Scooter's Baked Spaghetti

We are back from Texas.....WHEW, what a trip!  I think I deserve an award or something for going on a 3-day-each-way road trip by myself with 3 kiddos.  Or maybe a weekend spa getaway.  Or maybe a week-long nap.  Or maybe some of my favorite Sara Bee wine administered by intravenous drip.
We had a great time and the road trip was actually a breeze.  The kiddos were GREAT and there were no problems.  The only meltdowns/temper-tantrums were from me, lol!
During this time of the year, I firmly believe it is of the utmost importance to keep some sense of normalcy.  It is too easy to get swept up in the craziness.  For me, keeping up with family dinners is vital.  Not only does it ground you and remind you of what is really important, but it nourishes your body and soul for this stress-laden season.
This recipe has turned into a family favorite for sure.  The unique combination of ingredients gives is an almost lasagna-type quality.  Ohhh, the French Fried Onions really bump it up a notch and give such a great flavor and texture.  It is a cinch to make and would be a great dish to put together in the morning (sans French Fried Onions) and simply bake when you are ready.  We all really, really loved it!

Scooter's Baked Spaghetti
Recipe adapted from: Salad in a Jar

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)    
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 TBSP milk
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 
• French Fried Onions (small can)

Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and milk.  If your cream cheese is not soft enough, you can stick it in the microwave for a few seconds.  It should be able to spread easily.  Set aside.
In a skillet, saute the onions and peppers until translucent.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, but do not let it burn.  Combine vegetables to cream cheese mixture.  Add 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese to the cream cheese/veggie mixture and stir to incorporate.
In same skillet (less dishes) brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.

Using a 10 x 6 dish (I used a 9x13 and was ok), assemble in the following order:
Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spaghetti Noodles
Cream cheese/vegetable/cheese mixture
Spaghetti Meat sauce
Remaining cup of Mozzarella Cheese and remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese (or more taste of course)
French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Note:
Make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze without the French Fried onions. Don’t forget to add them 5 minutes before casserole is finished cooking.

This recipe has been linked up to:
The Counrty Cook
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
This Chick Cooks

Better Than Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

I am this close to a trifecta my friends!  I present to you "Better Than Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana".  The name pretty much says it all...it IS better than the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden.  I am working on finding a fabulous salad dressing for the "Better Than Olive Garden's Salad".  I already have the breadsticks that I think are way better than Olive Garden's, found HERE.  Don't wait to make this one, it is SCRUMPTIOUS!

Better Than Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana
Recipe Source:  Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock
• 3 cups russet potatoes, cubed
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups kale, washed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste

In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the grease. Add the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once sausage is browned and crumbled, remove sausage and drain off grease leaving a tbsp to saute the onion.
Add the onion to the pan; saute until translucent; add garlic; saute until fragrant.  Add the bacon and sausage back into the pot.
Stir in the stock and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add kale and heavy whipping cream. Bring to a simmer. Top with Parmesan cheese, when serving.

This recipe has been linked up to:
This Chick Cooks
The Country Cook
Tidy Mom
SImply Sweet Home
Eat at Home

Steak Pizzaola

You know that Sheryl Crow song "A Change"? 
You know....
"A change (change, change) would do you good
I said a change (change, change) would do you good  (a change would do you goooood)"
What does that song have to do with this recipe?  Well, not too much other than it is the song that kept going through my mind as I ate it, and now that I am sharing it with you....it's BACK!
This recipe is a fabulous change-up to the taste buds.  Not really a typical "spaghetti with meat sauce", it is my favorite pizza toppings with scantly sauced steak so tender and flavorful, your mouth will be doing the happy dance.
So, go make a change and try this recipe, it will do you good.
Yes, corny segway...what can I say...I am EXHAUSTED today and the coffee has not kicked in quite yet.

