Panera's Macaroni and Cheese

In my younger years, I would only eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. With ketchup. There had to be ketchup on it. And I preferred the spirals or other fun shapes (they just tasted better).

But now that I'm all grown up and have expanded my horizons A LOT when it comes to food, I've definitely developed a deep appreciation for a good homemade macaroni and cheese. And I used to be intimidated by making it--the roux sounded complex, people--but now I've come to realize how much I was missing out. Now, I'm on a mission to try lots of different recipes for macaroni and cheese.

So, when I saw this one pop up on Annie's Eats a few weeks back, I put it on the short list of things to try--especially since I hadn't made any mac and cheese in a while. This one also got bonus points for being a stove-top recipe. I like it when I don't have to make it and THEN bake it. What can I say? I'm impatient sometimes. Especially on weeknights after work.

If it means anything to you, I guess this is Panera's mac and cheese recipe. I've only eaten at Panera a handful of times (I'm not a huge fan of it, honestly), and I've never tried their macaroni and cheese, so I can't vouch for how it compares. What I can say, however, is that it's really creamy, really cheesy, and really good. I mixed some peas in with Nora's and she gobbled it up like there was no tomorrow--the leftovers, too--so it definitely got two thumbs up from her.

If you're a Panera lover--and even if you aren't--give this one a try on a rainy (or sunny!) day. I don't think you'll be sorry.

Panera Macaroni and Cheese
(Source: As seen on Annie's Eats, originally from Panera)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. pasta shapes, such as shells
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1.5-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. hot sauce
- 4 oz. white American cheese, finely chopped
- 8 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well. Return to the stockpot off the heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook until light golden brown, whisking constantly, about 1.5 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Stir in the salt, mustard, and hot sauce. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens, about 6-8 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat.

3. Stir in the cheese a handful at a time, mixing until fully melted before adding more. Once all the cheese has been added and the sauce is smooth, pour the sauce over the pasta in the stockpot. Mix well until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce. Serve immediately.

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Baked Macaroni & Cheese

If you originally found my blog and stayed here because of recipes... well, I hope you haven't left me. But truthfully, I would understand if you had, because I've posted maybe two recipes in the last six months. Ouch.

Unfortunately, my reality right now is that we're lucky to even get dinner on the table each night. Between work, Nora, house projects, and regular errands/chores, we are just BUSY. We don't have much time to experiment with new recipes, and I rarely EVER have time to bake anymore. And when I do make a new recipe, half the time I forget to take photos of it as I'm throwing food on the tray of a high chair with a very hungry and impatient toddler sitting in it.

Earlier this fall, as we tried to beef up the list of foods that Nora would eat, I set out to make her some macaroni and cheese. But I wasn't going to make her the blue box variety; oh, no, that would've been too easy (and just so... processed). Instead, I sought out a homemade recipe that would not only make a great toddler dinner, but a grown-up dinner as well. We tried a few recipes, and they were good, but I made so many alterations to them that they were hard to replicate. (For the record, Nora loves macaroni and cheese. She's not picky about it, except that funny enough, she will not touch the blue box stuff. I've created a macaroni and cheese snob. Whoops.)

Then, a few weeks ago, we were looking for something to make for a potluck gathering at my in-laws' house. We agreed that macaroni and cheese would be great, but wanted a recipe we could make a few hours ahead of time and then bake at my in-laws'. Enter this recipe from our favorite grocery store, Wegmans.

This is comfort food at its finest. And it's a tremendously simple macaroni and cheese--using just sharp cheddar, with a little parmesan sprinkled on top. Of course, this can be easily adapted by changing up the types of cheese if you so choose. It starts off with a simple roux, add whole milk, and then... well, by then, you're through the difficult part. So, snuggle up in front of a fire with a bowl of this cheesy goodness and let it help you get through the winter. You won't regret it.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Source: Wegmans)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. elbow pasta
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 5 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Start heating water for pasta. Mix bread crumbs and parmigiano-reggiano cheese together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat butter in large sauce pan over medium heat until melted. Add flour; stir until smooth. Cook 3-4 minutes until light golden brown.

3. Add milk to butter mixture, one cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth; bring to boil. Cook 10 minutes on medium, whisking continuously.

4. Add cheddar cheese; stir until melted completely. Season with salt and nutmeg; set aside. Stir in cooked pasta.

5. Spray bottom and sides of baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; add pasta/cheese mixture. Top with bread crumb mixture.

