Tag Archives: bake

PW’s Baked Ziti

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I don’t normally make a meal for someone when I haven’t made it before, but PW has yet to steer me wrong; so I went for it. I also don’t get many chances to make meals like this, (the hubbs doesn’t like baked pasta dishes!), so when a friend from home group was scheduled for surgery, I thought that this would be a comforting meal for her and her family. This pasta is rich and filling and what you see in the picture is only half of what the recipe makes! I don’t think a 13 x 9 baking dish could have contained it all – so if you have a lasagna pan, you might want to use it!  Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Baked Pasta – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
  • 1 pound Italian Sausage
  • 1 pound Ground Beef
  • 1 can (28 Ounce Can) Whole Tomatoes, With Juice
  • 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  •  Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 16 ounces, weight Ziti Or Mostaciolli, Cooked Until Not Quite Al Dente
  • 1 tub (15 Ounce) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 1-1/2 pound Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
  • 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 whole Egg
  • Fresh Minced Parsley

Directions –

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.

Add tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a different bowl to cool down.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).

Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps.) Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.

Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

Homemade Crescent Rolls

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Pictured with Broccoli Cheese Soup II – I’ll be sure to share this with you soon! It’s a new favorite 🙂

These rolls are soft, buttery and so much better than canned! I haven’t had a canned crescent roll in ages, but these more than make up for the wait! I had to make some modifications to the recipe (posted below), but if you live in a drier climate,  you might want to stick with the original amounts of water and flour. When I started making these, I knew that this dough was going to be much too loose for my tastes – loose dough is sticky, aka a pain in my ‘tox to work with. First, I reduced the water by 1/4 cup, but had to add about 3/4 cup more flour than called for to make this a workable dough. After kneading, my dough was tacky, not sticky, soft and smooth. In my experience with bread making, I have learned that recipes are a guideline more than a hard and fast rule to be followed. There are so many variables to consider, so don’t be afraid to make changes when they’re needed. This recipe makes a large batch so it’s perfect for big holiday meals or for freezing. To warm them up again, bake at 325 degrees for about  for about 5 minutes. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Best Dinner Rolls – adapted from Nomemade

  • 1 3/4 c warm water
  • 2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
  • 2 Tbsp dry yeast
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1 egg
  • 5 1/2 – 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions –

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined, holding back about 1/4 of flour.

Knead 5-7 minutes. Add more flour 1 TBSP at a time if needed. Dough should be soft, smooth and not too sticky

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Cover and let rise for an hour or until doubled in volume.

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Punch the dough down, weigh and divide in half. Roll the first half of dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle (mine was about 15 inches in diameter). Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 slices. Begin to roll the slice of dough in, starting from the wide and tuck the small point underneath.

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Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops with oil and cover with plastic wrap to rise until doubled. Repeat these steps on the second half. Preheat your oven to 375.

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Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

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Just in case you didn’t think that macaroni and cheese could get any more decadent…you come across this gut busting concoction! Seriously though – it calls for four cups of cheese and four cups of heavy cream…in order to redeem this a tad, this Momma is going to use half and half instead of all cream. That’s how I roll, folks! 😉 I can’t justify it, even if it is a rare dish in this house. I learned something about myself while making this: handling lobster tails gives me the willies! This was my first time handling raw lobster and the shell grossed me out. My daughter thought the spots on the shell were its eyes! That was kind of funny, but she is always wary of trying new things. I told her lobster is like a huge shrimp, but tastes even better. She ended up eating her entire serving and proceeded to ask if she can take some leftovers to school 😉

Verdict: This came out good, but it could use some more spice. Make sure to season well and taste the sauce as you go. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese – adapted from The Neely’s

  • 4 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing dish
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 2 small shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
  • 2 cups shredded Gruyere
  • 2 (8-ounce) raw lobster tails, defrosted if frozen, meat removed from shell, chopped
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

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Directions –
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to the middle. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter.

In a large pot of boiling salted water over medium heat, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve.

Add 4 tablespoons butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter shimmers, add the shallots and garlic and saute until translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the tomato paste and flour and stir to toast, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce, by half, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream, whisking well to remove any lumps. Add the paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf. Bring the cream up to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Let reduce until the cream is thick and can coat a spoon, about 5 to 10 minutes. When thickened, remove the bay leaves.

Stir in the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, combining well after each addition. Add the chopped lobster meat to the sauce and stir well. Add the pasta and stir. Add to the greased baking dish and sprinkle with the panko crumbs and parsley. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with parsley.

Chocolate Cobbler

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Chocolate – okay. Cobbler – what?? Never heard of you!  This recipe seems to be a favorite among Tasty Kitchen members, and since I have this brand new bag of King Arthur Self-Rising flour waiting to be used, I figured this was a good place to start. What makes KAF Self-Rising flour (besides the quality), is that it is unbleached and the baking powder is aluminum free. I know my local grocery store does not carry a similar product, and now I’m hoping that it will stock this soon!

I thought about making a fruit cobbler, but I know the hubbs appreciates a good chocolate dessert. This one is so simple and because I’m so darn lazy and didn’t feel like making a special trip to the store for fruit, I went with it. The batter is different from most desserts, especially because you don’t stir the whole batter together before pouring in the baking dish. It’s super simple and requires pantry and kitchen staples, but it takes 40 long minutes to bake! Hopefully it’s worth the wait! 🙂

Verdict: Chocolatey, gooey goodness! Make sure to top it off with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Chocolate Cobbler – adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my 2 quart casserole from Princess House.