Steak Pizzaola
Recipe slightly adapted from:  My Tasty Treasures who adapted from Rachael Ray

• 2½ pounds steak.  I used Sirloin, but you can use Porterhouse or Ribeye, I would not use a Flank Steak.
• Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, crushed or pressed.
• 1/2  tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 12 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced.  I used 1 red and 1 green.
• 2-3 ounces sliced pepperoni, diced
• ½ cup dry red wine(I used Merlot)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste 
• Cooked pasta, I used Bowtie to stand up to a heavier sauce.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the steak with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Brown 3 minutes on each side and remove. Add another turn of the pan extra-virgin olive oil and reduce heat to medium high. Add garlic, pepper flakes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pepperoni, if using. Cook mixture 5 minutes, then add wine and scrape up any good-bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste. Slide steak back in and reduce heat to medium. Cover pan and cook 6 or 8 minutes for medium rare, 10 to 12 minutes for medium well. Remove meat, let rest a few minutes, slice and place back in sauce. Serve over pasta.  Make sure to top with plenty of grated cheese.

This recipe has been linked to:
This Chick Cooks
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Eat at Home

Bubble Puff Pizza

We were on a "make-your-own pizza" kick.  For some reason, I have yet to post any of them from that time....weird!  This is one of the recipes we tried.  Since it uses those "pop" biscuits which I hate opening, it was actually a total breeze to put together with no flour mess to clean up.  The kiddos loved it!  They were able to help with this one SO much.  In fact, aside from me putting it in and taking it out of the oven, they were able to do it from start to finish by themselves.  So, get your kiddos in the kitchen and let them have at this one, they will love it and so will you!

Bubble Puff Pizza
Recipe Source:  Sublime Hodgepodge

• 1 tube of those "pop", holding-them-away-from-you-trying-to-cover-your-ears-so-it-doesn't-scare-the-crap-out-of-you, biscuits.  I use the Pillsbury Simply Buttermilk Biscuits
• Pizza Sauce to taste, make as saucy as you like.  I of course like the Trader Joe's brand.  I know, wipe the look of shock off your face!
• 2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese (or blend)
• Assorted Toppings - Use what you like, we just used mini turkey pepperoni on ours

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Using scissors, quarter the biscuits. Place quarters POINT SIDE UP in the bottom of the baking dish, distributing them evenly over the bottom. Layer your sauce over top, then your chosen toppings followed by a layer of cheese(s).
Bake for 40 minutes but start checking it after 30 minutes. Using a fork, check middle biscuits to see if they're completely cooked. If not, cook an additional 5 minutes until middle is finished cooking. (Time will vary based on amount of toppings). Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe has been linked at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen

Bow Tie Lasagna - 15 Minute Meal!

Yes, you saw that right...15 minutes!!!
My dear friend Jill from Sublime Hodgepodge posted this recipe with a RAVE review and I knew I had to try it!
Super simple, fast, and SCRUMPTIOUS!  It has a lasagna taste that would make Garfield proud, without using Ricotta or Cottage Cheese.  Make a salad and add a chunk of crusty bread and you have a fantastic dinner everyone will be sure to love.

Bow Tie Lasagna
slightly adapted from Sublime Hodgepodge, who got it from Tasty Kitchen member Rozanie

• 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage...you could even use ground Turkey
• 5 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.  Make sure you use a good one since that is the taste that will be front and center.  
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Mozzarella cheese, you could use low fat
• 1/2 cup sour cream, you could use low fat
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, to taste

Fry meat in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheeses, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was linked to:
Mommy's Kitchen
Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Frou Frou Decor
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Crazy Domestic

Shrimp Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce

I have had some people e-mail me off of Facebook and ask why it is we are seemingly eating oh so very early.  The answer is simple...because we are!  Since my hubby works from home, and the kiddos are home-schooled, and I am home all day, we have a pretty unique situation.  We thought we would try to go European and start eating our big meal, aka dinner, during the time we would normally eat lunch.  We have now been eating that way for a month and LOVE it!  We are able to burn off the big meal through the course of the rest of the day, then in the evening, we have a light something...like a salad, soup, or sandwich.  It has done wonders for our digestion (and waist line) to not have a big ol' meal lurking in our bellies before we go to bed.  I know that most people would not be able to make that type of switch-up, but if there is anyway you can, even if just on the weekend, give it a try!  You might find yourself surprised at the benefits :)
Moving on to the recipe.  When my friend Amber from This Mommy Cooks posted this, I knew I wanted to try it and boy am I glad I did!  Though the ingredients seem quite simple, it is truly fabulous and easy, but totally special enough that you could serve it to guests....or a certain holiday for sweeties coming up!

