Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c. (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 c)

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

2 c. (8 oz pkg) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend *

1 t. dried basil

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground black pepper

* I totally spaced getting this when I made my grocery run, so I just used the normal Mexican blend that I had and then added a bit of Parmesan cheese to it. I thought the end result was still delicious.

Recipe:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese in melted. Remove from heat.

3. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I thought it was at least a 4, but LaDon said, "it could have had more cheese and...unhealthy things." Haha. Well, despite those drawbacks, I thought this was a good mac and cheese type dish. I didn't feel heavy but you still got great taste. And it was still yummy as leftovers the next day. 

Source: Very Best Baking, Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Ingredients:

2 T. dried parsley

1 t. dried dill

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. pepper

Recipe:

1. Add each of the dried spices to a bowl and gently stir.

2. Store in a resealable plastic bag or small canning jar with tight fitting lid.

3. To make the ranch dressing, whisk together 1/3 c. mayonnaise with 1/4 c. milk and 1 T. of the homemade ranch dressing seasoning mix. (Makes about 4 T. of dressing)

4. Season with salt, to taste.

5. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rating: 3 of 5
So, this rating is not a full-on rating. I used the dry mix in a crock pot recipe, so I'm not sure if it tastes like Ranch dressing or not when it's all put together. But, it did smell like it! One thing that I think I'll do differently next time is crush up the parsley even more. 

Source: $5 Dinners, Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Parmesan and Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 c. cream cheese, softened

1/4 fresh basil leaves, minced

1 small clove garlic

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Recipe:

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Using a parking knife and starting at the center edge of one of the breasts, cut a slit into the breast making sure to lave a 1-inch border around all sides. You'll be stuffing the filling into this slit.

2. Mix the cheeses, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper together until uniform. Reserve about 1 T. per breasts and set aside.

3. Divide the remaining filling and stuff into chicken breasts. Use toothpicks to cinch each of the slits closed. *

4. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering.

5. Place the chicken breasts in the pan without crowding. Cook without disturbing until browned on the bottoms, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Flip the chicken breasts and cook, covered, until a thermometer registers 160-165 in the middle of the meat, about 5-10 minutes.

7. Just before removing the chicken from the pan, remove the pan from the heat and spoon 1 T. of filling over each breast. Cover and let rest for 1-2 minutes, or until filling is melted over the chicken breasts.

8. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*If you're going to use colored toothpicks, then you might want to go with yellow. The blue ones bleed terribly! Haha.)

Rating: 4.5 of 5

This was so good! I recommend slitting the chicken closer to the edges (rather than 1-inch) so that there is more room to stuff. As long as the chicken had the cheese filling with it, it was fantastic. Eating it without any filling was just eating a plain piece of chicken....not so great. Super, super easy recipe. Stuffing chicken is not as hard as I always thought it was. I definitely don't like the part where you have to handle the raw meat.....gag. After this meal, I've been convinced that I need to grow some basil in our garden now.

Source: Dishing the Divine, Easy Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Parmesan and Basil Filling

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Ingredients:

Yields: 2 quarts or 8 servings

2 14-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice*

1 c. finely diced celery

1 c. finely diced carrots**

1 c. finely diced onions

1 t. dried oregano OR 1 T. fresh oregano***

1 T. dried basil OR 1/4 c. fresh basil****

4 c. chicken broth*****

1/2 bay leaf******

1/2 c. flour

1 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. butter

2 c. half and half, warmed OR milk, warmed

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

* I only had Italian diced tomatoes

** We have an allergy to carrots, so I didn't include carrots

*** Because of the Italian tomatoes I didn't add any oregano

**** With the Italian tomatoes I only added 1/2 T. of dried basil

*****I only put in 3 c. of chicken broth

******I 1 small bay leaf instead of a half.

Recipe:

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

2. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes.

3. Slowly stir in 1 c. hot soup(from the slow cooker). Add another 3 c. and stir until smooth.

4. Add all in skillet back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt, and pepper.

5. Add additional basil and oregano if needed. Continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

***Can also be made on the stove top. See "Source" link for the whole recipe.***

Rating: 3.5 of 5

LaDon actually really liked this one. Surprise! I thought it was good. Best the day-of. Not so good the next day to me, but that could be because I forgot to take out the bay leaf and the soup was being overpowered by bay leaf flavor. Not my favorite. I definitely thought the canned Italian tomatoes were fine. Super good with some buttered bread dipped in.

Source: Today's Mama.com, Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Margherita Pizza

A few weeks ago the kids and I went to the library and I stumbled upon a children's book, Pizza for the Queen. It was a cute little story about a pizza man who had been asked to make pizza for the queen. He wanted to make her pizzas that were true to the taste of the town and in the process invented a new pizza: Pizza Margherita. Named after the the queen, Queen Margherita. It was a really cute story and the best part of it all....it's true! So, at the end of the book, the author included a recipe for Pizza Margherita and I just had to try it.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg. yeast or 2 1/4 t.

