Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

 Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta

2/3 cup cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups fresh spinach

1. Mix meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, combine chicken, bread crumbs, cheese, milk, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well, then let it sit for a bit before using it.
2. Cook meatballs: Roll the meat mixture into 1-1¼” balls, put them into a hot pan with oil, and sear until golden brown.
3. Make sauce and add orzo: Sauté the garlic, add the broth, and deglaze the pan. Bring it to a low boil, then add the orzo, cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper, and stir.
4. Add meatballs: Place the meatballs on top of the sauce, cover, and simmer to cook.
5. Add fresh spinach: After meatballs are cooked, gently stir in spinach; heat until wilted.

From here

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Spinach Pasta with Avacado Sauce

1 box rotini pasta

2 cups raw spinach

1 avacado

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta according to the box directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet; saute garlic and then add spinach to wilt.

Add spinach, along with the remaining ingredients (minus the Parmesan), to a blender. Blend until smooth (add pasta water if necessary to loosen sauce).

Combine drained pasta with sauce; top with Parmesan.

From here

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Lemon Chicken Orzo

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 lb diced chicken breast

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup orzo

2 cloves minced garlic

2 1/4 cups chicken broth (I did 2 cups + some water)

1 cup asparagus in 1" pieces (or broccoli or other veggie)

3 to 5 oz spinach or kale

zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 
  
• Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chicken is thoroughly cooked then remove it from the skillet onto a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet then add in the onion. Sauté for one minute or until the onion starts to soften.
• Add in the orzo and garlic and sauté for about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth, stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
• Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes and then add the asparagus. Simmer covered for an additional 5 minutes, then add the spinach. Cook for one minute or until spinach is wilted. Remove the lid and if there is any excess liquid remaining continue to cook uncovered for another minute.
• Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese until everything is combined. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

From here

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Lasagna

Tomato-Meat Sauce

Cheese Filling (combine ingredients below)

12 lasagna noodles, fresh or no-boil (if not, boil noodles beforehand)

4 cups mozzarella, shredded

Cheese Filling

1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread bottom of 9x13 pan with 1/4 cup meat sauce (with no large meat chunks). 

Place noodles in single layer on top of the sauce. Spread each noodle with 3 Tbs. ricotta filling, then cover entire layer with 1 cup mozarella. Top evenly with 1 1/2 cups meat sauce.

Repeat above layering two more times.

After last three noodles are placed, spread with remaining sauce, then remaining mozzarella, then remaining parmesan. 

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

From America's Test Kitchen Cookbook.

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Chicken Fajita Pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning 
• 2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 bell peppers)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 8 oz (about 3 cups) penne pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with half of taco seasoning. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on high. When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blackened. Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.
3. In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with buttery garlic bread and enjoy!

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Chicken Vegetable Orzo

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ¾ cup carrot, diced
• ¾ cup red bell pepper (capsicum), diced
• 2 cups roughly chopped spinach (lightly packed)
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• 7oz / 200g chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup orzo / risoni
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (stock)
• ¾ cup parmesan (grated)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Boiled water

1. Place the oil and mince the garlic straight into a large non stick pan that has a lid. Make sure the pan is reasonably deep - around 5cm / 2.5" or more. Otherwise, use a large pot.
2. Place pan on high heat. Stir the garlic to infuse the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the bell pepper (capsicum) and chicken and cook until the chicken is white all over (it should still be pink inside) - about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the milk, stock, orzo (risoni) and flour, put lid on then bring to boil, then turn down to medium.
5. Cook at rapid simmer, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes. Keep the boiled water nearby to add in case the liquid evaporates too quickly - this will depend on the size of pan you used, strength of heat you are using etc. If you are not using a non stick pan then you will need to stir more than one or twice, just to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom.
6. After 5 minutes there should still be a bit of liquid and the risoni should be soft on the outside but still firm on the inside. There needs to be enough liquid to cook for another couple of minutes - if you are concerned, add a bit more water (don't worry if you add a little too much, it will reduce quickly at the end).
7. Add the peas, spinach and parmesan, stir to mix through then put lid back on for another minute.
8. Remove lid, adjust seasoning to taste and check to ensure the orzo is cooked. It should be a risotto consistency, not too saucy, but not dry like a pilaf.
9. If you added too much water, leave it on the stove for another 30 seconds to a minute and keep stirring - it will cook out pretty quickly.
10. Serve immediately.

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Overnight Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef or mild italian sausage
1 (28-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 C water
1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese
2 TB chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
1 egg
1 (16-oz) pkg. sliced mozzarella cheese
2 TB grated Parmesan cheese


Brown beef, drain well and add spaghetti sauce and water. In bowl combine ricotta cheese, chives, oregano, and egg; mix well.

In ungreased 13x9 baking dish spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce. Top with half each of noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese. Repeat 1 1/2 cups meat sauce and remaining noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover; refrigerate 12 hours/overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover baking dish; bake 50-60 min or until noodles are tender and casserole is bubbly. Cover, let stand 15 min before serving.

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Pasta Salad

So mom bought some festive ravioli and I had to plan a dish around it - I'm quite proud of what I came up with! This is the most creative license I've ever taken while cooking...which obviously I don't do a lot. I essentially took the tomato dressing recipe from here and then just added in other ingredients that I liked, and it turned out really yummy! Aside from the sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil measurements, the others measurements can easily be adjusted for likes/preferences. Add/take away ingredients as wanted.

