Pasta Repeat!

This is an old favorite, originally posted here. We made this recently and I thought, "Why haven't I made this in awhile? This is so, so good!" It's easy, it's on the lighter side, and it is absolutely delicious.

 

Bacon-Tomato Linguine

Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked linguine
2 tsps. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (2.5 oz) pkg. cooked bacon pieces (such as Hormel)
1 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup (1 oz) pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Add bacon; saute 2 minutes. Add tomato, garlic and oregano; saute 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Add pasta, reserved pasta water, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings (1 1/4 cup). 301 calories, 11 g fat, 14.4 g protein, 37.1 g carbohydrate, 2.8 g fiber, 21 mg cholesterol, 745 mg sodium.


Source: Cooking Light, from the Superfast cookbook. You can find it on the MyRecipes website here.

Notes: Trust me, you're going to love this! The only thing I change is that I double the recipe.

 



Above: This is the kind of bacon I used. This is a 4.3 oz. package, which worked perfectly for my doubled pasta recipe. I just used this one package. You can usually find this by the salad dressings and toppings. If it isn't there, look for it by the tuna fish and other canned meats like Spam and dried beef slices.

Rich Comfort Food

 

This is not a light dinner, but this is amazing comfort food. Trust me, this is so, so good.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
4 1/2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (grilled or rotisserie), chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked and diced ham
1 1/2-2 cups cooked and chopped bacon
3 cups Swiss cheese, grated

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
16 ounces cream cheese, softened

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook for 1 minute and then slowly add milk. Add garlic powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in cream cheese and continue to stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan.

Layer 1/3 of the chicken over the noodles. Next layer 1/3 of the ham. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the ham. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon over the cheese.

Repeat layering two more times.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-60 minutes.

Source: Chef in Training. You can find it here.

Notes: Kudos to Chef in Training. This is such a good recipe. Pair it with some light sides, like a nice salad and you're set.

I would highly suggest saving a little crumbled bacon and adding some chopped parsley as a garnish to add a little color, as Chef in Training did. Be sure to check out her pictures on her site.

 

Above: Still just as delicious, but the toppings really add a lot to this lasagna aesthetically.



Above: See?!

Only As Good As Your Star Ingredient

 

Here's a recipe that is simple, tasty, and which completely relies on one main ingredient for its success. Don't skimp on this very important ingredient. What is the ingredient that is so vital in this recipe, you ask? Ranch dressing. My suggestion here is to skip the bottled ranch dressing (unless it comes from the refrigerated section/produce section) and make a homemade ranch dressing with milk/buttermilk, mayo, and a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet. There. You've been warned. If you follow this advice...ambrosia. If not, mediocrity.

Make-Ahead Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
3 cups shredded or pulled deli rotisserie chicken
1 bottle (16 oz) ranch dressing (go big or go home! Make it from scratch or use something bottled that is really good!)
1 cup crisply cooked and crumbled bacon (9 to 11 slices)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

Directions:

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

In large bowl, mix pasta and remaining ingredients.

To freeze: Spray 2 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix pasta, chicken, dressing, and bacon. Divide mixture between pans. Top with cheese. Spray pieces of foil large enough to cover pans with cooking spray. Cover pans with foil, sprayed side down. Place foil-covered pans in gallon-size resealable freezer plastic bags, or wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw pan(s) overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove from plastic, and place foil-covered pan(s) on cookie sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of mixture reads 165 degrees F. If baking from frozen, bake 60-75 minutes.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is good and kid-friendly. Just be sure not to skimp on the quality of ranch dressing you use!

They Won't Turn This Down

 

My boys can be picky eaters, but (so far) this is one of those dinners that they eat every time I make it. In fact, the first time I made it, I didn't think they would even try it...and the whole thing got gobbled up and they asked for more...so I made it again about a week later. I always double this recipe now! I am going to share the recipe with my changes and a link to the original recipe. I increase the bacon and double most of the rest of the ingredients.

Baked Tortellini with Bacon

Ingredients:

1 pkg. sliced bacon (12 or 16 oz pkg., depending on how much bacon you want)
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced medium or 2 tbsp. dried minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 (19 oz) packages frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Cook bacon. (I like to cook my bacon in the oven at about 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Or you can slice the bacon beforehand and cook over medium heat in a pan on the stove top until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.) Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving bacon fat.

Saute onion and garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat in a pan over medium heat and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring often, until liquid has thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tortellini, half the bacon, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to a broiler-proof baking dish and top with remaining bacon followed by 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned, 1-3 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart. You can find it here.

