{homemade} Spaghetti and meatballs

Spaghetti Sauce//

Ingredients:
10 ripe tomatoes
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
2 tbl corn starch (+more for thickening)


Instructions:
1. Boil some water in a large pot. Prepare an ice bath (bowl of cold water with ice).
2. Once the water is boiling, place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1 minute or until the skin begins to peel
3. Remove the tomatoes and immediately place them in the ice water.
4. Peel the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds
5. Chop 8 tomatoes and puree in a blender or food processor.
6. Chop the remaining 2 tomatoes and set aside
7. Next, in a large pan over medium heat, cook the onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes
8. Pour in the pureed tomato
9. Stir in chopped tomato, basil, and italian seasoning.
10. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer, and some cornstarch until desired thickness
{also add some S&P, Oregano, or thyme for a stronger flavor}

adapted from Mel's Kitchen

Meatballs//

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Beef
3/4 C Bread Crumbs
3 cloves Garlic
2 Whole Eggs
3/4 Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/4 Parsley
S&P
Splash of Milk



Instructions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
2. Form 1 1/2 inch round balls (makes about 25)
3. Place on a greased cookie shoot and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes
4. Serve meatballs over spaghetti noodles and homemade sauce!

{The meatballs also freeze really well, so you can make them ahead of time and pull them out whenever you're feeling spaghetti!}


adapted from Pioneer Woman
                                                                                      

{Quick} Beans, Spinach and Tomatoes over Linguine

Ingredients:
2 tsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
12 oz Whole Grain Linguine
1 tbsp minced Garlic
3-4 tomatoes, diced
1 can White Beans {Great northern, navy; I used Garbonzo beans}
5-10 oz Fresh baby Spinach
1 red bell pepper
6 Tbsp Romano or Parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet
2. Start boiling water in a large pot, and begin to cook the linguine
3.Add the garlic to the skillet, and saute for a minute or so
4. Next add the tomatoes, and beans and bring to a simmer
5. Add the spinach, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. And in the last 2 minutes add the bell pepper
6. Spoon the tomato/beans/spinach sauce mixture over linguine and sprinkle with cheese
                                                                                      

{30 Minute} Easy Cheesy Gnocchi Mac N' Cheese Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb Package Gnocchi
1 jar Classico, Romano Asiago Cheese Sauce
1/2 C Mozzarella, shredded
1/2 C Parmesan, shredded
1 C Dry Italian Bread Crumbs
Parsley Flakes for garnish

Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil over medium-high heat and cook the Gnocchi according to package; Usually it will take around 5-7 minutes, or until the Gnocchi floats to the top of the water
2. Spray a 1-2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
3. Once the Gnocchi are done, drain the pot and mix in about 3/4 of the jar of Romano Asiago Cheese Sauce. Depending on how cheesy/creamy you want it, you can add the whole jar. Stir to combine
4. Spread the Gnocchi and cheese sauce into the baking dish
5. Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top of the Gnocchi, then sprinkle the Parmesan
6. Add the bread crumbs on top, and garnish with parsley flakes
7. Now put it in the oven, and cook for about 20-25 minutes! That's it!!
                                                                                       

{pepperoni} Pasta Primavera! Perfect for all those yummy summer veggies sprouting in your gardens!

I love this pasta! And it is so great for all the veggies I have right now laying around!


Ingredients:
12oz Package thin Spaghetti
2 C Sliced yellow Squash; or 1 small zucchini
1 Medium Red/Green Bell Pepper
8oz Broccoli-chopped
1/2 C sliced onion
1/2 lb tomatoes
1 C grated Parmesan Cheese
3 1/2 oz Package Pepperoni Slices
2 tsp. Fresh Basil leaves
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 Tbl Olive oil
3 cloves Garlic
3 Tbl Flour

Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil.
2. While water is heating, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add onion and cook for about 6-7 minutes; then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly bursting, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk together the milk, parmesan and the flour and add to the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until it thickens. It will take about 2-3 minutes.
5. Cook the spaghetti according to the package. During the last few minutes, add the zucchini, pepper and broccoli.
6. Drain pasta and vegetables, and add the warm sauce to the pasta mixture.
7. Toss gently, and sprinkle leftover parmesan, and also the fresh basil to garnish.
                                                                                       

30 Minute Cheesy Manicotti!

Tonight I was rushing home from work, trying to think of what to make for dinner that would be quick, and then I though, MANICOTTI!

//servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 package-8 oz manicotti shells
1 pound ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Prego, herb roasted garlic)
14 pieces of string cheese
1-1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (for the topping)

Instructions:
1. Boil water over medium-high heat and cook the manicotti shells as directed
2. In another sauce pan, heat the ground beef. Once cooked through, and no longer pink, add the spaghetti sauce
3. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray, and layer half of the meat/spaghetti mixture on the bottom of the pan.
4. Put the string cheese inside the manicotti shells and layer them on top of the meat mixture.
5. Lastly layer the rest of the meat mixture on top of the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

TA-DA! So easy, right!
*Serve with a green salad, and some fruit!
                                                                                       

Chicken Paprikash with Spaetzle

Ok, here it is! I finally used my Spaetzle (egg pasta). And it was pretty good!

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless Skinless tenderloins
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Onion
1 Sweet Red Pepper (I used a Green pepper)
3 Tbs. All Purpose Flour
2 Tbs. Sweet Paprika
1 Tbs. Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 C. Loy-sodium Chicken Broth
1 Medium Tomato-Diced
1/2 C Sour Cream
7-10 Ounces of Packaged Spaetzle/Egg Noodles, Cooked
Freshly chopped Parsley, for garnish



Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season chicken pieces with the salt. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, keeping as much oil in pan as you can.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and pepper, cook about 3 minutes or until soft. Mix in the flour, sweet and smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the broth, tomatoes and remaining 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes to thicken. Add the browned chicken back to the pot, ladling a bit of sauce on top. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for about 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender.
3. Remove the chicken; cover to keep warm. Add sour cream to a bowl; and whisk in a cup of the hot sauce. Whisk sour cream mixture back into pot. Serve 2 pieces of chicken over cooked Spaetzle with several spoonfuls of sauce. Garnish with Parsley.

                                                                                  

Creamy Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

                                            *photo cred from recipe.com




Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package of cheese filled tortellini
1 Medium Carrot, thinly sliced
1-1/2 C Sugar Snap Peas (I used a frozen bag of sugar snap pea stir fry)
1 Tbl. Butter
1/2 Pound of Boneless-skinless chicken breast/or tenderloins, chopped to bite size pieces
1 C Chicken Broth
2 Tbl Dried Oregano
2 tsp. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Salt and Pepper
4 oz. Cream Cheese (I used light/ Neufchatel)
1 C. Quartered Tomatoes
1 small Red or Green Pepper
1/2 C of Grated Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbl. Parmesan Cheese


Instructions:
     1. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5     minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2.

Meanwhile, heat margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3.

Add the chicken broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt and pepper to the chicken. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Add pasta mixture, chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sweet pepper. Add the mozzarella cheese and toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4.

Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. 

                                                                                        

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Ingredients:
2 Large Chicken Breasts
2 C Corn Flakes
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Egg
4 Tbl Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 12 oz package Bowtie noodles- (I used garden rotini, because we didn't have bowtie)

Sauce:
1/2 cube of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Can cream of mushroom soup or chicken
1 C Chicken Broth
1/2 C milk

Fresh Parsley, chopped

Instructions:
1. Place corn flakes in a ziploc bag, seal bag, and roll several times over bag until it forms bread crumbs, mix with the italian bread crumbs
2. Add the salt to the flour and place in a bowl, place egg in separate bowl and whisk, and place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. There will be 3 separate bowls for the breading of the chicken
3. De-frost your chicken breasts, and trim off excess fat. Then dip each breast first in the egg, then the flour, and lastly in the bread crumbs
3. Place chicken breasts in a large skillet with the EVOO over medium heat
4. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over chicken breasts, and cook about 5 minutes on each side, just until it starts to brown
5. Then cover the pan, and let cook for another 7 minutes. When fully cooked, remove the chicken and cover in foil
6. In another pan, pour the chicken broth, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Cook over medium heat, using a whisk to stir. Should only take about 3 minutes for it to thicken up.
7. Pour sauce over the cooked pasta. Slice the chicken into nice strips and lay on top of pasta, garnish with parsley