In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

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The kids love to get muffins in their lunch; and these are easy and much healthier than your average muffin – and the best part? They don’t seem to notice 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins – adapted from The Lemon Bowl

  • 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1½ c oat flour**
  • ½ c milk
  • ½ c plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ c brown sugar – packed
  • ¼ c unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 large ripe bananas – mashed
  • 1 egg

Directions –

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners or spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine oats with plain yogurt and milk. Meanwhile, mix together oat flour (see note above), baking soda, baking powder, sugar, spices and salt; set aside. Add applesauce, oil, egg and mashed bananas to the oat/milk mixture and stir well. Combine dry mixture with the wet mixture and stir until incorporated. Divide batter evenly into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

**Oat Flour: To make oat flour, simply pulse 2 cups old-fashioned oats in a food processor to create a fine meal. This should only take about 60 seconds!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

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AKA the most expensive homemade cookies ever! Seriously though – the chocolate can cost about 12 dollars, the nuts are $20.00 a pound! Even if my husband knew how much the ingredients cost, I don’t think he’d change his mind about asking for these. Food is definitely his weakness 😉

I bought a quarter pound of nuts which ended up being a cup, but I think the ratio of cookie to add-ins was just right. I weighed these out (cause I’m neurotic like that) and each ball was 4 ounces before I split it in half. I also didn’t have coconut extract, but it probably would have added a nice flavor to these.

To be honest, I didn’t care for the taste the first day…day two is a totally different cookie. The flavors have time to get to know one another; and they’re not so “one note” anymore. These would be amazing as an ice cream sandwich, maybe even with that fancy coconut milk ice cream! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies – adapted from Annie’s Eats

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
  • 1 tsp. coarse salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 12 oz. white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to blend.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cold butter and the sugars. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and just combined, 1-2 minutes. Blend in the eggs on at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low-speed, mix in dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 30-60 minutes.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and with jagged surfaces facing up, place the formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. (The fussy shaping seems well…fussy – but it gives the cookies nicer appearance after they are baked!)

Bake the cookies, rotating halfway through, until light golden and just set, about 14-16 minutes total. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 24 cookies

 

Tried and True Family Favorites

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I have nothing new to share…sorry! But these are some of the meals we enjoyed during these past couple of weeks. All the pictures have links to previous posts, thanks for stopping by!

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It was my son’s 10th birthday over a week ago and he requested this cake. It really is perfect 🙂

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Fish tacos with homemade tortillas and pico de gallo. This is my second time making them and the DH can’t get enough.

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The kids love these pretzel dogs almost as much as I do! 😉

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Buffalo chicken sandwiches! I have been making these for years and they’re a big hit every time!

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Sky high buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy are my husband’s favorite for breakfast.

Repost: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Who doesn’t like spinach artichoke dip?? Seriously, this is the best I have tried and everyone loves it. This post shows all the modifications that I have made to the original recipe. For a big group, I pour it into a small crock pot to keep warm and serve with baguettes or scoop-shaped tortilla chips. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip – adapted from Allrecipes

  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Prep the bulb for roasting: Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.  Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins. (Directions with pictures at Simply Recipes)

3. In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

 

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Lemon Yogurt Cake

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This didn’t last long at our house!

Lemon Yogurt Cake – adapted from Ina Garten

  •  1 1/2 cups King Arthur Self-Rising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

Zucchini Bread

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This one has been pinned for a while, and my friend inspired me to bake some of these off to give as teacher gifts for Valentine’s Day. I went out and bought mini loaf pans to make these the perfect size for gifting, plus small is cute! 😉 I will have to bake more teeny loaves of my favorite quick bread recipes now to justify the purchase of the pans, but that just means I can spread more of these carbs around! Next time I will use half whole wheat pastry flour and unsweetened applesauce for these, but I figured for the first try, I should make these as the recipe.

Verdict: I know my kids love this, but have yet to hear back from them about what their teachers thought. It’s always the thought that counts, but I love rave reviews as much as anyone 😉 The crust has a nice little crispness to it (probably because all of that sugar), but they’re not too sweet; and the loaves are very moist. My loaves needed to bake for 50 minutes in the mini loaf pans – just check yours every five minutes or so toward the end of baking time. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Zucchini Bread – adapted Lion House via TSG Cookin’

  • 3 cups flour (375 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans (toasting is optional, but adds extra flavor)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
Directions –
  1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.
  2. Grease well a large 8×4 inch loaf pan or 2 small 7×3 inch loaf pans. Set aside. (Please note: There was too much batter for an 8×4-inch loaf pan. I used one 8×4-inch loaf pan and one 7×3-inch loaf pan.)
  3. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and toasted nuts. Set aside. (I toasted the pecans in a baking pan for 8-10 minutes in the preheated 325-degree F oven.)
  4. In separate mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, vanilla and mix well. Stir in the zucchini.
  5. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. and mix just until moist. (Over-mixing causes tunnels and a coarse texture.)
  6. Pour into prepared pan or pans. (Pans should be about two-thirds full.) Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes for large loaf or 35 minutes for small loaves, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over-bake. (My ovens required 60-65 minutes baking time for the large loaf and 45-50 minutes baking time for the small loaf.)
  7. Remove from oven and allow bread to sit in pans for about 5 minutes. Loosen gently from sides of pan, if necessary, and turn out onto a wire rack to cool. To store, place in a closed plastic bag or wrap well in foil.