#3768 - Double Spaghetti Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

6oz. raw spaghetti
3/4lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion (chopped)
26oz. chunky pasta sauce
4oz. pepperoni slices
10 slices deli provolone cheese

Break the raw spaghetti in half, then cook it according to box directions. Drain the spaghetti but do NOT rinse. In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper and chopped onions--cook/stir until beef is browned and onions are tender. Remove from heat. In a large bowl add meat mixture, drained spaghetti and pasta sauce--stir well to mix. Spread HALF of the spaghetti mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Spread HALF of the pepperoni slices over the spaghetti mixture. Cut the provolone cheese slices into quarters. Spread HALF of the provolone quarters over the pepperoni slices. Spread remaining spaghetti mixture over the cheese. Spread remaining pepperoni slices over the spaghetti mixture. Spread remaining provolone quarters over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 35-45 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

#3653 - Pepperoni Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

16oz. uncooked shell pasta (or other shape)
1lb. ground Italian sausage (casings removed)
28 to 32oz. pasta sauce
24oz. ricotta cheese (less if you wish)
1 can sliced black olives (drained)
12oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
12oz. pepperoni slices (more if you wish)

Cook and drain pasta in salted water--drain but DO NOT RINSE. In a skillet over medium heat crumble the Italian sausage--cook/stir until browned. Chop all of the pepperoni slices into small pieces. In a bowl add drained pasta, browned sausage, HALF of the pepperoni pieces and the pasta sauce--stir well. In a separate bowl add ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sliced black olives--stir to mix. Pour the pasta mixture into a large greased casserole dish. Spread the cheese mixture over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the other half of the chopped pepperoni pieces over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 25-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.

#3425 - Pepperoni Spaghetti Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. raw spaghetti
1lb. ground Italian sausage
pepperoni slices (cut into bite sized pieces)
26oz. pasta sauce
grated Parmesan cheese
1 - 8oz. bag Kraft Italian 3 Cheese Blend

Break the raw spaghetti in half, cook the spaghetti in salted water according to box directions, then drain but DO NOT RINSE.  Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Spread the drained spaghetti in the baking dish. In a skillet over medium heat add the ground Italian sausage--cook/stir until meat is browned. Spread the sausage evenly over the spaghetti. Pour the pasta sauce all over the top. Place a layer of pepperoni pieces all over the pasta sauce. Sprinkle the cheese blend all over the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the three cheese blend. If you wish, spread more pepperoni pieces over the top of the cheese. Rip off a large piece of foil and spray it with Pam. Place the foil (Pam side down) over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, remove the foil, return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and browned. Optional: if you want the pepperoni to be crispy, you can cook it slightly in the skillet after you remove the Italian sausage.

#3403 - Italian Grilled Cheese

(by Shirley McNevich)

Italian bread
garlic powder
Kraft mozzarella cheese slices
your favorite pasta sauce or pizza sauce
butter
pepperoni slices (chopped)

Butter one side of each piece of bread (two slices for each sandwich). Spray a skillet with Pam--place skillet on burner over medium low heat. Working quickly, place one slice of bread (butter side down) into the skillet, place two unwrapped mozzarella cheese slices on the bread, drizzle 2-3 tsp. of pasta sauce over the cheese, sprinkle some garlic powder over the pasta sauce, scatter some chopped pepperoni pieces over the sauce and place a second piece of bread on top (buttered side up). Once the bottom bread is browned, carefully flip the sandwich and cook until other side is browned.

#3371 - Lasagna Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

In a skillet over medium heat add ground Italian sausage--cook/stir until browned and broken into small pieces, then drain off the grease. In a bowl add 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and the 4oz. softened cream cheese--stir until well mixed. Spread the cheese mixture on the bottom of a glass pie plate. In a separate bowl add the drained sausage, pasta sauce and Italian seasoning--stir to mix. Spread the sausage mixture over the cheese layer. Spread 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese all over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbling hot. Serve hot with bread pieces or good quality crackers.

#3350 - Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chicken2 egg whites
2 TBSP 4C Italian breadcrumbs
1 TBSP fresh grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP pasta sauce + extra for dipping
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan. In a bowl add ground chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 3 TBSP pasta sauce, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder and shredded mozzarella cheese--mix with your hands. Shape the chicken mixture into walnut sized meatballs and place them in the greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until browned. While the meatballs are baking, heat some extra pasta sauce to use for dipping with the meatballs.