6. Bake on center rack 15-20 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and bubbling around edges.

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Kale Pasta with Lemon and Garlic

I have heard so much about kale, but prior to making this dish for dinner tonight, I had never had kale before. I don't know much about how to prepare it, and I'm not too familiar with the different varieties of kale.

But as I was sifting through my Google Reader during my menu planning on Saturday morning, I decided that Memorial Day was going to be the day to try it. You know, the day when most people are gorging themselves on hot dogs and hamburgers at the thousands of barbecues planned for this day. Go figure.

And what do you know? I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. I went into it with hope and an open mind, but I was still very pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite.

Come to find out, I didn't even use the right kind of kale. The recipe calls for black kale, which is also known as dino, Tuscan, or Lacinato kale. As far as I could tell, my grocery store only carries one variety of kale, and I couldn't even find any kind of label on it that said anything but "kale." So, I took a chance and figured I wouldn't know the difference anyway. After doing a little Googling this afternoon to find out how to trim kale (I told you, I didn't even know how to prepare it), I found that what I bought was actually curly kale.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it did not matter one bit. Supposedly, curly kale is more bitter than black kale, but I really didn't notice. The dressing has so much flavor, and the lemon, garlic, and olive oil did a great job of masking any bitterness. Don't get me wrong, there is still what I would call a "bite" to it--but I generally hate bitter greens and I did not mind this at all. Top it all off with a little bit of spice from the crushed red pepper and black pepper, and well, you've got a winner.

And psssst... it's really good for you, too! I'm excited to try kale in other dishes, too.

I clearly wasn't paying much attention when I initially looked at the recipe, because up until I was re-reading it today, I assumed that the kale was cooked. Well, it isn't--and at first I thought that was going to be weird--but trust me and give it a chance. As is, this dish is wonderfully easy to pull together since the only cooking involved is boiling the pasta. This is especially great this time of year when it's hot outside and the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove to cook dinner. However, if you wanted to make it a little more substantial, you could easily add some grilled or sauteed chicken breast pieces to the dish for some protein.

Kale Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
(Source: Spoon With Me, as seen on Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch dino kale (aka black, Tuscan, or Lacinato), rinsed and dried
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano, plus additional for garnish
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
- freshly squeezed juice from 2 lemons (plus extra, for garnish)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (16 ounce) package whole wheat penne

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.

2. In the meantime, chop the kale into 1/2 inch ribbons and put in a large bowl.

3. On a cutting board, mince the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and smash into a paste using a fork or the side of a chefs knife. transfer the garlic paste to a small bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, grated parmigiano, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Whisk together until combined.

4. Pour the dressing into the large bowl with the kale and toss well until the kale is thoroughly coated.

5. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain, and set aside for a minute or so to cool slightly.

6. Then, add the pasta to the large bowl with the kale salad, tossing well to combine.

7. Garnish individual servings of pasta with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, a light sprinkling of kosher salt, and a few gratings of parmigiano reggiano. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Spaghetti & Meatballs

A few weeks ago, when I prepped a bunch of meals for freezing, one of the things I made was spaghetti and meatballs. Well, more accurately, I made meatballs and sauce.

When we do pasta night at our house, we typically go with pasta and marinara sauce (out of a jar. I KNOW). If we do spice things up and add meat to the dish, we generally choose to make meat sauce, since it's quick and so tasty.

My husband has been begging for homemade meatballs for months, so when it came time to plan for frozen meals, I finally added them to the list. I had bookmarked a recipe at Annie's Eats a long, long time ago, so I went back to that. It was relatively simple, so we bought enough ingredients to double the recipe--to make one batch for eating right away, and another for freezing to eat after the baby was born.

The end results are meatballs that are tender and flavorful, and a great, traditional sauce. The great thing about sauce recipes is that you can adapt them to your tastes. Add whatever spices you like, add more or less, and make it into what you want it to be. For us, we added a bunch of crushed red pepper because we like a little spice.

If you're looking for a basic spaghetti and meatballs recipe to become a dinner "staple," this could be it. Give it a whirl.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
(Source: Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz.) can tomato puree
- 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup of water (or more)

For the meatballs:
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, divided
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 lb. ground beef, pork and veal mixture (or 1 lb. ground sirloin)

For serving:
- Freshly cooked spaghetti
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Minced fresh basil

Directions:
1. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion to the pot and saute until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and sugar. Add water to thin the sauce out to your desired consistency (I would estimate that I add about 1/2 cup). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 2 hours.

