Meatball Pasta Bake

I love to cook and bake.  But I still always look for motivation to get me in the kitchen.   Especially after a long day or even long week at work.  I definitely need to be in that certain mood to make a blog-worthy dinner happen sometimes.   Cooking can be time-consuming and then turn into a chore if you don't have fun or make new recipes regularly.   However,  if I have company over for a small party or just to watch trashy tv shows that definitely helps to get me super excited to whip up something for dinner.   Whether it be a new dish I've wanted to try or a trusty standby that I'm dying to share, you can count on me to put all my effort into it.   This is a perfect dish if you have guests or if you want lunch and dinner for an extra day or two.  

If you make your own pasta sauce, you know it tastes so much better the longer it cooks or has time to mingle with all the ingredients.  If you have the time to prep this a day in advance, it tastes much much better.   If not, don't let that discourage you from trying this recipe out.  It's still tasty either way!   

Meatball Pasta Bake

SAUCE
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 lb pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 - 14oz cans tomatoes, diced (Italian Style) with the liquid
1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1 lb tube pasta such as penne or rigatoni
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 c ricotta
1/3 c parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1/4 c for the top

MEATBALLS
1 thick slice Italian type bread, crusts removed
1/4 c milk
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil

Make the meatballs first, soak the bread in the milk until the milk has been absorbed.  Squeeze the bread dry and crumble into a bowl, together with the sausage, garlic, egg, parmesan and parsley.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper.  Roll into small balls with wet hands.  Heat a oil to a large frying pan over high heat.  Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, shaking the pan regularly so they brown evenly.  Remove meatballs from pan and set them aside. They won't be completely cooked but that is okay as they will simmer with the sauce and finish cooking.

Combine the oil, garlic and pancetta into the same frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until pancetta or bacon browns, about 5-7 minutes.  Add tomatoes, oregano and parsley.  Bring to a boil, then add meatballs to sauce and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.   Taste test the sauce.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

At this point you can store the sauce in a sealed container in the fridge overnight until you need.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Cook the pasta per the directions on the package.  Drain, reserving a 1/4 c of the cooking liquid.  Combine the pasta in a large bowl with the tomato sauce and meatballs, mozzarella, ricotta and 1/4 c of the parmesan.  Add enough of the cooking liquid to moisten everything.

Transfer to a large greased baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and cheeses are bubbly.  Serves 6-8.

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Say cheese!! My husband has been begging me to make this for months now.  I finally snuck it in on the menu and he was so excited.   It turned out really tasty and creamy.   This is a perfect potluck dish to share.  To be honest, I had never made my own homemade mac and cheese until this.  I know!   I'm out of my mind.   And I LOVE cheese especially in macaroni and cheese.   I really need to stop being such a procrastinator.   This made so much we ate on it for 2 days (dinner & lunch) and had enough to share with two people at work for lunch.  They loved it! Beats eating Lean Cuisines for a day. 

I used Tabasco as that is what we had on hand.  **You can really use about any hot sauce but a thicker one you would use about 1/4-3/4 cup.  (or whatever amount to your taste)

2-3 c chicken, cooked and shredded

1 lb elbow macaroni or another fun shaped pasta (like corkscrews or rotini)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp Tabasco sauce**

2 tbsp flour

2 tsp dry mustard

2 1/2 c half n half

1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed

8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded or cubed

2/3 c sour cream

1 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 c blue cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or use dried if you have that on hand)

7 tbsp butter, unsalted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Butter 9x13 baking dish.  Bring large pot of water to boil.   Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tbsp 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 the hot sauce and simmer an additional minute.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a 4 qt- saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in the half and half and stir about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses then whisk in the sour cream until smooth. 

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 over the top.  

Put the remaining 2 tbsp of butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir in the panko crumbs, blue cheese and parsley.  Sprinkle over the macaroni.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.  Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.   Serves a small army!