1 t. sugar

3/4 c. warm water

2 c. + more flour

1/2 t. salt

1/8 c. OR 2 T. olive oil

Pizza:

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 c. fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 t. balsamic vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Recipe:

Dough:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and olive oil together in a mixing bowl.

3. Put the flour mixture on a pastry board. Create a well in the center of the flour mixtures. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and begin forming the dough with your hands. *

4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and can be stretched. Add more warm water if necessary. If the dough seems sticky, add a little more flour.

5. Roll the dough into a ball and cover it with a towel. Let is rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

6. When done rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and stretch the dough into a pizza shell and place on a pizza pan or stone.

Pizza:

1. Brush the pizza shell with about 1/2-1 t. of olive oil and run your crust with the cut sides of the garlic.

2. Arrange tomato slices over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly throughout.

3. Bake at 500 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

4. Sprinkle hot pizza with chopped basil, salt and pepper and, if desired, drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top.

*I actually did all of the dough mixing in my mixer and it turned out really well.

Rating: 4 of 5

Admittedly, this is not the BEST Margherita pizza I've ever had, but it is delicious. I actually liked it better the second day rather than fresh out of the oven. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that the basil flavor melded over during the night. I loved the crust. Nice and thin, but still so soft. One thing I love about pizzas is that the tomatoes get hot and soft which completely changes their taste to me. Love it. Really, you can taste every element in this pizza. I am a Margherita pizza lover though.

Sources:

Crust: Pizza for the Queen by Nancy Castaldo

Topping: Eat Yourself Skinny!, Margherita Pizza

Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 c. water

2 28-oz can crushed tomatoes *

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. minced parsley, fresh **

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. onion salt ***

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. dried thyme

1 9-oz pkg refrigerated cheese ravioli ****

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

additional minced fresh parsley, optional

* I only had diced tomatoes on hand

** I only had dried on hand

*** I didn't have any onion salt, so I used onion powder

****We only had the frozen kind, so I just cooked it before hand according to the directions

Recipe:

1. In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, parsley, garlic, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Add to soup and heat through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

This is NOT a soup. The recipe might claim to be a soup, but in reality, it turns out to be a thick and delicious meat sauce. The next time I make this I'll definitely be serving it as the sauce and put it with spaghetti noodles. I'll also cut back on the oregano and thyme. I thought those tastes were a bit too overpowering.

Source: TasteofHome.com, Ravioli Soup

American Lasagna

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped *

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. chopped fresh basil **

1 t. dried oregano

2 T. brown sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

1 29-oz can diced tomatoes

2 6-oz cans tomato paste***

12 dry lasagna noodles ****

2 eggs, beaten

1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. dried parsley

1 t. salt

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

* Of course, I substituted with dried chopped onion ~1 palm full

** I just used dried basil

*** I didn't have any tomato paste, so improvised and just dumped in some spaghetti sauce. Close enough.

**** To cut prep time I used oven ready lasagna noodles. It means no cooking the noodles to make the soft before oven cook time. It's awesome. This allows the cook to skip Recipe step #4.

Recipe:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat.

2. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 t. salt, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. **skip if using oven ready noodles** Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

5. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and 1 t. salt.

6. Layer 1/3 of the noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Rating: 4 of 5

Um...easy lasagna that doesn't take a long time to cook....apart from the 30-45 minutes of simmering. The recipe author suggested putting the lasagna all together the night before and letting the flavors blend and then cook it the next day. But, I thought the flavors were pretty strong and blended enough. It's a tasty lasagna with just a tad bit of sweetness. I really liked it. It makes a lot and is plenty for LaDon and company.

Source: iPad app for AllRecipes

Basil Pasta

Ingredients: (I actually don't know what the measurements are, so I'm winging it)

8 oz. angel hair pasta

3 T. butter *

2 T. basil

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

* I actually like this better with olive oil instead of butter.

Recipe:

1. Cook pasta al dente. Drain. Add butter until melted.

2. Add basil and Parmesan cheese.

3. Serve alone as a side or under a delicious sauce!

Rating: 3.7 of 5

I like this pasta a lot, but I don't think it does that much for LaDon. It's easy and feels pretty light as long as you don't go too heavy on the butter. Delicious under Corn Sauce Spaghetti.

Source: Vickie Roy's own concoction

Braised Balsamic Chicken

No, this food has not been eaten yet. Just cut up a little.

Ingredients: **I halved the recipe**

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ground black pepper to taste

1 t. garlic salt

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced *

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 t. dried basil

1 t. oregano

1 t. rosemary

1/2 t. dried thyme

*The usual dried chopped onion substitute.

***TIP: Italian Seasoning usually is a combination of the above ingredients. The type of Italian Seasoning I buy has just oregano and thyme. This might save you a trip to the store!***

Recipe:

1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken and add basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve on rice or pasta.

Rating: 3 of 5

This was a pretty good recipe. We ate the chicken on spaghetti noodles. The chicken turned out pretty tender, but we aren't a huge strong balsamic-taste fans. That being said, I liked enough to make it again some day. I honestly don't think seasoning the chicken does a thing since I couldn't taste the pepper or the garlic salt, but whatever!

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, pg. 131