2. To make the meatballs, in a medium mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs with the milk. Let the bread crumbs soak for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into meatballs (I usually get about 20-25 out of one batch). Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce about 45 minutes before the sauce will be finished cooking. Cover and let simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 35-45 minutes.

3. Transfer freshly cooked pasta to serving dishes. Top each serving with sauce and meatballs. Garnish with shredded Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

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Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli in a White Cheddar Wine Sauce

By the time we sat down to eat this meal, I was so hungry and pissed off that I barely got the chance to really enjoy it. Now that's an endorsement for a recipe, isn't it? I'm sure you're all dying to make it now.

The thing is, I didn't plan ahead. I didn't roast the garlic ahead of time, and that turned out to be a mistake. If you make it beforehand--well, this recipe is a piece of cake. And when we make this again, we'll most certainly be making the roasted garlic paste a day or two in advance.

I'm not a big fan of cheese (or most dairy, really), but I have a love affair with cheddar. I seriously *heart* cheddar. So I thought this dish was going to be heaven on a plate. To my surprise, I couldn't really pick out the cheddar taste; if I didn't know what was in the sauce, I would never have been able to guess cheddar. But the cheese gives this a wonderfully creamy texture and, paired with the roasted garlic and wine, this is a real winner.

For obvious reasons, this recipe reminds me a bit of Spicy Garlic & Lime Chicken Pasta, but it's different enough where they could both be in the regular dinner rotation.

Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli in a White Cheddar Wine Sauce
(Source: Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. uncooked pasta
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup roasted garlic paste (see instructions below*)
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 large head of brocolli, cut into florettes (about 2 cups)
- 10-16 oz. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (about 2-3 cups)
- 3 oz. aged reserve cheddar (preferably white), grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
- parmesan cheese (optional)
- salt and ground pepper

*To make garlic paste (HIGHLY recommended to do this in advance): Peel the outer papery skins off two heads of garlic, leaving the heads still intact. Slice about a quarter off the top of each head so that all of the cloves are partly exposed. Wrap the heads in foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels and smash with a fork to make roasted garlic paste. (Alternatively, you can toss the cloves into a food processor--I found this to be much easier.)
Roasted garlic instructions from Annie's Eats

1. Bring water to a boil in large pot. When boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Throw uncooked broccoli florettes into the boiling water 3-4 minutes before pasta is done. Drain pasta and broccoli mixture.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When just coming to foaming, add garlic paste and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

3. Add flour and cook until beginning to turn golden (about 2 minutes). Add vermouth and cook until evaporated (about 1 minute). Stir broth into pan and simmer sauce until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes).

4. Add cheddar and stir constantly while returning to a boil.

5. Add in cooked chicken pieces. Fold in pasta and broccoli, cook for one more minute, and remove from heat.

6. Plate and top with parmesan; serve.

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Fettucine with Caramelized Cauliflower

At one of our local farmer's markets, there is a vendor that sells homemade pasta. They have a bunch of different "flavors" of pasta, including a cracked pepper variety. They also hand out recipes to go with the pastas, and this recipe is intended for the cracked pepper flavor. However, we've made it with both the specialty pasta and regular fettucine, and it's delicious both ways, so I figured I'd share!

The lemon, parsley, and crushed red pepper mixture doesn't seem like a lot, but it coats quite a bit of pasta, and the caramelized cauliflower helps give everything plenty of flavor. This is light and delicious, perfect for a summer evening.

Fettucine with Caramelized Cauliflower
(Source: Farmer's Market Vendor!)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. fettucine
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small cauliflower, sliced into small pieces
- 1 cup fresh italian parsley
- 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:
1. Start pasta water and preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Toss cauliflower in 2 tbsp. olive oil and spread out on an olive oil greased baking sheet. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Roast cauliflower in oven on top rack for 16-20 minutes or until browned.

4. In food processor, combine parsley, lemon zest, and 2 tbsp. olive oil to make a chunky "sauce."

5. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss the cooked pasta with the cauliflower, parsley mixture, and red pepper flakes in a serving bowl.

6. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve.

