Pesto Pasta Salad

I love pesto. Seriously love it. My kids like it too, but my husband, the stinker that he is, when it comes to anything yummy, hates it. So, I rarely get to make anything with pesto at home.
I've made this pesto pasta salad only a handful times, but it is SO, SO good. The only times I ever get to make it is for pot-lucks at our church or for our school PTO events. I always get big compliments on the salad and many ask for the recipe. This salad is fairly simple, but as with so much in life, simple is always better!

Pesto Pasta Salad
(recipe adapted from Food.com)
10 servings (I usually make 1 1/2 of this recipe to serve a larger amount of people as a side dish)

1 lb rotini pasta (I use multi-grain 14 oz package)
1- 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped coarsely
1- 10 oz container of cherry tomatoes (I like to use a mix of gold and cherry tomatoes), halved
1- 6 oz can of medium-sized black olives, drained and halved
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
8 to 11 oz of fresh or prepared basil pesto (to taste)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (in a can)
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste


Cook rotini pasta according to package directions, just to al-dente. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.

In a very large bowl (like a punch bowl), gently mix together the chopped artichoke hearts, halved cherry tomatoes, halved black olives, chopped green pepper and cubed mozzarella cheese. Mix the pesto with the olive oil and add to the bowl, along with the parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Combine with the other ingredients.

Gently fold in the pasta and add the salt and pepper to taste. Mix and check seasoning again. Add more salt, pepper and parmesan cheese to your liking.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. This salad can be made one day ahead of serving. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator about a half hour or so before, stir and add a little more olive oil, if needed, to "refresh" the salad. Enjoy!

Mini Shortbread Fruit Tarts

I am SO behind with blog posts! I can't believe Easter in only a few days away. This recipe will definitely be a cute addition to your Easter meal or for Mother's Day!

My oldest son recently studied Medieval times in his fourth grade class. At the end of this unit the entire fourth grade got together to have a HUGE Medieval feast. It was awesome. Parents were organized to make and bring Medieval style foods for the feast. There was SO much great food, it was awesome. The feast was a huge success and I am giving big props to Mrs. Allen (one of the fourth grade teachers) for organizing everything.....you rock!
So, one of the courses I made for the feast was chicken wings. I decided to make my friend Andrea's fabulous recipe for maple chicken wings (recipe found here), and they were a big hit!
I also made some wonderful mini shortbread fruit tarts for the dessert course. They were sooooo good! The shortbread shell was buttery and slightly sweet, the lemon no-bake cheesecake style filling was so creamy and perfect, and the fresh fruit on top tied everything together. Major success.
I ended up making a TON of these little tarts because our church's annual Ladies Tea was the following day after the Medieval feast. All the ladies at the tea loved the little tarts and many asked for the recipe. I love it when recipes are a hit!

Mini Shortbread Fruit Tarts
(recipe adapted from joyofbaking.com, and laurenslatest) 

For the Shortbread Tarts:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 T cornstarch (or 6 T more all-purpose flour)
1/4 tsp salt

For the cream cheese filling*:

1- 8 oz package full fat cream cheese, softened
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Zest of one lemon (about a full teaspoon)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large or 3 small lemons)
1 tsp vanilla
Fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or other cut up fruit
* For great alternative filling for these tarts, especially for younger kids, combine a package of vanilla instant pudding with 1 1/2 cups of milk, set aside. Whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in a separate bowl, until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the thickened pudding. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use--up to a few
days in advance.

Directions:
For the cream cheese filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer (hand mixer is fine), or food processor, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Transfer the filling to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours so the filling will thicken and not be as runny. This filling can actually be made a few days, or up to a week in advance, as long as it's kept sealed and cold.

For the shortbread tarts:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth, and then add the vanilla, mixing well.
Add the flour, cornstarch (or extra flour) and salt. Mix until the dough is just incorporated and forms a soft dough (don't over mix). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes or so, until the dough is firm enough to easily roll into balls.

When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Spray 36 mini muffin tin cups with non-stick baking spray.
Take a scant 1 tablespoon of shortbread dough and roll into a ball (doesn't have to be perfect) and place it in the prepared muffin pan. Gently press the dough with your fingertips onto the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cup. Repeat this for all of the cups (you should get 30-36 shells).
Once all the tarts are made, cover the muffin tins with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes so the shortbread can become firm.

