummy way she gets to enjoy pizzas.  Here, I'm giving you the ingredients to make two, but you can make as few or as many as you want!

2 low carb wheat tortillas (the wheat, low carb ones get crispier!)
4 tbsp pizza sauce
Reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 slices deli cooked ham
10-20 turkey pepperonis

Spray a cookie sheet with a little bit of Pam, and then place your tortillas side by side, not overlapping.  You might need two cookie sheets.  Spread 2 tbsp of sauce on each tortilla.  If you like more sauce, feel free to add more.
Top the sauce with your desired amount of cheese on each pizza, and then follow with pepperonis, ham, and mushrooms.  Other topping options could be turkey sausage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, or any other veggie.  Be creative!
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.


My review:  Nicole is a genius.  This was so good.  What a nice, easy, low-carb meal.  I can't wait to make more.  I know it's cheating for new recipes, but I'm going to post all my variations that I end up making.  This is really yummy!  Try making your own, and if you get any good variations, lemme know so I can try them too! 

Monday, March 15, 2010

ZAM Pasta!

I'm gonna call this ZAM Pasta (Zucchini, Asparagus, Mushrooms). It was created by me this evening, because I had fresh veggies that needed to be used.  It turned out absolutely amazing.

1 whole zucchini, sliced thick and then cut in quarters
1 (12 oz) package mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, cut in half lengthwise (try to get thin ones)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive Oil
1 package ground turkey (1.3 lbs)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 pound thin spaghetti

Put the asparagus in a small saucepan, and cover with water.  Put on the stove on high, covered until boiling, then turn off the heat, but leave it on the burner for about 5 minutes, then drain.
In a separate, large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add the garlic, mushrooms, onions, and zucchini.  Cook for about 8 minutes, until cooked.  Remove from pan.
Heat the pan back up and add the ground turkey and brown.
Once browned, add the asparagus, mushrooms, and zucchini and stir. 
Pour in the spaghetti sauce and stir.  Turn the heat down to simmer and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
Serve over spaghetti.

My review:  This was aaahhhhmazingly good.  I love spring and summer for the fresh veggies and this recipe is fabulous for that.  You can use any mixture of fresh vegetables, but I highly recommend this combination!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Italian Stromboli

Pizza Dough (I buy mine at the grocery store, from the bakery.  You can also get it at some Italian restaurants, or you can even use the Pillsbury kind.  Or make your own, too)
Olive Oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 lb ground beef or italian sausage, browned (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices Cooked Deli Ham
6 slices Hard Salami
About 20 pepperonis
6 slices Provolone Cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzerella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet.  Saute your mushrooms, onions, and garlic.  If you were using ground beef or sausage, you could cook it with the mushrooms and onions.
Flatten out your pizza dough into a rectangle on a cookie sheet with some olive oil to keep it from being sticky.
Start by layering your ham on the bottom, leaving room on the edges to fold up.  Then, place 3 slices of Provolone.  Top with your hard salami and pepperonis.  Then, top with the remaining Provolone.  Spoon your mushrooms and onions (and ground beef or sausage) on top.  Then, top with Mozzerella.  Fold up the sides.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with Pizza sauce for dipping.

My review:  My mom makes homemade stromboli all the time, and I love it.  It's one of the things I usually request when I'm visiting, or for my birthday.  Most people don't realize that it's a simple, quick, and fairly cheap meal to prepare at home for yourself.  And most importantly, it's delicious!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lasagna Roll-Ups




12 Lasagna Noodles
2 eggs
1 (15 oz) container Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
Salt, Pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Italian Season blend
1 jar of your favorite sauce (or leftover meat sauce from spaghetti) (i used leftover veggie puh-sgetti sauce)
2 cups shredded mozzerella

Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package.  Drain, and lay flat on a cutting board or wax paper.
Mix eggs, ricotta, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and italian season blend.
Spread across the length of each noodle, about 1 tbsp per noodle.
Roll up each noodle.
Cover the bottom of a square baking dish with a layer of sauce.  Arrange the roll-ups in a single layer.
Cover with sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Cover with shredded mozzerella, and return to the oven until melted and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!