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Creamy Taco Mac

Last minute, we invited my sister-in-law over for dinner tonight. She just returned home from college today (can't believe she is already done with her freshman year!), so we were looking forward to seeing her. However, the last-minute nature of the plans required coming up with an alternative meal plan, as what we were originally planning doesn't really make enough food for three.

I turned to my starred recipes to see if there was anything new to try. I wanted something pretty easy for a weeknight, and something that required minimal ingredients to pick up at the store. When I saw Annie's recent post about Creamy Taco Mac, I knew it was the one. And hey, it was timely, too--perfect for Cinco de Mayo! :) (I know it is completely unauthentic, but at least the flavors are Mexican inspired!)

I suppose Annie is correct in describing this as a homemade version of Hamburger Helper, but I don't remember any Hamburger Helper tasting this good! Annie used ground turkey in her version, but we stuck with ground beef. We also adjusted ingredients to use a whole box of pasta instead of half, since we had to feed a guest and also like to have leftovers. I've included these adjustments in the recipe below.

If you're short on time, and looking for a meal that requires very little effort but doesn't come from a box, this is your recipe. And if you have kids, they're sure to love it, too.

Creamy Taco Mac
(Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 box dry pasta shapes (approx. 13-16 oz.)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, drained (If you're not big on tomatoes, use 1 can. Use 2 if you want more!)
- 5-6 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
- 4 oz. cream cheese (light)
- 3/4 cup sour cream (light)
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and serve. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

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Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Ahhh, spaghetti. It's one of the great "staples" in life, isn't it?

We try to limit our beef consumption, so we went a long time without making meat sauce. Like, a really long time. But then, this past fall, we resurrected it one Friday night and found ourselves wondering, How did we live without this for so long?

Needless to say, we've made it several times since. Spaghetti and meat sauce seems particularly perfect for Friday nights, so it was no surprise that we found ourselves making it tonight.

Although it is certainly not made from scratch, this is different from your typical "throw a jar of sauce and a pound of ground beef together" type of meat sauce. Instead, the flavors are completely versatile based on what types of spices and ingredients you decide to throw in. (For instance, we like our sauce to be a bit spicy, so we throw in a lot of red pepper flakes!)

So here, I'll tell you what I do--but keep in mind that you can add or subtract whatever ingredients you like. Also, I have to warn you... I don't do measurements with this. I just add a lot of spices, stir, taste, add more, stir, taste, and so on. But I will say that because the sauce starts off unflavored, you do have to add more spices than you might think you would. Go big on spices, because it means big flavor!

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
- 1 to 1 & 1/2 lbs. spaghetti
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- olive oil
- 1 small to medium onion, diced
- 24-32 oz. plain tomato sauce (canned) - We use Hunt's "No Salt Added"
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- an assortment of dried spices, such as: oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch or two of sugar
- grated parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
1. In the bottom of a large saute pan, drizzle olive oil. Once hot, add ground beef and begin to brown. Add diced onion and continue until beef is browned completely. Drain.

2. Begin to boil water for pasta.

3. Return pan to heat. Add garlic, tomato sauce, spices and sugar. Let simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes (or up to several hours). Add more spices as necessary (to taste).

4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Serve immediately, covering with meat sauce. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Here's a recipe that I've had starred for a really.long.time.

OK, nevermind. I just checked, and I've actually only had it starred since June. But it seems like it's been longer.

No matter.

When I saw it, I thought, Hmmm... I love pasta, I like red peppers. This recipe? Intriguing. And certainly worth a try.

While doing the menu planning for this week, I was feeling adventurous. I dug through the starred items in my Google Reader, and decided that roasting red peppers would make a perfect Friday night activity.

When all is said and done, I'm not going to lie. This wasn't one of my favorites. The frustrating part is that I can't really put my finger on the reason. The thing is, I've never actually roasted red peppers before. I've had peppers every which way except for roasted. So is the roasting to blame? Not sure. Also, I've never toasted pine nuts. I've always eaten them "raw" in salads, or tossed into my basil pesto. I've never bothered to roast them before. Plus, we definitely over-toasted them a bit. So is the toasting to blame? Or the over-toasting, maybe? Not sure.

But it sure looks pretty, doesn't it?

And to be fair, I had no problems eating it. It was tasty; it just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. My husband, on the other hand, really loved it, so you should give it a shot and decide for yourself. I can be picky, so certainly don't take my word for it.

