Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch

Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch 

Slightly adapted from Lauren Allen on tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb Italian sausage)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder 
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 c water
1/4 c fresh basil leaves (optional)
spaghetti noodles (gluten free for gluten free meal)

Directions:

• Season meat with salt and pepper
• In a large skillet, brown the meat and chopped onion. Drain excess grease.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, Worcestershire, and sugar to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer. 
• Add water and stir well.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chopped basil before serving, if desired.

Boys rating: 2 thumbs up

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Chicken Zucchini Pasta

Chicken Zucchini Pasta

1 package of linguine noodles (gluten free if needed)

1 45oz jar of Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1. Chop the chicken, onion and zucchini.

2. Heat a skillet with a little olive oil. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken from the pan, draining any liquid. 

3. Add a 1/2 tbsp olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, zucchini and garlic. Stir frequently until the onion is translucent and the zucchini has softened. Put the chicken in this pan. Pour the jar of spaghetti sauce into the pan as well. Stir. Cover pan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are ready. 

4. Fill a pot with water. Turn on the heat. Once the water is boiling, add 1 tsp of salt to the water. Add the noodles. Drain once cooked through. 

5. Fill a plate with noodles and top them with the sauce. Enjoy! 

Husband Rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Dairy-Free Shrimp Alfredo

adapted from tasty.co

2 lbs large cooked, deveined shrimp
Salt
pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
24 oz fettuccine or linguine pasta, uncooked
1 large shallot, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
fresh parsley, minced, to taste


Thaw (if needed) and remove the tails of the shrimp. 

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once at a rolling boil, add 1 tsp of salt to the water then add the fettuccine. Cook according to the package instructions. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the shallot and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and cook about 3-4 minutes; until the shallot is translucent.

Stir in the flour for 2 minutes until golden brown. Slowly add the coconut milk and chicken stock, stirring consistently with a whisk to minimize any lumps of flour. Bring sauce to a low boil for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice. Season with 1.5 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. 

Ladle sauce over noodles and garnish with parsley. 

This recipe serves our family of six. Two members of our family need dairy free food. I didn't think alfredo sauce could be any good without cheese! But I was wrong. This recipe is delicious.

Boys: thumbs up

Husband rating: 4

Seafood Pasta Alfredo

adapted from Taste of Home Winning Recipes cookbook, submitted by Rebekah Beyer

16 oz uncooked linguine
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 c julienned carrots (buy the small bag of pre sliced carrots to save time)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar of your favorite alfredo sauce
1 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

Cook linguine according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, zucchini and carrots. Sauté until crisp-tender. Add shrimp and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked and drained linguine. Add the alfredo sauce and mix to coat all ingredients. Heat until warm; about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I've been in a chicken rut lately! We eat chicken in soup, chicken pot pie, baked chicken and veggies. This is a nice addition to the weekly menu. It breaks up all those nights of chicken! It's easy, quick and affordable.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys said: thumbs up

Ham and Broccoli Pasta Dinner

heavily adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by mrs.embee

14 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta (or just regular rotini)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
1 1/2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce
ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for four minutes. Add the broccoli and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced ham, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan with the ham. Pour in the Alfredo sauce; stir to blend, sprinkle with pepper and stir everything together to coat the pasta with sauce and to heat through.

This was easy! Everyone in the family loved it. Score one for mom! 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Shrimpy Pasta

(Picture coming next time I make this! I guess we were hungry. I forgot to snap a picture!)

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lb large frozen shrimp (cooked or not, deveined and peeled), thawed and tails removed

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

12 oz linguine noodles

Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Cook noodles according to package instructions.

In a large pan heat 1 tsp olive oil to medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until onion is softened; at least 10 minutes. 

Add shrimp. If the shrimp has not been cooked heat it over medium heat, stirring often, until it is pink and then add the sauce. If the shrimp has already been cooked heat for only a minute or two and then add the pasta sauce. Heat through. 

Serve over linguine noodles. Pair this with roasted green beans and you have a great meal.