Mexi-Chick Casserole

We happened to have all the ingredients for this recipe on hand. It was so creamy and delicious. The preparation and cooking didn't take too long either so it was great for a weeknight meal.

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled)
1 c chicken broth
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c milk (evaporated works fine)
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c cream cheese
1 can (10oz) green chile enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 c shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
6 tortilla chips, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken in a medium sauce pan until done (about 10 minutes). Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. You can also use already roasted chicken from your grocery store. It would definitely add more flavor. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, saute 3 minutes or until soft. Add broth, milk, Monterrey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce. Stir well until cheeses are melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. While mixture simmers on low, shred chicken with fork or fingers. Add chicken to pan and stir to combine. Turn off heat.

Spray 2-qt casserole pan with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom. Spoon about 2 cups of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture on top. Then sprinkle sharp cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Bake for about 30 minutes or until melty and bubbly. Serve with salsa on top to add a little heat.

Potato and Sun-Dried Tomato Gratin

This is another healthy one we've been meaning to try out. Back when we were hard core into Weight Watchers I saw it on the website and printed it out. I never got around to making it until now and I regret waiting this long. It's really light and simple. It just takes about an hour overall to prep and bake. But it's worth it. I can't wait to eat my leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

WW Points: 3 per serving

3-4 large potatoes (Idaho or Russett), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 oz low-fat mozzarella or swiss cheese (I used mozzarella since I had it on hand)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small casserole dish with cooking spray, set aside.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour enough water over to cover. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

Add sun-dried tomatoes, sour cream, basil, salt and pepper and gently toss or stir to combine.

Transfer potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with mozzarella or swiss cheese. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan; sprinkle over casserole. Bake until top is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. 6 servings.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is one of our favorite dishes. I make it a lot and we never get tired of it. Sometimes it's our lunch and dinner the following day. Other times it doesn't make it that long. This is the healthy version too so if you're looking for something low-fat it's perfect.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

12 oz uncooked egg noodles
12 oz water-packed tuna, drained
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
16 oz. fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp parsley, fresh chopped (dried is fine)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in tuna, corn and peas.

Whisk sour cream, mayo, mustard, parsley, salt and pepper together in a separate bowl. Taste if you wish to see if you need more salt and pepper. Fold into noodle mixture. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

It's the same story each January. The new year tends to make people think twice about what they eat. They start dieting. (again) They start a workout routine. (again) They try to shed those extra pounds put on over the holidays. I admit that I fall into that group of people. I bought a new Weight Watchers cookbook with some yummy looking recipes. This recipe isn't one out of the book but it's off the website and we love it. It's very filling and tasty. I'm sure you'll see some of the recipes from the book as well.

Losing weight or being healthy isn't just about dieting. It's about changing your lifestyle. Dieting makes it sound so cliche. But if you pay attention to what you put in your mouth, you'll start to realize there are quite a few things you can do without. The way I see it, if I don't get some sort of pleasure from it or it doesn't make me go "mmmm", I definitely make an effort to not eat it or at least try to cut back. Notice that I said I make an effort. Not that it works every time but it does help me think about it more than I use to. Then when October rolls around and I have an excuse to eat all the leftover candy that didn't get passed out to the cute little kids all dressed up, I won't feel so guilty. It seems to work for me. If I strive to follow my routine from January through September, then I feel I'm okay to let loose from October to December. It may not be a healthy or smart way to do things but it works for me. And I'm happy with it. So back off!














Mexican Chicken Lasagna

1 1/2 - 2 pounds uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (or you can buy the already roasted whole chicken at your grocery store deli and pull all the meat off)
30 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups corn
3 cups light sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
8 oz (or two 4 oz cans) chopped green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup salsa (optional for side)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred into small bite size pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, corn, sour cream, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, garlic powder and pepper; Mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Carefully spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortilla strips, layer with remaining tortilla strips and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve with salsa on the side or on top.