Cheesy Baked Ziti with Chicken

Mark gave it 4 stars.

4 cups penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 chicken breast, seasoned, grilled, and sliced

olive oil
1/2 onion-finely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves-minced
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp basil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
4 slices provolone cheese

Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute or so. Add tomato sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add ricotta and parmesan cheese and cook until heated through. Add chicken and pasta. Top with provolone slices and broil for 5 minutes.

Party Salsa

I call this recipe "party salsa" because a) it's great for parties b) it literally creates a party of flavor in your mouth. There are certainly variations that can be made, and, as always, my measurements are not exact. But this is the second time I've made it, and both times it has been delightful.
Party Salsa:

1 can black beans--drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
1/3 cup red onion--small dice
1/2 cup sweet red bell pepper--small dice
1 jalapeno pepper-small dice
1 mango--medium dice
juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic--minced
a handful of cilantro-chopped
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe avocado--medium dice

Directions:

1. Mix everything together in a bowl except the avocado.
2. Let the mixture sit for several hours, or overnight.
3. Add the avocado just before serving.
4. Serve with tortilla chips, fish tacos, and more.

Ole!

A Tribute to Grandma Wanda

My grandmother was known for one epic meal: Chicken and Noodles. It was a chicken noodle soup of sorts with made-from-scratch noodles, dished over mashed potatoes, and served with her homemade rolls. It was an all-out event when grandma made chicken and noodles. It took her 2-whole days, and people would come from far and wide to partake of the delicious fare. My brother has tried to reincarnate the dish a couple of times; but unfortunately we just don't cook the way they used to. Here is my version, which is a far cry from the real thing but actually quite tasty.

Chicken and Noodles (sans noodles and not quite the same as grandma's)

2 Tbsp butter
1 whole onion-diced
1/2 cup celery-diced
1/2 cup carrot-diced
2 chicken breasts (I used frozen; it's a-ok)
salt and pepper-be liberal
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups water
1 bay leaf (which I actually didn't have when I made it but would be a nice addition)

Your favorite mashed potatoes recipe

1. Cook the onion, celery, and carrots in the butter at medium heat until soft
2. Add the chicken, seasonings, and water
3. Boil on high until the chicken is cooked through and tender
4. Meanwhile, make potatoes
5. Shred chicken, add back to soup
6. Serve soup over potatoes
7. Enjoy

Hopefully, grandma isn't rolling in her grave.

A Halloween Tradition!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium (4 lb.) pumpkin
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion-diced
1 green pepper-diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
small can of mushrooms
2 cups cooked rice

Cut off top of pumpkin and clean out seeds and goo.

Brown beef. Add chopped onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft.

Combine the remaining ingredients with the beef/vegetable mixture.

Pour mixture into pumpkin.

Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Soup's On!

This is an amazing creation that came to me when I got home from my Thursday night class. Mark was feeling sick, so this hit the spot.

Potato Corn Chowder
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion-diced
4 medium red potatoes-diced
1 can (1 2/3 cups) chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed (optional)
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp chives
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/3 cup bacon bits
dash cayenne pepper

Saute onion in butter on medium until soft.

Add potatoes and chicken broth; simmer on high for 15 minutes.

Add corn; continue to simmer on high for 5 minutes

Whisk flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed into milk. Add to soup. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cheese, bacon, chives and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.

Enjoy!

No, seriously do.

One Pan Baked Ziti

This will revolutionize the way you make pasta.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
Salt to taste
2 tsp dried basil (you can use fresh, but don't add it until the pasta has cooked)
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups penne pasta (any tube pasta will do)
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used 2% milk cuz it was all I had)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Add oil, garlic, and red pepper flake to 10 inch skillet. Cook on medium for 1 minute. Add ground beef and brown. Add tomato sauce, salt, dried basil, water, and DRIED (yes dried) pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook for 12-15 minutes (until pasta is soft), stirring occasionally. Stir in cream, parmesan, and pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Cheesy Macaroni and Homemade Caesar Salad

Another great "throw-together what you have in the fridge/pantry" meal.


3 Cheese Macaroni: (ps, if you can't tell from the ingredients, this is not low-fat)

4-6 oz penne pasta (or you could use actual macaroni)
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup swiss cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese-divided
1/2 cup cheddar--divided
fresh cracked black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Preheat oven to broil.

Return pasta to pot and melt butter into pasta. Add cream and stir. Stir in the swiss, half of the parmesan and half of the cheddar. Stir in Pepper. Add to oven-safe pan and top with remaining cheeses. Cook under broiler about 5 minutes or until topping is slightly browned.

Homemade Caesar Salad: (not as difficult as you might think)

salad:
6 large leaves of romaine lettuce
parmesan cheese
garlic crutons
Caesar dressing

Homemade Caesar dressing:
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
splash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Garlic Crutons:
2 slices of bread (store-bought, sliced bread works just fine)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut bread into cubes-set aside.

Heat oil in small, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add bread cubes and saturate in oil.

Bake for 10 minutes or until dried-up and crisp, tossing occasionally. Let cool.

Assemble salad and enjoy.