Remove the plastic wrap from the tarts and bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. About half way through the cooking time, remove the pan(s) from the oven and gently prick each tart with the tines of a fork to help limit the amount the shortbread puffs up.
When the tarts are done, remove from the oven onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before trying to remove the tarts from the pan.
Once cool, a good trick to getting the tarts out of the pan, is to spin each one to loosen and then gently lift them out. Shortbread is very fragile, so be sure to have a very gentle hand!

When ready to serve (or up to a couple hours in advance prior to serving), pipe or spoon filling into each tart. Then top each tart with fresh berries or other cut up fruit. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

It's almost Valentine's Day! I like to bake my husband special things throughout the year, but for Valentine's Day, I devote all  of my energy to making him something totally chocolate. I can't think of a better way to achieve that then with truffles!
My husband loves Lindt hazelnut truffles so I decided to make him a homemade version of them. I think they came out awesome. The only change I would make next time is to either up the amount of the hazelnut liqueur, or try using a bolder hazelnut flavoring, like this one that I found at KAF. I just think the hazelnut flavor in the filling of these truffles is a little weak, but they are still super yummy! I know my husband is going to love them!

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
(recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Ina Garten)

1 cup hazelnuts, chopped
3 1/2 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (about 1/2 cup)
3 1/2 ounces good semisweet chocolate (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 T hazelnut liqueur (I used Frangelico)
1 T prepared coffee (warm is ok)
1/2 tsp good vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place chopped hazelnuts on a baking sheet (I lined mine with foil). Roast for about 10-15 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Coarsely chop the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate and place in a medium sized bowl (try to use a bowl that can either be microwaved or used as a double-boiler).

Heat the cream in a sauce pan or in the microwave until boiling. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Using a wire whisk, stir the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth (if the chocolate doesn't completely melt, place the bowl over simmering water-like a double-boiler, or microwave at 50% power for 30 second intervals, until it's completely melted).

Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur, coffee and vanilla. Cover the chocolate and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about an hour or so.

Scoop out small dollops of chocolate and roll into balls using your hands. Work quickly because the chocolate will melt. Place chocolate balls onto a wax or parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes or so until the chocolate has firmed up again.

Roll the chocolate balls in the toasted hazelnuts, lightly pressing them into the chocolate so they stick. At this point the truffles are finished and can be stored in the refrigerator, but I decided to dip them in melted chocolate as well. I melted some dark chocolate candy melts, dipped the truffles in it and then sprinkled a few chopped hazelnuts on top. I think they came out very pretty. You could also just drizzle a little melted chocolate over the top as more of a garnish. Whatever way you decide to make them, they are sure to be fabulous!  Enjoy!

Garlic Mac 'n Cheese with Smoked Chicken Sausage

Happy New Year! I've been on the hunt lately for new, scrumptious, family-friendly meals, that can be made ahead of time, or in less then 30 minutes. I've recently started working (after 9 years of being a stay-at-home mom!), so my time in the kitchen has been dramatically reduced. 

There are so many different flavors of 'fully cooked' or smoked chicken sausage available now in grocery stores, and using this type of sausage can be a huge time-saver. I happen to like certain brands more then others, and only buy sausage that is 100% natural and doesn't contain msg.

This "glorified" mac 'n cheese recipe is super yummy, can be made ahead (cover and refrigerate overnight before baking), and is very easy to throw together. My family and I loved this and I will be making it again and again. Even the leftovers were awesome. You have to try this!

Garlic Mac 'n Cheese with Smoked Chicken Sausage
(recipe generously adapted from Amanda's Cookin')
Serves 8 (recipe can easily be halved for smaller families)

1 box whole wheat rotini pasta
18 oz fresh or frozen small sugar snap peas (about 2 1/2 cups), cooked
6 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely diced
6 T all-purpose flour
2-3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
3 cups low fat milk (I use 1%)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I use reduced fat 2%)
1 3/4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided (I use reduced fat 2%)
2 - 9 oz packages of fully cooked smoked Italian chicken sausage, sliced into moons


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions for 'al-dente'; drain.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, stir and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend, until smooth.