My review:  This was my quick alternative to making lasagna.  I didn't feel like fussing with all the layers, and I didn't want to make very much.  The recipe can be easily halved, which is what I did.  Just as delicious as lasagna, but a nice change.  If I make it again, I will just use jarred sauce, no meat.  It could have used a "saucier" texture.  Yum!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Easy Chicken Carbonara




1/2 pound Spaghetti
8 slices Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 cups cut up cooked chicken (or turkey)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (light can be used too, but the sauce won’t get as thick)
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
While your spaghetti is cooking, cook bacon in a 2-3 quart saucepan, stirring frequently until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels and discard all grease, except one tablespoon.
Place saucepan back on medium heat, and add garlic and onion to the pan, stirring and cooking until the onion is tender.
Add Parmesan, chicken, whipping cream, and Italian seasoning and stir.  Add spaghetti, and toss together, stirring and leaving on heat until heated through.
Toss with bacon, and top with fresh ground pepper.
Serve with a big green salad and some crusty French bread.


My Review:  I love Carbonara pasta, but have always been turned off by the raw eggs added at the end.  This recipe gets the same flavor without the raw eggs.  This had a great flavor and only took about 15 minutes to make, which was awesome.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana


What really MADE this dish was the sauce.  Way worth the effort.  This dish was amazing delicious.  If you would like step by step pictures, step over to Pioneer Woman's site, where she gives the play by play of amazingness.

4  Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
½ cups All-purpose Flour
Salt And Pepper (to Taste)
½ cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)  ( I used Rosé)
3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ cups Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pound Thin Linguine


Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.
At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.
Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.
Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.


My review:  The sauce was to die for.  So was the chicken.  Mmm and I found some wheat linguine that was out of this world bursting with flavor.  (Have you tried wheat pasta??  I think it has more flavor.  I've been converted).  Make this, immediately.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Stuffed Shells



1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box Jumbo Shells
30 oz. Ricotta Cheese
2 cups Shredded Mozzerella
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook shells according to package.  Drain and run cool water over them to cool.
Mix ricotta, half the mozzerella, parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, using a fork.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.
Stuff a spoonful of cheese mixture in each shell, and place in a single layer on the sauce.  Cover the shells with the remaining sauce, then the remaining mozzerella.
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 35 minutes.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow cooling, and for the ricotta mixture to firm up.\

My review:  Yum! I always thought of stuffed shells being a lot of work, but they aren't at all.  And they are so worth it!  Delicious! Serve with garlic bread and a big green salad!  (and don't burn your garlic bread like I did...)

Friday, October 9, 2009

Eggplant Parmesan


What do you do when you find cheap eggplants at a farmer's market?  You make eggplant parmesan!


1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants
2 eggs
2 tsp milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (the powdery stuff)
Olive Oil
1 tbsp butter
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
Sliced Mozzerella Cheese (anywhere from 4-8 slices) (about 1/2 cup - 1 cup)

Slice your eggplant(s) into discs, about 1/2 inch thick.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk, and beat with a whisk or a fork.
Put the flour in another bowl.
And finally, in another bowl (yes, I do LOVE doing dishes.... haha), put your breadcrumps and parmesan cheese.
Dip each eggplant disc into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and arrange in a single layer on a plate.  Doing this with a fork while reduce the mess, but if you like to get your hands dirty, be my guest.
Heat olive oil in a pan, making sure that you have enough to cover the whole bottom of the pan, but you don't want your eggplant to swim in it.  Medium heat should be good enough for this.  Add your butter in as well (this will give a nice, golden brown crust to the eggplant.  If you want to leave it out, that's fine).
Once the oil is hot, fry your eggplant until the breading is browned. 
Dry the eggplant on paper towels to soak up the extra olive oil
Spread some sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.  Layer the eggplant slices in the dish.  Pour your desired amount of sauce on top and spread around.  Then sprinkle cheese on top.  I don't like a ton of sauce, so I don't normally use the whole jar.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Serve with hot pasta or fresh Italian bread.