Shrimp Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce   

• 1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 pound (uncooked) Penne Pasta
• 2 TBSP Butter
• 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small Onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup White Wine...make sure you like the taste of it!
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 ounces)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 TBSP fresh chopped Basil
• 1 TBSP fresh chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Parmesan Reggiano cheese, to sprinkle

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt and the pasta and cook according to package directions. 
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil.  Cook shrimp for a few minutes just until pink.  DO NOT over cook shrimp, they will become rubbery...bleck!  Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.  Add onions to skillet and cook until transparent.  While onions are cooking, put the shrimp on a cutting board and chop into smaller bite sized pieces.  Add garlic to the pan and let cook until fragrant.  Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scrapping up any browned bits that may be on the bottom.  After the wine has cooked down a bit, add in the tomato sauce.  Give it a good stir, then slowly add the cream.  Turn heat down to a low simmer and let in hang out for a few minutes.  Add your herbs and stir again.  Add in shrimp and pasta and give it another good stir to warm them back up.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with some grated Parmesan Reggiano on top.  ENJOY!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Mommy's Kitchen
This Chick Cooks
Eat at Home

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Last Friday night I completely and totally tweaked my neck.  Of course stuff like this always happens on the weekend when your choice is the E.R. or sucking it up and dealing as best you can.  So after a weekend full of heating pads, Epsom Salt baths, ice packs, ibuprofen, and maybe a little tequila, I was SO happy to meet my new bestie....Dr. Redd the chiropractor.
After a few sessions and some rice krispys later....you know, snap crackle pop, I am somewhat more mobile. 
Absolutely none of this has anything to do with my other new bestie, this cheesy garlic bread, but I felt I owed a little explanation as to my absence this week. 
Now, this bread is AWESOME....a total new favorite!  Forget buying the frozen garlic bread, or the stuff in the foil-y packets...this is just as easy and tastes UMPTEEN TIMES better!  Umpteen, that is a professional term for quite a lot...not to be confused with butt-load which has a negative connotation, especially in a blog about food.  For example, when your hubby comes home from a football night and admits he ate a butt-load of Taco Bell Bean Burritos, that is bad.  Very bad.  For your safety, make him sleep on the couch, or on the roof.   However, if he has gone with you to see your favorite 80's cover band UMPTEEN times...that is good.  Very good.  See the difference?  Class dismissed.  Amen.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf French or Italian bread 18-20 inches sliced in half horizontally.  Don't use the skinny baguette's....not that I have anything against skinny, just you will need a "bigger" platform to hold the goods.
• 5 garlic cloves, VERY FINELY minced.  I used the Trader Joe's frozen garlic cubes and it worked beautifully
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided and softened
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese.  I used the blend in the packet that has Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, etc. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small saucepan or skillet over low heat, melt 1TBSP of butter, garlic, and water together.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is straw colored, about 5-7 minutes, being careful to lightly brown but NOT BURN the garlic.  Browned garlic=yummy, burned garlic=hurl.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 7 TBSP butter with the salt and pepper.  Add in the melted butter/garlic mixture and stir to combine.  Using a rubber spatula, spread butter mixture on both cut sides of the bread.
Sandwich the two sides back together and cover completely with foil.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove baking sheet from oven and unwrap bread from foil.  Place the 2 sides, cut side up, back on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and set your broiler to high.  Put bread under the broiler and watch very carefully for the cheese to melt and get bubbly and brown.  It will go very fast....anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and only about 10 seconds to burn.  ENJOY!!!

