#3681 - Four Cheese Macaroni Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups raw macaroni
28oz. whole peeled tomatoes (drained and chopped; you can use fresh tomatoes if you have them)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
salt (to your taste)
pepper (to your taste)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook macaroni in salted water until softened but still chewy. Drain but DO NOT RINSE. In a large bowl add drained (still hot) macaroni, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese--stir carefully until cheeses melt. In a separate bowl add chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, salt and pepper--stir well. Pour the tomato mixture into the pasta mixture--stir to combine. Pour the whole mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and all of the feta cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes. Note: you can omit the feta cheese if you don't like feta cheese.

#2991 - Balsamic Tomatoes and Cheese

(by Shirley McNevich)

Note: this recipe is posted in advance for 12/24/13 so we can take the week off.

6 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 large tomatoes OR 3 medium tomatoes
4 tsp. olive oil
3-4 slices mozzarella cheese
fresh ground black pepper

Wash the tomatoes, then slice them thinly and spread them on a plate. In a bowl add the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil--stir to mix. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over the tomatoes. Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper over the tomatoes. Cut the mozzarella cheese slices into bite sized pieces. Place the cheese pieces evenly over the top of the tomatoes. Let them sit for 10 minutes before serving.

#2968 - Mozzarella Soup Balls

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 block of mozzarella cheese (cut into 1" cubes)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup flour (more if necessary)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (more if necessary)
1/2 to 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
wooden skewers

Cut the mozzarella cheese block into 1" cubes. Place the cubes on a plate (making sure they are not touching each other), then place the plate in the freezer for a few hours. Once they are hardened, transfer the cheese cubes into a freezer safe Ziploc bag and continue freezing them overnight. The next day, prepare any type of soup that you wish (tomato soup works really well). When soup is almost hot and ready to be served, you can prepare the mozzarella balls. In one bowl add egg whites--beat with a whisk. In a second bowl add the flour. In a third bowl add the panko bread crumbs and Italian seasoning--stir until mixed. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with Pam. Take one frozen cheese cube, coat it all over with flour, coat it in egg whites, then roll it completely in the panko mixture and place it on the greased foil. Repeat with as many cheese balls as you wish, making sure they are not touching each other. Spray all of the cheese balls lightly with Pam. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Scoop hot soup into bowls. Spear three baked cheese cubes on to each skewer and place the skewer on top of the bowl. If you don't have skewers, just serve them on the side so they can be dipped. Note: the cheese MUST be frozen or you will have a mess on your hands.

#2851 - Italian Tomato Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
2 - 15oz. cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper each side of each chicken breast, then place them in a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from oven--remove foil and drain off any liquid in the dish. In a saucepan add both cans of stewed tomato and oregano--stir. Slowly add cornstarch--cook/stir over medium heat until mixture thickens. Pour tomato mixture over the chicken breasts--bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese all over the top and bake uncovered at 425 degrees for a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

#2760 - Mushroom Pizza BBQ

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion (chopped)
1 small can sliced mushrooms (drained) or the same amount of fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 - 8oz. jar of your favorite pizza sauce
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper, chopped onions, oregano, garlic salt and sliced mushrooms--cook/stir until meat is browned. Add pizza sauce--cook/stir until hot. Remove from heat--add grated mozzarella cheese--stir until mixed. Place some of the mixture on a hamburger roll and top with other half of the roll.

#2759 - Macaroni Pizza Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion (chopped)
1 - 8oz. box elbow macaroni (cooked and drained according to box directions--do NOT rinse)
1 - 15oz. jar of your favorite pizza sauce
1/4 cup water
6oz. mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
8oz. fresh mushrooms (sliced)
pepperoni slices (your choice of amount)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper and chopped onions--cook/stir until meat is browned. Drain off fat if necessary. Add the pizza sauce, water, garlic salt, basil, oregano and sliced mushrooms to the meat mixture--cook/stir until mixed and hot. Add the drained macaroni--cook/stir until hot. Spread the whole mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place pepperoni slices all over the top (as many as you wish). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, then remove from oven, spread the shredded mozzarella cheese all over the top and return it to the oven. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling.

#2751 - Cheeseburger Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. Velveeta cheese (cubed)
1 - 10oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup diced onions

In a skillet over medium heat add ground beef, salt, pepper and diced onions--cook/stir until meat is browned. Scoop the beef mixture into a crockpot and add the Rotel, mozarella cheese and Velveeta cubes--stir. Place the lid on the crockpot--cook on low (simmer) for 2 hours. When ready to serve, stir first, then place some of the mixture into a serving bowl (keeping the rest warming in the crockpot). Serve with tortilla chips or Italian bread pieces.