1 large package small ravioli or tortellini
1 large jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 cup olive oil
1 heaping Tbs. minced garlic
basil
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2-3 broccoli crowns
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese + extra

Boil pasta according to directions; drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool. Using a food processor (or a blender), pulse together tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil. Refrigerate while preparing the other ingredients. Toast pine nuts; cool. Steam broccoli for about 5 minutes (so it's still somewhat firm); cool. In a large bowl, toss together pasta, tomato dressing, pine nuts, broccoli and cheese. Sprinkle extra cheese over top, refrigerate and serve chilled.

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Pesto

4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves (thick stems removed)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1-2 Tbs. grated romano cheese (optional)
scant 1/2 tsp. salt

Place the garlic cloves and olive oil in blender. Top with the basil leaves and pine nuts. Cover and puree the mixture until basil has become thoroughly chopped. Add the cheeses and salt and continue to blend until the mixture is almost completely smooth.

Scrape into desired container and refrigerate (for up to 3 weeks) or freeze.

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Martha's Mac and Cheese

Diana found this recipe and we made it this weekend - it was quite yummy! The website says that it was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. We found that it made double the amount of sauce that we needed, so we might try halving it next time.

8 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crust removed, torn into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups whole milk (we used skim and it still turned out yummy)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse salt (we used regular table salt), plus more for water
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (left out because we didn't have any - again, turned out fine)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (ours was sharp yellow cheddar)
2 cups (about 8oz) grated Gruyere cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (we used a 9x13 pan); set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 Tbs. butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking slowly pour in the hot milk, a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 10-12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere; set the cheese sauce aside.

Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, and the breadcrumbs on top. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

(This is from the Pioneer Woman's website [link below]. You'd think it would be a spicy dish, but it's actually more of a sweet sauce. I like to use it with cheese tortellini.)

3 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.

Roast red peppers, then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.
Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.
Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.
Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.
Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

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Manicotti

1 large can 15 oz tomato sauce
1 pkg manicotti shells

Mix together:
1/2 lb ground beef
2 T chopped parsley
1 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp whole oregano
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cloves garlic
2 cups jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Pour 1/2 can tomato sauce and a little water into a 2 qt shallow baking dish. Stuff shells. Place in dish and cover with remaining sauce. Cover with foil . Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Remove foil and cover with cheese. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

From Jan Baumgartner

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Lasagna

Meat Sauce
1 lb ham or sausage - brown and drain
1 clove minced garlic
1 T basil
1 tsp salt
1 lb can tomato paste

Combine and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally

Cook noodles

Cheese Filling
3 cups cottage cheese, uncreamed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 T parsley
2 unbeaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb mozzerella grated cheese

Layer
1/2 noodles
1/2 cheese mixture
1/2 mozzerella cheese
1/2 meat sauce
repeat

(it doesn't say but I assume you'd bake it in the oven...325-350 until bubbly???)

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

From Jan Baumgartner

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Lasagna Casserole

1 lb ground beef
chopped onion
1/2 - 1 large can spaghetti sauce
1 tsp crushed oregano
fusilli, penne or farfalle pasta
1 small carton of cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 lbs shredded mozzerella cheese

Brown beef with onion. Add spaghetti sauce and oregano; simmer 15 minutes. Cook pasta and drain. Mix noodles, meat sauce and rest of ingredients in large bowl. Put in casserole dish; sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350-375 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through.

From Jan Baumgartner

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Chicken and Cheese Tortellini Casserole

2 T butter
2 chicken breasts
4 oz frozen tortellini
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup onion
½ tablespoon chicken bouillon
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup sour cream

Cook tortellini for 3 minutes. Drain and put in 9x9 baking dish.Sprinkle half of cheese over pasta. Cube chicken and stir with flour.Brown in butter. Layer over cheese. Cook onion in leftover butter. Addbullion, and broth and simmer five minutes. Add rest of cheese tosauce and stir. Add sour cream and pour over casserole. Bake for 20minutes at 350 degrees.(serves 2)

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Crock Pot Chicken Parmigiana

Mix together 1 egg, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Coat 4-6 chicken breasts in egg mixture and dip in Italian bread crumbs. Brown in buttered pan.

Pour one can/bottle of pizza sauce into crock pot. Place browned chicken in crock pot. Bake 4-6 hours on low or 3-5 on high.

Before serving place mozzarella slice on each chicken breast and cook for 10 minutes more. Serve with spaghetti.

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Jumbo Shells with Cheese Filling

1 Jumbo Shells with Cheese Filling
1 pkg Jumbo shells, uncooked
4 cups (2 lb) ricotta cheese (cottage cheese also works)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups (about 28-oz jar) spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook pasta according to directions on package; drain. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together cheese, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a 13x9x2 inch baking dish, spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce. Fill each cooked shell with about 1 ½ level tablespoons cheese mixture; layer one-half filled shells in prepared dish. Spread one-half remaining sauce over shells; layer remaining filled shells over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over shells; sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil; bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 8 to 10 servings.

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Crock Pot Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts1 pkg zesty Italian seasoning
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of chicken soup

Combine ingredients into crock pot and cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 3-5 hours.

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Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups macaroni or bowtie pasta
½ cup margarine
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt
a dash (1/4 teaspoon) pepper
a dash (1/4 teaspoon) paprika
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ a cube (4-6 oz) cream cheese (neufchatel works, too)
1 or 2 cups milk
1 or 2 cups sharp cheese (or more if you want)
¼ cups bacon bits (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta and set aside.
Melt margarine on low heat. Slowly add flour, salt and pepper, then W sauce. Stir constantly till smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and heat to boil stirring constantly (Boil and stir ONE minute). Take off heat and stir in cheeses. Cook and stir till all is blended, add bacon if desired.

Combine sauce and noodles in greased 2 quart casserole. Bake 15-25 minutes uncovered.
From Amy Abei

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