#2974 - Skillet Chicken Parmesan

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 TBSP olive oil
6 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of each of the chicken breast halves. In a skillet add olive oil and chicken--cook over medium heat until bottoms are browned, then flip the chicken and cook the other sides until browned. Add the pasta sauce and 3 TBSP of the Parmesan cheese--reduce heat to medium low, cover the skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and all of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the chicken--keep over heat until cheese melts.

#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.

#2190 - Baked Dry Lima Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 1lb. bag large dry lima beans
1/2 TBSP French's yellow mustard
1 slice of ham (with bone in)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 - 16oz. jar extra thick pasta sauce with vegetables
3 onions (chopped)

Rinse the dry lima beans in cold water, place them in a large bowl, cover them with water and let them soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans. Place drained beans in a pot--cover them with water. Over medium heat, cook the beans until tender. Drain the beans and place drained beans into a Dutch oven. Add mustard--stir. In a skillet add ham and chopped onions--cook over medium heat until ham is brown on both sides. Cut the ham into small pieces and discard the bone. Place ham pieces and fried onions into the bean mixture--stir. Add garlic salt and pasta sauce--stir. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling hot.

#2152 - Italian Meatloaf

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 - 8oz. jar pasta sauce
3 slices American cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl add ground chuck, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, chopped onions, 1/3 of the pasta sauce, salt and pepper--mix with your hands until combined. Form the mixture into a flat rectangle on a piece of wax paper. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese all over the top. Lay the sliced American cheese over the mozzarella cheese. Start at one side and roll it into a loaf shape (tucking in the ends). Place the loaf into a greased glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, then remove foil, drain off any grease, pour remaining pasta sauce over the meatloaf and bake uncovered for 15 minutes longer.

#2128 - Quick Lasagna

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 15oz. ricotta cheese
1 - 16oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 5oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg
1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion (chopped)
1 - 16oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup water
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a bowl add ricotta cheese and beaten egg--stir until mixed. Add 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese--stir. In a skillet add ground chuck, salt, pepper and onions--cook/stir until meat is browned, then drain off any fat. Add pasta sauce and water to ground chuck--stir. Turn oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Spread some sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish. Add 3 of the uncooked lasagna noodles. Add more sauce over the noodles. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture as the next layer. Keep repeating the layers of noodles, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Keep enough sauce to make sauce the last layer. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil, sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese melts.

#2103 - Pepperoni Cracker Appetizers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag sliced pepperoni (large slices)
1 box good quality round crackers
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

Spread crackers in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Place one slice of pepperoni on each cracker. Use a spoon to spread a little pasta sauce on top of each pepperoni slice. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta sauce on each. Bake at 350 degrees just until cheese melts. Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle a little oregano over the shredded cheese before baking.

#1836 - Flu-Flu

(by Aunt Dot [McNevich] Worhach)

1lb. ground chuck
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 1lb. 10oz. jar pasta sauce
1 box elbow macaroni (cooked and drained according to box directions with 1 tsp. salt)
6 slices American cheese

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper and chopped onions--cook/stir until browned, then drain off any fat. Cook/drain macaroni according to box directions (do NOT rinse). In a large pot add meat mixture, cooked/drained pasta and pasta sauce--cook/stir until mixed and hot. Add cheese slices to the top and warm until cheese melts before serving.

#1810 - Baked Parmesan Sausage

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. link sausage (cut into coin shaped pieces)
1 pint good quality pasta sauce
8oz. shredded mozzarella OR cheddar cheese
1/2 cup water

In a skillet over medium heat add water and sausage pieces--cook/stir until sausage is browned, then drain. Grease a 2qt. casserole dish. Add browned sausage and pasta sauce--stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes--remove from oven, sprinkle the cheese over the top, then return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

#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.

#1223 - Mozzarella Chicken Breasts

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 - 15oz. jar of your favorite pizza/pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt, pepper and oregano to your taste

Sprinkle salt, pepper and oregano on each chicken breast--pound each with a meat tenderizer. Flip chicken breasts over and repeat. Place chicken breasts in a greased glass baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, turn all chicken breasts over on the other side, pour pizza/pasta sauce over all of the chicken. Put foil back on and bake for 30 minutes more--test for tenderness. When chicken is done, remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken breasts. Return to oven (without foil) and bake until cheese is melted.