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Florentine Pasta

adapted from pinchofyum.com

8 ounces ziti or other pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb. chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning mix for the chicken 

1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
1 7-ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic
1⁄2 cup half and half
11⁄2 cups whole milk
1⁄2 cup chicken broth
11⁄2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 cups spinach

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the seasoning and the cayenne. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through.

Drain the oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Chop into smaller pieces if you want. Add them to the pan with the garlic and saute for a few minutes, until fragrant. You will probably still get some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes - that's okay.

Add the half and half, milk, chicken broth, and Mozzarella cheese. Stir until the sauce is smooth and bubbly and the cheese is melted. It should start to thicken up slightly.

Stir in the cooked pasta and spinach - the spinach will start to cook down almost immediately. If needed, add extra water or broth or milk to the sauce to thin it out, or add more cheese to thicken slightly.

We enjoyed this dinner. The only problem for me is that it's not a low calorie dinner! 

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Pasta with Ratatouille-Style Vegetables

adapted from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh and Fast by Kristine Kidd

• 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced and slices cut crosswise
    into thirds
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced and slices cut
    crosswise into thirds
• 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 can (28 oz./875 g) Italian tomatoes, preferably San Marzano,
    with juices
• 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) dry white wine
• Pinch of sugar (optional)
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) chopped fresh basil
• 12 oz. (375 g) rotini or fusilli pasta, preferably multigrain
• Fresh goat cheese, crumbled, for serving

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion, bell peppers, thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and season with salt and black pepper. Sauté until the peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and break them up with a spoon. Add the wine and zucchini and simmer, stirring frequently, to blend the flavors, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a pinch of sugar if the sauce tastes too acidic. Then stir in the basil.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a warmed large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese and serve immediately. 

I added 3 cooked and chopped chicken breast halves to this and we liked it.

Fettuccine with Quick Bolognese sauce

from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh and Fast by Kristine Kidd

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 oz. pancetta, finely chopped
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes in juice, preferably
    San Marzano
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 to 2 Tbs. heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 oz. dried egg pappardelle or fettuccine
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until it is tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, just until the beef is no longer pink. Add the wine and boil until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, cream and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, breaking up the tomatoes and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the same pot. Add the sauce and toss to coat.

Divide the pasta and sauce among 4 warmed shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the thyme and cheese. Serve immediately and pass more cheese alongside. 

A few tips: 

1. pancetta-I was not familiar with this. I found it in the meat section of my grocery store. A few slices of that and that's all you need. pancetta can be a little tricky to chop. I ended up using my cooking scissors to cut it into small pieces! That probably wasn't something a pro would do, but it worked! 

2. parmigiano-reggiano-I learned that this is the highest quality parmesan cheese. 

3. as a personal preference I added the step of dumping the tomatoes and juices in a blender and pulsing that a few times before adding them to the pot.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up

Sausage Pasta

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Tammy

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
2.	In a large skillet, heat oil and sausage; cook through until no longer pink. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add onion and garlic to skillet. Add broth, basil and tomatoes with liquid.
3.	Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to slightly reduce. Add pasta to skillet and mix together. Add chopped spinach; cover skillet and let sit for about 5 minutes until spinach is tender.
4.	Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Meat Sauce for Pasta

adapted from foodnetwork.com, submitted by Ree Drummond

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onions, diced
1 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock (your choice)
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 24-ounce jar good store-bought marinara sauce (you can use another jar if you like the sauce to be more saucy than meaty)
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
2 bay leaves
1/8 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 1.5 tablespoons parsley flakes, plus more for serving
grated parmesan for serving
2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil, for serving
Garlic-cheese bread, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.

Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.

After an hour, add the minced parsley.  Allow sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

I really like this sauce.  It's something you can always double and freeze the extra for another night.  I didn't even double it and we had extra sauce.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettuccine

from ourbestbites.com

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (that’s just 1/2 of a normal box like in the picture)
2 medium zucchini
1 C shredded parmesan cheese 

5-6 cloves garlic
Fresh Basil (about 1/2 C)
Fresh Oregano (about 1/4 C) If you don’t have fresh oregano, just add a little dried.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Smoosh around and set bag aside while you get your other things ready. (If you’ve got time to spare, let the chicken marinade for 30 minutes, if you don’t, just take what you can get. I did mine for 15 min and it was great.)

