{Four-cheese Baked ziti}

What's not to like? It's like gourmet mac and cheese. Instead of buying the alfredo I used our best bites guiltless alfredo sauce. It was yummy yummy.

Recipe and Image from tasteofhome.com

1 package (16 ounces) ziti or small tube pasta 

2 cartons (10 ounces each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce

 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream 

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese 

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 

1-3/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook ziti according to package directions; drain and return to the pan. Stir in Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half into a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and parsley; spread over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

{Nacho cheese beef bake}

Okay so this name is totally wrong for the dish. When I read this I think fatty, disgusting, Gonna have the runs when I'm done kind of meal. It's totally not that way. It was so yummy and healthier than it sounds.

Recipe and Image from Tasteofhome.com

2 cups uncooked egg noodles 
1 pound ground beef 
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted 
1 jar (5-3/4 ounces) sliced pimiento-stuffed olives, drained (I don't like these. I did not add them.)
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies 
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 
 2 cups crushed tortilla chips 
1/3 cup prepared ranch salad dressing 
Shredded lettuce, sour cream and/or salsa, optional


Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, soup, olives and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in noodles.
Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with tortilla chips; drizzle with salad dressing. Serve with lettuce, sour cream and/or salsa if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

We always put a ton of lettuce and fresh tomatoes on top. We served it with fruit. Can totally serve 6.
Nacho Cheese Beef Bake Recip

{Spiral Stromboli}

I am loving taste of home's weeknight solutions. They're quick and easy and have sides all ready to go with them. I loved both parts of this meal. we served it with Candy Bar Apple Salad.

These recipes kind of give you that homemade taste without the homemade work.


1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated crusty French loaf
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced hard salami (we left this out and subbed some pepperoni - cause that's what we had.)
1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained (we used fresh diced tomatoes because pimientos are expensive.)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese 

Unroll dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle; sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheeses to within 1/2 in. of edges. Layer with salami, ham and pimientos.
Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting from a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut with a serrated knife. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6 servings.

Totally yummy.

{Chicken Pot Pie}

This is a family favorite.  I make my pot pies with only a top crust--you still get that yummy texture and taste, but not so much fat.  This crust is extra special because it has cheese in it. Nate thinks we should use it for all our pies.

Crust:

1 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 T cold butter, cubed

1-1 1/2 T cold water

Filling:

1 cup diced peeled potatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 rib celery, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T butter

1 cup chicken broth

2 T flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried tarragon

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

For crust, combine flour, salt, and cheese. Cut in shortening and butter. Add water until dough forms. Press into ball and cover. Refrigerate.

For filling, sauté potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in butter 5 minutes (if it starts to stick to the pan, I add a little water.) Add chicken broth and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine flour, milk, salt, tarragon, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add to vegetable mixture. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add chicken and peas. Heat through.

Meanwhile, roll out pastry. Pour filling into 9-inch pie shell. Place pastry on top, crimping edges and sealing to the pan. Make slits in pastry.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Served with green salad, garden squash, and homemade bread.

{tortellini sausage soup}

8 servings

360 cals., 9 g. fat, 5 g. fiber

WW points: 7

From Ourbestbites.com

3 links Italian sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider (don't leave this out! I did once and it wasn't the same...)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that's two tablespoons)
If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. And just so you know, both Sara and I have tried taking pictures of this method and there is no G-rated way of posting those pictures...

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic

and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini

and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.
Add the tortellini

and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Note: If you're making breadsticks, start the dough first, then prepare the first "phase" of the soup while the dough is rising. While the soup is simmering, twist the breadsticks, let them rise, and they'll be done baking about the same time the soup is done.

{lasagna casserole}

8 servings

411 cal., 14 g. fat, 3 g. fiber

WW points: 9

12 oz. medium no yolk noodles
1 lb. ground beef
3 cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. cheddar cheese
4 green onions, diced

Cook noodles in boiling water until done. In the meantime brown meat. Rinse and drain noodles and meat. Into meat, stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic salt. Simmer 5 minutes. Combine noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream and diced onions.

In 2 quart casserole dish, alternate layers of noodle mixture and meat mixture, starting and ending with noodles. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min.

{cajun chicken}

233 calories, 6 g. fat

WW points: 5

2 or 3 chicken breasts
1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
1/4 c. bisquick
1 tsp. cajun or creole seasoning
1 T. margarine.

Combine Cornflakes, bisquick and cajun. Pound chicken reasts with a mallet until 1/4 inch thick (between plastic wrap or in plastic bag). Dip the chicken in water and then in crumb mixture. Melt 1 Tbsp. margarine in a skillet and fry chicken about 10 minutes turning once or until done.

{beef chimichangas}

My Mom made these for us when we went to go visit her a couple of weeks ago! They were so so so so yummy that I decided to give them a try! A NEW recipe for my in-laws and they turned out great!!! Seriously... give them a try.

 900 calories, 45 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber per serving

If you leave out the tortilla you can substitute out 200 calories and if you don't fry it, you can save yourself 200 calories.

