You have got to try this one! It's like eating a chili cheeseburger over pasta. Incredible how these weird ingredients make such a yummy meal!! Once again my thanks to the goddess of burgers, Rachael. And yes, I changed a couple of things...
Ingredients
1 box whole wheat spiral pasta
1 pound extra lean ground sirloin
1 onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 cup ketchup plus an extra squirt or two
1/4 cup mustard plus an extra squirt or two
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
salt and pepper to your taste preference
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick olive oil cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to al dente directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet sprayed with the non-stick olive oil cooking spray, brown the ground meat over medium-high heat. When just browned, add the onion and cook until tender. Add the ketchup, mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Pour in the beef broth and mix well. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer until thickened.
Combine the chili mixture and the pasta in the pot the pasta was cooked in. Toss in a handfull of the cheddar and stir. Transfer to the sprayed baking dish. Top with the shredded cheddar. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Excellent served with really good diced pickles (I prefer Nathan's.)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Baked Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce
An excellent comfort food for these cold winter months. It makes your whole house smell so good! Paired with breaded chicken breasts, salad, and some good Italian bread, this is lovely to serve at a dinner party.
Ingredients
1 box whole wheat penne
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, minced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 cups of tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon dried basil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups 2% milk
1 bay leaf
a pinch of nutmeg
1-2 cups of finely shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to your taste
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
dried parsley (optional, decoration)
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with the non-stick olive oil cooking spray. Rip a piece of aluminum foil big enough to cover the baking dish. Spray the non-shiny side with the non-stick olive oil spray also. This will prevent the cheese from sticking during the baking process.
Cook the pasta according to the package's al dente directions. Do not cook past al dente or the pasta will become mushy during the baking process.
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil and saute until tender. Turn down heat to low and add the garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow to simmer on low.
In a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. Do not allow it to brown! Using a wire whisk, add the flour and whisk for about 1-2 minutes until very well combined. Continuing to whisk, add the milk slowly. Whisk in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a slow boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Do not scald! Remove the bay leaf and pour into the large sauce pan of red sauce, mixing well.
Add the pasta and the grated Parmesan to the large sauce pan of sauce, mixing gently and thoroughly. Transfer to the sprayed baking dish, spreading evenly in pan. Sprinkle mozzarella liberally, and to your preference on the amount, over the top of the pasta. Lastly, sprinkle with a little dried parsley to decorate. Cover with the sprayed foil. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve hot and enjoy.
***The leftovers of this dish are excellent and even more flavorful than when first made!
***I use alot of sauce, so it seems. However, during the baking process of any pasta dish, the pasta absorbs the sauce. Thus, the reason for cooking the pasta to al dente and then adding tons of sauce. This prevents a mushy and dry baked pasta experience. TRUST ME!!
Ingredients
1 box whole wheat penne
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, minced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 cups of tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon dried basil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups 2% milk
1 bay leaf
a pinch of nutmeg
1-2 cups of finely shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to your taste
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
dried parsley (optional, decoration)
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with the non-stick olive oil cooking spray. Rip a piece of aluminum foil big enough to cover the baking dish. Spray the non-shiny side with the non-stick olive oil spray also. This will prevent the cheese from sticking during the baking process.
Cook the pasta according to the package's al dente directions. Do not cook past al dente or the pasta will become mushy during the baking process.
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil and saute until tender. Turn down heat to low and add the garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow to simmer on low.
In a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. Do not allow it to brown! Using a wire whisk, add the flour and whisk for about 1-2 minutes until very well combined. Continuing to whisk, add the milk slowly. Whisk in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a slow boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Do not scald! Remove the bay leaf and pour into the large sauce pan of red sauce, mixing well.
Add the pasta and the grated Parmesan to the large sauce pan of sauce, mixing gently and thoroughly. Transfer to the sprayed baking dish, spreading evenly in pan. Sprinkle mozzarella liberally, and to your preference on the amount, over the top of the pasta. Lastly, sprinkle with a little dried parsley to decorate. Cover with the sprayed foil. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve hot and enjoy.
***The leftovers of this dish are excellent and even more flavorful than when first made!
***I use alot of sauce, so it seems. However, during the baking process of any pasta dish, the pasta absorbs the sauce. Thus, the reason for cooking the pasta to al dente and then adding tons of sauce. This prevents a mushy and dry baked pasta experience. TRUST ME!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas
What a fun and economical way to have yummy deep dish pizza!! Deep dish is one of our favorites, and while we have an Uno's Pizzeria and a Wholly Joe's that sell it, I'd rather make it at home if I can.