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Press, or finely mince garlic cloves. In a small sauce pan on the stove, place 1/4 C olive oil and add garlic. Turn burner onto low-med heat. It shouldn’t be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing fresh garlic has. 

When water boils, add pasta and a spoonfull of salt

Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, and zucchini on grill. 

While chicky and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn’t been juiced. 

See, now you’re all ready. When everything is done cookin’ you can throw it together! Keep an eye on that garlic. You DON’T want it to get brown and crispy. It should still look nice and white. Give it a stir. If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside. 

When zucchini and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop ‘em up. 

Reserve about 1/2 C pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Place chopped zuch and chicken on top. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic-olive oil mixture. Just pile it all in there. Then stick your face up real close and inhale. Ahhhh, heaven.

Now take some tongs and give everything a big toss. If you feel it needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta water, or a little more olive oil. 

This will make 4 generous servings.

I liked this dish but my family wasn't as crazy about it.  You'll have to give it try and see what you think!

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  mixed reviews

Garlic Chicken with Orzo

from allrecipes.com, submitted by VBRAUER671

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves - cut into bite-size pieces salt to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 cups fresh spinach leaves grated Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

I added one can of italian stewed tomatoes, chopped in the blender for a few seconds, instead of the parsley.  It just sounded good!  And it was good.  The only complaint was the spinach.  I used baby spinach so the leaves were smaller than the regular kind, but I didn't break them up into even smaller pieces.  And when they are wilted they are long and slimey, really.  The boys didn't like that one bit!  I'd probably decrease the amount of spinach by half and chop the leaves a little before adding it to the dish.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  mixed reviews

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

from ourbestbites.com

1 pound Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage (“hot” or “sweet”)
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
3 cups water
12 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) ziti pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (fresh is best, but if you need to sub dried, use a heaping tablespoon of dried basil and add it in with the tomatoes)
ground black pepper
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Note: This recipe is to be cooked in a 12 inch skillet.  I recommend using one slightly larger if you’re adding the sausage as well.  Make sure your skillet is oven proof (no plastic handles) and has a lid.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.

Remove sausage from casings and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Heat 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet to medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.  (If you’re not using sausage, just add a little more olive oil and start with the next step, sautéing the garlic and pepper flakes.)  

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.   Stir in the processed tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the water, then add the pasta.  Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 8-10 minutes (or just until melted, like, 1-2 minutes).  Serve.

I recommend dumping everything into an oven safe dish and cooking it in there, instead of in the pan.  Or you could do that but be very very careful not to think the handles are cool or you might burn yourself when you take it out of the oven or are serving this. Just saying!  

I don't like ground turkey.  I have never found a version of ground turkey or a recipe with it I could like.  Until now!  I used the Italian sweet turkey sausage and it was actually good in this recipe!  I love using fresh basil. Don't substitute the dry basil in this recipe.  Fresh basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven!

Also, my store didn't have ziti so if you run into that pick a pasta with some texture to help hold onto the sauce.

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Spiced Chicken Pasta with Tomato Sauce

from Cooking Light

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into (1-inch) pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup white wine
• 8 ounces uncooked penne
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over chicken.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from heat; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until garlic is soft. Add tomatoes and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Any small pasta will work in this quick, easy entree. Ground fennel and coriander bring a welcome complexity to the chicken and impart their flavor to the sauce.

The only changes I made were to use 1/2 tsp ground fennel seed.  That is difficult to find at the store.  I had to buy fennel seed and grind it up myself.  As a help-4 cups of canned diced tomatoes comes to about 3 14.5 oz cans of tomatoes.  Also, I used chicken breast meat instead of tenders.  Either way is fine just chop them to the size you want.  Or pound them a little first which is fun and makes the chicken breasts thinner!