It becomes

497 calories, 19 g fat, 1 g fiber

ww points: 11

for 10 servings

5 lb. beef roast
3 T shortening
1 Large Onion, diced
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
2 7 oz cans green chili salsa
2 cups juices
1 T lemon juice
1 t garlic
4 T flour
3 t salt
1 t cumin

Cook Roast in crockpot for several hours until well done and tender. (I cooked mine on low for 10 hrs, maybe a little too done on the edges.) Remove meat from crock pot, reserve juices, cool, then remove fat and bones. Shred meat and set aside. Melt shortening in large skillet, add onions and saute' until clear. Add flour and make roux. Add liquid, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat about 5 min. stirring to avoid sticking.

Freeze half at this point to use at a later time in burritos, chimichangas or tacos.

For chimichangas:
Have flour tortillas soft. Put about 3/4 cup meat @ about 1 1/2 inches from bottom of tortilla. Roll up bottom, fold in sides and roll. Secure with tooth picks. Fry in pan filled with 1/2 to 3/4 inch canola or vegetable oil. Test oil temperature with a piece of tortilla. Place chimichangas in oil. Cook for 20-30 seconds until golden brown. Turn, brown other side. Remove to thick paper towel before putting on serving dish.

Garnish: Sour Cream, Salsa, tomato, guacamole, olives, lettuce, etc....

I'll be sure to post a picture when I make them again. I'm not the best at rolling these up, but they still tasted FANTASTIC!!!

{pretzel time}

12 servings

177 cals., 3 g. fat, 1 g. fiber

You might be able to get more fiber in there by using wheat flour or fiber fortified flour

WW points: 4

These were so yummy, soft and chewy. Just like pretzel time.

2 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C warm water
3 C all-purpose flour
1 C bread flour (I used all regular flour)
2 C warm water
2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. butter (we used margarine), melted
2 Tbsp. coarse kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.

After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.
FOOTNOTES
When forming the ropes, roll each one to about half the length you want, then set it aside while you roll the rest. By the time you get back to the first rope, it will have rested enough to roll further.

{margherita pita pizzas}

4 servings
383 cals. (This allots 165c. per pita), 15 g. fat, 2.5 g. fiber
WW Points: 8
From Taste of Home magazine

4 pita breads (6 in.)
2 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Thinly sliced fresh basil, optional

Place pita breads on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with oil. Top with garlic, 1 cup cheese, tomatoes, garlic powder and remaining cheese; sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with basil if desired.

I LOVED LOVED these.

{BLT salad}

6 servings

432 cals., 22 g. fat, 2 g. fiber

WW points: 10

from Taste of Home magazine.

I'm loving these dishes that they're doing that are easy and that only require a few ingredients. Nate LOVED this.

Cook 2 cups spiral pasta (I used the tri-color kind)
drain.
Cook and crumble 1/2 lb. bacon
Add 1 large chopped tomato
and 1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
Toss with pasta.
Combine with 3 cups torn romaine before serving

We added the ranch dressing last to help the salad hold up better, and to make sure we got how much we wanted. It was delicious!

{lasagna!!!}

12 servings
381 calories, 17 g. fat, 2 g. fiber
WW Points: 8


Peter's Gen-u-ine Italian Lasagna
click to print text only
1 recipe pasta and lasagna sauce you must use this, it's delicious!
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
4 oz. shredded fresh Parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 16-oz. tub Ricotta
Béchamel Sauce

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) real butter, NO SUBSTITUTES
1/4. c. white flour
2 1/2 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare Béchamel sauce, melt butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Heat until bubbly and thickened to a medium consistency that that looks like this on a spoon:
Now...this is where I start tinkering with his recipe. And it was ONLY tinkering out of an attempt to make things easier and less messy, not that I thought I could make things better. Traditionally, when you make a lasagna with Béchamel sauce, you have a layer of red sauce and then a layer of Béchamel on top. But for me, I could never get the proportions of red sauce to white sauce right. So one day, I just mixed the two. Maybe I'm a blasphemer, but I do it all for the sake of lasagna-eaters everywhere who want to eat it more than once every five years. So if you feel like taking a walk on the wild side, mix the Béchamel in with the red sauce. What are you, chicken? Come on, you know you want to...

After you've made (and mixed) the Béchamel, combine 6 oz. mozzarella (about 1 3/4 c.), ricotta, Parmesan, and the beaten egg. At this point, I like to set up a little lasagna-making station:

Using a ladle that measures 1/2 c. (or a 1/2 c. measuring cup), spread 1 c. of sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 3 noodles. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce and repeat so you have 4 layers of noodles. You should end with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (and some extra Parmesan if you have some left over).


Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes.


Remove from oven and remove foil. It will probably look a little runny. Don't be scared--you still need to let it stand about 15-20 minutes. During that time, it will thicken up nicely and it won't even be that oozy when you cut it.

