Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli

Pasta is easy- we have it, in some form, once a week. I love this recipe because it takes the ease of pasta and “upgrades” it with sausage and a vegetable. My girls love this.

Of course you can switch things out… I usually use half a ring of turkey kielbasa instead of the chicken sausage and you could easily use a different vegetable.

I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine.

Serves 4 Total Time: 20m

Ingredients
* 12 ounces rigatoni (about 4 1/2 cups) (I use what I have on hand)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 onion, sliced (I use dried chopped onion, about 2T)
* 6 ounces fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced (I use turkey kielbasa, sliced and browned for a couple minutes in a skillet)
* 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets and stems sliced
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and 1¼ cups water and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture and any remaining liquid and the Parmesan.

Butoni Riserva Meal for Two

You've probably noticed that I haven't put up a new recipe in a couple of weeks. You could say I've been busy. Between family, travel, holidays and planning a blog conference my days are over-full. Cooking, which really is a stress reliever for me, just hasn't been happening as much as I would like. And when it does I fall back on tried and true favorites, slow cooker meals and making Doug grill.

Last night was the end of one of those days when I was exhausted, I hadn't planned dinner and it was raining. Luckily I had a Butoni Riserva meal in the freezer. A few weeks ago Foodbuzz sent me a coupon to try a new Buitoni frozen meal for two. Ahhh... rescued!

I had chosen the Braised Beef and Sausage Ravioli because it just sounded really good.

The instructions were easy to follow and dinner was ready in under 20 minutes (yes, my stove top takes forever to boil water). Though the package says it is a complete meal for two it easily fed my family of four when paired with a salad and slice of garlic bread.

The ravioli are very large and stuffed with meat and cheese. As we were eating I said to Doug,"This pasta is better than I've had at some Italian restaurants." He agreed.

Just look at the inside of the pasta. Yum! The sauce was a wonderfully tasty mix between a basic red sauce and a cream base. It was smooth and rich.





I was impressed with this quick meal from the freezer. If you serve it with a nice red wine- and without children- it would be a nice meal for a romantic evening for two.











Disclosure: I was sent a coupon to sample this Butoni meal. I paid for the salad and the bread. I was not compensated for this post; all thoughts are my own.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

Summer always makes life hectic and all the rain we've been experiencing brings its own set of problems. And when I'm stressed or short on sleep - or both- I crave comfort food.

Lasagna is one of those foods that just makes you feel warm and full and happy. This recipe- another one from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook- takes the greatness of lasagna and makes it lower in fat and calories by adding spinach.

My girls ate this with nary a complaint. And I loved that it reheated well for lunch the next day and "leftover night" a few days later.

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef (or lighten it up further with ground turkey)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 jars (26 ounces each) meatless spaghetti sauce
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
* 9 no-cook lasagna noodles (or cook wheat noodles; it works just as well)

Directions

*If you opt to cook your noodles, begin with that and let them cool while you follow the rest of the steps.
* In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until combined.
* Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
* Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (prepared with lean ground beef) equals 281 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 50 mg cholesterol, 702 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase this cookbook using the links in this post I may earn a small (very small) amount of money.

Lasagna Soup

It's soup time! If you didn't get a chance to try this last winter it's soup time again!

When I saw this recipe in Family Fun I knew we would have to try it before winter ended. And now I'm kinda hoping winter will hold on just a couple more weeks so I can make it again!

This hearty and filling soup's secret is in the bottom of the bowl: a mix of cheeses that you ladle the soup on top of. After a quick mix you have gooey, melted cheeses. Mmmm...

The recipe is by Meredith Deeds and can also be found in her book 300 Sensational Soups.

Post Options

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil (I, honestly, omitted this. Why add oil to sausage?)
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped (I used onion flakes, a few Tbsp, to taste)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta (really, any pasta will work.)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Gnocchi with Spinach and Ricotta

While pasta is always an easy meal I love to "mix it up" once in a while and make gnocchi. This potato dumpling, which means lumps, has been on Italian tables since Roman times.

I haven't attempted to make my own gnocchi yet but I've found some good varieties at Target and my local grocery. Just a tip- don't buy it dried. It will be in the dried pasta section but buy the kind that looks soft. It may also be in the refrigerated section.