My review:  This was delicious!  Very easy to make, and tasted like it was from a restaurant.  I actually halved the recipe, and made it in an 8x8 baking dish.  It was perfect!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Alisa's Veggie Puh-Sgetti! (Spaghetti, for Normal People)



1 lb ground beef (or turkey or sausage)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
20 baby carrots, diced
1 (8oz) package mushrooms, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb spaghetti, cooked as directed (make sure to add kosher salt to the water!)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook ground beef and veggies in a skillet on medium high heat, until ground beef is browned and veggies are cooked.  Drain off any fat or liquid that may have gathered in the pan.  Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies.  Stir in the pepper.  Turn the heat down to low/simmer, and cover for 15 minutes.  Stir, and serve over spaghetti noodles.

My review:  This is my favorite way to make spaghetti, with lots and lots of veggies in it!  Yum!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Meatballs, the quick & easy way


1 lb. ground beef
1 cup Stove Top Chicken stuffing (1/2 package)
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

(this is easily doubled, and you can always freeze half the batch once baked, for dinner another day)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Line a cookie sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray.
Shape the meatballs into balls, using about 1/4 cup of the mixture per meatball. This will make about 12-15 meatballs.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Combine with your favorite sauce, and serve in steak rolls with some mozzerella for meatball subs, or over spaghetti for spaghetti and meatballs.

My review: This was so quick and easy. Something I will definitely make often, since my boyfriend loves meatball subs, and I don't like the work involved in the "real" way of making meatballs...

Friday, August 21, 2009

Chicken Scallopini



This was delicious, and something I thought John wouldn't enjoy, but he was a big fan from the first bite! This recipe served the two of us, with an extra plate for me for lunch the next day...

1/2 pound Linguine
2 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts, cut in half to make thinner (or you can use chicken tenders)
Flour
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Butter
12 oz. package of White Mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (or half and half)
1 lemon
3 tbsp dried parsley flakes
Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta as directed on package, until al dente.
Salt and Pepper each side of your chicken breasts. Then, dredge in flour.
Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Fry the chicken until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Throw the mushrooms and onions into the skillet. Stir.
Immediately stir in your chicken broth, followed by the juice of your lemon.
Stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until sauce reduces.
Add the heavy whipping cream, and stir. Then, add the parsley, and stir again. Turn off the heat, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Place pasta on plate. Top with Chicken. Then, pour your mushroom sauce over the entire plate. Top with generous amounts of parmesan cheese.

My review: This was delicious. I felt like I was eating in a restaurant. It is rich and yummy, and delectable. You'll enjoy it, I promise.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Easy Cheesy Lasagne

3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef (you can also use ground turkey)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato, chopped
1 egg
1 16 oz. container Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained
1 pkg. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided



Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brown meat with garlic and oregano in large saucepan. Stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes.
Mix egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce mixture onto bottom of 13x9 baking dish. Top with layers of 3 noodles, 1 cup cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1 cup remaining sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with foil.
Bake for 30 min. or until heated through.
Uncover and top with remaining mozzarella.
Bake, uncovered, for another 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 min. before serving.


My review: This is the recipe I always use to make lasagne. If I have any veggies sitting around, like zucchini, onions, peppers, or mushrooms, I throw them in with the sauce, too. If I'm feeling naughty, this gets paired with Texas Toast. But, if I'm trying to stay away from extra carbs, I'll have it with a big greeny salad. Either way, it's delicious, and fool-proof!

Caesar Chicken Pasta Bowl

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up
1 can Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
1 cup water
1/3 cup Caesar salad dressing
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
4 cups hot cooked linguine
grated Parmesan cheese



Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring and making sure to get it all cooked. Because raw chicken is sicknast...
Then, add soup, water and dressing. Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally, making sure it's not sticking or burning to the bottom, because I hate when that happens. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Toss with linguine. Serve with Parmesan cheese.


My review: How can something this delicious be this easy to make!! Yum. I love pasta dishes. I used the 98% fat free soup to make this, and light caesar dressing, so this ends up being a pretty light recipe. Serve it up with a salad, and if you're not afraid of carbs, some garlic bread!