One final thing: We doubled the recipe, because we almost never make only a partial box of pasta. Plus, you know us... we love having leftovers. But the recipe below does not reflect the doubling, so if you want to do what we did, you'll have to double the ingredients listed.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
(Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
- 2 red bell peppers
- 6 ounces dry pasta
- salt
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
- fresh Parmesan, shaved, grated or shredded

Directions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut a 1/2-inch ring off the tops and bottoms of the peppers. Remove the seeds and stems, then cut the remaining cylinders of pepper in half lengthwise, into two wide strips. Lay the strips of pepper and the rings skin-side up on the foil-lined pan, pushing the strips down. Broil until thoroughly blackened, 6-8 minutes. Put the broiled peppers in a bowl; cover the bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain and return to the cooking pot.

3. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet, preferably not nonstick, over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, 3-6 minutes. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.

4. Peel the skins off of the peppers. Add the peppers and pine nuts to a blender or food processor and purée.

5. Add the olive oil to the now-empty skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add the onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and just browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir in the red pepper/pine nut puree and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour in the cream, and stir until the sauce is evenly heated. Check for seasoning, adding additional salt if necessary.

6. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta, and stir over medium-high heat until everything is heated and the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Serve, topping each portion with parsley and Parmesan.

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Chicken & Apple Couscous

Warning: This is just the first in a series of apple recipes I'll be sharing with you this week. If you don't like apples, well... we can't be friends you're not going to like my blog this week.

After picking up our first 30 lbs. of apples earlier this weekend, I'm a bit apple obsessed. This morning, when we were trying to figure out what to eat for dinner tonight, I knew that I wanted to incorporate apples. After a little Googling, I found something that sounded perfect: chicken and apple couscous.

The flavors and spices in this dish really come together to give you a taste of fall. The recipe itself was really easy to throw together, so this would be a great weeknight meal. Plus, it's not at all heavy, which is nice. I'm bringing leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Chicken & Apple Couscous
(Source: All About Apples)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken (we used approximately 1 lb.)
- 2 cups dry couscous
- 2 1/2 cups boiling chicken stock
- 1/2 cup golden raisins (we omitted)
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup butter cut in small pieces
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

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Chicken Lo Mein

Last week, we were in the mood to try something new for dinner. I was thinking about something Asian-inspired, but didn't want stirfry. I wanted something different.

First, I did some blog searching, but didn't find anything that sounded quite right. So I turned to my trusty-dusty allrecipes.com. A couple of clicks and I landed on this recipe for Chicken Lo Mein.

This ended up being exactly what I was looking for. Simple, and the ingredients required (aside from the veggies) were mostly things we already had on hand. I didn't want to have to buy a bunch of new ingredients that aren't used for very many recipes.

The only things we changed about the original recipe were the veggies we used, and the proportions. Since we used a lot of vegetables and additional pasta, so we had to increase the sauce ingredients a bit to make sure we had enough to coat everything. We also didn't have any bouillon granules, so I used a bit of extra chicken broth instead. It worked out perfectly. The changes we made are reflected in the recipe below.

I wouldn't call this "fake-out take-out," because it really doesn't taste like any lo mein I've ever had at a restaurant. But this dish has great flavor, and you wanna know the best part? I thought the leftovers a couple days later were even better tasting than the night we made it. Give this one a try!

Chicken Lo Mein
(Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tbsp. corn starch
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sherry or reduced-sodium chicken broth + an additional 1/4-1/2 cup (we used the chicken broth)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
- 1 box uncooked linguine or spaghetti
- approx. 1/2 lb. broccoli florets
- 1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
- 1/4 large onion
- a bunch of green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces (use however many you like, depending on preference)
- 3 tbsp. canola oil, divided.
- 2 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce, and sherry or broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside.

2. Cook linguine or spaghetti according to package directions.

3. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry vegetables in 1-2 tbsp. canola oil for 3-5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining canola oil for 4-5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add in 1/4 - 1/2 cup additional sherry or chicken broth (depending on how much sauce you want/need), and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet.

5. Drain pasta; add sesame oil and pasta to skillet. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through.

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Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina

My husband actually found this meal! Michael was browsing the Food Network website one day a few weeks ago and came across this recipe from Giada Bobblehead De Laurentiis.

Reading the measurements for the recipe, it was clear to me that we would need to double it to make a normal sized dinner. As I've mentioned before, we like to have leftovers.

