Summer Squash and Herb Gratin

This delicious zucchini and squash dish comes courtesy of a cookbook my brother and sister-in-law got me for Christmas, The New Southern Table.  Summery and cheesy with amazing crispy breadcrumbs on top!  It's really similar to my cheesy baked zucchini but with a richer taste and texture because it is sauteed first, and of course because of the gratin.  Mmmm.

Summer Squash and Herb Gratin
Serves 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, cut into slices and then quartered
• 1 large squash, cut into slices and then quartered
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the squash quarters in a colander and generously season with the salt.  Let sit 20 minutes, rinse with cold water, then thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat.  When the butter melts, swirl the pan for 2-4 minutes, or until the butter is lightly browned.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, 2-4 minutes or until the bread crumbs are browned.  Transfer to a bowl, and stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.
4. Heat the olive oil and remaining tablespoon of butter in the same saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the squash first, then the garlic, and cook.  Stir often and cook 6-8 minutes, or until the squash is tender and brown in spots.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan, seasonings, and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer the squash to a shallow, oven-proof dish, such as a pie dish or casserole dish.  Top with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture and bake 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Cheesy Pesto Rolls

I've been loving on recipes from How Sweet It Is for years now, and once again find another winner with this delicious pesto bread.  They're packed with flavor, an amazing balance of soft with crispy cheesy tops, and just right for sprucing up any dinner.
On a side note, this recipe makes the rolls from scratch.  You could easily use store-bought rolls and top them with the pesto and cheeses, but you won't get anywhere near the rich flavor and amazing texture you get with the from-scratch approach.

Cheesy Pesto Rolls

Makes: 14 large rolls  Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 packet (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup basil pesto, divided (I bought a jar of pesto, but you can easily make some by blending fresh basil and olive oil in a blender or food processor)
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for topping
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 6 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
• Chopped fresh basil for garnish

Directions

1. Mix the warm milk and water in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment.  Add the yeast and honey, then the olive oil.  Let stand until foamy (about 15 minutes).  Note: The foaming will be obvious.  If the mixture looks the same as when you started, your yeast may not be good.  If so, start again with another packet of yeast.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of the pesto, and 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.  Mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated.  Switch to the dough hook, knead on low speed, and slowly add the remaining 1 cup of flour.  Mix on low speed for 5-6 minutes.  The dough should be slightly sticky but still pull away from the sides of the bowl.  If it's too sticky, slowly add more flour until silky in appearance.
3. Oil a large bowl.  Turn out the dough into the oiled bowl, cover with a damp dish cloth, and set in a warm place (such as on top of a warm oven).  Let stand 1 1/2 to 2 hours until dough is roughly doubled in size.
4. Lightly flour a work surface, gently turn your dough out onto the surface, and knead a few times.  Tear off 12-15 equal pieces of dough.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.  Brush a large oven-safe skillet with melted butter.  Roll your pieces of dough into balls and place in the skillet.  Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the grated fontina cheese.  Spread the pesto on top and between the rolls.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with some more parmigiano-reggiano cheese and chopped fresh basil.  Serve warm.

Little dough balls waiting for the pan.

Nestled in, topped with cheese and pesto.  Already smells great!

Loooook at that golden amazing wonderfulness!

Pro tip: Whenever you make something with a skillet in the oven, put an oven mitt on the handle when you take it out.  This way, when you inevitably reach for the handle, you touch the mitt and not the blazing hot handle.

Beautiful!

I don't care that I'm writing this at 9 am.  I want some RIGHTNOW.

Cheesy Baked Zucchini

I discovered this tasty way to make zucchini just before I got pregnant, and sadly haven't made it since.  I had nausea the first four months and have only recently started cooking to this level again.  I will say that my husband LOVED it, and I was reassured when it wasn't as much of a cheesy mess as I saw in the original recipe.  Lots of flavor and a nice texture, this is a keeper of a side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 green zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 2 yellow squash, sliced and quartered
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese blend
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (little less if using canned Parmesan)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray an 8x8" baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese and pour into baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered, 10-15 more minutes or until Parmesan is melted and golden and zucchini/squash are fully cooked.