Add the pasta back to the pot used to cook it in. Then add the cooked sugar snap peas and the sliced chicken sausage. Add the cheese sauce and mix well. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Italian cheese blend over the top of the pasta.

Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until hot, bubbling and cheese is golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Jen's Lasagna

My husband requests every year that I make my lasagna for our Christmas Eve dinner. I usually make it early in the morning so I can just pop it in the oven for dinner and not have to worry about making a huge mess in the kitchen. I prefer to spend my time with my family, watching Christmas movies and snuggling :) Here's my "healthier" lasagna, I hope you enjoy it!

Jen's Lasagna

Serves 8

1 lb lean ground beef*
1 lb Italian chicken sausage, casing removed, and crumbled*
1 medium onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced (optional)
1- 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil (or about 1 T fresh, chopped)
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley, divided (or about 2 tsp fresh, chopped)
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 jar favorite pasta sauce (about 24 oz)
1 T granulated sugar
1- 16 oz container fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup reduced-fat grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2-4 cups 2 % reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

1 package whole wheat lasagna noodles (about 13 oz)

* Can use 2 lbs of ground beef or 2 lbs of chicken sausage instead


Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lean hamburger and chicken sausage and cook for about 5 minutes. Add diced onion and zucchini to the meat and continue to cook until meat is thoroughly cooked through. Drain if needed.

Add diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the parsley, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or basically to taste), and fresh ground black pepper, to taste, if desired. Mix well and simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.

Then add the jar of pasta sauce and the sugar. Stir and let simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat a large pasta pot with water to a boil. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add lasagna noodles and cook for about half the amount of time recommended on the box (probably 5 minutes total). Drain.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend together the ricotta cheese, remaining 1 teaspoon parsley, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle in about a teaspoon of olive oil, and add salt to taste to the cheese; mix well.

To assemble: Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and lay 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise in the pan, overlapping the sides.
Next, use about a third of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly on the noodles. Then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta. Then spoon about a third of the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella. Then sprinkle another 1/2 cup of the mozzarella on top of the meat (optional--add if you want the lasagna to be extra cheesy!).

Repeat layers two more times, ending with a good sprinkling of mozzarella on top of the meat and sprinkle with parmesan.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and then allow to cook for another 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

(This lasagna can be made ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, and replace with foil. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or so until hot and bubbling.)

Enjoy!

Jen's Fresh Tomato Salsa

My husband, my oldest son, and I love fresh salsa. A lot of salsas are made with canned or cooked tomatoes, but we love it made fresh from the garden.
I like to make this salsa the day before I'm going to serve it so the flavor has time to set up, but it can be served the same day. It will stay fresh for a few days in the refrigerator if kept in an air tight container.

Here's my simple and delicious recipe:

Jen's Fresh Tomato Salsa

3 medium to large sized fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 of a red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced (can use more, if desired)
2 whole canned green chilies, chopped
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Mix together all of the salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Add the salt and pepper according to your preference. I like to start with about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper and go from there. (if you are not into "chunky" style salsa, you can puree this in a food processor for a minute or so to get a smooth, thin consistency).

Serve with your favorite chips, on top of burgers and hot dogs, with tacos, on top of grilled steak....the possibilities are endless! Enjoy!

"Make-Ahead Meal"--Baked Kielbasa and Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

For the last recipe in my "Make-Ahead Meal" series, I decided to re-create one my family's favorite meals using kielbasa instead of ham. This was a HUGE hit with everyone and I, personally, liked this version a lot better then with the ham. This made A LOT. We had a lot leftover (which was still good the next day) so I would say that this would easily feed 8 people.

 

Baked Kielbasa and Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

1- 13.25 oz pkg whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked al-dente

1 1/2 lbs turkey kielbasa, cut lengthwise and then sliced into half-moon slices

1- 12 oz pkg frozen broccoli, cooked

6 T unsalted butter

1 small onion, diced

1/3 cup flour (plus more, if needed)

3 1/2 cups 1% milk
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground mustard (or more if you want)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
6 oz 2% milk reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated reduced fat parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling)


Cook pasta to package directions just to "al-dente", drain. Cook broccoli until done, whatever method is preferred by you (microwave or stove top), drain.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium, add flour, mix well and cook for 1 minute to create roux stirring constantly. Gradually add milk to roux to form a thickened sauce (add more flour if needed to desired thickness), also add the parsley, mustard and salt/pepper, to taste, to roux (I started with a 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and then added more if I desired). Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese and parmesan to roux and mix well until all melted.