Notes: As mentioned before, I made some changes. I increased the bacon because my boys love it. Four strips of bacon in the original recipe was not nearly enough. The first time I made this, I used dried minced onion because I had just used my last fresh onion the day before. The dried minced onion gives it such a punch of flavor. I wouldn't use more than 2 tbsp. though because that stuff is really potent! A little goes a long way. I have made this with fresh diced onion too...and I almost preferred the dried minced onion. The dried minced onion makes this dish so flavorful. It works great both ways, but the dried minced onion is just so easy. However, what I like best is a combination of one fresh diced onion and a sprinkle, to taste, of the dried minced onion. I simply doubled everything else.

 

Above: Here's the first batch I made. Delicious, but not enough! 

 

Above: Here's a nice doubled big batch of tortellini. Enough for my boys to have all they want and still have leftovers the next day.

Easter Leftovers, Part 2

 

 

Here is another recipe I found to help me use up my leftover Easter ham. I have since made it twice (first, as originally written, and second, slightly lightened up). Be sure to read my notes to see what I changed to create a lighter version.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups sliced cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat cream and cream cheese over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 cup Swiss cheese, onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper until blended.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, bacon, ham, and pasta. Add sauce; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; top with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, 18-22 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 1/2 cups equals 826 calories, 56 g fat, 249 mg cholesterol, 1,093 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 47 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really good. Baking it takes away a bit of the creaminess, however. It is fantastic baked, but if you want a really creamy pasta, I would suggest skipping the baking process and just serving it after tossing the chicken, bacon, ham, pasta, and sauce together. I've tasted it both ways and can tell you that it is great baked and unbaked.

My lightened version: To lighten this recipe, I substituted two 12 oz cans of evaporated milk for the cream. I also substituted Neufschatel cheese for the cream cheese. Honestly, it tasted almost exactly the same.

The only other change I made was that I added a lot more pepper. I would suggest adding the onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper to your taste.

This is also freezer friendly. Once you toss the chicken, bacon, ham, pasta, and sauce together, then top with cheese and bread crumbs and put in an aluminum baking pan, cover with foil, and place in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. If you would like to bake it from frozen, keep it covered and bake until thawed. Remove foil and continue baking until hot and bubbling and cheese on top is melted.

Summer Picnic Salads

I just love summery side dish salads. I also love hearty salads where you can have the leftovers for lunch and feel perfectly satisfied. Here are a couple that you might like. I know we sure liked them!

Tortellini Bacon Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated three cheese tortellini
1 pound bacon
4 cups chopped broccoli
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup bottled coleslaw dressing

Directions:

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, drain, rinse with cold water, and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces while still a little warm.

Place the tortellini, bacon, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and green onions into a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients, and toss lightly to coat. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by MostAwesomeChefEver. You can find it here.

Notes: This was so good. I loved it...and it most definitely made for awesome lunch leftovers for me!

Picnic Potato Salad with No Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

2 pounds small new potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with lightly salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes; drain.

Whisk vinegar, olive oil, mustard, basil, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl; add the potatoes and onion. Toss gently to coat. Let stand until cool, about 30 minutes.

Fold blue cheese or gorgonzola and chives into potato salad until blended.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by It's A New Day. You can find it here.

Notes: We had a bad experience with blue cheese recently where we tried a buffalo chicken lasagna recipe that we were excited about that basically just tasted like blue cheese. Now, we all love blue cheese, but that was just too much. So, we have decided to tone it down lately and we have been opting for gorgonzola in place of blue cheese. Prepared with the gorgonzola, I absolutely loved this recipe. it was so good. I couldn't get enough of it. The lelftovers were also a good lunch for me!

Thanks for the Idea!

I like potlucks because you get great ideas and recipes from other people. Not every family cooks the same, and it is kind of fun to see what other people do.

We had a family dinner where we made pizzas. I told everyone that I would provide the dough and make a few pizza staples (cheese pizza, pepperoni, Hawaiian, BBQ Pork, black olive). I also asked them to bring some of their favorite toppings so that they could top a pizza of their own to share with us.

My sister-in-law, Kim, brought this great topping combination that was really easy and super delicious. If you haven't tried this before, you need to!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough
Kraft Ranch dressing
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chicken, cooked and shredded into small pieces
Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Stretch pizza dough and put it on your pizza pan.

Spread pizza dough with desired amount of ranch dressing. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Top with crumbled bacon and chicken.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the pizza dough is nicely browned.

Top with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Source: My lovely sister-in-law!

Notes: Yum! This was so good...it was one of the first (if not the first) pizza to disappear.