This recipe is gooey and creamy. Mmmm... And no whining about the spinach! The recipe comes from ParentsConnect.

* 1 (1-pound) package potato gnocchi
* 1 cup fat-free half-and-half (ok, I don't buy this. I use skim milk. It makes a runnier sauce. I use 3/4 c and increase the flour by 1tsp.)
* 1 teaspoon flour
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach leaves
* ½ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
* 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the broiler and move top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from heat.

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the gnocchi according to package directions (gnocchi will float to surface when done). Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring well to mix with a wire whisk. Bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, whisking frequently. (I don't have an oven-proof skillet. I cook it in a saucepan or regular skillet and transfer it to a casserole dish coated with cooking spray.)

Add spinach in handfuls and cook, stirring frequently until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, then add gnocchi, stirring to mix well.

Spoon ricotta over gnocchi in five large dollops (I add multiple smaller dollops) and sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling around edges, about 3 minutes.

Ginger Chicken with Rice Noodles

My girls are big fans of Chinese and Asian influenced foods. I'm not sure if it's because of the chopsticks or what, but the mere mention of "Chinese" for dinner makes them giddy.

This recipe was very easy to make and is quite good served cold, too. If you happen to be grilling chicken the same week you make it, just grill a couple extra, cut them and heat in a saute pan before adding to the noodles. Also, I can't always find rice noodles- it depends on where I'm shopping. I substitute angel hair pasta and get great results.

I pulled this recipe out of a magazine quite a while back... I think it was Fitness.

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
• 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 ounces dried rice noodles
• 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 4 tablespoons chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine scallion, ginger, 6 garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt. Coat chicken breasts with mixture and place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Slice chicken diagonally; keep warm. Cook noodles in a large saucepan in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender; drain. Shred 2 teaspoons lime peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice into a bowl. Add sugar and remaining 2 garlic cloves; stir until sugar dissolves. Add noodles, carrot, cilantro and peanuts; toss. Spoon onto plates; arrange chicken on top.

Velveeta Shells & Cheese Cups

I'm just going to be straight about this: my girls are not fans of the "blue box". Powdered mac & cheese gets no play in this house. Why should it when my girls are used to home made? The powdered stuff just can't compete and, let's be honest, it really doesn't taste very good.

But I don't always have the time to make mac & cheese from scratch. Luckily Velveeta came out with a solution: Shells & Cheese Cups. They're perfect for quick lunches and Brenna, my little kitchen helper, can make it (mostly) by herself.

Say what you will about Velveeta... It's creamy and tastes good. At 99 cents (where I live) this is a nice alternative to fast food. We usually add some cut up hot dogs. Yum.

Want to try Velveeta Shells & Cheese Cup? I have one coupon- it's a buy one get one free. First person to comment gets it!

Lite Creamy Broccoli Lasagna

One of the perks of writing about food is that, sometimes, companies want you to eat their food. Depending on the company I will either accept or decline the offer.

A couple of weeks ago Robert's Dairy, a company well known in the Midwest, reached out to me via Mom Select and asked if I would be interested in trying some of their products. Trying? I already use their stuff so I, quite nonchalantly, said, "sure". OK, so I wasn't nonchalant. I told them straight up that I already used and loved their products so they should choose me. And they did.

A few days ago I received some great coupons in the mail for me as well as this link so all of you could get coupons too! Roberts Dairy serves Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas as well as parts of Colorado, Illinois and South Dakota.


Now... About those recipes. I only received a few but you can find hundreds at the Roberts Dairy website. And, though they call for Roberts Dairy products you can, of course, use whatever brand you like.

I made the Lite Creamy Broccoli Lasagna last night. I had been looking for a new meatless recipe, and this fit the bill. As I'm not a fan of fungi (mushrooms), Doug was surprised I made this. My girls devoured it- especially the mushrooms! The cottage cheese gave it a lovely "melty" texture. It's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies!

Ingredients

9 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used wheat. I think you could also use the "no boil" noodles in this, too)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons Roberts Butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 cups Roberts Skim Milk
6 cups broccoli florets
1-1/2 cups Roberts 1% Cottage Cheese
10 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, shredded, divided

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sautè mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add the flour, bouillon, garlic salt, pepper and thyme; stir until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add broccoli; cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in cottage cheese and three-fourths of the Swiss cheese. Drain noodles.

