Spaghetti Braid

I have also made this with pizza-like variations. The kids LOVE this!

1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough thawed to room temperature      1 egg white

    6 oz spaghetti, cooked                                                         Parmesan cheese

    1 cup thick spaghetti sauce                                                 Parsley flake

 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes               Garlic powder

           

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper). Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough. Tip with sauce and cheese cubes. Make cuts 1 ½-inches apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on large sprayed baking sheet. (or transfer parchment paper to baking sheet). Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic powder. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

http://rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/braided-spaghetti-bread

WW Spinach, Chicken, and Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups (adapted)

10 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups chopped spinach

1 (10 oz) container fat free Ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups Spaghetti Sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Make sure you drain the spinach well. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasonings, chicken, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry by patting them with a paper towel. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 10 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tsp. cajun seasoning {I used Tony Chachere's}

4 tbsp. butter

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder {garlic salt would be good here, too!}

1 pkg. penne pasta

Roma tomatoes, chopped

Shredded parmesan cheese

Green onions {optional}

Cook pasta according to package directions. Slightly moisten chicken with water and sprinkle Cajun seasoning on the top of both breasts. In a large skillet, sauté chicken in 2 tablespoons of butter, turning when necessary (10-15 min). While chicken is cooking, grab another pot and combine cream with 2 tablespoons of butter and remaining seasonings {salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper}. When the cream mixture starts to bubble, turn off heat and pour over cooked pasta. Toss to coat evenly. When the chicken is all cooked, remove from heat and transfer to cutting board. Slice chicken into strips. Spoon pasta onto plate & top with several strips of chicken. Top with tomatoes, green onions, and sprinkle with parmesan.

(pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com)

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

Finally got around to trying this out. My family LOVED this. I can't believe they didn't even notice it had spinach in it!

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* I think next time I will add some chicken and omit the bacon. I couldn't really taste it in the recipe so why not make it a little healthier?

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Betty Crocker (Suddenly Salad)

1 Box of Betty Crocker's Suddenly Pasta Salad (Ranch and bacon flavor is best)
Follow Directions on box
Add Stir In:
Tomatoes
Avocados
Olives
Romain Lettuce.
Best if cooled in Fridge for an Hour.

(Becki Rane)

Macaroni Ham and Cheese

2 ½ cups uncooked pasta

¼ cup butter

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup flour

½ tsp salt

2 cups milk

½ tsp Dijon mustard

2 cups Colby cheese

4 oz thinly sliced ham, cut into strips

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350. Cook and drain pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Cook garlic in butter for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Stir pasta and ham into cheese sauce. Pour into a 2 qt. casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Ravioli with Summer Squash

Easy Baked Manicotti

Ravioli Cheese Bake

Fettucine Alfredo (Joy)

Croc Pot Lasagna

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

1⁄2 box spaghetti, cooked

2 eggs

1⁄2 cup Parmesan

1⁄2 cup sour cream

1⁄2 cottage cheese

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 lb ground beef

1tsp garlic salt

1 tsp oregano

1 jar spaghetti sauce mozzerella cheese

Put spaghetti in greased 9x13 pan. Mix parmesan cheese and eggs and pour over spaghetti. Mix sour cream and cottage cheese together and spread over the noodles. Cook beef with onions and seasonings and drain grease. Spread over the cottage cheese mixture and top with spaghetti sauce. Cover with mozzerella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Bow Ties with Bacon and Tomato Sauce