Apple-Sausage Mac and Cheese

This was delicious!  I've made quite a few versions of Mac and Cheese, but this one was truly tasty!  I didn't have any Chicken-Apple Sausage on hand, but I did have some Pineapple-Bacon Sausage in the freezer so I used that. 

Apple-Sausage Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

Kosher salt

3/4 pound medium pasta shells

1/2 cup diced onion

6 ounces chicken-apple sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups apple juice

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 cups)

1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1/2 cup sour cream

35 small butter crackers (1 sleeve Ritz), crushed

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 1/2 -quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, mustard powder, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the sausage is golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apple juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 8 more minutes.

Slowly stir about three-quarters each of the monterey jack and cheddar cheese into the sauce until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pasta and sour cream.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the crushed crackers and the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes from The Food Network.

Million Dollar Spaghetti

 

This recipe is posted all over Pinterest so I knew that I needed to try it.  A few comments - I found it to be a little bland, so next time I'm going to use a very flavorful garlic marinara and I will add mushrooms to the sauce.  I used more sauce than the recipe suggested, so as long as you use one of the large jars of marinara sauce, you should be fine.  It was definitely simple and the leftovers were great!
 
Million Dollar Spaghetti
 
1 lb of ground beef
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
8 oz sliced mushrooms
8 oz of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lb cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 pkg spaghetti 16 oz
Grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese
 
Preheat your oven to 350°. Boil your spaghetti noodles until al dente (firm).  Drain and set aside until ready to assemble.

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese until well blended.

Brown  your hamburger and when done, drain well.  Combine the hamburger with your spaghetti sauce and mushrooms.

Put a few slices of butter into a 9×13 pan then pour half of your spaghetti noodles on top.

Take your cream cheese mixture and pour on top of the noodles. Spread well over noodles.

Pour the rest of the noodles on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Put a few more slices of butter on top of the noodles.  

Pour your spaghetti and meat sauce on top of your noodles.

Put it into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the desired amount of grated cheese on top and return to the oven for 15 minutes to allow cheese to melt.  Slice and serve like you would lasagna.

This recipe can be found all over Pinterest, but I found it at Made from Pinterest.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

 

Cajun Chicken Pasta

8 ounces uncooked linguine1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp light cream cheese
fresh cracked pepper
2 scallions, chopped
salt to taste
Smart Balance cooking spray


Prepall your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Setaside.

Seasonchicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and addhalf of the chicken. Sauté5 to 6 minutes or until done, set asideon a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Seasonwith 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pourin slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet; adjustsalt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cookanother minute or two until hot, then addlinguine; tosswell to coat. Topwith chopped scallions and enjoy!

Weight Watchers: 8 Points+

This recipe came from SkinnyTaste.com - what an amazing website - check it out!

Spinach, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta

Spinach, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups spinach

8 oz sliced mushrooms
6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots, rosemary and mushrooms to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine with bacon, and shallots; set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 

Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta, mushroom mixture and spinach to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Cold Linguine and Asparagus Salad

Cold Linguine and Asparagus Salad

8 oz. linguine, broken in 1/2 

1/2 - 1 lb asparagus, cut diagonally into 1 1/2 inch pieces 

18 cherry tomatoes, quartered 

4 tbsp. chopped red onion 

2/3 c. poppy seed salad dressing (or enough to coat the pasta)

3 tbsp. Dijon style mustard  (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper 

1/3 c. toasted pine nuts

In a large saucepan, cook linguine in boiling water for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl. Add tomatoes and onion. 

In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add to bowl. Toss gently to coat. Add additional salt, dressing, mustard or pepper, to taste.  Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, toss gently with pine nuts.

Ham and Pasta Casserole

I had so much leftover ham from the holidays that I needed to find a few different ways to get rid of it.  I found this recipe - seemed like something pretty simple.  I'm having surgery tomorrow and figured it would be something my friends, who will be taking care of me, would be able to easily reheat.  It turned out really well - and it was nice to enjoy something satisfying that would fill me up - I doubt I'll be eating tomorrow.  

Ham and Pasta Casserole

6 ounces pasta
2 cups diced cooked ham (I used much less)
3 tablespoons butter
4 to 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used more)
4 to 6 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic seasoned pepper or other pepper blend
dash cayenne or other hot pepper, as desired
salt or more seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook pasta in boiling salted water, following package directions. Drain and rinse in hot water; combine with ham in a large bowl. 

Heat butter over medium low heat; add sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender; add green onions. 

Stir in flour until blended in thoroughly. Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk. Add seasoned salt, pepper, and hot pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed. 

Stir into the pasta and ham mixture; stir in cheese. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Ham and Pasta Casserole

6 ounces pasta
2 cups diced cooked ham (I used much less)
3 tablespoons butter
4 to 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used more)
4 to 6 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic seasoned pepper or other pepper blend
dash cayenne or other hot pepper, as desired
salt or more seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook pasta in boiling salted water, following package directions. Drain and rinse in hot water; combine with ham in a large bowl. Heat butter over medium low heat; add sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender; add green onions. Stir in flour until blended in thoroughly. Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk. Add seasoned salt, pepper, and hot pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Stir into the spaghetti and ham mixture; stir in cheese. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.

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Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese

Surprisingly, I've never made Macaroni and Cheese from scratch before and figured now was as good a time as ever.  I needed to bring a side dish to a Fourth of July party, but I wanted something with a kick of flavor.  I started with the Food Network and found some great reviews for Guy Fieri's Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese. The pepper jack cheese really added a delicious dimension to this hearty pasta.  While this is by NO means an even remotely healthy dish - eating it as a side dish, rather than a main course might help.  When I prepared this I quadrupled the recipe, so the pictures reflect that.

Mad Daddy Mac n' Cheese

2 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound pasta, cooked

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp. melted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. 

Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. 

Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.