**This recipe makes 16 total mini pizzas. Using my recipe below, you can fill 9 cups with the sausage/veggie mixture and make cheese mini pizzas out of the remaining 7 cups.
**This recipe is spicy. If you are not a spicy food fan, sub out the ingredients for what you and your family would prefer. See below for some variations.
Ingredients
1 8-count roll of plain refrigerated biscuit dough
1/2 pound of bulk hot Italian sausage
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 of a red pepper, seeds and insides removed, diced
1/3 of a green pepper, seeds and insides removed, diced
1 thick slice off of a red onion, diced
4-5 white mushrooms, cleaned, dried, stems removed, and diced
3 cups of spaghetti sauce
1-2 cup package of finely shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
About 20 minutes before you start preparing these pizzas, set the biscuit dough, in the packaging, out on the counter. This will help soften the dough a little so it is more pliable and easier to work with.
Preheat the oven to 400. Spray two muffin tins liberally with the non-stick olive oil cooking spray.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Break into small pieces as it browns. Cook until it is no longer pink. Remove from skillet to a plate covered with a paper towel to sop up the excess grease.
Cut each biscuit in half. Roll the half into a ball, and then flatten between your hands. Press this into each muffin cup, making sure that it is evenly distributed all over the inside of the muffin cup and pressed up the sides. Once all of the dough is in the cups, go along with a fork and prick the bottoms a few times to help the dough to stay a little flatter when it bakes. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake, as they will burn in the next step. When done, remove from oven.
While the biscuit dough is baking, in another large skillet, heat the two Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper, green pepper, and red onion to the hot oil and saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage to the vegetable mixture and combine well. Add about half of the spaghetti sauce to the sausage/veggie mixture and mix until all is well-coated.
Top 9 of the mini pizza crusts with the sausage/veggie mixture. It should nearly fill the muffin cup. Take the remaining spaghetti sauce and using a Tablespoon, top the 7 plain pizza crusts with a dollop of sauce. Use the remaining sauce to top the sausage/veggie pizzas. Top all 16 pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, the amount of cheese you use on each is to your preference.
Place back into the oven and allow to bake an additional 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to look bubbly and browned slightly, like a pizza. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
To serve, run a knife around the edges to loosen the pizzas. Lift each pizza out of the cups using a fork and place onto a plate or serving platter.
Excellent served with a tossed salad. Leftovers warm up great in the toaster oven for lunch the next day lunch!!
**Variations**
As we ate these, we talked about variations. Of course it was kid-tested and highly approved with two thumbs up as a plain pizza. I thought of some other ways...
Use shredded chicken mixed with BBQ sauce and topped with sharp cheddar cheese.
Use chicken or extra lean sirloin mixed with taco seasoning and top with your favorite taco toppings.
Leave out the sausage and just use the veggies, adding in more of your favorite veggie pizza toppings.
Use pepperoni instead of the sauage.
Use sweet Italian sausage instead of the hot Italian sausage.
Use anything you like on a pizza, be experimental, and have fun with it!!
**This recipe makes 16 total mini pizzas. Using my recipe below, you can fill 9 cups with the sausage/veggie mixture and make cheese mini pizzas out of the remaining 7 cups.
**This recipe is spicy. If you are not a spicy food fan, sub out the ingredients for what you and your family would prefer. See below for some variations.
Ingredients
1 8-count roll of plain refrigerated biscuit dough
1/2 pound of bulk hot Italian sausage
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 of a red pepper, seeds and insides removed, diced
1/3 of a green pepper, seeds and insides removed, diced
1 thick slice off of a red onion, diced
4-5 white mushrooms, cleaned, dried, stems removed, and diced
3 cups of spaghetti sauce
1-2 cup package of finely shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
non-stick olive oil cooking spray
About 20 minutes before you start preparing these pizzas, set the biscuit dough, in the packaging, out on the counter. This will help soften the dough a little so it is more pliable and easier to work with.
Preheat the oven to 400. Spray two muffin tins liberally with the non-stick olive oil cooking spray.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Break into small pieces as it browns. Cook until it is no longer pink. Remove from skillet to a plate covered with a paper towel to sop up the excess grease.
