5 Cheese Pasta Bake

My dad doesn’t like cheese. Seriously, it’s lucky I love him because otherwise he would have to be disowned. Who doesn’t like cheese? I truly don’t understand what would cause such a thing? I totally get people not liking blue cheese or gorgonzola. Those are strong cheeses and a bit too much sometimes. But cheddar, mozzarella, gouda….I can’t fathom a life without them! Cheese is pretty much it’s own food group in our house. So when I saw this recipe, I knew it would have to grace our table.

This was a great weeknight meal as it was easy to throw together and has a quick cooking time. The boys loved it because, well, there are five cheeses. That was a no-brainer for them. I thought it was yummy and cheesy but it lacked a bit of flavor for me. Next time I would definitely switch out the swiss or provolone for sharp cheddar for a bit more of punch (they aren’t my favorite cheeses anyway so I wouldn’t miss them). I also think some cayenne would be nice if you don’t have a bunch of wimps in your house like I do.

It’s definitely a calorie-buster but would be worth it when you are craving some warm, cheesy, ooey-gooey pasta.

5 Cheese Pasta Bake
recipe from allrecipes

1 pkg. (16 oz) elbow noodles or other small pasta
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 cup swiss, shredded
1 cup Parmesan, shredded
1 cup provolone, shredded
1/2 cup ricotta (I used part-skim)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese and Provolone cheese. Remove about 1/2 cup for topping and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, sour cream and heavy cream. Season with parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper and garlic salt.

3. Pour the ricotta cheese mixture and drained macaroni into the bowl with the cheeses and toss lightly. Do not mix too thoroughly, it’s better left messy. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil. Broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the top (keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn).

Veggie Stirfry

This is almost always the meal I make when Joel is working late or has something going on that takes him away at dinner time. I wait until Noah goes to bed then whip this up and eat my dinner in peace all by myself! As much as I love those boys of mine, sometimes it’s really nice to just have some time to myself and eat something Joel doesn’t like while enjoying silly, ridiculous shows that he makes fun of me for watching. My life is happy and uncomplicated so I sometimes like to get a little fix of stupid drama, so sue me.

Anyway, this is healthy and simple to throw together using ingredients I almost always have in the kitchen. You can add in anything you like, I just have listed what I had on hand that day. I also really like it with green beans and/or zucchini. I always look forward to whipping it up anytime I have a night to myself.

Veggie Stirfry

6 oz. whole grain egg noodles
1-2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 tsp. grated ginger (use microplane)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. Sriracha
1/2 tsp. sugar
Sesame seeds
Additional add ins: green beans, zucchini, onion, carrots, mushrooms, peppers

1. Bring water to a boil then cook noodles according to package directions and add broccoli at the last 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha and sugar in a small bowl. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick spray and crack egg into it. Scramble it quickly then let it cook until set. Flip and cook until no longer runny. Remove from pan and chop into tiny pieces.

3. Pour vegetable oil into wok then saute ginger, garlic and cabbage for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add in pasta, broccoli and sauce mixture and saute for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Stovetop Sausage Mac-N-Cheese

One of my very favorite foods is macaroni and cheese…I guess I never fully grew up. But seriously, what’s not to like about pasta covered in cheese? I’m normally a baked mac-n-cheese kind of girl but this creamy stovetop version definitely got me thinking. It’s so simple to throw together on a weeknight and it is lightened up with low fat ingredients which makes it even better (you can’t even tell)!

I love mac-n-cheese with broccoli so I usually steam some to stir into my bowl. Obviously, I like anything if it’s smothered in cheese.

Stovetop Sausage Mac-n-Cheese
recipe from Taste and Tell

4 ounces chicken sausage, chopped
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
5 cups hot cooked noodles (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta, use whole wheat to bump up the health factor)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly. Stir in pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Little man and I both love pesto and broccoli so when I saw this recipe I knew it would be hitting our table soon. When Joel found out about this recipe, he wasn’t quite as thrilled. He is not a pesto fan (I don’t understand him) and he doesn’t love cooked broccoli (once again, confused) so this was just a meal he was going to have to take for the team. Basically, he was outvoted. I like having someone that can help me outvote him! And so far, Noah has similar taste with me so I can look forward to more of this in the future. Insert evil laugh here.