I would like to thank the lovely Melanie from My Kitchen Cafe for introducing me to this extraordinary bread!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Frou Frou Decor
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Mommy's Kitchen

Spaghetti Carbonara

I am so happy it is a new week!  Last week, we all shared cooties...started with the youngest, and everyday moved up a person, until we were all laying around moaning and coughing.  Ahhh, but through the power of NyQuil and lots of napping, we are all better :) 
Moving on to the recipe today.  Carbonara had always been this elusive thing that I never wanted to try.  I didn't even know what it was until Dan, the college cafeteria guy, held up a gloppy spoonful and said it was bacon and egg sauce.  UGH!  In pasta?!?!  (((shiver)))
After many years of avoiding it, I finally tried it.  It was NOTHING like I was expecting.  First off, the recipe I made, was a drier version.  No drippy, gloppy sauce.  I LOVE dry pasta!  Growing up, my Mom would make a buttered breadcrumb version with left-over spaghetti noodles.  This Carbonara reminded me of that a bit.  The egg just worked as a binder to keep the Parmesan Cheese adhered to the noodles.  In no way does it taste like the scrambled eggs and bacon I feared.  While this recipe uses regular bacon, I may experiment with thick peppered bacon next time or go full on for the Pancetta.  To add another "yipee", this is super easy to put together.
All of us loved this meal...even the sweet blue-eyed boy, which is saying A LOT! 

Ingredients:
1 box Barilla Plus Spaghetti - 14.5 ounces
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
6-8 slices of bacon, diced
1/4 cup diced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 eggs, beaten
3 TBSP heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated (not shredded) Parmesan Cheese
Reserved Pasta Water (if needed)
3 TBSP freshly chopped Italian Parsley
Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.  When done, drain excess water, reserving 1 cup hot pasta water.  Toss pasta with 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil.  Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, cook bacon in a large skillet until just about crisp.  Remove bacon, drain bacon grease, reserving 1-2 TBSP of it.  In skillet, combine reserved bacon grease with 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil.  Add shallots and cook until transparent.  Add minced garlic and allow to cook, but not burn, for an additional minute.  Add white wine to deglaze pan, scraping up any bits from bottom of pan.  Cook until wine has mostly evaporated, about 1-2 minutes. 
Meanwhile, combine beaten eggs, cream, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. 
Return bacon to skillet, add pasta and heat through.  Remove from heat.  Pour egg/cheese mixture over top of pasta.  Quickly and continually toss with tongs until no longer runny.  If pasta is too dry, add some reserved pasta water to loosen.  Add pepper to taste, and toss parsley before serving.  Serve with additional Parmesan Cheese for sprinkling.
Enjoy!!!

recipe adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

This recipe has been linked up at:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
This Chick Cooks
Eat at Home

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

I don't know about you, but it another HOT one today!   What do you eat when it is so hot out?  At our house, we do a lot of grilling, dinner salads, and crock pot meals.  I was looking for a meal that I could make these crazy good, phenomenal breadsticks with, but didn't want to spend a lot of time on dinner (heat makes me feel like a lazy slug) and certainly did not want to have the oven going for more than the 15 minutes needed to bake the breadsticks.  After a quick search of recipes on my "things to try" list, I found this recipe for Crockpot Chicken Parmesan.  It went together in a snap and was a quicker cooking crockpot meal, which is good because I rarely have my act together in the morning to get dinner going.  Throughout the afternoon, the house was smelling INSANELY good and the taste certainly did not disappoint.  The chicken was cooked perfectly, and even though you could not longer see the cheese, you definitely tasted it.  Everyone LOVED it! 

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
• favorite jarred marinara sauce, I use Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara

Spread the 1 TBSP of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert.
Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl.
Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish.
Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.
Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot.
Layer 2-3 slices or 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, depending on how much cheese you like.
Cover chicken and cheese with entire jar of marinara sauce.

Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4. I cooked mine on high for about 3 1/2 hours and the chicken was perfect!
Serve with your favorite pasta.  ENJOY!


