Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

We LOVE this recipe. It's really easy and really, really good!

Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 package (15 oz) chicken tenders
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
3 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup refrigerated pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook Chicken in oil about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown. Remove chicken from skillet.

2. Add broth and ravioli to same skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 4 minutes or until ravioli is tender. Stir in zucchini, bell pepper and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center. Toss with pesto. Sprinkle with cheese.

Spaghetti Sauce

picture: www.americastestkitchen.com

While I think this sauce took me more than 15 minutes, it wasn't much more. Hailey and Kade asked if we could save some for them to take in their lunches (they've never asked that of my spaghetti before). I think it is a really good basic sauce and since it uses grated onion and crushed tomatoes it isn't chunky (a major plus for my kids). Plus, mine looked exactly like the picture. How often does that happen?!

Quick Tomato Sauce
by America's Test Kitchen

2 tablespoons unsalted butter  
1/4 cup grated onion , from 1 medium onion (use large holes on a box grater) 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano  
table salt  
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) 
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (ATK says to use Tuttorosso or Muir Glen brands. Fry's had Hunts so that's what I used.)
1/4 teaspoon sugar  
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves  
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  
ground black pepper

Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve. Makes 3 cups (enough for 1 pound of pasta).

For printable recipe click here.

Lasagna Rolls

I found this recipe in a magazine ad for Frigo cheeses. Really it is called Baked Chicken Lasagna Rolls, but I almost always (okay always) make them with ground beef now. I prefer them that way, but the chicken ones are really good, too.

I usually buy a big tub (32 oz) of ricotta and a big block of mozzarella and double the recipe so I can freeze half. To do that I place the rolls on a cookie sheet (without the sauce) and freeze them for a couple of hours. I put them in a ziploc bag with some shredded mozzarella and just make sure I have an extra jar of sauce on hand.

Also, something else I've found. You can use the store brand ricotta. It'll taste fine, but the brand name ricotta is smoother and creamier.

Lasagna Rolls
adapted from Frigo cheese and Cooking Light Magazine

2 cups Part Skim Ricotta cheese
1-1/4 cup Mozzarella Part Skim cheese, shredded and divided
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I usually use a couple of TBSP dried parsley.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb cooked ground beef  (or 2 cups shredded baked chicken breasts)
8 cooked lasagna noodles (Cook these a couple minutes less than you should. I usually do 6 minutes.)
1 lg jar tomato sauce (I use traditional Prego, but you can use whatever sauce you like.)

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix first eight ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of Mozzarella for baking, set aside. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on countertop.  Lay noodles on the plastic wrap so they are touching on the sides. Spread some of the cheese mixture on each noodle leaving a little (an inch or less) of each noodle bare. Then sprinkle meat over the top. Spread some sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Starting at one end, roll one noodle at a time and place seam side down in dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

Click here for printable version.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

I have made this a few times and we love it at our house. For our family it is a great "make once, eat twice recipe". It makes 2 9x9 pans. You just eat one and freeze the other. I found the recipe on My Kitchen Cafe.



Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands (or crushed tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces baby spinach (I double the amount of spinach - fresh or frozen)
12 ounces smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces fontina (or mozzarella) cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.

Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes. Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

You can freeze half and cook from frozen at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until browned and edges are crisp.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

These were so yummy. We used the leftovers to make quesadillas the next day. So good and so easy!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired

Stromboli

Patrick and I had this for dinner last night. It was delicious!

I didn't use the pre-made bread dough like the recipe calls for; I just made pizza dough and it worked great.

You can use whatever you want to fill it with. Patrick said that when he was in PA he used to get Philly Cheese Steak Stromboli, which sounds yummy. We might have to try that next time.



Stromboli

1 Rhodes bread dough
1/4 lb ham, sliced
1/4 lb hard salami
1/4 lb provolone
mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil, divided
1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided
melted butter or olive oil
cornmeal

Set out bread dough to thaw. Once thawed, spread the dough out on a cookie sheet or silpat (which works perfect).

Layer the ham and then the salami along the middle of the dough going lengthwise. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each of basil and oregano then layer on cheeses. (I used approximately 1 cup shredded mozzarella but it's entirely up to you how much you want!) Sprinkle with remaining basil and oregano.

Wet edges of the dough and fold over the long edges and roll up the ends. Brush olive oil over dough and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Carefully flip stromboli over and repeat on other side. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce for dipping. Enjoy!