 This serves 12. And wanna know what's awesome? If you use super lean ground beef, it has around 250 calories and 5 Weight Watcher points! Seriously, the TASTIEST, most filling 5 points you'll ever have in your life.

{chicken tortilla soup}

 6 servings

268 cals., 13 g. fat, 3 g. fiber (w/out tortilla chips)

WW Points: 6

Recipe by Our Best Bites


1 recipe Taco Chicken
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 cans chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers (if you're scared, try serrano peppers; they're milder)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes). Don't even think of buying the stuff in a bottle.
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:


Store-bought tortilla strips, or 2-3 corn tortillas, plus oil for frying
Avocado
Grated cheese
1/4 c. cilantro

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken. Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil (I can tell you right now that you'll never hear the words EVOO from my mouth. Or my fingers.) over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado, and fry the tortillas. Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.

{baked potato soup}

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Comfort in a bowl

2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C low-fat or skim milk
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C  light sour cream, divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

*don't have time to bake potatoes in the oven?  Just pierce them with a fork a few times and then pop them in the microwave.  Cook in 5 minute intervals until a knife easily pierces through them.  It usually takes 5-10 minutes.  To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack.  Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.


Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.  Add flour to pan.  Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps.  Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth.  Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low.  Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot.  Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps.  Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.
 

 

 

{chili-lime mango chicken skewers}

Recipe and Images from ourbestbites.com
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Click to print recipe text only
6T olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 t chili powder
¼ t cayenne pepper (double that if you like spicy things!)
½ t salt
1 T sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
(click that link to see pictures of how to cut a mango)
Directions:
If you're using wooden/bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before you use them. Otherwise they'll fire right up on the grill!
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cayenne,
salt and sugar. Place in a zip-lock bag and add the chicken and mangoes, stirring gently to
coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
Prepare grill (or indoor grill pan)

Remove the chicken and mangoes from the marinade and thread onto skewers, alternating
the pieces and dividing them evenly.

*When you're making any type of skewer, make sure not to smash everything together tightly. In order for the food to cook thoroughly and evenly, it needs room! The pieces threaded on should just barely touch each other, or not touch at all.

Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook, turning until the chicken is nicely charred and
cooked through, 6-10 minutes.


Serve immediately. This makes quite a few skewers, but remember that each one only has a few chunks of chicken on it. So to make a meal, you'll want to plan on 3-4 skewers per person, making this recipe serve 4. However, if you have a lot of other things served with it, you could easily get away with 2 skewers per person and serve 6.

 

We served with home canned pinto beans and tortilla chips.

{tortellini sausage soup}

Okay, so the blog (Our Best Bites) said it would be amazing and I was AMAZED that they did not disappoint. A mostly vegetable soup and it was to die for. So yummy.

Tortellini Sausage Soup
3 links Italian sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider (don't leave this out! I did once and it wasn't the same...)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that's two tablespoons)
If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. And just so you know, both Sara and I have tried taking pictures of this method and there is no G-rated way of posting those pictures...

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlicnd add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchiniand simmer for another 15 minutes or so.
Add the tortelliniand cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Note: If you're making breadsticks, start the dough first, then prepare the first "phase" of the soup while the dough is rising. While the soup is simmering, twist the breadsticks, let them rise, and they'll be done baking about the same time the soup is done.

{pumpkin pancakes}

Frankly, I wanted to try these purely because of the illiteration, but... I digress. These were VERY moist.... my kids loved them and I thought they were a pretty healthy substitute to our standby bisquick.... We feel like nothing tops bisquick but these were awesome!

(image courtesy of the way the cookie crumbles) (Mine looked similar)
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. packed brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1-1/3 c. milk

3/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. cheese.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle (if it's not non-stick... grease it first). turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown. These were delish... maybe try with some toasted pecans or browned butter. We weren't big fans of those, but we think they might be good.

p.s. These have about half the calories of a regular pancake, but double the moistness. So yummy. Makes 14 pancakes. prep: 10 min. cook: 10 min./batch

recipe courtesy tasteofhome.com

{tortillas of the flour variety}

recipe and photo Courtesy taste of home

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Yield: 8 tortillas.

Easy and YUMMY!!! Never go back. Well I wish I could say I never went back. But these were seriously so good. The closest thing I've had to cafe rio.

{Garlic Chicken Spinach Pasta}

from My Kitchen Cafe
from Karrissa's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne pasta
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
6 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Meanwhile, combine garlic, pepper flakes and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the garlic/red pepper oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until oil is rippling. Add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
4. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to boiling water and cook until tender but still slightly firm (al dente). Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to the pot.
5. Stir in chicken, spinach, basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

This pasta was so good! It was light and pretty healthy for a pasta dish.

{pineapple meatballs}

recipe and image from My Kitchen Cafe

 INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs.

2. Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce).

3. Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes - mine only took about 4 minutes to thicken).

4. In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked.

These were SO good. Definitely need some rice and vegetable to tone down the awesome flavor though. Nate couldn't get enough of these. He rarely comes home saying that he loved his leftover lunch. And he came home 3 times saying that with these.