Spaghetti Pie

{Meatless Monday}

This is a quick and easy spaghetti variation...just for a little change from the normal spaghetti.

Here's what you need:
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
4 T butter, melted
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 c. diced green pepper
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1 c. cottage cheese or ricotta
2 c. spaghetti sauce

Combine noodles, butter, parmesan, and eggs.  Bake at 350* for 15 minutes in a 9X13 pan.

Meanwhile, saute onion and green pepper with olive oil, oregano, and salt.

Take noodles out of oven and spread 1 c. spaghetti sauce over the top.

Combine 1 c. mozzarella cheese and 1 c. cottage cheese/ricotta and spread over the sauce.

Top with sauteed veggies.  Spread remaining sauce over the veggies and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. 

Bake 15 minutes more, until bubbly.

 I like to cut this into squares and serve right out of the oven.

Bruschetta Biscuits with Feta

Got this one out of my Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  We loved these!!  I love making biscuits when I want a "bread" to go along with a meal, but I need it FAST!

These ones are packed with everything delicious!

3/4 cup milk plus extra for brushing
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
(I just threw in some of our frozen pesto--you have to scroll down for the pesto recipe)
1/4 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup olives, pitted & chopped
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp. pine nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In bowl combine milk, oil, spinach, basil, tomatoes, and olives.
2. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture; add milk mixture. Stir with a fork until moistened.
3. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface. Pat into about an 8X8 square and cut into squares.

4. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on oiled baking sheet. Brush lightly with milk; sprinkle with feta and pine nuts.. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.  Serve with your favorite soup!

Creamy Potato and Asparagus Soup

{Meatless Monday}

Here's what you need:

1  large bunch  asparagus (1-1/4 lb.), trimmed 
1-1/4  lb.  potatoes, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces or smaller) 
1  12-oz. can  evaporated milk
1  Tbsp.  honey

Reserve about 1/3 of the asparagus. Combine remaining asparagus, the potatoes, evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1 1/4 cups water in saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly.

In blender or food processor, blend or process soup, half at a time, until smooth.

 Place reserved asparagus spears to the a little oil in skillet. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
Drizzle honey into soup and stir.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with asparagus and desired toppings (parsley, coarse salt, fresh ground pepper). Makes 4 servings.

I really need to buy asparagus more!  We loved this soup...and I loved how easy and simple the recipe was.  You could also top with some pepper jack cheese to give it a little kick...mmmmm....that sounds good to me!

Florentine Artichoke Bake

{Meatless Monday}


This is another new recipe with artichokes that has become a favorite!  It has so much flavor with the spinach, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes.  

Here's what you need:

8 oz. bow tie pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 (6 oz.) package fresh spinach,  coarsely chopped 
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 T butter, melted

Cook and drain pasta; set aside.  Preheat oven to 350*.

Saute onions in butter for 5 minutes, until translucent.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, italian seasoning, and red pepper with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. 

Add in mushrooms, monterey jack, artichokes, spinach, and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese. 
Combine sauce mixture with pasta.  Pour into 9X13 pan.   Bake, COVERED, for 20 minutes.

Combine the rest of the parmesan with the bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter.  Sprinkle over the top of the pasta.  Bake 10 minutes more.

We served this when we had company and EVERYONE loved it!  Even the 9 kids that were all around the table...that makes it a true keeper.



 

Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing

{Meatless Monday}

MOVE OVER STOVETOP!!!

Oh my, we had this for Thanksgiving and it is definitely a keeper!!!  I am NOT a stuffing fan...never have been.  But that's just because my mom didn't use this recipe!! ; )

I found this recipe online through a blog that I follow and it just looked divine.  We've never had a certain stuffing recipe that was a tradition in our family...but NOW we do!

Here's what you need:

• 1  pound  mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed, and sliced
• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 2  onions (3/4 lb. total), chopped
• 1  cup  chopped celery
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic
• About 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1  loaf (1 lb.) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2  jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1  cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  poultry seasoning--I couldn't find this, so I left it out!
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1  large egg

In a frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make a well in stuffing. Add egg and beat with a fork to blend; mix egg with stuffing.

 Preheat oven to 325° to 350° (use temperature turkey requires)

Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole. (I ended up preferring it cooked on a cookie sheet...see below!) For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover.   Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

NOTE: We both wanted a nice crusty stuffing, so I didn't cover it and it still turned out too sticky.  So the next time I make this, I am going to cook it on a cookie sheet instead of the 9X13.  I think that will help it to dry out a little bit more.  The chunks of sourdough are larger and so they won't completely dry out...they'll just get crunchy on the outside, but stay soft inside.  I can't wait to try it again!


Updated:  I got the chance to try it again and this time I cooked it on a cookie sheet completely uncovered and it was FABULOUS!!   This is what it looked like when I spooned it into a bowl.  It was heavenly...the bread chunks are large enough that they are lightly crunchy on the outside and still soft on the inside.