Add pasta, kielbasa and broccoli back to pot used to boil pasta in. Add the cheese mixture and stir gently until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese on top.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days. (Or bake immediately--adjust cooking time to only 20 minutes though)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and replace with nonstick foil (or foil sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking--a major pet peeve of mine!). Bake covered for about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Enjoy!

"Make-Ahead Meal"--Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I'm sending out a big thank you to my loyal and dear friend, Andrea, from Pie Birds, Buttons and Muddy Puddles, for sending me a wonderful make-ahead recipe that I can't wait to make :) Congratulations on winning the Target gift card!


Here's another great "make-ahead meal". I love the layers in this dish and the flavor is wonderful. My family loved it. This can either be baked right away or refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Here's the recipe:

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

(generously adapted from the pioneer woman)

3/4 package whole wheat egg noodles (or 3/4 package regular egg noodles)
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2- 15oz cans tomato sauce
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 1/4 cups fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese or cheddar/Jack blend (freshly shredded is better)

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions to al-dente, then drain and return to pot, off of heat; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until beef is done. Drain. Reduce heat to low, then add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp of the salt and black pepper. Let simmer for a few minutes, then remove from heat.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the olive oil, sour cream, cottage cheese, 1/4 tsp salt and parsley. Then add to the pot with the noodles and mix well.

To assemble: Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Add half of the noodle mixture to the baking dish. Then layer with half of the meat mixture. Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese over the meat. Repeat with remaining noodles, meat, and finishing with the cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days). When ready to bake, remove from fridge to warm for about a half hour or so (to decrease cooking time a little, but not required--just adjust cooking time). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap/foil and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Serve with crusty bread and Enjoy!

"Make-Ahead Meal"-- Jen's Pasta Bake

We all have some sort of a pasta bake or dish that we use as our "go-to" meal. This pasta bake happens to be mine. I like to use ground turkey instead of ground beef because I can control what flavor I want better using the turkey. A lot of people have gripes about using ground turkey, because, well, it's tastes like bland turkey. The secret to making a good dish using ground turkey is to season it well. The turkey will take on whatever flavors you put on it so you have to be a little creative with it.
This pasta bake is a perfect make-ahead meal. It's super quick to throw together and can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking or can easily be frozen. It can also be made quickly for a last minute weeknight night meal by serving it "goulash" style right from the stove top.



Jen's Pasta Bake

1 box whole wheat penne, rotini or medium shells pasta
1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey (99% fat-free turkey is fine or lean ground beef can be substituted)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large jar favorite pasta sauce (or about 1 1/2 smaller jars)
1 cup 2% milk reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese


Begin by cooking the pasta according to package directions, just to al-dente, then drain (don't rinse), then set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and seasoon with the seasoned salt, onion powder, italian seasoning and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until about halfway done and then add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook turkey until done and then drain (you may not need to though).

Reduce heat to low; then add the drained tomatoes and about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta sauce, stir to combine. Let simmer for about 5 mintues and then remove from the heat to cool several minutes. Check seasonings and add more salt if desired.

Add the pasta back to the large pot it was cooked in. Then stir in the turkey mixture. Add the remaining pasta sauce and mix well.



Spread the pasta mixture into a 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. I usually let it sit and cool for a little while at this point (maybe 10 minutes or so). Then I evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and parmesan over the top of the pasta, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.



When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take the pasta bake out of the fridge to warm up a little while the oven is heating. Remove the plastic wrap and replace it with nonstick foil (regular foil will work fine, but I recommend spraying the side that touches the cheese with cooking spray so the cheese doesn't stick to it).

Bake covered for about 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. If desired, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes or so of cooking to slightly brown the cheese.
Let sit for a couple of minutes, then serve and enjoy! This will easily serve 6-8 people.

Asparagus Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a traditional New England casserole usually made with corn, but this is a great twist on the classic. The things I love most about this dish are the sage flavored potatoes, which are wonderful, and all of the asparagus. When combined with the meat, it makes for a delicious and hearty meal. This is one of our favorite fall/winter meals and is also loved by our extended family that lives in Tennessee. Whenever they visit, they request that I make this for them. Hope you enjoy it too!



