Butternut Squash Lasagna

Photo courtesy of www.bhg.com

This recipe is one of my most favorite things to make in the fall!  I got it out of a Better Homes & Gardens Italian Cooking magazines a few years ago.  It's been a hit in our house ever since!  :)  One of the best things about it is that you don't have to roast the squash ahead of time.  Just peel, cube, and throw it in your lasagna layers!  :)  Sometimes I add ham if John is feeling the need for "meat."  :)  Oh & the no-boil noodles to make this SUPER easy!  :)

• 3
  pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 3
  tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  cup butter
• 6
  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4
  cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 4
  cups milk
• 1
  tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
• 9
  no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 1/3
  cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese (5-1/2 oz.)
• 1
  cup whipping cream  (I usually just use milk)
  
  
  Directions:
  1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Place squash in the prepared baking pan. Add oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss gently to coat. Spread in an even layer. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring once. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

  2.For sauce: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in squash and rosemary.

  3.Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole. To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the the prepared baking dish. Layer three of the noodles in dish. Spread with one-third of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the Pamesan cheese. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese two more times. Pour whipping cream evenly over layers in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

  4.Cover dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more or until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
  
  
  
  

Bree's meatballs

**  You can ask your butcher or usually find a "meatloaf" or "meatball" mix at your local grocery store **

1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 small-medium sized sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I try and get a blend of asiago, pecorino romano, and parmesan)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 and 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 and 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot-hot-hot!)  :)
Favorite jar of marinara or my favorite Trader Joe's Organic Vodka Sauce!  :)

1. Turn crockpot on medium heat (depending on how much time you want meatballs to simmer - low heat if you want them to simmer all day!)  :)
2. Pour favorite sauce in crockpot - set aside
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees & spray a jelly roll cookie sheet with an Olive Oil spray (my fav is from Trader Joe's) - set aside
4. Beat your egg (I do this by hand with a fork) with all your herbs, finely diced onion, S&P, and cheese until well combined
5. Using your hands, thoroughly combine the meat with the egg mixture being careful to NOT over mix (this will result in a tough meatball) - set aside
6. Using a cookie dough or small ice cream scoop (I use the 2Tbsp. Pamper Chef scoop) scoop out meatballs & roll them with your hands to make them round & place them on your prepared cookie sheet (You should make between 48 and 56 meatballs depending on how much meat your started with)
7. Bake meatballs in your preheated oven for 20 minutes
8. Place your meatballs in your sauce that is in your crockpot.  Let simmer at least 2 hours before serving!
9. Serve with pasta or make meatball sandwiches with provolone cheese & hoagie rolls!  YUMMO! :)

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

1 lb. spaghetti

1/3 c. olive oil

8 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c. freshly minced parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)

1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

Directions:

Bring water to boil, add 2 Tbs. salt and cook pasta according to directions on pkg. Reserve 1 1/2 c. water before draining pasta

Heat olive oil in large pot and cook garlic for 2 min. or until it turns golden on edges, stirring frequently; Add red pepper flakes, then reserve pasta water; Bring to a boil and then lower heat, add 1 tsp. salt and simmer for 5 min. until liquid is reduced by about a third

Add pasta to garlic sauce and toss; Off heat, add cheese and parsley and mix well; Allow pasta to rest 5 min. before serving ENJOY!!!!!

Tortellini SALAD

Tortellini Salad, a summer favorite in our house! This salad can be served warm or chilled. A great side dish for a summer BBQ's or potlucks! Can even be served as an entree with garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• one package of frozen or fresh tortellini (I prefer 3 cheese filling for this recipe)
• one container cherry/grape tomatoes
• 6 tbl. chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c. EVOO
• 2 tbl. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain pasta and run cold water over it once it's done cooking to cool it down a bit. Place in desired serving bowl.
2. Slice tomatoes in half, add to the pasta.
3. Prepare dressing, crush garlic in a small bowl, add chopped basil, EVOO, white vinegar, salt and sugar. Whisk together and drizzle over pasta and tomatoes. Toss to combine then chill in refrigerator or serve right away.

EDIT: Stellar Baked Shells - Additional Suggestions

EDIT: I wanted to make Stuffed Baked Shells last night but went to three groceries stores unable to find the large shells needed for the recipe.  So I decided I would still make everything the same and rather than stuffing shells I would boil medium size shells, spread them in a 9x13 pan (on top of about 2 cups of sauce), and spread the 'stuffing' on top.  Then I topped the covered shells with the remaining sauce and sliced some fresh mozzarella in circles and placed them on top.  I baked the pasta on 350 for about 20-25 minutes.  Since the 'stuffing' mostly consists of cheese once it was baked it had melted a covered the noodles nicely.

This baked shell, casserole, concoction, I threw together was fantastic.  So if you have been intimidated with 'stuffing the shells' thinking it would be a lot of work try the recipe this way.  It was great and super easy!  I also highly recommend the fresh mozzarella rounds on top, they were delicious!

(Making this recipe the casserole way would also allow for a gluten-free eater to use their favorite gluten-free pasta!)

These were great! (I know I say that about every recipe I post, but I only post the best! HA!) The shells took sometime to assemble but all in all it was easier than I had expected.

