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.

Cozy Extra Veggie Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Source: https://thenaturalnurturer.com/veggie-loaded-lasagna-soup-vegetarian/#recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots 
1 cup diced zucchini 
3/4 teaspoon salt divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups pasta sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
3-4 cups loosely packed baby spinach roughly chopped
6 ounces lasagna noodles (6-8 sheets), broken into about 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 more minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon of salt.
Add balsamic vinegar and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in marinara and broth and bring soup to a simmer.
Once simmering, add broken lasagna noodles to the pot and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or according to the cooking time on the box of your lasagna noodles.
After the soup is done cooking, stir in the last 1/4 teaspoon of salt, spinach and grated parmesan and let the spinach wilt in the hot soup for a minute or two. Taste soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve and enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta Bake

Source: https://slimmingviolet.com/cottage-cheese-pasta-bake-recipes/

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Total Time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:
12 oz penne pasta
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
In a blender, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Pour the sauce into the skillet with the garlic and heat through.
Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce and transfer to a greased baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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.

Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup

Source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/wprm_print/cheddar-broccoli-potato-soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/3 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes , cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)*
1/2 cup heavy cream*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Instructions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain).
Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Notes

* I skipped the cream and just used milk (3.5 cups total).

This broccoli potato cheese soup won't freeze well because of the dairy. If making in advance, store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
You could also use cauliflower instead of broccoli in this vegetarian potato soup recipe.

Veggie-Loaded Lasagna Soup (vegetarian)

Source: https://thenaturalnurturer.com/veggie-loaded-lasagna-soup-vegetarian/#recipe

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a large onion)
1 cup diced carrots (about 2 large carrots)
1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 small zucchini) (I used bell peppers because I didn't have zucchini)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar with a bit of sugar)
2 cups pasta sauce
2 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth; 2 cups made for a very thick soup; you could easily double it)
3-4 cups loosely packed baby spinach roughly chopped 
6 ounces lasagna noodles (6-8 sheets), broken into about 2-inch pieces (I used oven-ready)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese optional
shredded mozzarella cheese and/or ricotta cheese, for serving optional
fresh basil, chopped for garnish, optional

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 

Add onion and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 more minutes. 

Stir in ½ teaspoon of salt.
Add balsamic vinegar and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. 

Stir in marinara and broth and bring soup to a simmer.
Once simmering, add broken lasagna noodles to the pot and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or according to the cooking time on the box of your lasagna noodles.
After the soup is done cooking, stir in the last 1/4 teaspoon of salt, spinach and grated parmesan (if using) and let the spinach wilt in the hot soup for a minute or two. 

Taste soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with a little shredded mozzarella and/or top with a dollop of ricotta cheese, if desired. Sprinkle with fresh basil and enjoy.

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.

Roasted Cauliflower

Source: https://theprettybee.com/seasoned-roasted-cauliflower/
(I modified it a bit)

PREP TIME: 10mins
COOK TIME: 30 mins
TOTAL TIME: 40 mins

INGREDIENTS
1 head cauliflower
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

(I added about 1/4 cup parmsean cheese and 1/4 cup bread crumbs)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper if desired. You can do it without parchment, I just think it makes cleaning up easier.
Rinse the cauliflower cut the florets off, placing them in a large bowl.
Drizzle the olive oil over the florets, and add the seasoning. Toss together with your hands or a spoon.
Spread evenly over the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned and crisp. Stir once or twice during the cooking time.
Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings8 servings
Source: https://deliciouslittlebites.com/california-blend-vegetables-parmesan/

Ingredients
2 cups carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups cauliflowe, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Add the chopped vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl.
Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.
In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix well.
Add the Parmesan cheese mixture to the bowl of vegetables and mix well.
Pour the vegetables into a medium-size baking dish, evenly spreading any extra bread crumbs from the bottom of the bowl all over the top of the veggies.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Notes
Use fresh vegetables for the best results.
Butter is not necessarily needed for this recipe. I usually make it without, but the bread crumbs will be drier.
The measurements for the vegetables are all adjustable to your own preferences.

Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes 

Source: https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/112898/cheesy-and-creamy-parmesan-mashed-potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

2 lb red potatoes cut into 1/2 -inch chunks 

1 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth 

4 oz philadelphia neufchatel cheese, cubed 

½ cup reduced fat sour cream 

3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Add broth; cover bring to boil on high heat 15 min , stirring after 8 min.

Uncover; stir potatoes. Simmer, uncovered, 5 to 6 min or until potatoes are tender and most of broth is absorbed.

Add neufchatel cheese. Reduce heat to low. Mash potatoes slightly until neufchatel cheese is melted. Add sour cream and parmesan; mash until potatoes are smooth and heated through.