Tortellini in Mushroom Sauce

Using frozen tortellini makes this a quick meal option!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (1/3 of a 16-ounce bag) frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini according to package instructions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add tortellini, Parmesan, butter, and parsley. Toss to coat; serve.

Note:

If you find fresh tortellini, you can use that instead of frozen; cook in a pot of boiling salted water until the pasta floats to the top, about 3 minutes. The mushroom sauce can also be tossed with plain pasta, such as fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti. Cook 2 ounces of pasta, and add 2 more tablespoons of Parmesan.

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella & Cottage Cheese

Satisfying four-cheese stuffed shells, bursting with ricotta, Asiago, mozzarella and cottage cheese. Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce--meatless or not.

Ingredients

6 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives and 1/2 cup spinach (save the remaining spinach for another use).

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff with cheese mixture. Arrange in prepared dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 servings.

Next Day Turkey Primavera

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked penne pasta

8 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2/3 cup julienned carrot

3 tablespoons butter

4 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped yellow summer squash

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

1-1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute asparagus and carrot in butter for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini; saute until crisp-tender.

Stir in the turkey, tomato, dressing mix and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Drain pasta; add to vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and toss again. Yield: 4 servings.

Originally published as Next Day Turkey Primavera in Taste of Home December/January 2008, p28

Chicken Meatball Stroganoff

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1½lbs ground chicken breast
• 1 slice bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces (I used wheat sandwich bread)
• ½c finely minced onion
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2½c chicken broth
• ¼c sour cream
• 1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:

• 8oz egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• additional fresh thyme, optional

Instructions

For the meatballs:

1. To make meatballs, combine chicken breast, bread, onion, milk, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss with a fork until combined and smooth, but try not to over-mix. Using your hands, or a small scoop, form the mixture into 1½” meatballs (I usually get 20-24).
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Working in batches, so as not to overcrowd them, add meatballs to the pan. Cook until well browned and cooked through, turning regularly and adding more olive oil as necessary (this took me about 8-10 minutes per batch). Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate and repeat with remaining meatballs.
3. Add the mushrooms and butter to the same saute pan and cook over medium heat, turning often, until mushrooms are golden and cooked through. If mushrooms begin to stick, feel free to add a little more butter or a small drizzle of olive oil. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom/garlic mixture and stir to coat well. Pour in chicken broth and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Cook over medium heat 5-7 minutes, or until sauce has thickened somewhat.
4. Whisk in sour cream and Dijon mustard until smooth. Taste sauce and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
5. If serving to children or for ease of serving, slice meatballs in half. Return meatballs to the skillet and stir to coat with sauce. Add noodles to the pan and stir to coat. Top with an additional sprinkle of fresh thyme for garnish, if desired.

30-Minute Rigatoni in Blush Sauce with Chicken & Bacon

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb uncooked rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

6 slices bacon

2 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce

1 can (2 cups) diced tomatoes

fresh basil, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a large skillet, add the bacon and cook it until it starts rendering some fat. Add the chicken, onion and garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add diced tomatoes, water, basil, hot sauce, and cook for 10 minutes. Add sour cream and stir. If needed add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the skillet, add the mozzarella cheese and toss it all together to make sure all pasta is covered in the cheese and sauce.

Grate with fresh Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Summer Salad Line-up 2012

  What comes to mind when you think about summertime?  How about the fact that it’s grilling season?  Around my house, grilling & summer food are a big deal.  All the fresh ingredients...ugh…like heaven.  Well anyways, what accompanies grilled food oh so well?  Creamy, delicious, summer salads.  Here is a compilation of the tastiest for your Summer 2012.

Garden Pasta Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

This one uses fresh garden vegetables and herbs and a super easy lemon dijon dressing to make it the perfect barbeque or picnic accompaniment. This recipe is just a starting point; switch up the vegetables and herbs depending on what's available. Use what you like in whatever combination you like, it's all good. Crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese is also a great addition to this simple salad.

Ingredients:

6 cups cooked cold pasta (rotini and fuscilli work well)

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 cup sliced red onion

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (here I've used mint, basil, oregano and chives)

Lemon Dijon Dressing:

1/2 cup plain mayonnaise

1/4 cup lemon juice (alternatively apple cider vinegar is very good too)

zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to season

3 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard

1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Whisk or shake together and toss with all of the ingredients above. This salad is best when left for a couple of hours or overnight for the flavors to meld.

Roasted Potato Salad

A new take on an old favorite.  This updated potato salad also features artichokes and bell peppers,  all coated in a creamy, blue cheese sour cream dressing. 

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, chopped

4 cups red potatoes, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

6 oz artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp deli mustard

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

Directions:

On a baking sheet, place the red onions, potatoes and pell pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, toss to coat. Roast at 425 for 25-35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender, tossing every 10-15 minutes while roasting. Allow to cool.

In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, along with the roasted vegetables and toss to coat. You can serve this either warm or cold, depending on your preference.

Gemelli with Tomatoes, Olives & Ricotta

Light and fresh, and topped with a cool dollop of fresh ricotta. Simply said – it’s just plain good.

Ingredients:

Coarse salt

8 ounces gemelli (or fusilli or penne)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1/3 cup fresh basil, torn

Fresh ricotta cheese, for serving

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain. Drizzle with just enough oil to coat, so the pasta doesn’t clump.

Pulse sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, capers, and garlic in a food processor. With machine running, add oil in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss together pasta, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, grape tomatoes, olives, basil, and salt. Transfer to serving plates. Top with a scoop of ricotta, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with pepper.

Creamy Grape Salad

This creamy grape salad is fresh and light, with just the right balance of sweet and tart. 

Ingredients: 

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 

1 cup sour cream 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 pounds seedless red grapes 

2 pounds seedless green grapes 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Mix in the sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in the grapes until evenly coated. Mix in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and toasted almonds.

Serve chilled. Top with the remaining brown sugar and almonds.

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill

Ingredients: 

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced

2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or to taste  

1 small white onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp. sour cream whisked with 3 tbs of White Vinegar

1 tsp cracked pepper

Directions:

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Gently toss in the sour cream mixture, then srir in pepper and dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold. This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour. 

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Chicken

This Mac and Cheese Recipe is to die for! I love the chicken in it!  

From My Baking Addiction

mAKES 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound dried rigatoni

1 quart heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove fresh garlic, crushed

8 ounces goat cheese

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add the oil and rigatoni to the water and cook according to the directions on the package, 10-12 minutes.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, pour the cream into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic to the cream and bring it to a simmer - take care not to let it boil over. Allow the cream to reduce by about half.

Stir in the goat cheese and chicken and continue cooking cooking it till the cream coats the back of a spoon.

Thoroughly drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Goodbye Turkey Tetrazzini

Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup egg noodles, uncooked

1 Tbsp.  butter

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup  (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese

1 cup chicken broth

3 cups  chopped cooked turkey

1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

COOK noodles as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Stir in reduced-fat cream cheese and broth. Bring to boil; simmer on low heat 7 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in turkey and peas; cook until heated through, stirring frequently.

DRAIN noodles. Serve topped with turkey mixture.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Stuffed Shells

 allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1 1/2 cups leftover stuffing
• 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups leftover turkey gravy
• 
  

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Place turkey and stuffing in food processor, and pulse until finely ground and combined. Place the ground turkey and stuffing mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer along with the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and 2 cups of the mozzarella. Mix with paddle attachment on medium-low until well blended.

Spread 1/2 cup of gravy on the bottom of the prepared dish. Stuff the pre-cooked pasta shells with the turkey mixture and place in the dish in tight rows. Top with the remaining gravy and the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes until top is browned and bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.