Garlic Monkey Bread

I may have found a new food blog to start following. :)  Eat Cake For Dinner has some good taste, as I got to see with this tasty garlic monkey bread recipe.  Her notes and changes were definitely helpful.  I made this recipe once without following her tips, and it was an uncooked biscuit disaster.  This week I made it with her useful advice, and we had golden garlic bread bliss!  Hooray!

So add this to your list of easy but tasty weeknight bread/biscuits/rolls bag of tricks.  This recipe is pretty similar to my Garlic Parmesan Knots, but comes out with a different flavor.

Ingredients

• 7.5-oz can buttermilk biscuits
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle on top

Directions

1. Using a pizza cutter, cut biscuits into 6 pieces each and place in a large bowl or ziplock bag. 
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl (or the cup you melted the butter in), and pour over the biscuit dough.  Toss gently to coat.
3. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, and place 6-7 pieces in each cup.  I get 8 biscuits with these proportions.
4. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden and center of each mini monkey bread is fully cooked.

Pasta with Spinach Sauce

First off, let me apologize for neglecting my blog so much lately!  It's actually been for a good reason.  I'm operating at a bit of a less-than-whirlwind pace the last couple months, and spending more 1:1 time with my son, so I count that as a good thing.  Now, I've still been trying new recipes and projects around the house, so I actually have a backlog of posts.  Once those start to pile up, I can get a bit immobilized by the "oh noes, where do I start?" feeling.

Anyway, jumping back into it with this SUPER tasty dish.  Giada never steers me wrong.  I'm pretty sure my cooking trinity right now are Martha, Giada, and the Barefoot Contessa.  Also helping: reading The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster.  Hilarious and great.

Ingredients

• 1/2 box of pasta (I stuck with Giada and used penne this time)
• 1 garlic clove (I used 2, and it was WAY too much; stick with 1 for these proportions, and I'd even shy away from the full 3 in the original, larger batch recipe)
• 1 ounce goat cheese (though being generous won't hurt HERE!)
• 1/2 ounce cream cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pasta water

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, in generously salted water.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. While the water is boiling/pasta is cooking, prepare the spinach sauce.  Let me prepare you now: it is going to be a startling shade of green.  Like, you're going to think you're serving Slimer from Ghostbusters on your pasta.  But it's HEALTHY!  ;)
3. Mince the garlic in a food processor.  Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and half the spinach.  Blend until smooth and creamy, and set aside.
4. Place the remaining spinach in a large bowl.  Scoop 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.  Drain the pasta when cooked through, and add the warm pasta to the bowl with the spinach.  Add the spinach and cheese mixture, and stir until pasta is completely coated, adding the pasta water to the mixture as needed to make it smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese to serve.

Mini Green Onion Biscuits

Tonight's dinner was so tasty!  Grilled steaks, baby red potatoes roasted in foil on the grill (extra crispy- the way I love them), salad, and these new biscuits.  They smelled awesome while I made them, and made me think of sour cream and onion potato chips.  Now I really want to try them with sour cream...

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped green onions
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup cold whipped cream cheese
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and green onions.  Using your hands or a pastry blender, add the butter and mix until coarse crumbles form.  Your hands really are the best bet for this step, even if it's messy.
3. Add the cream cheese in dollops.  Using your hands or a pastry blender, again mix until larger crumbles form.  Stir in the buttermilk until just combined- do not over mix.
4. Sprinkle work surface with flour, turn out dough, and sprinkle top of dough with flour.  Pat out dough until 1 inch thick.  Coat a small biscuit cutter or the clean top of a spice container (I used the lid of my onion salt- similar flavor I figured!) in flour, and cut the dough into small 1" rounds.  Re-use scraps, being careful not to over work the dough, and continue until all biscuits are cut out.
5. Place biscuits on nonstick baking sheets, about 1" apart, and bake 6-8 minutes, until slightly golden.  Best served warm!

