Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Source: https://savorandnest.com/dump-and-bake-chicken-parmesan-casserole/#recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients
1 (16 oz) package uncooked penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (about 1 jar, 24 oz)
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs raw chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or Italian cheese blend)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Optional: Fresh chopped herbs like basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In the prepared dish (or in a large separate bowl), combine the uncooked penne, marinara sauce, water, salt, pepper, and raw chicken.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap moisture. Bake for 30 minutes, ensuring the pasta absorbs the liquid during this time.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the mixture. At this point, the pasta will be slightly firm, and there may still be some liquid – that’s perfectly fine!
Top with shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Continue baking uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the top is golden brown, the pasta is tender, and the chicken is fully cooked.
Garnish with fresh herbs like basil or parsley if desired, then serve and enjoy!

Notes
Cooking times may vary based on the type of pan, pasta, and your oven. Glass or ceramic dishes may require a little longer.
Always check the pasta by tasting a bite. It should be al dente, and most of the liquid should be absorbed.
To avoid mushy pasta, be careful not to overcook it.
You can also mix in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or sun-dried tomatoes for a flavor boost

Spinach Cottage Cheese Bake

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
12 oz farfalle pasta
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together cottage cheese, chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Combine the cooked pasta with the cheese mixture and transfer to a greased baking dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and the dish is bubbly.
Serve hot.

Butternut Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
8 oz cooked pasta {such as macaroni or rotini}
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced butternut squash (1/4 inch diced)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
salt & pepper, to taste
2 pinches nutmeg
1-1 1/2 cups milk

Directions
Saute onions, garlic and squash in butter over medium heat. Cook until tender and lightly browned, stirring as you go, about 6 minutes.
Pour in chicken stock and reduce liquid by half. If desired, mash the squash and onions together using a potato masher to help dissolve into the sauce.
Pour in cooked pasta and the cheeses little by little, stirring as you go. Pour in splashes of milk if needed to thin out melted cheese to create sauce.
After all the cheese is melted into the pot, continue stirring and adding in milk. At first there may seem like a big wad of cheese melted in the middle, but as you keep stirring and adding in the milk bit by bit, it should come together to form a very cheesy sauce. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Easy Calzone Recipe

Source: https://natashaskitchen.com/easy-calzone-recipe/

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
• 2 lb pizza dough (see recipe below)
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1 cup pepperoni
• • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 475 °F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with oil.
Divide the dough into 8 equally sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/4" thick circle.
Place the filling on half of each circle (pizza sauce, ricotta, pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella). Make sure to leave the edges clean to allow for sealing the calzone. Fold the side over the filling and crimp the edges.
Place calzones on a baking sheet, leaving space apart. Cut a small vent on the top of each calzone. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Overnight Pizza Dough Recipe
Servings: 8 people (makes 2, 10-12 inch crusts)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 10minutes

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups warm water, 105-110˚F
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (measured correctly) plus more to dust*

Instructions
How to Make Pizza Dough:
In a small bowl, stir together water, honey, and salt then sprinkle the top with 1/2 tsp yeast and let sit 5 minutes then stir.
Measure 3 1/3 cups flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the center then stir with a firm spatula until the dough comes together. Knead by hand 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
Transfer dough to a floured surface, turn to coat lightly in flour so it isn’t sticky then divide in half. Fold each piece of dough in half 8 times, gently pulling the sides over the center like closing a book, turning the dough each time and repeating for 8 folds. Form a ball in your hands and transfer each piece of dough to a lightly oiled bowl seam-side-down, cover and refrigerate overnight (18 hours) or up to 1 week.
**I don't think putting it in the fridge made it rise much more than it had already risen, so I'd try using it after the first rise.
Remov the dough from the fridge 1 hour before using to give it time to warm up.

Spaghizza

 Spaghizza

Makes 8 servings

8 ounces spaghetti noodles

3 eggs

¼ cup milk

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 ½ cups spaghetti sauce (one 23.5 ounce jar)

8-12 ounces (2-3 cups) shredded cheese (all mozzarella, or a mixture of your favorite pizza-friendly cheeses)

3.5 ounce package sliced pepperoni or any of your favorite pizza toppings

mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Rinse immediately in cold water until cool and drain well.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Toss in spaghetti noodles and transfer to a greased 9×13 pan (you can also use 2 8×8 pans, if you want to freeze one).

Pour the spaghetti sauce on top of noodles. Top with approximately half of the pepperoni. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the pepperoni and top with remaining pepperoni. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole

 
https://www.plainchicken.com/tater-tot-sausage-breakfast-casserole/
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 lb breakfast sausage (I have substituted ground beef)
1 (30-32oz) bag frozen tater tots
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1-½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup mozzarella cheese
8 eggs
2 cups milk

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain fat.
In a large bowl, toss together tater tots, cooked sausage, and cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.
Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and milk. Pour over tater tot mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at this point if baking later.
Bake uncovered for 60-70 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Notes:

To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as above. If you bake it first and then freeze it, thaw completely, cover with aluminum foil, and then bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes until heated through. 

The Mac Attack (TMNT Mac and Cheese Pizza)

The Mac Attack (TMNT Mac and Cheese Pizza) Source: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cookbook Ingredients Cornmeal or flour for dusting EVOO for brushing and greasing (I didn't use this) 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 1-1/2 cups milk 2 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp flour salt and pepper 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 cup shredded white cheddar, divided (I used regular cheddar) 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided (I used mozzarella) 1 heaping tbsp minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish (I skipped this) 1/2 cup heavy cream OR half-and-half (I used non-fat half-and-half) 1 pound ball pizza dough (I used the recipe on the back of the pizza yeast) Instructions (These are adjusted to match the temperature and time on the pizza yeast recipe) Preheat over to 425 degrees F. Dush a pizza ban with cornmeal or flour. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the past to al dente, according to package directions. Drain well. Pour themilk into a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat just until it starts to steam. Don't let it boil over! In a separate, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, unilt if forms a smooth, bubbly paste. (Be careful not to let it brown.) Whisk in the hot milk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in paprika, mustard, and 3/4 cup of EACH cheese. Stir until the cheeses are completely melted, then add the chices, cream, and pasta. Mix gently until well combined, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Stretch or roll dough into 12-inch disk and place on pan. Brush with olive oil (I skipped this). Spread the mac and cheese onto the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border of dough all round. Use just enough mac and cheese to make a 1/4-inch thick layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove the pizza from the oven. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining chives. Slice and serve.

Pea Salad with Red Onions and Cheese

Pea Salad with Red Onions and Cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill for 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Source: https://www.saltysidedish.com/pea-salad/ 

Ingredients
16 oz. frozen peas thawed and drained
6 strips bacon cooked and cut into small pieces*
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 cup real mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Instructions
In a large mixing bowl combine thawed peas (drained of any excess water), cut bacon, diced red onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise, and mix all pea salad ingredients together well. Season salad with salt and pepper and mix again to incorporate seasonings.
Refrigerate pea salad 4 hours or overnight. Mix well before serving to prevent settling.
Chill for at least 4 hours and keep cold prior to serving.

* I used a bag of bacon bits instead, and it tasted fine.

Tip: 

If you like red onion but do not want it to overpower the pea salad, soak red onion pieces in cold water for up to 30 minutes, drain, dry, and then add to salad.