To somewhat appease him, I added meat to this meal so it wasn’t a total loss for him. But then again, it was chicken sausage instead of the real deal so really he was just kind of screwed on this one. He obviously was not a fan but Noah and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It definitely didn’t taste like traditional pesto but it was a really fun, healthy spin. It’s quick and easy to throw together with very few ingredients which makes this a perfect weeknight meal.

Broccoli Pesto
recipe from The Galley Gourmet

2 cups steamed and chopped broccoli (about 1 crown)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup  freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-5 links chicken sausage, sliced into thick coins
Hot cooked pasta

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the broccoli, parsley, garlic, and Parmesan and begin processing.

2. While the processor is running, add the olive oil in a thin stream and blend until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan then add sliced chicken sausage. Cook until browned and heated through.

4. Toss pasta and sausage with pesto and enjoy!

Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna

Now that school is back in session, I’m sure everyone is looking for quick and easy weeknight meals that the kiddos will love. And I have a new one to share that will be an instant hit.

Growing up, our traditional 1^st day of school meal was always lasagna. Back then, I didn’t realize how much work it takes to put together a lasagna. I know once Noah starts school I will continue the tradition but on busy days when we are really craving lasagna, this is definitely what I will turn too.

I have seen lots of crock pot lasagnas but they still used the traditional lasagna noodles and involve cooking the meat and more ingredients than I wanted to bother with for a crock pot meal. So I thought I would try throwing some ground beef ravioli in the crockpot with sauce, ricotta and mozzarella to see what happened.

It turned out incredibly similar to a real deal lasagna leaving us all pleasantly surprised. Serve with a tossed or caesar salad and bread to complete the meal.

Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna

29 oz. frozen ground beef or sausage ravioli
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

1. Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the crockpot. Layer half of the frozen ravioli on top then dollop half of the ricotta on top, followed by half of the sauce and half of the mozzarella.

2. Repeat layers. Cook on low for 3-4 hours (mine was perfect after 3 hours).

Creamy Macaroni Salad

I just love picnic food so it should be no surprise that I just love when Memorial Day rolls around because it means that picnic food is here and not going anywhere for a few glorious months! What could be better than cold fried chicken, lemonade and macaroni salad? Not a whole lot in my book.

This macaroni salad recipe happens to be my favorite so I wanted to be sure to share it with you before the holiday weekend hits. It’s super creamy and has some of my favorite indgredients – pasta, bacon, vinegar and pickles (I know vinegar is a weird thing to love but I do). I like to use Barilla Plus pasta for this because it tastes just as good as regular pasta but is much better for you. Also, the box is a little less than a pound so there is an increased saucy-ness to the salad which is always a good thing to me.

Creamy Macaroni Salad
recipe adapted from Food.com

1 lb. large elbow macaroni, cooked to desired tenderness
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
1 small red sweet bell pepper, finely diced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pickle relish (I chop up Claussen pickles because they are my favorite)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

1. Mix cooled macaroni, celery, onions and bell pepper together in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, pickle relish, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed, stirring well.

3. Stir dressing into the macaroni mixture.

4. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

5. Serve chilled. Best if made the night before.

Recipe linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday and Full Plate Thursday.

One Pot Spaghetti {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

The Crazy Cooking Challenge is upon us again and this time around it’s spaghetti for the making. My heart sank a little when I saw that was the dish to prepare this month. I know a lot of people absolutely love spaghetti but Joel and I just aren’t big fans of red sauce. It’s one of those meals that I really have to be in the mood to eat. And then it has to have ground beef or Italian sausage which sadly are off limits for the next 31 days. This no meat thing has been hard, not as hard as I thought it would be but still difficult. I can’t get bacon off my brain. Mmmm, bacon. Ok, so I got distracted…back to the post.

I wanted to find an easy, weeknight option that would still be tasty without meat. I have made a one-pot spaghetti from a cookbook many times that is very similar and really enjoyed it so I figured that this would be a winner. I searched around the blog world and found this recipe over at Recipe Shoebox. And oh my gosh, I am so glad I stumbled upon it! There are some recipes that sound incredible…just look at the dessert index, it is ridiculous in such a good way!

