Comfort food at it's finest Macaroni and Hamburger

 

This is so easy and it's a fave on a cold winter night ( although I crave it all year) so really any cold night will do. 

2.5 pounds ground beef regular

salt and pepper

garlic salt

2 tins of Campbells tomato soup

1 large onion chopped 

1 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce

1 box of macaroni noodles

Cook onions til tender and fragrant. Remove from heat. Brown the meat in a bit of oil. Drain when cooked ( just spoon some of the oil off after I don't remove it all) 

Cook a box of macaroni until almost done, it will finish in the pot. 

Add tomato soup and all spices stir and cook for 10 minutes together. Add everything into a large when the noodles are cooked and simmer 5 more minutes. Remove from heat so the noodles don't overcook. Let sit for 10 minutes and mangiare' 

Chicken Lasagne

 My friend Lorraine made this one time when we were over, and I couldn't stop eating it lol Now I can make it.

Package Lasagne noodles (oven ready)

1 10 oz can cream mushroom soup

1 10 oz can cream chicken soup

1 cup onion finely chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp basil

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 cups chicken cut up

2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Assemble lasagne noodles, half chicken sauce, cheddar cheese, repeat noodles, chicken sauce mozzarella. Cover and cook at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove lid and bake 10 more minutes to brown cheese. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Enjoy. 

(Lorraine Parrington)  

Baked Ziti

We watched A Lot of Gordon Ramsay's cooking shows, and saw a lot of great chefs win. They also had cookbooks, so we started collecting our fave chefs books, and starting cooking! Of course Italian dishes are my faves, but I sure am having fun making all the dishes :-) 

3 cups uncooked Ziti or Penne

4-5 Italian sausages casings removed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion chopped

*** Spaghetti sauce from Testa Dura sauce post **** or your own sauce

4 slices of provolone

1/4 of a bunch of spinach 

1 cup grated mozzarella 

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

fresh basil 

Boil ziti or penne until almost done (since it will cook more in the oven) 

Over Medium heat in a saucepan brown the sausage. Add garlic and onion stirring until fragrant and soft. (5 minutes) Drain the fat from the pan. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and spinach and simmer 15 minutes.Remove from heat. 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 1 quart baking dish. Put half noodles in the bottom, then the provolone, and half the other cheeses. Pour half the sauce over top getting the edges. put the rest of the noodles, rest sauce and top with remaining cheese.Cover and Bake for 20  minutes, then take lid off and cook another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil, Serve. 4 portions. 

Thankyou Christine Ha (recipes from my home Kitchen cookbook)

 

Lobster Mac And Cheese

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons butter divided use
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups water
4 cups milk I use whole milk
1 pound corkscrew pasta such as cavatappi or cellentani
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked lobster meat plus more for garnish
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chives thinly sliced
cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour, then whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the water and whisk until smooth and just thickened.
Add the milk and whisk until combined.
Stir in the pasta, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and pepper, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.
Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cheeses. Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
Fold in the lobster meat. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and stir it into the panko breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the pasta. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
Sprinkle with chives and garnish with addition chunks of lobster if desired. Serve immediately.

Thank you DinnerAtTheZoo.com!

 https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/lobster-mac-and-cheese/#wprm-recipe-container-21866

"Earls" Mediterranean Linguine

Mine and Maddie's favorite dish at Earl's is this spaghetti dish... even over the blackened chicken, which is awesome, but I love this more! This is the closest we have come to making it and it's prettty dang close!!

OK... 

2 cups cherry ( or grape ) tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup pitted  kalamata olives

1 lb (12oz) linguine

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley ( or teaspoon dry)

1/2 cup chopped basil ( or teaspoon dry ) 

2 TBSP hot sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Boil water for pasta

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat

Add tomatoes, wine, garlic, and olives.

Cook until sauce thickens ( about 6 minutes ) 

cook pasta

Add pasta, parsley, basil, hot sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar to sauce in skillet.

Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

Crumble feta over top

Mangia!!! 

Testa Dura Sauce

My family on my dad's side were born in Calabria, so he is Calabrese. The word Tetsa Dura means hard headed, and the 2 words Calabria and Testa Dura go hand in hand. Not that I'm saying my family is hard headed, just don't ask them about making " white pasta sauces" they won't acknowledge it as belonging with pasta!


28 oz can of Tomatoes
Olive oil to coat bottom of pan
1 medium onion, chopped

4 chopped garlic clove
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sugar

1/2 can of tomato paste
dash of chili peppers
teaspoon basil
teaspoon parsley

In a food processor chop the tomatoes

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the  onion and garlic stirring frequently until soft and fragrant. Stir in tomatoes,salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to first signs of boiling and reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Then add the tomato paste, basil, and parsley dash of chili peppers and simmer 30 minutes longer. Serve.

Use on tortellini or any quick pasta. Also good for Chicken Parmigiana.

Old World Manicotti

Another one of Maddie's faves.

12 Large Manicotti Shells ( or 1 1/2 boxes of oven ready cannelloni ) 

4 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 cups ricotta cheese

6 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 Tablespoons dried basil

Spaghetti sauce, ( My Testa dura sauce works here )

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Cook manicotti to package directions, drain, set on a plate.( if oven ready, just stuff the uncooked manicotti ) 

For filling: in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan and basil. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff manicottis.

Spoon 2 cups sauce into baking dish, arrange manicottis and pour remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for 15 minutes,in 350 oven.

Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese, cook 15 more minutes. Serve.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ok, I know this isn't the greatest food for the calorie counters out there, but it one of the greatest foods!!! I tried all kinds of low fat- la de da recipes but for taste I always came back to this one, so now it is the official recipe, and I won't try to fix it anymore if it ain't broke. So try it out and let me know what you think!

Fettuccine noodles

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 minced garlic clove ( large one ) 

1 cup whipping cream (or Half and Half)

3/4 cup shredded ( grated ) Parmesan cheese, you can also use a mix of Parmesan and  Romano ( don't try the Kraft kind in the green container.. that stuff doesn't melt??

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

2 teaspoons basil ( or parsley, choose your fave )


Cook noodles as directed on package ( this is also great over tortellini or cheese ravioli! )
Heat butter, 

Once fully melted add the garlic, saute for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.  Slowly add cream and bring to a simmer NOT BOILING as soon as you see the first bubble reduce the heat 

Stir in cheese, salt and pepper and basil
pour sauce over hot noodles, stirring until noodles are well coated
sprinkle a bit of basil on top

and as they say in Italy, mange' :-)

Gramma's Pasta Sauce (OK it's lasagne)

Well I was going to start the Cook Book with the recipe that has been requested the most. But..... that recipe is one that I cannot share. I promise to make it for you whenever you ask, but... hahaha I cannot give away my secret. So, NO you can't have my Gramma's Spaghetti sauce recipe, but I will give away the Lasagna recipe :-)

1 pound ground pork, or 5 Italian sausages De-cased and broken apart 

1 pound ground beef

2 Med onions chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

3 28oz cans tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

4 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1 box oven ready lasagna

healthy wedge of ricotta cheese

block of mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

saute' onion and garlic in olive oil. Add meat and brown, stir in tomatoes and spices, simmer 15 minutes.

Spread about 1 cup meat sauce in deep dish, layer noodles, meat sauce, cheese, keep layering til done. Sprinkle top with Parmesan. Cover with tinfoil and cook in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Take cover off and cook 15 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. ENJOY :-)