Simple Spinach and Parmesan Pasta

What an easy yet flavorful meal for a quick weeknight dinner.  If only everything that cooked in 15 minutes tasted so good!  Thanks to Naturally Ella for this one.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 bag baby spinach (I get the 6-oz bags)
• 3 ounces (2 servings) pasta (I love it with spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.  
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, then add thyme and saute another minute.  Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from  heat and set aside until pasta is done.
3. Drain pasta and toss with the spinach mixture.  Stir in Parmesan.
4. Serve with extra Parmesan and thyme on top.

Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Let's talk about easy and tasty for a minute.  Now, fruit salad on its own is a tasty and simple mash up of fresh, good-for-you things, but add on just a bit of something extra and wow.  That's what the honey and lime do with this one!  So give it a try as the weather warms up, and see if you're not converted.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 bunches of grapes (about 2 cups)
• 1 pint container of strawberries
• 1 pint container of blueberries
• 1/4 cup honey
• Juice from 2 limes

Directions

1. Rinse all of the fruit.  Place the grapes and blueberries in a mixing bowl.  Hull the strawberries (removing the white middle), cut into quarters (or even eighths if you have jumbo strawberries like I did), and add to the bowl.
2. Spray a measuring cup with Pam, and measure out the honey.  The Pam will make the honey slide right off of the cup, rather than being uncooperative.  Pour honey onto the fruit.  Add the lime juice.
3. Gently stir until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey lime dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to serve (preferably the same day).

Seriously- look how gorgeous this is!

Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

Ohhh yum did we hit on something good here.  Scalloped potatoes.  In classy looking little towers.  Crispy top layer and soft bottom layers.  Parmesan cheese flavor throughout.  Earned a "They're *really* good" from my husband.  Mmmmm starch.
Caveats:

• You will have a scorched muffin tin you may consider throwing away afterward.  Don't despair.  A good soak with some dish soap and the gunk comes off with a scrub.
• Because of aforementioned muffin tin, you may consider just making these plain old scalloped potato style in a casserole dish.  Don't.  It's baking them in the muffin tin that gets that awesome Parmesan sauce to seep into each dreamy potato stack, so don't go fighting it.
• Let us all give a slow clap to Insockmonkeyslippers for this recipe.

Makes 6 stacks; enough to serve as a dinner side for 2 adults

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 2 medium baking potatoes

Directions

1. Spray a muffin tin with copious amounts of nonstick spray.  Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Peel and mince the garlic and shallot.  Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.  Stir in the half and half, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the salt, pepper, and thyme.  Set aside.
3. Peel the potatoes and slice with a food processor.  You may need to cut the potatoes a bit to fit.  [Sidebar: I am a food processor potato slicing convert.  I really love my mandolin slicer for softer things, but trying to slice potatoes on that thing is a workout.  Use the food processor's slicer disc and be done with the slicing in 10 seconds.]
4. Stack 7-10 potato slices in each muffin tin cup.  You may need to trim some slices to fit nicely into the tin.  I just weeded through the slices for the "good" sizes.  Do not stack potatoes higher than the cup.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of the half and half mixture into each cup, pouring over the stacked potatoes.  Do NOT overflow the cups.  Tent the muffin tin with aluminum foil.  If the foil is too close to the potatoes, it'll stick to them, and you don't want that.
5. Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle each stack of potatoes with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Put back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the tops are golden brown and the liquid is absorbed into the potatoes.
6. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.  Carefully slide a knife around the edges of each stack to loosen the potatoes, then gently remove and serve.  I used a spoon to lift mine out, and damaged the bottom layer or two in the process.  Share any improvements you have on removal method!
7. Add additional thyme as a garnish, if desired.

