Pepperoni and Ziti Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb uncooked ziti
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 (26.5 oz) can prepared spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (8 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen, chopped spinach - thawed & drained
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 oz mini-pepperoni

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Brown ground turkey over medium heat until no longer pink - then drain.
3. In a large bowl, combine: browned ground turkey, large can spaghetti sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, chopped spinach, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Mix well.
4. Fold drained pasta into the turkey mixture.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Prepare 2 baking dishes with cooking spray. (One to bake, one to freeze - if desired.)
7. Fill both baking dishes with ziti-turkey mixture.
8. Combine water with regular tomato sauce. Pour that combination equally over both pasta dishes.
9. Top with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mini-pepperoni.
10. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes - OR - cover and freeze until ready to use.

Stuffed Shells

As I started pulling out the ingredients to put this together, my husband asked "Are you making dinner already?" I answered no, but in all honesty - yes, yes I was!

I not only have dinner ready to bake for tonight, but I also have a second meal for my freezer. Score!!

Sunday afternoons I am away from home and my fellas need to eat lunch while I'm gone. Freezer meals are a great way to keep the meals a little more interesting than *just* ramen noodles or a PB & J sandwich. Freezer meals are also a great way to be prepared for those days or nights that we need to make life a little easier. One less meal to prepare, right?

With this recipe, the frozen Stuffed Shells can be pulled out of the freezer to thaw and then baked for a hot delicious meal your family will enjoy.



Ingredients:

1 box, uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 container (24 oz) small curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend (divided)
1 1/2 cups of half-n-half (divided)
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (divided)
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can ( 15 oz) tomato sauce


* Boil pasta shells for 9 minutes in boiling water. Drain thoroughly, and let cool.

* In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, 24 oz container of cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup of half-n-half. Next add drained spinach, garlic and Italian seasoning to cheese mixture.

* In another mixing bowl, combine spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of half-n-half. Divide in half. Reserving 1 cup of the first half of tomato sauce, pour the remainder into the bottom of a prepared freezer safe baking dish.

* Next, use a scoop or large spoon to fill pasta shells with cheese mixture. Once filled, set into tomato sauce mixture in baking dish. When you have filled the needed amount of shells for the first baking dish, cover the shells with the leftover cup of tomato sauce. Top with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and additional Parmesan if desired.

**Repeat the last step for the second dish, going into the freezer. I recommend the dish going into the freezer be covered with foil first, then the lid be placed on the freezer safe baking dish.**

Time to bake!

Thawed shells should bake, covered with foil for 40 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow shells to stand for10 minutes prior to serving.

The Stuffed Shells from the freezer should be thawed in the refrigerator and then set out prior to baking to avoid placing a frozen dish into a hot oven.

Chicken-Spinach-Mushroom-Alfredo-Extra Cheese Lasagna

Every once in a while, I hit the Mommy jackpot with a dinner meal. Tonight was one of those nights. I can happily report that my 12 year old who can never, ever, ever, never manage to finish a meal did in fact finish his dinner and asked for seconds. Score!!

The upside is we will get to enjoy this meal again for lunch tomorrow (and probably the two days following), but the downside is...there was enough to feed a small army.

This is comfort food to the 10th power.

Seriously.

And it has spinach.

Seriously.

Ingredients:

2 - 13 oz cans cooked chicken breast, drained

2 jars prepared Alfredo sauce

1 large container, small curd cottage cheese

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 small can of mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 lb of shredded Mozzarella cheese

shredded Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheese blend

1/2 package of oven ready, no boil lasagna noodles

Italian seasoning blend - to taste

garlic blend seasoning - to taste

1 - Prepare baking stone or pan with cooking spray

2- Combine 1/2 cup of Alfredo sauce with 1/2 the container of cottage cheese and 1st can of chicken. Spread over bottom of baking dish.

3- Cover chicken-cheese mix with drained spinach and drained mushrooms. (Our mushrooms were only on half - otherwise my 16 year old would never speak to me again)

4- Top vegetables with 1/3 of the shredded Mozzarella cheese and a portion of the Parmesan cheese blend. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning blend and garlic seasoning blend.

5- Next, add the first layer of bake-ready lasagna noodles.

6- Combine remaining cottage cheese, 2nd can of chicken, and 1 jar of Alfredo sauce. Spread over lasagna noodles.

7- Cover with more shredded cheese, (leaving enough to cover noodles a final time.)

8- Add additional seasoning if desired, final layer of noodles, then top with last of the shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese blend. Top with seasoning before baking, if desired. (I definitely added more seasoning.)

9- Cover with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

We served this delicious lasagna with fresh bread and a Bacon-Caesar salad.

And lucky for me, more Chicken-Spinach-Mushroom-Alfredo-Extra Cheese Lasagna for lunch tomorrow!!

That's okay, I do not mind at all!!