#3805 - Baked Ham Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups Half 'n Half
2 cups whole milk
1lb. shredded Swiss cheese
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1lb. bowtie pasta
2 cups cooked bite sized ham pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen baby sweet peas (thawed and drained)
Crunchy Topping: 1 cup Marzetti sea salt/cracked pepper croutons; 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1 TBSP butter (melted)

Cook bowtie pasta in salted water according to box directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. In a Dutch oven over medium heat and 1/2 cup butter--melt. While whisking, slowly add the flour and whisk until smooth. While whisking add dry mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. While whisking add half 'n half and milk--whisk for about 10 minutes or until thickened. While stirring with a spoon add all of the shredded Swiss cheese and 2/3 cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese--stir until mixed. Remove from heat--add drained pasta, ham pieces and drained peas-- toss with a spoon to mix. Pour the whole mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place the croutons into a Ziploc bag--close the bag and crush the croutons with a rolling pin until finely ground. In a bowl add ground croutons, 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese and the melted butter--stir to mix. Sprinkle the crouton mixture evenly over the pasta mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

#3497 - Crispy Baked Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
4 TBSP Dijon mustard (less if you wish)
1/4 cup Carnation evaporated milk
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
shredded Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Place foil in a 9 x 13 baking dish and spray the foil with Pam. Salt and pepper each side of each chicken breast to your taste. In a bowl add evaporated milk and Dijon mustard--stir to mix. Place the Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a second bowl--stir to mix. Dip both sides of each chicken piece in the milk mixture, then into the bread crumbs, then place on the greased foil. Bake at 475 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.

#3379 - Pierogi Spinach Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups chicken broth
1 - 28oz. can diced tomatoes
6oz. cut green beans (drained and cut into small pieces)
1/2 lb. fresh spinach (washed and drained)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Italian style croutons
1 - 12oz. bag mini pierogis with potato and onions

Cut the drained spinach into bite sized pieces. In a pot add chicken broth and diced tomatoes/juice--stir well. Cook/stir over medium heat until it starts to boil. Add the bag of mini pierogis--cook/stir until boiling again. Add green beans pieces--turn heat back to simmer. Add the spinach pieces--stir. Simmer until spinach is done to your liking. Serve in bowls and top with Italian croutons and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

#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.

#2070 - Zucchini and Crackers

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups diced zucchini (peel before dicing)
2 cups Keebler Club Cracker crumbs (make crumbs using a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin)
4 cups water
2 TBSP butter
3 beaten eggs
1/2 of a small onion (grated)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup (or more) grated Parmesan cheese

Grease a glass baking dish--set aside. In a saucepan add water--bring to a boil. Add diced zucchini--reduce heat to simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer until zucchini is tender (3-5 minutes). Drain the zucchini. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs into the bottom of the greased dish. Dot the butter over the cracker crumbs. Spread the tender zucchini over the cracker crumbs. Beat the eggs in a bowl until fluffy--add grated onions, milk, 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper--beat until mixed. Pour the egg mixture over the zucchini. Spread the Parmesan cheese over the egg mixture. Spread remaining 1/3 cup shredded cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until browned.

#1355 - Spinach Meatball Soup

(by Donna [Miller] Unger - friend)

8oz. frozen/precooked Italian meatballs
2 - 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 - 15oz. can cannellini beans
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup reduced fat basil pesto
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

In a pot add the meatballs, both cans diced tomatoes, beans, water and pesto--stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, turn heat to simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove lid and add spinach and Parmesan cheese--stir and serve.

#1113 - Crock Pot Lasagna

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
2 minced cloves garlic
1 - 29oz. jar tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 - 6oz. can hunt's tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 - 8oz. box Barilla no boil lasagna noodles
16oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 12oz. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In a bowl add cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese--stir until mixed, then set aside. In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic--cook and brown the meat. Once meat is done, drain the meat mixture. Put drained meat back in the skillet but NOT back on the stove--add tomato sauce, water, tomato paste and oregano to the meat mixture--stir until mixed. In a 5 qt. crock pot add 1/4 of the meat sauce. Place 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Scoop 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Keep layering in the same order--you should end up with the last 1/4 of the meat sauce to put on top. Cover the crockpot with the lid--cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or until lasagna noodles are tender.

#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.

#1105 - Ham & Broccoli Stovetop Noodles

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 12oz. bag egg noodles
1 - 16oz. bag frozen broccoli pieces
3 cups cooked ham (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (fresh, not canned)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

In a saucepan cook noodles according to package directions EXCEPT only cook the noodles for 5 minutes. Once cooked, add broccoli and ham pieces to the noodles/boiling water--cook and stir for 5 minutes, then drain the whole mixture. Once drained, return the mixture to the saucepan. Add milk, butter, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese--turn heat to low, stir and cook until hot enough to serve.