This recipe is so simple (not many ingredients), it was hard to believe that it would really be all that tasty. But I was pleasantly surprised. Using a tip given by someone in the reviews of the recipe, I made sure to buy diced tomatoes that were Italian seasoned so that the tomatoes were already infused with flavor.

Making this meal creates a LOT of dirty dishes. The nice thing, however, is that you can finish up all of the dishes and cleanup while it is baking, resulting in very little fuss after dinner (very nice!).

Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina
(Source: Giada De Laurentiis, "Everyday Italian")

Ingredients:
- 1 box small pasta (we used a 14 oz. box of Whole Wheat Barilla Rotini)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
- 1 cup diced onion (about one small onion)
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (30-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (get the ones with Italian seasoning! i.e. basil, olive oil, garlic, etc.)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (we used a small handful of dried parsley instead)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish (we omitted the butter and just used olive oil cooking spray for the baking dish)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

3. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

5. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered (or greased with cooking spray) 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish.

6. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter (optional).

7. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

P.S. Today was the 7th anniversary of the night Michael and I met. Crazy!

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Easy Beef Stroganoff

It's quite possible that this is the easiest meal ever. Seriously.

Absolutely perfect for a weeknight, this beef stroganoff is creamy, tasty, and most importantly--stress free. With only five ingredients, you can't go wrong.

I've been eating this for as long as I can remember. This is a recipe my mom used to make for us as kids. Last night, we served it with Green Giant Health Blend steamed vegetables and a piece of toast. Homecooked, filling, and fabulous.

Beef Stroganoff
(Source: Unknown--It was passed down from my mom!)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 (12-16 oz.) package egg noodles (we use Light 'N' Fluffy brand)
- 1 packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
- 1 (16 oz.) container of sour cream (we use light sour cream)

Directions:
1. Start water to boil for noodles. In medium skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat.

2. Once beef is brown, add soup packet with enough water to moisten it. Mix well until soup mix is combined with beef.

3. When water is boiling, add egg noodles and cook according to package instructions. Once done, drain. Return noodles to pot and put back on stove over low heat.

4. Add beef/soup mixture to noodles. Add sour cream until creamy (we usually end up using the whole container). Stir until well combined and heated through. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

After the feast that was yesterday's Thanksgiving dinner (and dessert), we wanted to make something simple and "light" for dinner tonight. We have another day of eating scheduled for tomorrow (technically our Thanksgiving celebration with Michael's family), so we needed to take it easy.

Chicken noodle soup was the perfect solution. Another very simple recipe, and it's tasty, too. We always make a big pot so that we have leftovers to bring for lunches at work, and to have for dinner again.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
- 16-20 cups water
- 12-15 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into tenders
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 - 3/4 lb. small pasta (we used Barilla's Ditalini)
- 1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables
- Extra vegetables, if desired (we added additional carrots and peas)

Directions:
1. Start off with 16 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add 12 bouillon cubes and dissolve. Add diced onion, and raw chicken breasts. Cook for 20-25 minutes.

2. Remove chicken breast pieces from pot. Allow to cool. Shred chicken.

3. In pot, add frozen mixed veggies and any additional vegetables. Return shredded chicken to pot. Bring broth back to a boil.

4. Add pasta. Cook according to time on package. At this point, judge how much broth you have. If some of it has cooked off, or you don't have enough broth for your pasta/chicken/veggies, add up to 4 additional cups of water and up to 3 additional bouillon cubes.

5. Once pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low. Simmer until ready to eat. Serve hot with toast or sandwiches.

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Chicken & Vegetable Pasta

This is actually a meal Michael and I have been making for years. We used to throw this one together when we were still in college.

It's a nice pasta meal, and it's light. Very good for you. Some people might think it's a little bit bland, but give it a try and see what you think... we obviously like it!

We lost our recipe (it was actually a card that came for free in the mail one month), so we just wing it. Tonight, I paid closer attention to how much stuff I was putting in it so I could share it with all of you. This is a very simple meal to make on a weeknight. Fast and easy!

Chicken & Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. angel hair or thin spaghetti (I use Barilla Whole Grain)
- Approx. 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4-1/2 large onion
- 1 (16 oz.) bag of frozen sliced carrots
- 3 good size broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size florets
- Olive oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 (16 oz.) can of chicken broth (I use fat free, low sodium)
- 1/2 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Drizzle olive oil into large skillet. Throw in 1 clove of minced garlic. Add chicken and onion, and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is lightly browned. Remove contents to a plate covered with paper towel to drain. Set aside.

