Meaty Cheesy Manicoti

Source:  Not Sure

Posted by Lisa

My husband hates pasta...I like it.  So, in an effort to find one he will eat and do so happily, I tried this recipe.  He loved it!  I think it is because it is not tomato based.  It is cream based...so beware.

The next time I make it though, I will probably use large shells instead of manicoti noodles.  It just takes too long to fill the tubes.  

1 (8-ounce) package uncooked manicotti shells

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage

1/2 pound ground round $

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1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chicken stock)

2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water. Drain. Place in a single layer on a wire rack; set aside.

Remove casings from sausage, and discard. Cook sausage, ground round, and onion in a large skillet, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.


Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Add whipping cream and next 3 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cover and set aside.

Combine meat mixture, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Spoon mixture evenly into 12 manicotti shells; arrange shells in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes.

Uncover and pour cream mixture evenly over shells; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10 more minutes.

Broil, 5 1/2 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Bacon wrapped tator tot bombs

Source:  WWW.DAMBDELICIOUS.NET

pOSTED BY lISA

wOW, THESE ARE SOOO GOOD!  tHEY SEEM FUSSY TO MAKE, BUT THEY REALLY AREN'T.  jUST SIT DOWN AND RELAX AND ENJOY THE QUIET TIME IN THE MORNING!  wHEN YOU HAVE THESE BAKING AND THE FAMILY STARTS TO WAKE UP AND SMELL IT...WATCH OUT!  

rEALLY, REALLY GOOD.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups frozen tater tots, at room temperature
• 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
• 4 slices bacon, quartered
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
• Working one at a time, wrap each tater tot and cheese square in a piece of bacon. Repeat with remaining tater tots, cheese squares and bacon pieces. 

• Dredge each tater tot in the brown sugar, pressing to coat.

• Place tater tots seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn at halftime.  (I DID NOT TURN)

• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

NOTES

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Submitted by Heather

I've made broccoli cheese soups before, but they never seem to live up to the kinds I've had at restaurants.  Some have had off flavors (too much garlic?) and some have been too thin.  When I eat this kind of soup, I want something that is thick and creamy and this soup fits the bill.  It was so comforting on one of those dreary, overcast days.  You can serve it in a bread bowl, or as I did, with a slice of homemade wheat bread  (I just hate wasting all that good bread in a bread bowl!).

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Note: While the soup is coming together, put the chopped broccoli in a large glass bowl, cover with saran wrap and microwave for about 3-4 minutes. It cooks perfectly and just in time to add it to the soup.

*Serves 4

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups chopped, lightly steamed or blanched broccoli

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft.* Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in seamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately.

*Once the onions are soft, I pureed the onion broth mixture with an immersion blender.  I was hoping that no onion chunks would mean my kids would have one less reason to pick at the soup!

Source: adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Sun Dried Tomato Spinach Puffs

Posted by Lisa

Source:  First magazine October 2012

My mom made dinner for the family tonight and had this recipe she wanted to try out.  I actually put it together for her, but she had it picked out to go with the baked pork chops and sweet potato wedges.  It was a really good dinner!

(next time I would greatly reduce the sun dried tomatoes..very strong flavor.  I would probably add a bit more cheese and maybe a bit of garlic or bacon for more flavor)

Ingredients:

1 cup packed spinach, chopped
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 pkg. 8 oz refrigerated crescent dough
1/4 c diced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350.  In greased skillet over medium heat, cook spinach and scallions 1 min.  Let cool.

On work surface, unroll dough;  spread with spinach mixture.  Top with tomatoes and cheese.

Roll dough into log.

Cut into 10 to 12 equal pieces(we did 10 and put them into regular sized muffin tins)

Place slices into greased wells of muffin pan.  Cover loosely with foil.  Bake 20 min or until

done.  Remove foil after 10 minutes.  (we didn't use any foil)

Posted by Lisa
source busy for women first magazine Oct 2012

Chicken Won Ton Bites

Submitted by Lisa

Adaptation from my Aunt Julies recipe

It was one of those nights where dinner wasn't planned ahead so I rummaged through the fridge and cupboard and created these...sort of!  My aunt Julie makes something similar but uses ground beef.  I had cooked chicken in the fridge so I decided to change it up a bit and use that.  They were a hit.

Ingredients:

won ton wrappers (found in the produce section)

1 lb. cooked shredded chicken

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pkt dry ranch seasoning mix

1 cup milk

Directions:

Take the won ton wrappers and place them inside a small muffin tin.  Bake them at 350 for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly browned.  

While those are baking, mix the cheese, chicken and ranch mix together.  Once blended, pour the milk over it and stir to moisten all ingredients.  

Take the won ton out of the oven and fill each one with the cheese/chicken mixture and return to the oven until heated through and melty...about another 5 to 7 minutes.  I had enough filling to make about 30 or so of them.