Stuffed Shells with Cream Sauce

Oooooh goodness are these stuffed shells good.  They make me wish I'd been making stuffed shells forever. I never had them much growing up, so just don't think of them as a dinner option.  But when I saw this pin, they had to be mine.  I decided not to be intimidated by something with "Bechamel" in the title, and was encouraged when the actual recipe just called it "creamy white sauce".  :)
Now, the advice here is that all the time it takes to make the sauce is totally worth it.  So be patient!

Ingredients

Shells

• 24 large pasta shells, prepared according to instructions, then rinsed and cooled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse sea salt

Filling

• 30 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled finely
• 3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled finely

Topping

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Shells. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and shells.  Make a few more than 24 so there are no tears over torn shells.  Cook according to package instructions.  Drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking and make them easy to handle, and arrange on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam.  Set aside.
2. Filling. In a large bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients until well incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Sauce.  In a medium pot, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  Increase the heat to medium and cook until the mixture is golden and bubbly, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pot over medium heat, just to the point of boiling.  Stir the milk regularly and scrape the bottom of the pot so the milk doesn't burn.  Add the hot milk to the golden bubbly butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly, until all added and the sauce is smooth.  Bring to a boil and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot, until thickened and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the salt and cheese.  Set aside until ready to use.
4. Fill the Shells.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with Pam.  Pour about 1 1/2 cups sauce into the bottom of the pan and tilt to coat evenly.  Fill the shells with the cheese mixture (about 1/4 cup each) and set them in the pan (I had 3 rows of 8 shells, plus a few extra nudged in).  Pour the remaining sauce evenly on top.  Sprinkle with Topping ingredients.
5. Bake 30 minutes, or until the shells are hot all the way through and sauce is bubbling.
6. Leftovers keep really well and taste excellent the next day!

Barley and Lentil Soup

I really like having page a day calendars on my desk, and the last couple years have opted for recipe ones.  My January 3rd recipe was for this tasty soup, though it pointed me to crock pot directions.  I wasn't in the mood for that so I just used my stock pot and ate in 1 hour instead of 8-9.  So there.

Ingredients

• 8 cups (64 oz) beef broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed (I got to use my new mortar and pestle!)
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked dried lentils
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

Directions

1. Stir all ingredients in a large stock pot set to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, or until vegetables are tender and grains are thoroughly cooked.

**Alternately, mix ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Spaghetti with Butternut Squash

I'm back!  Happy holidays, everyone.  I hope you were all as pampered for Christmas as I was!  As much as I loved visiting with family, it was really nice to be back home and in my kitchen again.  I celebrated with a new meal last night: this very tasty take on spaghetti.  It has a great flavor, and even my picky husband was a fan after he doused his in extra Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced (I cheated and bought mine already diced for me!)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz (1/2 box) spaghetti
• 1 cup sliced leek (only use the stem, not the leaves), thoroughly cleaned in cold water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, thinly sliced horizontally
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add squash and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth and set aside.
2. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
3. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet.  Saute the leeks and garlic over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5-7 minutes.  Add pureed squash, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out sauce to desired consistency.  I kept mine pretty thick.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and sage, and mix in pasta until well coated.
4. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese to taste.

Corn Casserole

This tasty, easy side dish was definitely a winner on the Thanksgiving Dinner table.  Warm and cheesy and rich, with both the cornbread and actual corn kernels, I couldn't get enough of it.  Friends who have made this say that it definitely gets worked into their dinner menus all year long; not just for the holidays.  I can see why that is! I'll be very happy to make this again.

Ingredients

• 15 1/4 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
• 14 3/4 ounce can cream-style corn
• 8 ounce package Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking pan or a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Mix together the corn, Jiffy, sour cream, and butter in a large bowl.  Gently stir in the cheese.  Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown and set.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: You can bake for a shorter time in a 9 x 13 pan, but it will be more like corn bread than a casserole.  The original recipe says both ways are delicious!  I've only had the casserole version.

B.A.C.O. Dip

I made this delicious dip for the first time yesterday, as a pre-Thanksgiving dinner snack.  It was definitely a hit, and the first thing we broke out for the leftover attack at 9 p.m.
Also, I'm proud of the way I renamed it.  Neiman Marcus Dip, while sounding impressive, doesn't really convey a thing about the ingredients: bacon, almonds, cheese, and onions: B.A.C.O.  My name wins.