In a 13in.x9in.x2in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer three noodles and a third of the sauce. Repeat layers twice. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and broccoli is tender. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 12 servings

This post sponsored, in part, by

Lasagna Any Night

I absolutely love lasagna. What's not to love... Melted cheese, meat, noodles... All good stuff. And, honestly, you can toss together a pretty good lasagna in an hour or so.

But, if you don't have an hour I have a great option that I found in Kraft Food & Family. Lasagna goodness in under an hour. Toss a quick salad and you have a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (or use Italian Sausage for more spice or ground turkey for less fat)
2 green peppers, chopped (optional- I opted out)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters (I use Barilla but **you can use regular noodles)
1 cup Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.

Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.

Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

**Want more ooey-gooey cheese? Stir 1/2 c. Ricotta in before adding Mozzarella.

**Substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces, for the oven-ready noodles. Increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 min., stirring occasionally.

Grilled Chicken with Sesame Noodles (in Peanut Sauce)

I'm not really sure why this recipe was titled the way it was - which is to say without mentioning peanuts in the title- as I don't think the noodles are so much sesame as peanut-y. So I modified the title a bit.

I also made a couple of changes, which I will point out when they come along. The initial recipe came from Cook's Country in an unsolicited free trial issue. This is an easy recipe to toss together and doesn't even require a grill- I used the broiler. If you have more time I would recommend letting the chicken marinate for half an hour.

Ingredients

3 cloves minced garlic
2 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 c soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 t hot sauce (I halved this as the girls don't like things too spicy)
3 T light brown sugar
2 T toasted sesame oil (if it's regular sesame oil, or even peanut oil, it will be ok)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb)
1/4 c peanut butter
salt
1 lb fresh Asian noodles (I have no idea where to get fresh Asian noodles. I used dried Asian noodles, they looked like spaghetti. Or just use spaghetti. If you use dried noodles you want 12 oz.)
6 scallions, sliced thin (I omitted these, too. Honestly, they're only for color.)

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat. In a small bowl whisk garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, brown sugar and oil. Toss chicken with 3 T garlic mixture (I would marinate it for half an hour). Puree remaining garlic mixture and peanut butter (I love my Magic Bullet
for this!) until smooth.

Add 1 T salt and noodles to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well, rinse under cold water and drain again. Toss noodles,peanut sauce & scallions in a large bowl. Adjust seasonings.

Grill chicken breasts over high heat until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. (I broiled for about 6 minutes per side). Slice and serve over noodles.

Note: The next time I make this I'll probably steam some broccoli to toss in. It will add some color & nutrition. Snow peas would probably be quite good, too.

Macaroni & Cheese with basil bread crumbs

It's probably some sort of crime to say that Mac & Cheese has never been a favorite food of mine. Somehow it just seems "blah". And the boxed stuff... Ick.

So when I got the October issue of Cuisine at Home magazine I skipped over the mac & cheese recipe multiple times. It wasn't until I read the recipe that I thought this might not be typical mac & cheese. First, it has a bit of zing provided by Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Second, it has 4 cheeses in it.

This ain't your kids mac & cheese- but they'll devour it, too!

Here's What You Need
1/2 lb dry pipette or elbow macaroni
3 T unsalted butter
2 T all purpose flour
2 c whole milk, warmed (I used skim)
1/2 c chicken broth, warmed
3 oz shredded fontina cheese
3 oz shredded white Cheddar
3 oz shredded white American cheese
3 T Parmesan, grated
2 t prepared yellow mustard
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Salt,pepper, nutmeg & Tabasco to taste
2 slices soft white bread (I used soft wheat)
10 leaves fresh basil
1 T olive oil

Here's What You Do
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 4 one-cup oven proof baking dishes (or one 1-qt baking dish) with nonstick spray. (Mine made 6 one-cup servings)

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water in a saucepan for 1 minute less than directed on package (this keeps it from getting mushy during baking). Drain and set aside. Return pan to medium-low heat.