I thought the taste was great, but the sauce was too thin.  Next time I may mash the tomatoes in the blender before adding to the pot to cook and hopefully that will help.  

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  mixed reviews

Garlic Herb Alfredo Bake

from ourbestbites.com

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Garlic and Herb Alfredo Variety
1 cup cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, torn into small pieces
1 6 or 7 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and diced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and sliced
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Prepare Macaroni and Cheese according to package directions.  Add chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir over low heat until everything is combined and heated through.  Spoon mixture into a serving dish, or 6 individual ramekins.  Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and butter, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle evenly on top of pasta and place under a broiler just until crumbs are golden and toasted.  Serves: 6.

I used 1/2 c of italian seasoned bread crumbs, 1 tbsp Parmesan and 1 tbsp butter for the topping.

Husband rating:  3 stars
Boys say:  mixed reviews

Apricot Chicken and Orzo

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by luv2cooknbake

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, chopped  1 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste

20 dried apricots 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup apricot preserves  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook in the hot oil until golden brown around the edges, but still pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes more. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, bring it to a simmer, and allow it to reduce for a few minutes.

2.

Cut half of the apricots in half, leaving the others whole. Place the apricots into the skillet, and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the apricot preserves and thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the apricots have softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve. I used a can of apricots and just cooked it until it was heated through, not the 10-15 minutes recommended above.  I will try the dried ones next time because the canned ones were just a little too mushy for my taste. This is a delicious meal.  There is plenty of sauce for this to go over pasta or rice.  I was planning to use orzo pasta until my son tipped the box over and it spilled on to the floor.  That's why the picture looks like rice (because it is!) instead of orzo. Husband rating:  4 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Pork Lo Mein

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

Skillet Pork Lo Mein 
Ingredients:
12 oz uncooked angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat pasta)
1.5 lbs pork chops, thinly sliced
1 or 2 bags fresh veggies like a stir-fry mix of broccoli, carrots and peas
1 cup teriyaki sauce (my favorite is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain water and cover to keep warm.
Heat a large skillet pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove meat from pan and cover to keep warm.  Stir the vegetables, teriyaki sauce, and ginger in the pan. Continue to cook until it starts to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are almost fully cooked.  Return the meat to the pan.
Stir in the cooked pasta and gently mix until the noodles are coated in the sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes or until everything is thoroughly heated.

This is an easy meal and feeds an army.  We ended up having enough to share with a neighbor family of 5.  Add some mandarin oranges or other fruit and you have a healthy meal ready in minutes.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine

from allrecipes.com, submitted by skini

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup white wine 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

salt to taste 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup butter 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.	Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
3.	Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

I thought I'd give you the recipe as written and then give you my version based on what I had on hand and increasing the portions:

12 oz linguine pasta (I used about 3/4 of a 16 oz package)

1 tbsp olive oil

6 tsp minced garlic

1 c chicken broth

1/2 c white wine

1 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper to taste (many reviewers thought the amount of pepper in the original was too much)

12 oz frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, thawed and then I quickly popped the tails off all the shrimp.  I don't like to have something on the plate that can't be eaten so I always take the tails off

1/4 butter

about 1/4 c olive oil

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

I thought the recipe called for a lot of butter so instead of doubling the butter for my family size I did half butter and half olive oil.  It was too oily for us.  Next time I think I'd keep just the 1/4 c butter and not add more butter or oil.  

Husband rating:  2 stars (because it was too oily, which was my fault in experimenting!)  I loved the smell of this as it was cooking and the flavors were nice, but I agreed about the oil

Boys say:  thumbs up

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Unfortunately our entire family came down with the stomach flu in February!  A friend brought food for our kids when we were too sick to cook.  She made them spaghetti with meatballs.  It made me realize that I don't ever make that!  All she did was use precooked meatballs in spaghetti sauce from a jar.  So easy!  When you need a fast easy meal you can try this!  

Boys say:  thumbs up