**the recipe my aunt uses is:  1 lb cooked ground beef, black olives, red peppers, cheeses, ranch and milk...follow same directions as above**

Cheese Straws

Have you ever been invited to a dinner party or gathering where you needed to bring something, but had absolutely no creative spark or time to ignite that creative spark?  Sometimes it can be hard to get everything done with family and kids and still make something "guest-worthy."  I found myself with this problem recently,  where I had neither the ingredients nor the time to make what I was originally planning to bring to a book club meeting.  Perusing my trusted "The New Best Recipe" by America's Test Kitchen gave me the needed inspiration.  Plus I had some puff pastry in the freezer that was just begging to be used. These cheese straws are cheesy and salty and oh so addicting!  And they're easy.  Bonus!  Use as an appetizer, side dish or to dip in your soup.  They're delicious.

*Note:  This recipe requires the use of parchment paper.  I always keep it on hand, so it doesn't seem like special equipment to me, but I realize many may not have it around.  So, go get some!

1/2 box (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm or Trader Joe's), thawed on the counter for 10 minutes
2 oz. Parmesan or Asiago cheese, freshly grated (1 cup) (I did not freshly grate it, but I did use shredded cheese)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

*Thaw the puff pastry on the counter as you preheat the oven and grate the cheese.
Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or Silpats) and set them aside.  Lay the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/8 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Place a sheet of parchment over the cheese and, using a rolling pin, press the cheese into the dough by gently rolling eh pin back and forth.  Without removing the parchment, carefully flip the dough over, cheese-side down.  Remove the tip layer of parchment and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, salt and pepper.  Cover the pastry with the parchment.  Measure the piece of dough and continue to roll it out if necessary to form a 10 1/2 inch square.

Remove the tip sheet of parchment and, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into fourteen 3/4 inch wide strips.  Gently twist each strip of dough and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the strips about 1 inch apart.

Bake immediately until fully puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing the positions of the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Remove the straws from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.  The cheese straws, completely cooled, can be strored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Source: The New Best Recipe

Three Cheese Manicotti

submitted by: Melanie

This year for Father's day I wanted to make something for my husband that he would really like. I chose to make manicotti, because he is always asking me to make it. I really don't like manicotti very much, because it seems like the cheese inside is always cold.

I found this recipe and thought it looked good so I gave it a try. The cheese was nice and hot in the middle and it was really good. Nothing fancy, but it was just what my husband wanted. The next time I make this I may try and add spinach or Italian sausage to it.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 (26 ounce) jars pasta sauce

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. (I only cooked the manicotti for 3 minutes)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture.
4. Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly. (I baked it for 35-40 minutes)

Source: allrecipes.com

Pretzel-Crusted Fried Cheese

Once again I was perusing my Food Network Magazine and found a recipe that sounded fun. I just made them and they are "resting" in the fridge before I fry them. One thing I have noticed already is that they could have been made MUCH smaller. By the time I had it all assembled, they were pretty large.

Can't wait to try them!

For the fried cheese:

8 ounces provolone or part-skim mozzarella cheese, cubed (I used mozzarella)

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

4 ounces yellow cheddar cheese, cubed

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tsps all-purpose flour

1 8 ounce bag thin pretzel sticks

freshly ground pepper

4 large eggs

5 tbsp spicy mustard

peanut oil, for frying

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp horseradish, drained

1 tbsp spicy mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Make the fried cheese: Pulse the provolone and parmesan in a food processor until the cheese gathers into a ball; transfer to a bowl. (I used my vita mix blender)

2. Pulse the yellow cheddar and 2 tsp flour in the food processor until smooth. (mine wasn't smooth, just little crumbs)

3. Form teaspoonfuls of the yellow cheddar mixture into 12 small balls; roll between your hands until smooth. (I would make them smaller next time)

4. Transfer to a plate and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Wipe out the food processor. Add the pretzels and pulse until finely ground with a few chunks; transfer to a shallow dish.

6. Mix the remaining 1 1/2 c flour and 1/2 tsp pepper in another dish.

7. Whisk the eggs and mustard in a third dish.

8. Roll tablespoonfuls of the provolone mixture into 12 balls (the same amount of cheddar balls you have) then flatten into disks.

9. Put 1 yellow cheddar ball on each disk, then shape the provolone around it, enclosing the cheddar. ( that was surprisingly easy)

10. Dip the cheese balls in the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour; return to the egg mixture, then roll in the pretzel crumbs, turning to coat.

11. Refrigerate at least 20 min and up to 3 hours.

12. Preheat the oven to 350.

13. Heat 1/2 inch peanut oil in a saucepan until a deep fry thermometer registers 360.

14. Fry the cheese balls in batches, turning, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 min.

15. Remove from oil and transfer to a rack set in a baking dish and bake until heated through. About 5 to 7 minutes.

Make the Sauce:

1. Whisk the horseradish, mustard and sour cream in a bowl.

2. Serve with the fried cheese.

**(Update: I did make them yesterday. They were good. Too big though. We had to cut them up to eat them. I would definately make them smaller, by atleast 1/2. Only worth the effort if you are having a get together or something fun.)**