#2677 - Italian Cheese Bread

(by Cousin Cathy [Minier] Ulrich)

4 1/2 to 5 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 envelopes active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup softened butter
2 beaten eggs
2 TBSP sesame seeds
Filling: 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese; 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 1/4 cup softened butter

In a bowl add 2 1/2 cups flour, white sugar, salt and yeast--stir well. In a saucepan add milk, water and 1/2 cup butter--stir/heat over medium heat until very warm (about 120 degrees). Remove from heat--add hot milk mixture to flour mixture--stir well. Add beaten eggs--stir. Continue adding another 2 cups of flour and mix well until you have a stiff batter. If not stiff enough add a little more flour. Grease a 10" tube cake pan. Sprinkle the sesame seeds into the bottom of the greased tube cake pan. In a small bowl add mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 1/4 cup softened butter--mix well. Press half of the batter into the greased tube cake pan. Spread the mozzarella mixture evenly over the batter (leaving it 1/2" away from the sides of the pan). Press the rest of the dough over the filling. Cover the pan with Saran wrap and a cloth towel. In a large pan add some warm water, then place the tube cake pan in the warm water. Let the dough raise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Remove from warm water, remove Saran wrap and cloth and place tube cake pan in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen/remove bread from pan immediately after baking and cool it on a wire rack.

#2463 - No Boil Lasagna

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 32oz. ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs
2 - 26oz. jars pasta sauce (with or without meat--your choice)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
spices to your taste (salt, pepper, oregano, garlic salt, etc.)

In a bowl add ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and the beaten eggs--mix well. Add any spices you wish--stir until mixed. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4 lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce. Place 4 lasagna noodles in a single layer over the ricotta. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce. Place the last 4 uncooked noodles over the ricotta mixture. Spread 2 cups of sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven, remove the foil, spread 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve lasagna with remaining pasta sauce.

#2102 - Spaghetti Chicken Parmesan

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups hot cooked/drained spaghetti (cooked/drained according to box directions)
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Dip each chicken breast in the beaten egg, then dip them in the bread crumbs to coat both sides. Put the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat--add chicken pieces to the skillet. Cook/brown chicken pieces until browned on both sides, then set aside. In a separate skillet add spaghetti sauce--turn heat to medium low and cook/stir until sauce is hot. Add chicken pieces to the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove lid, add cheese to chicken and cook until cheese melts. Place spaghetti on four plates, add a chicken piece and sauce on top of the spaghetti on each plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

#1434 - Pizza Burgers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
pizza sauce
sliced mozzarella cheese
pepperoni slices

In a bowl add ground chuck, salt, pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, oregano--mix with your hands until well mixed. Shape the meat mixture into hamburger patties. Grill the burger patties (or make them on the top of the stove in a skillet). Microwave the pizza sauce until hot. Place cooked burger patties on buns, add some pizza sauce, add pepperoni slices, and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Optional: add chopped onions to the meat mixture before cooking if you wish.

#1333 - Hot Dog Lasagna

(by Gloria "Snook" Walker - friend)

1lb. good quality all beef hot dogs (thawed)
1 box lasagna noodles
1 - 26oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup (or more) shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning or oregano if not already in the pasta sauce

Cook lasagna noodles according to box directions--drain. Cut each hot dog in half (so you end up with two short hot dogs). Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with Pam. Spread enough pasta sauce in the baking dish to cover the bottom. Place a half hot dog on the end of a lasagna noodle and roll up the hot dog inside of of the lasagna noodle. Continue with all hot dogs and place rolled hot dogs into the baking dish. Spread the rest of the pasta sauce on top of the rolled hot dogs. Sprinkle the top with Italian seasoning or oregano if you wish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top, and return to oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

#1220 - Pizza Noodles

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. oregano
1- 10.75oz. can Campbell's tomato soup
1/2 cup water
2 cups (measure after cooking) cooked pasta noodles (your choice of shape)
1/3 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper, chopped onion, garlic salt and oregano--cook and stir until meat is browned. Cook and drain noodles according to box directions--set aside. Add tomato soup and 1/2 cup water to beef mixture--stir and cook until heated. Add drained noodles to the beef mixture--stir and heat for 5 minutes. Grease a 2 qt casserole dish. Pour the beef and noodle mixture into the greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--5 minutes before it's done, remove it from the oven, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese over the top and return to oven until cheese is melted.

#881 - Pizza Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups penne pasta (cooked according to box directions, drained and rinsed)
4 chopped tomatoes
1/4lb. pepperoni slices (cut in half)
12 slices hard salami (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
oregano (sprinkled to your taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian salad dressing

Cook and drain pasta according to box directions--rinse under cold water and drain. Add drained pasta, hard salami pieces, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup Italian dressing--stir and toss to coat. Add oregano--stir and toss to coat. Add chopped tomatoes--stir and toss. If it seems too dry add more Italian dressing. Refrigerate.