This spaghetti was a great, easy meal that was done in about 25 minutes (if you make it with ground beef or sausage it will take a bit longer). You can’t beat that. And the ingredient list was all staples that I always have in my pantry. I was a little worried that adding that much water would dilute the sauce but it was surprisingly tomato-y and flavorful. I might even add more basil next time around but I kind of have a thing for basil.

Make sure to check out everyone’s awesome spaghetti recipes at the linky tool link below!

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One Pot Spaghetti
recipe from Recipe Shoebox

1 lb. ground beef or ground sausage (I left this out since we aren’t eating meat right now)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large can (32-ounces) chicken broth (4 cups)
3 cups water
2 cans (6-ounces each) tomato paste
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 box (12-ounces) dried spaghetti, broken
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large saucepan cook the ground beef and/or sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender.  Drain. Or, if making this vegetarian like I did, add a little olive oil to a large saucepan and saute onion and garlic until tender.

2. Stir  in the broth, water, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and pepper.   Bring to a boil.  Add the broken spaghetti, a little at a time,  stirring  constantly.  Return to a boil; reduce heat.  Boil gently,  uncovered,  for 17-20 minutes or until spaghetti is tender and sauce is of the desired consistency, stirring frequently.  Serve with Parmesan  cheese.   Enjoy!

Recipe linked to  Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday and These Chicks Cooked.

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

I kind of have an addiction to pasta salad (well any pasta really if we are being honest here) and this is one of the best ones I have ever made. I love balsamic vinegar and the combination of it with all the other ingredients was just amazing. It was really fresh and bright and felt lighter than a lot of other recipes I have tried in the past.

While this is really great for a summer barbeque side dish, I still really enjoy it in the winter as a meal served with a simple green salad. The chicken, bacon and veggies make it filling and satisfying. I recommend making this the night before so that all the flavors can meld and come together. If you do this, I would wait until serving to mix in the gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses so that they don’t get soggy or mushy.

You have to give this a try! It is so yummy!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad
recipe from Taste of Home

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (I shredded a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, tomatoes, onion, bacon and Gorgonzola cheese.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, basil, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Lasagna Cupcakes

I have had this recipe bookmarked on my computer for quite awhile now and I just finally got around to making them recently. The big push to make them was when my aunt sent me pictures of the ones she made for dinner one night. She had me convinced and I couldn’t get them out of my mind.

What I love most about this recipe is that you can have a lasagna meal without all the work and time that a traditional lasagna takes.

I got mixed reviews on these though. I loved the crispy edges and the uniqueness of the wonton with the rest of the ingredients. Joel thought they were good but prefers actual noodles over the wonton wrappers. Though they don’t taste exactly like a lasagna, they were pretty darn close and a great alternative for a quick weeknight dinner.

Lasagna Cupcakes
recipe adapted from Cruftbox

24 wonton wrappers
Jar of spaghetti sauce
½ lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
12 pepperoni’s
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
½ – 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray then press down a wonton into each cup. You can cut the wontons into circles if you do not like the crispy edges.

2. Place a spoonful of spaghetti sauce into each cup then place ground beef/Italian sausage into cups next (you probably won’t use the whole ½ lb. of meat). Place a pepperoni on top then a tablespoon of ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

3. Place another wonton on top of each muffin cup then layer with more sauce and top with more mozzarella. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Buffalo Mac-n-Cheese

OMG…this is the most amazing meal I have made in a long time! I’m not really surprised considering my love of cheese and pasta and anything buffalo. It really is a dream combination for my tummy. When I first looked at the recipe, I was a little concerned that it would be too spicy for the boys but it was just the right amount of buffalo flavor. I think that the sour cream really helped mellow it out. But be warned, it is spicier when reheated.

My aunt has been waiting (not so patiently) for me to post this Top 100 recipe after I sent her a picture of it last week. I even got a reminder the other day on my Facebook page that I hadn’t posted about it yet. So here it is Aunt Mimi, buffalo mac-n-cheese!

Buffalo Mac-n-Cheese
recipe from Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen

7 T unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups hot sauce (we like Louisiana Hot Sauce)
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half (I used milk instead)
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper-jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 T chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350F and butter (or use cooking spray) a deep 9 x 13 baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain.

2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4. Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni.  Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley.  Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.