Recipe source:  A Year of Slow Cooking
This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck

Upside Down Supreme Pizza

Did you ever have one of those recipes that every time you made it, you made a mental note to try something different next time?  That quest for perfection was a longer than expected on this dish I am sharing today.  I first got a recipe for this from my friend Mel, then my hubby got it from an old high school friend.  So, after making it a couple times, and tweaking the cooking method and layering a couple more times, I have it!  I found that cooking the meat AND the veggies then adding the pizza sauce to the meat/veggie mixture was key...NO LAYERING, it didn't hold together right.  The other key has putting some of the cheese at the bottom, that was the final piece to this puzzle.  I now present to you....perfection!  Well, at least in my eyes, ha ha!  Even though my kiddos would not eat supreme pizza if their lives depended on it, they LOVE this and eat it, veggies and all!  So, here is the recipe along with all of my tweaks and reasoning for them,

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of meat of your choice.  Hamburger is a good filler here.  I use 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of hamburger and then add 1/2 - 1 pound Italian sausage and a package of chopped pepperoni for the rest.  I find if you use too much of the pepperoni or Italian sausage, it gets too salty.
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jar pizza sauce, 16 oz.  I use the Trader Joe's kind...it is fabulous!
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP Garlic Bread Sprinkle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown your meat until cooked through.  Remove meat from skillet and drain excess fat.  Next, saute your veggies until desired consistency.  I found when I left them crunchy, they added too much moisture to the filling when cooking in the oven.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Again, burnt garlic = BLECH!  If you need to, drain excess moisture or oil from vegetables.  Add meat back into skillet and add pizza sauce.  It will be thick, that is ok...we aren't going for a spaghetti sauce to serve over pasta, but if you need to add a TBSP of water to get your mixture completely coated, that is ok.  It will loosen up slightly when baking in the oven.
Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on bottom of dish.  Spread meat/veggie/pizza sauce mixture evenly over top to cheese.  Add remaining shredded cheese on top of meat/veggie/pizza sauce mixture.
In a medium bowl, quickly mix together flour, milk, eggs, oil, and salt until thoroughly combined.  Slowly pour over top of the cheese covering evenly.  This will bake up to be your crust.  Don't worry, it will work ;)  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and garlic bread sprinkle on top of crust and bake for 30-45 minutes until crust is set. 
As a side note, this recipe is completely flexible...add whatever veggies and meat into it.  It is a great way to hide extra veggies!  Come up with your favorite and share it with us here!  Enjoy!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck

Homemade Breadsticks

I have a confession to make.  I am completely and utterly addicted to these breadsticks.  Case in point, 100+ degree day that I have dinner going in the crock pot so I won't have to turn on the oven or work on the stove.  Then at about 3:00 in the afternoon, as I am starting to smell my crock pot Chicken Parmesan, I start to think how crazy good these breadsticks would be with dinner.  At about 3:30, all I can think about is this chewy, doughy, garlicky, buttery goodness dipping into the sauce of my Chicken Parmesan.  At 4:00, I am mixing the dough, and at 4:15, I set them outside on the patio table to rise...covered in saran wrap of course...but it is the perfect humid, warm oasis since my AC is continually cranking cold air.  I have already justified that since they only have to bake for 15 minutes, it won't heat up the house too much.  At 4:45, they go in the oven and come out at 5:00, just in time for the table to be set.  I look at my windows and there are the faces of all the neighborhood girlies begging for the leftovers.  This has happened FAR more times than I am willing to admit.  SERIOUSLY addicted.  Try them!  Try them and join me singing chorus of adoration for these luscious sticks-o-heaven.  What?!  Like you don't make up songs about yummy food!