2. Begin to boil water for pasta.

3. In skillet, drizzle a little more olive oil and add remaining clove of minced garlic. Add frozen carrots and stir fry for 6-8 minutes. Add broccoli florets and stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper (to taste). Add chicken and onion pieces back into the skillet. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook pasta in boiling water. Continue to cook chicken mixture until carrots and broccoli are tender, spooning broth over them as they cook through.

5. Serve chicken and vegetable mixture over hot pasta. Spoon some broth over pasta when serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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Spicy Garlic & Lime Chicken Pasta

This one comes from Amber over at Amber's Delectable Delights. Thanks, Amber!

About a month ago, when we were just getting back into the swing of things at home after the honeymoon, I decided I really wanted to start cooking more. The amount of cooking I was doing had seriously diminished in the weeks and even the last couple of months before the wedding. I was on the prowl for new recipes. Our favorite protein to use in our meals is chicken, and we love meals that pair it with rice or pasta. After taking a look at the ingredients for this recipe, it seemed right up our alley. Plus, I looooove broccoli.

This is tasty stuff. It's deceiving because based on the pictures, it doesn't seem like it even has any sauce on it. But the truth is that it is well coated and very flavorful. It's an easy meal to prepare, too... which is always welcome in our house!

I made it for the second time this past weekend, and we've enjoyed leftovers this week. The recipe is below... I've included my version instead of copying directly from Amber. We double up the recipe because we like to have leftovers, and whenever we make pasta, I always like to cook up the whole box.

Spicy Garlic & Lime Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- 4-5 cloves garlic (Amber's original recipe calls for 3 cloves, but I'm afraid to actually double it. 6 cloves seems like a lot! Since we use fresh garlic, it's plenty potent... but you can adjust the amount of garlic to your taste)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- Approximately 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
- 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
- Drizzle of olive oil
- A box of pasta (approx. 1 lb.--we use the Barilla Plus or Barilla Whole Wheat, and it usually comes in slightly smaller amounts, like 14.5 oz.)
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets
- Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
1. Boil a pot of water and cook pasta according to your package directions. During the last 5 minutes of pasta cooking time, add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, mix together all of the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through parsley). Set aside.

3. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet (we use a big stir fry pan) over medium heat. Add chicken pieces into the heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour sauce mixture into pan over the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until chicken has cooked through and sauce has thickened.

4. Add cooked broccoli and pasta into pan and toss to evenly coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

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Guilt-Free Basil Pesto

This is a recipe that was in my local paper a few years ago. I love pesto, but since it's normally not very healthy for you (all that cheese and oil!), we tried not to make it too often. Once I saw this "Healthy Basil Pesto" recipe, I immediately photocopied it and decided to give it a try.

It sounds weird--using tomatoes?--but it's really good. To be honest, I haven't had "real" basil pesto in a long time (this is all we make), so I'm not even sure how it compares to the real thing. But we think it's delicious, so you should give it a try.

I never toast the pine nuts. All of the basil pesto recipes I have ever used have never called for toasting the pine nuts, so I always save myself the time and skip that step. I just throw them into the food processor as they are.

We always double this recipe so that we have plenty of leftovers to use for sandwiches, additional pasta, pizza, etc. Although, be careful about doubling the garlic if you're using fresh cloves. I put four in because we really like garlic, and holy hell, it was garlicky. Good, but TOO GARLICKY. :)

We like using the Barilla Plus or Barilla Whole Wheat pasta.

We had this last night. It was our first meal at our new dining room table. It's an easy, go-to recipe, especially in the summer. Enjoy!

Healthy Basil Pesto

3 tbsp. pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 cloves garlic (to taste), halved
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded (see note below)
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked pasta

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, shaking pan, until nuts are golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Place toasted nuts, basil, and garlic in bowl of food processor. Pulse to blend, using rubber scraper, scrape down sides of the work bowl.

With food processor running, slowly add olive oil until blended. Add tomato; pulse to blend. Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and blend.

Spoon over hot cooked pasta. Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top of each dish.

Note about tomato: Submerge tomato in boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds to make it easier to peel. The skin will crack and will peel right off.

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