Baked Ziti

 

This recipe comes from Baked Ziti Recipe (simplyrecipes.com) .  Orin and I love this recipe and I have made it several times.  I use ground turkey and season it like sausage for this recipe.  It is filling and cheesy!  It makes great left overs.

Baked Ziti

PREP TIME20 mins

COOK TIME55 mins

TOTAL TIME75 mins

SERVINGS6 to 8

If you don't have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

Ingredients

1 pound ziti or penne pasta

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, ground beef, or ground pork

1 large onion, chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or basil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups jarred marinara or pasta sauce, or make your own tomato sauce

Black pepper, to taste

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

1 heaping cup ricotta cheese

Method

Preheat the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cook the pasta:

Heat a large pot of salted water (for every 2 quarts of water, one tablespoon of salt) to a strong boil. Add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—edible but still a little firm to the bite.

Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

Brown the meat:

While the water is heating in the previous step, start on the sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well.

Don't stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, sprinkle with a little salt.

Make the sauce:

When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Assemble the casserole:

Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle a spoonful of sauce into the pasta, stir it well and then add the pasta into the casserole.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

At this point, you can cool, cover, and refrigerate or freeze to make ahead.

Bake:

Bake uncovered in the oven at 350°F until the top is lightly browned and the cheese melted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Grandma Baldwin's Mayonnaise Cake

I don't have a picture of this but this is the best cake!  Moist and dense but doesn't rise well.  I took this for a birthday party at work and it got rave reviews.  I used my own chocolate butter cream icing rather then the Pudding Frosting recipe that came with it.  This is from the web site Just a Pinch.  I want to make this again this weekend for Memorial Day.

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup baking cocoa (powdered)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ cups cold water

Mix all the cake ingredients together in a bowl.  Beat for 3 minutes.  Pour into a well greased and floured cake pan.  Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let it cool and then frost.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These cookies were brought in by a lady at work.  I loved them and asked for the recipe.  She directed me to the Ocean Spray web site.  These are great, not real sweet and filling.  The Professor loves them.  Make them!

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 5-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

On the Farm Amish Casserole

This is such a great casserole.  The Professor likes it and so I make it every 3 weeks or so.  You can use any vegetable other then green beans and I use what I have in the freezer. 

 

On the Farm Amish Casserole

• 8 ounces butter noodles
• 2 cups cooked chicken , cubed
• 2 cups chicken broth (canned is okay)
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, frozen or fresh
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Cook noodles as directed on package.

3.  Melt margarine, then add flour and stir until smooth in a sauce pan

4.  Gradually add milk and broth, then seasonings and mushrooms.

5.   Combine chicken, cooked noodles, and prepared sauce.

6.   Place in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking pan and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until heated thoroughly and top is browned slightly.

Crockpot Lasagna

Well my Crock pot lasagna has received 6 vigorous thumbs up, 2 of them from Hip Hop Dot, the team's chef. So I am sharing the recipe. I used just ground beef, no ground turkey and I dispensed with anything low fat. I will use more cream cheese and mozzarella next time. Make it mighty cheesy!

Crock pot Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. low-fat ground beef
1/2 lb. low-fat ground turkey
1 small container low-fat Cream Cheese (not ricotta)
1 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 cup small button mushrooms
2 grated carrots
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. pkg. of mozzarella cheese, low fat
Using a cooking spray, spray your crock pot well (you will be glad you did this). Brown the meat and drain, then run hot water to drain even more of the fat content out. Chop onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms.


In the crock pot lay a layer of noodles (no need to precook), then layers of meat, cheese, cream cheese, sauce, and veggies until you fill crock pot up. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 1 hour.


Servings: 4
Time: 30 Minutes Preparation Time

Crescent Roll Bread Pudding

My girl pal at work, Crazy Cat Lady Carol, had brought this in on one of our weekends to work and it was to die for. Hers was made with blueberry preserves, I bought cheapie strawberry preserves and it was every bit as good. Here is the recipe:

2 extra large croissants (I squished 11 little ones into the pan)
½ cup Smuckers Blueberry Preserves (any flavor preserves would be delish)
3 large eggs
1-14oz. can sweetened condensed milk (if you're worried about calories, use non-fat sweetened condensed)
¾ cup water (I used milk)
2 Tablespoonful butter
1 teaspoonful vanilla extract
¼ teaspoonful cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°. Coat a 9" square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut your croissants lengthwise and spread each half with about 1 Tablespoonful of preserves. Replace tops and cut into strips. Place in your prepared baking dish. Using small spoonfuls, daub remaining preserves on top (I did this last).

Whisk your eggs and then whisking as you add your sweetened condensed milk, water/milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon until blended, pour over cut-up croissants. Press larger pieces down into the liquid and let stand 5 minutes.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until an inserted knife in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

I made a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla to pour over the pudding while it was still warm. Oh my, get ready for a party in your mouth!

Della's Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

This is absolutely delicious, almost dessert like.  It will hook you.  You want all your broccoli and cauliflower to be small florets.  It is rather time consuming but it really makes for a better salad.



1 head of cauliflower
1-2 bunches of broccoli
1 red onion
1 bag of dried craisins or raisins
1 can cashews
½ cup of sugar
1 cup of real mayo

Mix together the sugar and mayo.
Cup up the cauliflower and broccoli into small flowerettes.
Dice the onion finely.
Add your craisins or raisins.
Mix everything together and chill in the frig for 1 hour.
Add the cashews just before serving because they will go soft rather quickly.