Melt butter in the pan, then add flour; stir until pasty. Gradually whisk in milk & broth, increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in cheeses until smooth, then add mustard, Worcestershire and seasonings. Fold in macaroni and transfer to baking dishes.

Process bread, basil, oil, salt and pepper to taste until fine then sprinkle over macaroni. Bake until bubbly and crumbs are browned, about 15 minutes.

Sausage Rigatoni

You know those commericals... The ones with the chefs in the Italian restaurants lamenting the fact that their customers are at home eating Bertolli... Granted, Bertolli is a lot less expensive than eating out but it's still pretty spendy- about $9 bag for 2 servings. In my book that's too much.

Especially when you can recreate it yourself - and feed a family of 4 - for less than a bag of the frozen stuff. Instead the chefs will be crying about the fact that you are cooking!

This is a super-easy recipe from Kraft. They call it Sausage and Tomoto Rigatoni but the only tomatoes in it are from paste and dressing, so I dropped the tomatoes from the title.

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings, about 2 cups each

Ingredients:
4 cups rigatoni pasta (8 oz.), uncooked
1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into chunks
1 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing.

TOSS sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

If you actually want to add tomatoes to this I highly suggest getting some canned diced Italian style tomatoes. Drain them and add the tomatoes about 10 minutes after adding the tomato paste. They'll get warm but not too mushy.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Today’s recipe is brought to you in honor of the Great American Seafood Cook off. The governor of Louisiana (a great state for fresh sustainable seafood) issued the challenge and one state and one chef will walk away with the title. All the action takes place in New Orleans and tickets are only $10.

Event sponsor and NOAA Fisheries Director Bill Hogarth commented, “I strongly believe that American seafood is, by far, the finest. Our marine fisheries management system is as unique as our nation and it works. If American seafood is on the market, you can be sure that it is being managed in a sustainable manner.”

I have to admit that fish or seafood of any kind don’t make it into my menu plans often. I really prefer to work with fresh ingredients and here in Iowa seafood is expensive if it’s fresh. But I do like knowing where the seafood I purchase comes from and that it’s being managed so fish aren’t “fished out”, if you know what I mean.

Once in a while I will splurge on shrimp. It doesn’t get too “fishy” and it’s really difficult to screw it up. A super easy recipe my family enjoys is this Shrimp Scampi Pasta. I tore it out of a magazine a couple of years ago and we probably have it every couple of months.

This will only take about 20 minutes if you work on the sauce while your pasta water boils and your pasta cooks.

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14oz) chicken broth, divided
3 T flour
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (I get the small shrimp as they are easier for the girls but the presentation is better if you get the larger ones)
1 T lemon juice
2 T butter
1 T chopped parsley
12 oz linguine
Red pepper flakes (optional)

In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cover & cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Pour one cup of broth and flour into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake to blend. Pour remaining broth and broth flour mixture into saucepan; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice, butter and parsley. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Pour over cooked pasta.

**If you want to make this recipe a bit more of an Alfredo add some grated parmesan to the sauce.

Do you have any delicious seafood recipes for me to try?

Triple Cheese Baked Spaghetti

A bloggy friend of mine and I were discussing pasta- and how much we love it. Honestly, you really can't mess up too badly when you make it; practically everyone likes it and you can do so much with it.

I made this the other night- it added another recipe to my growing meatless options and, hey, it's pasta. In fact, it's almost a spaghetti pie...

This is a recipe from the American Dairy Association. Mmmm... dairy...

6 ounces dry spaghetti pasta
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Romano cheese
2 cups (16 ounce jar) prepared spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dry basil
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
(note: this is a really easy recipe to tweak. I added garlic -of course- and if you really wanted to you could add some meat. Or use different pasta. Really just an easy & fun recipe.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain completely. Preheat oven to 350 °F.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta and Romano cheeses, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, basil, oregano, and pepper. Set aside remaining 1 cup spaghetti sauce.

Mix cooked pasta with cheese mixture, stirring until pasta is distributed. Place in a casserole dish coated with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Top pasta and cheese mixture with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove cover; continue baking until cheese bubbles.

Remove from oven and let stand for three minutes.

Cut into four large or six smaller servings. Top each portion with remaining spaghetti sauce before serving.