Cut each biscuit in half. Roll the half into a ball, and then flatten between your hands. Press this into each muffin cup, making sure that it is evenly distributed all over the inside of the muffin cup and pressed up the sides. Once all of the dough is in the cups, go along with a fork and prick the bottoms a few times to help the dough to stay a little flatter when it bakes. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake, as they will burn in the next step. When done, remove from oven.
While the biscuit dough is baking, in another large skillet, heat the two Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper, green pepper, and red onion to the hot oil and saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage to the vegetable mixture and combine well. Add about half of the spaghetti sauce to the sausage/veggie mixture and mix until all is well-coated.
Top 9 of the mini pizza crusts with the sausage/veggie mixture. It should nearly fill the muffin cup. Take the remaining spaghetti sauce and using a Tablespoon, top the 7 plain pizza crusts with a dollop of sauce. Use the remaining sauce to top the sausage/veggie pizzas. Top all 16 pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, the amount of cheese you use on each is to your preference.
Place back into the oven and allow to bake an additional 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to look bubbly and browned slightly, like a pizza. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
To serve, run a knife around the edges to loosen the pizzas. Lift each pizza out of the cups using a fork and place onto a plate or serving platter.
Excellent served with a tossed salad. Leftovers warm up great in the toaster oven for lunch the next day lunch!!
**Variations**
As we ate these, we talked about variations. Of course it was kid-tested and highly approved with two thumbs up as a plain pizza. I thought of some other ways...
Use shredded chicken mixed with BBQ sauce and topped with sharp cheddar cheese.
Use chicken or extra lean sirloin mixed with taco seasoning and top with your favorite taco toppings.
Leave out the sausage and just use the veggies, adding in more of your favorite veggie pizza toppings.
Use pepperoni instead of the sauage.
Use sweet Italian sausage instead of the hot Italian sausage.
Use anything you like on a pizza, be experimental, and have fun with it!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Chicken and Anise in Tomato Sauce
I saw this on Rachael Ray and thought her version, in which she used cod wrapped in prosciutto, sounded gross. She did say you can also use chicken, so I switched some things around and the result was surprisingly tasty!!
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat and cut in half
1/2 of a red onion, cut into thin strips
2 bulbs of anise, top cut off, core removed, cut into thin strips
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1-14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1 loaf of ciabatta bread, split lengthwise and then split the halves (4 pieces total)
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
On a large cookie sheet, brush each of the four pieces of ciabatta with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the minced garlic, spreading evenly over the bread. Place in oven to toast until golden brown.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, anise, and celery and cook until tender. Add the bay leaves and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and white wine and reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tarragon, basil, and parsely. When it begins to bubble, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. Remove from heat and remove and discard bay leaves.
To serve use a layering method on a deep plate. On the bottom is one piece of ciabatta, on top of that is a piece of chicken, and then smother it all with the tomato sauce/veggie mixture.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat and cut in half
1/2 of a red onion, cut into thin strips
2 bulbs of anise, top cut off, core removed, cut into thin strips
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1-14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1 loaf of ciabatta bread, split lengthwise and then split the halves (4 pieces total)
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
On a large cookie sheet, brush each of the four pieces of ciabatta with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the minced garlic, spreading evenly over the bread. Place in oven to toast until golden brown.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, anise, and celery and cook until tender. Add the bay leaves and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and white wine and reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tarragon, basil, and parsely. When it begins to bubble, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. Remove from heat and remove and discard bay leaves.
To serve use a layering method on a deep plate. On the bottom is one piece of ciabatta, on top of that is a piece of chicken, and then smother it all with the tomato sauce/veggie mixture.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Magic Cookie Bars
This is quite possibly my favorite cookie bar recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1-12 oz. bag dark chocolate chips
1 small bag of moist, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350.
In a 13x9-inch baking dish melt the butter in the oven. Swirl the butter around once melted to coat the baking dish. Add the graham cracker crumbs to the melted butter and press evenly in the baking dish. Pour condensed milk evenly over the crumbs.
In a large bowl, toss together the chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. Spread evenly over the crumbs. Press down lightly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overcook or they become too hard and chewy. Cool completely. For ease with cutting, chill slightly.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1-12 oz. bag dark chocolate chips
1 small bag of moist, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350.
In a 13x9-inch baking dish melt the butter in the oven. Swirl the butter around once melted to coat the baking dish. Add the graham cracker crumbs to the melted butter and press evenly in the baking dish. Pour condensed milk evenly over the crumbs.
In a large bowl, toss together the chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. Spread evenly over the crumbs. Press down lightly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overcook or they become too hard and chewy. Cool completely. For ease with cutting, chill slightly.