#1175 - Easy Homemade Cheese Ravioli

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 beaten egg
8oz. good quality ricotta cheese
1 tsp. (or more) parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt for dough; 1 tsp. salt for cooking
1 cup flour
water (about 1/4 cup)
your favorite pasta sauce

Open the ricotta cheese container--add the parsley flakes, stir it, and put it back in the refrigerator. In a bowl add flour, beaten egg, salt, and about 1/8 cup water--mix with your hands until it forms dough. If too dry, add a little more water and remix. Once you have a good dough ball, place the dough in a bowl covered with Saran Wrap and set it aside for half an hour. After the half hour is up, flour your counter, put the dough in the flour, flour the top of the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough (very thin). Use a knife or a pastry cutter to cut the dough into 2", 3" or 4" squares. Place one dough piece on the counter, put 1 tsp. of ricotta cheese mixture on the dough, and cover with a second dough piece. Use a fork to press and seal all four sides of the ravioli together (if you have trouble with the ravioli staying together, spray a little Pam on your finger and spread the Pam on the edges of the first piece of dough before putting the second piece on top and sealing it with the fork tongs). In a large pot of boiling water, add 1 tsp. salt--stir. Carefully drop the ravioli into the boiling water one at a time--cook until the ravioli float to the top of the water (this means they are done). Carefully drain the ravioli--do NOT rinse--add ravioli to a serving plate and top with your favorite pasta sauce (heated).

#1106 - Chicken & Broccoli Bowties

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups raw bowtie pasta noodles (cooked according to package directions)
4 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Italian salad dressing
1 or 2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature and cubed)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Poke chicken breasts all over on both sides using a fork. Place chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag--pour the Italian dressing into the bag, then seal and work it around with your hands to coat all chicken. Open the bag a little bit, squeeze out the air, and reseal. Place in refrigerator for a few hours to marinate. When ready to cook, cook pasta according to box directions. Cook pasta until almost done, then add broccoli to the pasta water--continue cooking and stirring until pasta is done. Drain pasta and broccoli, then return it to your saucepan. Remove chicken from refrigerator--cut chicken into bite sized pieces (DO NOT discard Italian dressing). Place chicken pieces, minced garlic, and pepper in a skillet with some of the leftover Italian dressing--cook and stir until chicken is cooked through and browned. Add the cream cheese and pasta sauce to the chicken--cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and pour pasta mixture into the saucepan with the bowtie pasta/broccoli mixture. Return to heat--add Parmesan cheese to the mixture--cook and stir until all ingredients are hot.

#1074 - Crockpot Meatball Sandwiches

(by Shirley McNevich)

2lb. 13oz. of your favorite pasta or spaghetti sauce
1 - 38oz. bag frozen Italian meatballs (fully cooked)
shredded mozzarella cheese
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
long steak sandwich rolls

Thaw the meatballs--drain. Add meatballs, sauce, chopped onion and chopped green pepper to a large crockpot--stir. Cook on low until well heated--test a meatball by slicing it in half to make sure it has warmed all the way through. Once hot, put 4-5 meatballs in each steak roll. Add a little sauce and some onions/peppers from the sauce to the top of the meatballs and sprinkle each sandwich with mozzarella cheese. You can make this recipe without thawing the meatballs but cooking time will be a few hours longer.

#1055 - Eggplant Parmesan

(by Dottie Ellis - friend)

1 medium eggplant
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
3/4 to 1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 - 24oz. jar pasta sauce with mushrooms
1 TBSP oregano
1 or 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
canola oil for frying
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Add eggs to a bowl--beat slightly--set aside. Pour breadcrumbs and the salt into a bowl--stir and set aside. Wash, peel and cut eggplant horizontally into 1/2" thick slices. Dip each eggplant piece into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture to coat--place coated pieces into skillet coated with 1/4" to 1/2" canola oil over medium heat. Brown both sides of each piece and drain on paper towels. In a bowl add pasta sauce and oregano--stir. In a greased casserole dish layer eggplant, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese--keep layering until all are used up--try to end up with pasta sauce on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.