Ingredients:

Serve 6

1/4 cup boiling water

6 sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley
S&P
2 cups ricotta cheese (whatever the amount is in smaller container you get at the grocery store)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 box jumbo pasta shells, you can find them with the lasagna noodles

SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
EVOO
3/4 - 1 pound low-fat turkey sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
S&P
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare stuffing, combine 1/4 cup boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl; let stand 20 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Drain and finely chop. Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, and next 6 ingredients (through egg) in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons stuffing into each shell. Set stuffed shells aside.
3. To prepare sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Place onion mixture in a bowl.
4. Coat pan with cooking spray; return pan to heat. Add sausage, and cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add wine; cook until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Stir in onion mixture, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a simmer. Cook 25 minutes or until slightly thick.
5. Spread 2 cups sauce over bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer in pan; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Garden Style Lasagna

photo from Cooking Light

This lasagna is so delicious!!!! I can't emphasize how good it was! I found the recipe in Cooking Light magazine, I've been getting this magazine for years but have never tried any recipes. I was a little hesitant at first because I've had the occasional vegi lasagna that has an over powering spinach taste or that just tastes bland, but this met and exceeded my every expectation. I did make a few changes to the recipe, for example it called for cottage cheese for the filling but I used ricotta cheese. I'm sure cottage cheese would've been "lighter" but I wanted to go with the more traditional lasagna filling.

This recipe does have a lot of steps and did take some time, but the end result is worth all the hard work you'll put into it. One tip, prep all your vegetables before you start cooking. It will allow for a much smoother cooking process!

Ingredients:

Serves 8

• 1 chopped onion
  
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
  
• EVOO
  
• 1 chopped zucchini
  
• 1 chopped yellow squash
  
• 3 thinly sliced carrot
  
• 1 bunch of broccoli chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 cups low-fat milk
  
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  
• Dash of nutmeg (optional)
  
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  
• 2 cups preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, divided
• S&P
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with 1 tablespoons of EVOO. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with salt; toss well to combine.
5. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, S&P, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
6. Combine ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of ricotta cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
7. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Ziti with Crunch Garlic Bread

photo from: Everyday Food

This recipe is easy and quick to make and the crunchy garlic bread is a nice addition!  Ben and I are trying to have one meatless meal a week, we've found that it cuts down on our grocery bill and makes us (me) be more creative in meal planning.  I know pasta isn't that crazy of an alternative to meat but this was our meatless for the week.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 8 ounces ziti rigate (I used rigatoni)
  
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
  
• 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups) I LOVE Classico Brand, Spicy Tomato Basil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
   
3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
   
5. Serve with your favorite salad!
   

 

Asian Chicken Salad

This is a yummy, refreshing pasta salad that is a big hit at my work parties. I think the recipe is for 8 servings- but it goes fast!

Salad

14-16 ounces bowtie pasta
2 cu. cooked chicken bite size pieces
2 cu. raw spinach
1 cu. dried cranberries
1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
1 can water chestnuts (drained and sliced)
1/4 cu. toasted sesame seeds
1 bu. green onion chopped
3/4 cup peanuts (chopped)

Dressing*

1 cu vegetable oil
2/3 cu. terriyaki sauce/marinade
6 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

*I have also used a bottled Asian Sesame dressing instead and it works well too- just a slightly different flavor.

Combine pasta and dressing and refrigerate for 2hrs. Add remaining ingredients just before serving.

Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

photo from:  Everyday Food

Have you tried Orzo?  I had never made orzo or used it in any recipe before tonight.  I found this dish very easy to prepare and had lots of flavor!  The sweetness of the corn, garlic and salty flavors all compliment each other making this dish a delight!  I am a fan of orzo and will be looking for more recipes that call for it!

One tip: Have everything prepped before you start cooking!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 1/2 pound orzo
  
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
  
• 1 whole roasted chicken, (3 pounds), skin discarded, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)  I didn't use a whole roasted chicken, I just fried 5 chicken breast tenders in a little EVOO and cracked some salt and pepper over them while they were frying.  

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions; add green beans during last 6 minutes of cooking. 
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
3. Toss pasta and green beans with corn mixture and chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
   

Kathy's Mac N' Chesse

This is known fondly around the Treusch household by many names, "Kathy's Mac N' Cheese," "Mom's Mac N' Cheese," "Nona's-Kath Noodles," and as Ben sometimes refers to it, "Manderoni N' Cheese." My mom's friend Kathy deserves all the credit to this recipe that I grew up loving and am still preparing to this day.

Igreidents:
Serves 4 (usually with some left overs)

• 1 14.5 oz box of noodles (Use any kind you like, I prefer the medium shells, but as pictured above penne works just fine too!)
• 1 container of 8 oz of sour cream
• 1 can of low sodium cream of mushroom soup
• Ham (You can add as much as you like. A lot of the time this is a recipe my mom makes when she has left over ham from an Easter dinner or some sort of occasion. You can also buy precubed ham in the meat section. I think I usually add about a pound to this recipe.)
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Again this is an ingredient that I just eyeball as I'm adding it. If you buy the preshredded cheese I would use the whole bag. If you're shredding it yourself, shred enough to cover the noodles once in the pan.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cube ham.
3. Shred Cheese
4. Boil pasta according to directions on the box.
5. While the pasta is cooking combine the sour cream and cream of mushroom in a large bowl, add ham and sometimes I add a little cheese (small hand full) to the mixture.
6. Drain pasta and add to the sour cream and cream of mushroom mixture. Stir and evenly coat the noodles.
7. Pour into a 11x13 pan and top with cheese. I like to crack black pepper on top and cover with foil.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.