Asparagus Shepherd's Pie

(adapted from a recipe in the 1998 Taste of Home Annual Recipes Cookbook)

3 lbs red potatoes, skin left on, quartered

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tsp seasoned salt

1/8 tsp cracked blacked pepper

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 cans (10-3/4 oz) condensed Cream of Asparagus Soup, undiluted (I use reduced fat, if I can find it or you can use homemade)

1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 cup milk (this is approximate, use desired amount)

1/4 cup margarine or butter (I use light margarine)
1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, cover potatoes with water, bring to a boil and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, season ground beef with seasoned salt and cracked pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until beef is cooked through and onions are tender. Drain and remove from heat. Stir the soup into the meat and mix well. Then pour meat mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish greased with cooking spray.

Cook the asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and then place over the top of the meat mixture.


When potatoes are tender, drain and then mash with the milk, butter, sage and salt. Then place over the top of the asparagus. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes evenly with the shredded cheese.

Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbling and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Baked Manicotti with Prosciutto

This is a great recipe. It's simple, yet very flavorful, and actually pretty darn fun to put together. Regular manicotti can be a huge mess to fill so this variation is like a breath of fresh air. Using no-boil lasagna noodles instead, makes this dish super easy and leaves a lot of room for creativity.
Let's get started, shall we?


Baked Manicotti with Prosciutto
(adapted from Amanda's Cookin')

For the sauce:
2 - 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes, with juice (or the equivalent in fresh, diced tomatoes)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 T chopped fresh basil

For the filling:
3 cups ricotta cheese (I used fat-free)
2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided (I used reduced fat)
2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% reduced fat)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (1 1/2 packages)
16 slices thinly sliced prosciutto


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the oil, garlic and pepper flakes over medium heat until garlic is just starting to brown, about 2-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce slightly thickens, about 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add the basil.

For the filling: Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1 cup of the parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and basil. Mix well and set aside.

Assembly: Cook noodles in boiling water until just pliable (this will only take about 30 seconds!!). Drain (but, do not rinse) and then place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels.

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread evenly.

Place 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each noodle. Then spread 1/4 cup of cheese mixture over 3/4 of each noodle, on top of the prosciutto, leaving 1/4 of the noodle uncovered.

Then, starting from the end of the noodle with the cheese, gently roll the noodle into a tube shape and then arrange in the baking dish seam side down. Continue until all manicotti are rolled.

Top the manicotti evenly with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover each noodle completely.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack until the sauce is bubbling (about 40 minutes).

Remove manicotti from the oven and adjust the oven rack to the highest position (about 6 inches from the heating element). Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of parmesan cheese evenly over the manicotti. Do not replace the foil. Broil on LOW until cheese starts to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with crusty garlic bread and a fresh green salad. Serves 8.

*Note: This dish can be made ahead of time. After assembly, place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the sauce and then wrap the top with aluminum foil (a few times if freezing). Then place in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze.

To cook, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes or so (or thaw completely), then remove parchment paper, replace foil, then follow baking instructions.

Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

I threw this meal together the other night because I needed a quick meal that used up the left over ham I had in the fridge. It's just a basic macaroni and cheese dish with added ham and broccoli, but it's my HEALTHIER version that is also baked in the oven. This made a lot so you can cut the recipe in half if you want to. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!


Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

1- 13.25 oz pkg whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked al-dente
2 full cups cooked diced ham
1- 12 oz pkg frozen broccoli, cooked
6 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup flour (plus more, if needed)
3 1/2 cups 1% milk
6 oz 2% milk reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated reduced fat parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta to package directions to "al-dente", drain. Cook broccoli until done, whatever method is preferred by you (microwave or stove top), drain. Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, mix well and cook for 1 minute to create roux. Gradually add milk to roux to form a thickened sauce (add more flour if needed to desired thickness), also add the parsley and salt/pepper, to taste, to roux (I started with a 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and then added more if I desired). Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese and parmesan to roux and mix well until all melted.

Add pasta, ham and broccoli back to pot used to boil pasta in. Add the cheese mixture and stir gently until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese on top.




Bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbling. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!