#858 - Mozzarella Cheese Quiche

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 - 10oz. box chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 9" frozen pie crust dough
1/4 cup real bacon bits

Spray a skillet with Pam--add the mushrooms and onions. Cook until tender. Add the thawed/drained spinach over medium heat--stir and cook until warm. Turn off the burner. In a separate bowl add eggs--beat with a whisk. Add Miracle Whip and milk to the eggs--beat. Add the spinach mixture and the mozzarella cheese to the egg mixture--stir until mixed. Spray a 9" pie plate with Pam. Place pie dough shell into the pie plate and flute the edges. Spray the inside of the dough with Pam. Pour the entire egg mixture into the pie dough. Sprinkle the bacon bits over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until browned and set.

#855 - Italian Hamburgers and Rice

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 frozen hamburger patties
1 medium chopped onion
1 green pepper (cut into strips)
1/2 red pepper (cut into strips)
1/2 yellow pepper (cut into strips)
1 - 26oz. jar of your favorite pasta or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cups Minute white rice (uncooked)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Spray Pam on the inside of a skillet. Add the chopped onions to the skillet. Salt and pepper each side of the hamburger patties and cook them in the skillet with the onions over medium heat until done to your liking. Make sure you brown both sides of the patties. Add the green, red and yellow pepper strips and cook until tender. Add the spaghetti sauce and water--bring to a boil. Add the uncooked rice, place a lid on the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until the rice is done and all ingredients are hot. Remove skillet from the burner, add the cheese to the top and put the lid back on until the cheese has melted.

#850 - Quick Chicken Parmesan

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 frozen breaded chicken breasts or cutlets
1 - 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes (Italian style or plain)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups any style pasta (cooked according to package directions and drained)

Spray a baking dish with Pam--arrange breaded chicken pieces in a single layer. Spread diced tomatoes over each piece of chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cook and drain pasta--set aside. Remove chicken from oven, sprinkle chicken pieces with mozzarella cheese and return to oven. Bake until cheese is melted. Serve chicken over the hot pasta.

#779 - Baked Lasagna Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 chopped garlic clove
2 TBSP olive oil
2 - 6oz. cans tomato paste
2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 8 oz. box lasagna noodles
2 eggs
3/4 lb. ricotta cheese
3/4 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. chopped parsley

In a skillet add the ground chuck, salt, pepper, chopped onion, chopped garlic, and chopped parsley--cook until beef is browned. Add the tomato paste and water--stir, then simmer meat sauce for about an hour. Cook the lasagna noodles according to box directions--drain and set aside. In a bowl add eggs and ricotta cheese--mix well. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer the meat sauce, then lasagna noodles, then ricotta mixture, then mozzarella cheese--continue layering until all ingredients are used up--try to keep enough meat sauce so that you can use the meat sauce as the final layer. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

#678 - Deep Dish Pizza

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (if you can find crushed tomatoes that contains different varieties of tomatoes in the same can, it is much better)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
sliced mozzarella cheese
sliced provolone cheese
pizza seasoning OR Italians seasoning OR oregano
Your choice of extra toppings (pepperoni, sausage, etc.)
Regular olive oil (NOT extra virgin)

In a mixer with the dough hook attachment add water, white sugar, yeast, flour, cornmeal and salt--mix on low for a few minutes, then slowly add the canola oil. Once all of the oil has been added, mix the dough for 7-8 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer and form it into a smooth ball. Drop the dough ball into a bowl and place a dish towel over the top--place the covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The next day move your lowest oven rack to the bottom third of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees for ONE HOUR. Do NOT skip this step! Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and set it on the counter for the entire hour while the oven is heating up. Use regular olive oil to grease a 15" wide/2" deep pizza pan. Place the dough in the center of the pizza pan and work it out to cover the entire bottom, then work it up the sides of the pan. Use the slices of mozzarella and provolone cheese to cover the entire bottom of the crust. Add your desired toppings next (such as pepperoni, sausage, etc.). Top with the 3 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes. Sprinkle the pizza seasoning on top of the tomatoes (or Italian seasonings, oregano, etc.). Finally, sprinkle the entire top with the fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Place the pizza in the center of the bottom oven rack (making sure the rack is in the bottom third of the oven). You may want to place a cookie sheet under the pizza pan to catch any drips. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let it set for 3-5 minutes before cutting.

#449 - Fried Mozzarella

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 16oz. brick of mozzarella cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch

Slice the cheese into bite sized cubes. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the water and set aside. In another bowl, mix the bread crumbs, garlic salt, and Italian seasonings and set aside. In another bowl, stir the flour with corn starch and set aside. Heat vegetable oil for deep frying to 360 degrees. Using a toothpick, dip cheese cubes in flour mixture, then in egg mixture and then coat with bread crumbs. Remove toothpick, place carefully in hot oil and fry until golden - it takes only a few seconds so watch them carefully. When golden remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce.