Whole Wheat Bruschetta Pasta

Ugh! It's getting darker way too early now! Sorry for the horrible shadow...AGAIN! This pasta is definitely one for the adults, not kids. My kids just wanted to know where the meatballs were. You can make this as is or you can also add some grilled chicken in with it  for a more filling meal. It tastes great either way.

Ingredients:

1 lb. wheat spaghetti, prepared (reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid)

3-4 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup fresh packed basil, finely chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Red Wine vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

grilled chicken (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner

This is another one skillet meal from America's Test Kitchen, although I ran across it first on Teresa's blog,  A Blog About Food. The recipe called for sun-dried tomatoes as well, but for some reason they seemed to have missed my grocery list that week so I made it without- and it was still good. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, minced

salt

pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine

8 ounces penne

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)

1 (5 oz) bag spinach

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne evenly over the sausage. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Homestyle Pizza

Mmmm, good ole homemade pizza. We have been making pizza regularly at our house lately. It's such an easy throw it together meal that everyone loves it. The above pictured pizza is a pretty typical one you'd find at our house- black olives for the kids and either pepperoni or sausage for us. I love the pizza dough recipe I found over at Our Family Treat a few months back. We use it for pizza, calzones, stromboli, pizza rolls, etc. Love it, love it!

Ingredients:

pizza dough

marinara sauce (I use prego meat sauce and add italian seasonings to it)

mozzarella cheese or pizza blend

toppings of choice

Directions:

Roll out dough to desired shape- rectangle or circle. Add sauce and cheese and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Meatball Calzones

I found this pizza dough recipe on Lindsay's blog Our Family Treat a month or so ago and I love it! I have made both pizzas and calzones with it and it always turns out great. It's super simple to throw together and it only has to rise for 20 minutes so it's a quick meal to make. I usually divide the dough into four equal parts when making calzones and it makes 4 pretty large ones. Try it and let me know what you think. Stop by Lindsay's blog as well, she's got some great recipes!

Dough

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 Cup 2 Tablespoons warm water

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Set aside and let grow.

2 Tablespoons Shortening

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Sugar

3 Cups flour

Combine, and then add yeast mixture.

Once mixed well, let rise for twenty minutes.

Calzone Ingredients:

meatballs (I put approx. 4-5 meatballs, cut in half, in each one)

marinara sauce

4 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Divide your dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece out into a small circle.

2. Put about 1 Tbsp. of marinara sauce on one side of the circle, top with meatballs, a slice of cheese, and 1 more Tbsp. of sauce. Fold over dough and seal edges with prongs of a fork. Repeat with each pizza dough.

3. Lightly brush the tops of the calzones with olive oil and cut a small slit in each one.

4. Lightly dust a pan with corn meal and place the calzones on it.

5. Place in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (This is a lighter dough so it won't get too brown)

I also highly recommend Calzone Supreme too, it's my favorite but the kids don't usually go for it. I'll list the "inner ingredients" for any interested.

Calzone Supreme:

marinara

mozzarella cheese

thinly sliced red onion

thinly sliced green bell pepper

sliced black olives

pepperoni

meatballs

mushrooms

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Happy November! Can you believe Christmas is in 53 days?! This year is going to be over before I know it. Blogging will officially slow down for me now as I get the keys to my new house in 2 days. I will be busy painting and cleaning and boxing and moving but I'm anxious to get back and show pictures of what I will have been up to. This was a super easy, throw it together pizza. I know I am going to shock some of you, but I bought a pre-made pizza crust, yes I know, there's a first time for everything right? Life is so hectic that I have to keep my meals simple right now. It turned out good, however, I am thinking of cooking the chicken in the barbecue sauce and using ranch for the sauce next time?... Gosh I love that stuff.

Ingredients:

1 12" pre-baked pizza crust, or whatever pizza crust you prefer

1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet and spread barbecue sauce over top. Add a thin layer of cheese, then top with chicken and onion, add a little more cheese, top that with cilantro and finish it off with remaining cheese.

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*serve with a side of ranch for dipping sauce

Sausage & Mozzarella Calzones

This recipe was so easy to make! The most time consuming part was browning the sausage, which is nothing. The dough took 5 minutes in the mixer and it was ready to go. I love quick easy meals, especially when everyone eats it too! I found this recipe on a blog called Eat at Home.

Ingredients:
Filling-
1 lb. sausage
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 6oz. can tomato paste + 1 can water
basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste
mozzarella cheese, the amount depends on how cheesy you like it.

Brown the sausage with the onion and garlic. Drain the grease. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese, and combine them well, letting them heat together for a few minutes.

Crust-
1 pkg dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the other ingredients (I used a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step.) Beat the ingredients until well mixed. Let the dough rest 5 minutes.

Directions:
Now it’s time to assemble the calzones. I made 4 medium sized calzones, but you can make any size you'd like.
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll into circles. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Spread 1/4 of the meat mixture onto one side of the dough and add the cheese.Fold the dough over the top and seal the edges. (I used the prongs of a fork to seal my edges.)
2. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. You'll need to adjust your baking time depending on the size you make.

Greek Pizza

I found this recipe on For the Love of Cooking and knew I had to try it. I thought it was delicious, the kids cleaned their plates, and my husband said it was good- which is a good thing seeing how he doesn't like artichokes or olives. It was super simple to make, especially since I bought my pizza dough (Trader Joe's).

Ingredients:
pizza dough
corn meal (to sprinkle under the pizza)
pizza sauce (I used an 8oz. can of tomato sauce and added 1/2 tsp. of each of the following: oregano, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and sugar)
mozzarella cheese (I used an Italian blend)
feta cheese
artichoke hearts (I used canned)
Kalamati olives, sliced in half ( I used black olives, it's what my kids like)
red onion, thinly sliced
roma tomato, thinly sliced
dried oregano

Directions:
1. Lightly spray pizza pan with non-stick spray then sprinkle with corn meal. Roll dough out to desired size and place on pan. Evenly spread sauce, cheese, and toppings over pizza. Sprinkle with oregano.
2. Place in the oven for 10-14 minutes at 425 degrees. Slice and serve!

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Bruschetta

Ingredients:
softened butter
french bread or Ciabatta Bread, cut in half lengthwise ( I recommend Ciabatta)
Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
l lb of your favorite prepared spaghetti*
shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread butter over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Top with prepared spaghetti that's been cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into strips. Serve warm.

*I used Prego's Meat sauce as my starter sauce. I added Italian sausage (cooked), minced garlic, chopped onion, and chopped fresh parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes then pour over hot angel hair pasta.

Once again, this is a Picky Palate recipe, (I know, O.D.), you just can't go wrong!

Stromboli

Ingredients:
1 loaf bread dough, homemade or store bought (Rhode's frozen white bread works well)
1/4-1/2 lb. sliced pepperoni (depending on how your family likes it)
8 thick slices provolone cheese

Directions:
1. Roll out dough to approximately a 9x13 rectangle.
2. Cover bread with provolone, followed by pepperoni.
3. Roll the dough like you would cinnamon rolls, along the long side. Tuck ends under and seal seam. (if you roll it the short way it will be too thick and the center dough won't cook) Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
4. Cook for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Glaze with melted butter when done.
6. Slice and serve with a side of marinara for dipping.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, halved
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups spaghetti sauce
6 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper (I used freshly ground garlic pepper & sea salt).
2. Dip chicken in egg, turning to coat. Transfer to bread crumb mixture, turning to coat. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown each side until breading is golden. Place in a 9x13 baking dish.
4. Bake chicken for 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick it is), at 350 degrees.
5. Remove chicken from oven and pour spaghetti sauce around chicken. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese over each chicken breast.
6. Place chicken under broiler until sauce is heated through and cheese starts to brown and bubble.

Pasta Carrabba

Ingredients:
CHICKEN
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup fresh chopped basil
salt & pepper, to taste
SAUCE & PASTA
3 Tbsp. butter
4 medium shallots (no substitutions)
2 cups cream
6oz. fresh mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
salt & pepper, to taste
1 9oz. pkg. FRESH fettuccine
freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

Directions:
1. Place halved chicken breasts side by side in a lightly greased baking dish. Drizzle with vinegar and oil. Sprinkle basil leaves over the breasts and season with salt & pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Bake chicken for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
3.Peel and finely chop shallots. Saute in butter for 1 minute. Add cream and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce until thickened to a light sauce. Add mushrooms and peas and cook an additional 2 minutes.
4. Cook pasta according to package (mine took 2-3 minutes), drain and shake out all excess water.
5. Thinly slice chicken, add to pasta, toss gently with sauce and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven or skillet, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb. ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef OR Italian sausage
2 26oz. jars spaghetti sauce (I prefer Prego Meat Sauce, it tends to be thicker)
6 slices Provolone cheese
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, to cover
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef OR Italian sausage with onion. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. While meat mixture is simmering, boil noodles until al dente. Drain.
3. Layer as follows in a 9x13 pan:
1/2 ziti noodles, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 meat sauce mixture, remaining ziti noodles, Mozzarella cheese, remaining meat sauce mixture, and cover with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spinach Parmesan Garlic Toast-
I highly recommend trying this! I bought a loaf of Spinach Parmesan bread from Alpine Bread Co. and added my garlic butter spread (recipe in Garlic Chicken Alfredo post) and cooked it under the broiler for a few minutes- Yummo!

Chicken Ranch Pizza

This is one of my very favorite recipes, it is DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

1 large pizza dough, uncooked (fresh or frozen), click here for homemade dough recipe

3/4 c. ranch dressing (homemade Hidden Valley Ranch)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 c. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 c. chicken, cooked and cut into strips (Rub the chicken with olive oil and generously sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning on both sides. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.)

2-3 tomatoes, sliced

Directions:

1.Mix ranch dressing and crushed garlic together then spread evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle a little cheese over the ranch dressing then add chicken and bacon. Sprinkle more of the cheese over that, add the tomatoes, then add the remaining cheese.

2.Put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-17 minutes. (if you are using a homemade pizza dough then cook according to dough recipe's directions ).

*Thanks to Family Favorite Recipes for this delicious recipe!*