Veggie Pizza
I cheat alot on this recipe. Here's how:
To get the veggies finely minced I toss them into the food processor and pulse them lightly. I buy pre-cut cauliflower and broccoli in the produce section so as not to waste an entire head of each. I also buy the shredded carrots. Whatever is left over gets eaten as snacks by my little one and the dog (yep - carrots were recommended as a snack for Sally by our vet).
I just squirt some bottled ranch dressing in with the sour cream and cream cheese mixture. I use enough to taste the ranch. I do this instead of buying the envelope of dry mix because I always have ranch dressing in the fridge. Just be careful, if you cheat like me on this step, to make sure it doesn't get soupy.
This recipe can easily be made smaller. Simply cut the ingredient measurements in half and use a 13x9-inch pan. I did this for the crop.
Ingredients
2 large packages of crescent rolls (from the dairy section)
1-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 cup broccoli, very finely minced
1 cup cauliflower, very finely minced
1 cup finely shredded carrots
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350.
Open crescent rolls and press onto a large cookie sheet, ensuring that there are no gaps in the dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. Spread onto cooled crust. Sprinkle with veggies, spreading evenly. Top with cheddar cheese.
Chill well before serving. To serve, cut into squares.
To get the veggies finely minced I toss them into the food processor and pulse them lightly. I buy pre-cut cauliflower and broccoli in the produce section so as not to waste an entire head of each. I also buy the shredded carrots. Whatever is left over gets eaten as snacks by my little one and the dog (yep - carrots were recommended as a snack for Sally by our vet).
I just squirt some bottled ranch dressing in with the sour cream and cream cheese mixture. I use enough to taste the ranch. I do this instead of buying the envelope of dry mix because I always have ranch dressing in the fridge. Just be careful, if you cheat like me on this step, to make sure it doesn't get soupy.
This recipe can easily be made smaller. Simply cut the ingredient measurements in half and use a 13x9-inch pan. I did this for the crop.
Ingredients
2 large packages of crescent rolls (from the dairy section)
1-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 cup broccoli, very finely minced
1 cup cauliflower, very finely minced
1 cup finely shredded carrots
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350.
Open crescent rolls and press onto a large cookie sheet, ensuring that there are no gaps in the dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. Spread onto cooled crust. Sprinkle with veggies, spreading evenly. Top with cheddar cheese.
Chill well before serving. To serve, cut into squares.
Chili-Filled Corn Muffins
OK, so mine didn't look like Rachael's, but they tasted really yummy! I saw this on Rachael Ray last week, served it at the crop, and they actually went over well, even if I had to serve them upside-down!!
Ingredients
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can Hormel turkey chili with beans
shredded 2% cheddar cheese
non-stick cooking spray
sour cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Heavily coat a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
Make corn muffins according to package directions. Drop batter into muffin tin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Drop about one and a half Tablespoons of chili per muffin cup, placing the chili into the middle of the batter. Place pan in oven and bake five minutes less than package directions. Remove from oven, place a dollop of cheese on top of each muffin, return pan to oven and bake for the remaining five minutes or until muffins are set and the cheese is melted.
Remove muffins from oven and cool about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the muffin to loosen from the pan. Remove each muffin from the pan, placing on a serving dish. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
***Why did I serve them upside-down? They stuck to the pan and the only way I could get them out without crumbling was to invert the pan and drop them onto a serving dish. They looked silly but tasted really good. I used skim milk in the recipe and I think this was the issue. I've learned that corn muffins need to be made with at least 2% milk.
Ingredients
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can Hormel turkey chili with beans
shredded 2% cheddar cheese
non-stick cooking spray
sour cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Heavily coat a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
Make corn muffins according to package directions. Drop batter into muffin tin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Drop about one and a half Tablespoons of chili per muffin cup, placing the chili into the middle of the batter. Place pan in oven and bake five minutes less than package directions. Remove from oven, place a dollop of cheese on top of each muffin, return pan to oven and bake for the remaining five minutes or until muffins are set and the cheese is melted.
Remove muffins from oven and cool about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the muffin to loosen from the pan. Remove each muffin from the pan, placing on a serving dish. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
***Why did I serve them upside-down? They stuck to the pan and the only way I could get them out without crumbling was to invert the pan and drop them onto a serving dish. They looked silly but tasted really good. I used skim milk in the recipe and I think this was the issue. I've learned that corn muffins need to be made with at least 2% milk.
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