Ingredients

• 5-6 green onions, snipped into small slices
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups mayonaise
• 3 ounces bacon bits (I used soy Baco bits for my vegetarian guests; I'm sure would be super amazing with real bacon bits!)
• 1 small package slivered almonds (the one in the original recipe looks like it's just 2-3 ounces.  I just portioned out about a half cup of almonds from a bigger bag I had and used extra mayo to reach the consistency I wanted)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill for a couple hours.  
2. Serve with crackers, veggies, or corn chips.

SO EASY!  Perfect for busy holiday events.

Zucchini Pie

Yum yum yum I love this dinner.  Veggies and cheese all mixed together into something that's not quite a quiche but who cares- it's comfort food!  So easy to make: mix everything in a bowl and dump it in a pie pan.  Bake and presto: dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 cup flour
• 1 2-cup bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• lots of pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Spray a pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Add the mixed ingredients and evenly smooth out with a spatula.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and the middle is set.
5. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Yuuuummmm.

Creamy Penne and Fall Vegetable Casserole

I have a great Food Network daily calendar on my desk, which has a different recipe or cooking tip each day.  I tend to save recipes from the calendar and forget about them, but this one I had to try right away.  I stayed pretty close to the Baked Penne with Fall Vegetables recipe, with just a few modifications based on family preferences and ingredients I had on hand and only made half the recipe (to make 3 servings instead of 6).

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley (or 1/8 cup fresh)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups thickly sliced leeks (white and tender green parts), thoroughly washed*
• 3 cups large diced butternut squash
• 1/6 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 oz of penne (1/2 box)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*Leeks can have a lot of dirt on them, especially in the green leafy part.  Wash by soaking in a large bowl of cold water, straining, and repeating a couple times until the water is clear (no grit floating around).

Directions

[Note: For this recipe, you definitely need to chop and measure everything out before hand. There is a good deal of stirring for the sauce, so you can't count on that time to prepare the ingredients while you cook.]

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Pulse the Parmesan and parsley in a food processor until well combined.  Set aside.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.  While it is cooking (probably 10-12 minutes), prepare the vegetables and sauce.
4. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the leeks and squash and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender (5-7 minutes).
5. Uncover the pot and stir in the flour, sage, and nutmeg.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and gradually stir in the broth and milk.
7. Simmer, stirring, until thickened (5-7 minutes).
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. When cooked, drain the pasta.  Then add pasta to the vegetable sauce, along with the mozzarella.
10. Stir the pasta, cheese, and vegetable sauce until pasta is thoroughly coated.
11. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Pour the pasta mixture into the dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan-parsley topping.
12. Bake until the top is golden, about 15-20 minutes.  Let rest for several minutes before serving.

Golden, bubbly, melty goodness!

Vegetable Lasagna

There used to be a restaurant called Spinnakers that I loved as a kid.  They had flower pot bread, and the best veggie lasagna I'd ever had.  I finally found a recipe that, when edited, came close to the magic of that restaurant that hasn't been around since I was in high school.

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

8 ounces dried lasagna noodles (9 noodles)

2 beaten eggs

30 oz ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained.  The spinach can be very watery, so be sure to squeeze it out well in colander.  However, stir up the spinach to loosen it up before adding to sauce in step 3.

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and thoroughly drained

1 cup shredded carrot (2 carrots)

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces) (divided)

1 8-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain; set aside on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic until tender (2-3 minutes).  Stir in flour and pepper; add milk all at once.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly (several minutes).  Remove from heat.  Stir in the spinach, broccoli, carrot, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. To assemble, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish (I use 9 x 13 inch).  Layer 3 of the noodles, folding or cutting to fit (they fit perfectly in the 9 x 13).  Spread with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella.  Repeat the layers two more times.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until heated through.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.