Ingredients:

• 1-½ cups warm water
• 1 TBSP instant (rapid rise) yeast from a jar.  Sorry, the packets don't hold a full TBSP
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 3-½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2-4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TBSP garlic salt
• 1-2 tsp herbs/seasoning of your choice.  I am using an herb blend that is for mixing with olive oil and dipping bread, but any herb or combo of herbs that you like would work well.
• 4 TBSP melted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 
Mix together water, yeast, sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1-2 TBSP olive oil (just enough to coat) onto the bottom of a 16"x14" cookie sheet.  Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and large enough to fit onto baking sheet.  Place whole sheet of dough on baking sheet, then brush 1-2 TBSP olive oil over top of dough making sure it is all lightly covered.  Sprinkle garlic salt and herbs of choice over top of olive oil.  Using a pizza cutter, cut breadsticks into desired length and width.   Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap and place in preheated oven and allow to bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush melted butter all over top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Serve, eat, and break out into a little diddy about breadstick lovveeee!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck

recipe adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Spaghetti a la Philly

Because I have a sick wee one, I am keeping this post short and easy, just like this recipe.  This recipe has been floating around the blog-o-sphere for a bit, and I finally decided to give it a go.  Super simple and fast, this creamy pasta dish is a nice change-up and the whole family loved it! 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce, I  like both Tader Joe's and Sunflower Market's Garlic Basil
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.)  Cream Cheese, cubed
• 2 Tbsp.  Grated Parmesan Cheese

 
Cook spaghetti as directed on package.
Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain. Return meat to skillet. Stir in sauce and cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until sauce is well blended and heated through, stirring frequently.
Drain spaghetti. Add to sauce; mix lightly. Place on platter; top with Parmesan.
 
 
Recipe Source:  Kraft Foods/Love My Philly

Cheater Chicken Parmesan with Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Yesterday I took the kiddos on our weekly grocery shopping trip. Costco, Trader Joes, and Super Target were graced with our company far longer than I think they hoped or wanted. I had a 9 year old gabbing on and on about her top 10 list for why Jacob is so "hot", not that she even gets what "hot" means, but just to press her point that she is "totally team Jacob". Oh mercy, I am in trouble. I had a 5 year old who thinks all things are for climbing, scaling, balancing on, flipping over, and doing complicated poses in precarious places. I think the Olympics have gone to her head....even though these are the winter Olympics. Ok, I think I am just trying to make myself feel better that she is a wild jungle cat who frequently hisses at people. Not to be topped, my 3 year old was oh-so good at being 3, like crazy overachieving, gold medal good. Screeching, singing "Chuggington" at the top of his lungs, pulling his sister's hair, and perfecting his back seat (cart) driving technique. It made for a very long, exhausting afternoon.
This is one of those tasty quick and easy recipes for those days. Heck it is tasty, quick and easy for any day! You can make 10 of them as easily as 2. As a total bonus, since these look like giant chicken nuggets and my incredibly picky 3-year old gobbles them up. You can call this semi-homemade, almost home-made, I touched it therefore I cooked it, or, as I do, a cheater recipe. It also goes VERY well with the 1/2 bottle of wine I consumed after a day like that, haha!
Here we go!

Ingredients:
8 fully cooked breaded chicken breast patties. I used the Tyson brand bag from Costco.
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce. I used Trader Joes Tomato Basil Marinara.
1 box of your choice of pasta. I used Barilla Spaghetti noodles.
1 bag pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 TBSP Garlic Bread Sprinkle. I used the McCormick, but Johnny's has a really good one too.
3 TBSP butter, cubed
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While oven is pre-heating, get a pot of water boiling for your pasta. Bake your chicken patties for 15 minutes. While your chicken is cooking, salt your pasta water and get your noodles cooking. While those 2 things are going, warm up your marinara sauce.
When chicken is done, turn on your broiler. Top each piece of chicken with a spoonful of sauce, spread to cover entire top, then add shredded mozzarella cheese (enough to cover) and a teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler to get top melted and slightly browned. Keep a close eye so it doesn't burn.
When pasta is done, drain off the water and add butter and olive oil to coat pasta, add garlic bread sprinkle and remaining Parmesan cheese. Toss together to get all noddles coated. Add a couple of grinds of pepper to finish off.
Serve the chicken with pasta and extra marinara sauce. Round out the meal with some crusty bread and a salad. Enjoy!