No-Boil Chicken & Tomato Pasta Bake

Serves 4 to 6

8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta
2 cups (about 8 ounces) chopped cooked chicken breast meat (omit to make vegetarian)
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheese, such as mozzarella or a mix of mozzarella and provolone
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups milk (see Recipe Note)
For the cheesy basil topping:
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, and sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish, Dutch oven, or 9x13 casserole pan with olive oil.
In a large bowl, mix the dried pasta, chicken, garlic, and tomatoes (with their juices). Stir in the salt and a healthy quantity of black pepper. (If the tomatoes you are using have no salt in them, add an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt.) Stir in the shredded cheese and the Parmesan. Spread this mixture in the prepared baking dish or pot and pour the milk over top.
Cover the dish or pot tightly with a lid or a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake until the pasta is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and turn the oven up to broil.
Meanwhile, prepare the herb topping. In a small food processor or chopper, whiz the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending until the texture resembles wet sand.
Slowly remove the lid (or foil) from the casserole dish. Be careful, as steam will billow out. Spread the herbed breadcrumbs over the bubbling pasta and return the uncovered dish to the oven. Broil for 5 minutes or until the topping is toasted and crispy on top.
Take the casserole out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipes Notes:

• Milk: The more fat in your milk, the thicker and more luxurious this dish will be. I have only made this with whole milk, which worked very well. I see no reason why lower-fat milks would not work as well, but they may be soupier, with a thinner sauce, when you first remove them from the oven.

Smore Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup butter, soft
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup sugar

1 egg room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 Cups flour
3/4 Cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp salt

2 King size bars of Hershey Chocolate (8.5 oz) (Celia said she used the smaller bars)
1 1/2 Cup marshmallow fluff

Directions:
1.  Grease 8 x 8 pan/preheat oven to 350.
2.  Cream butter and sugars; beat in egg and vanilla.
3.  Combine dry ingredients and add slowly to wet.  BEAT A LITTLE.  Divide in half, press 1/2 into bottom of 8 x 8  pan.  Reserve the rest for the top.
4.  Lay chocolate out side by side on the dough.  Spread fluff on top of chocolate.
5. Flatten bits of remaining dough with hands and lay on top of the fluff to generally cover top.  Gaps are fine.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes til lightly browned.  Cool several hours before cutting.  I waited 8 hours

This recipe is from Ginger Daines.  I tasted them at Celia Reeds.  FANTASTIC.  They were cut into 1" squares.  Beautiful to look at and delicious.

Black Bean Salsa

2-3 avocados (diced
1 Can corn drained
1 Can black beans drained
1 pkg zesty Italian dressing made per package
Juice from one line
4-5 Roma tomatoes diced
1/2 Bunch green onion chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
1 red pepper chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips

Creamy Crockpot Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
2 Cups water
1/4 Cup diced onion
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 Cup diced carrots
1 lb ground beef browned
4 Cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
4 Cups beef broth
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
16 oz cheese tortellini

Instructions
1.  Combine spaghetti sauce, water, meat, onion, garlic, carrots, spinach, cream cheese, beef broth, and mushrooms in a slow-cooker.  Cook on low for 7 hours or 5 hours on high.
2.  Before adding tortellini, take a whisk to your soup to break up any chunks of cream cheese.  Stir in frozen tortellini.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender and hot.

Killer Cupcakes

 4 - one ounce squares semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
2 sticks butter
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup flour

Filling
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
dash of salt
3/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips - and thought they were so cute.)

Makes about 20-22 cupcakes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. In top of a double boiler over simmering water, (I just put the chocolate and butter and vanilla in a regular pan right on the heat - but watched it really closely).  Melt chocolate with vanilla, butter.  In large bowl beat the eggs until thick and add the sugar.  Beat in the flour.  Fold in the butter chocolate mixture.  Spoon into tins filling the cups 2/3 full.

Filling - Mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt until just blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop a rounded teaspoon of filling onto the top of each cupcake.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Photo cred blisstree.com

My Perfect Rice Krispie Treat

In a large pot add 2 cubes butter melted until hot and bubbly.  Turn off heat and stir in 1 bag of mini marshmallows until smooth.  Blend in 8 cups of Rice Krispies and put into a greased casserole dish.  Let cool before cutting into the treats. (Fun variation.  After putting them into the pan. pour crushed butterfinger bits on top.  Pat in to make sure the candy sticks.)  Yes add that much butter - these are fantastic. 

Lemon Pepper Chicken Kabobs with Soda Pop Marinade

 

Author: Si Foster, A Bountiful Kitchen

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• for sauce:
• 1 cup (not can) of Sprite or other Lemon Lime soda, not sugar free
• ½ cup soy sauce*
• ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper, plus additional for sprinkling on kabobs before grilling
• 2 tablespoons honey
• kabobs:
• 3 large chicken breast halves or about 2¼ lbs chicken, cut into 1½ inch cubes**
• suggested vegetables:
• 3 large bell peppers, assorted colors, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 regular size onion, cut into chunks, mushrooms, about 1 lb, halved, cherry or grape tomatoes, cut up fresh pineapple chunks, f1-2 small zucchini, green or yellow
• wood skewers

Instructions

1. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
2. Cut up the chicken and place in bowl of marinade.
3. Place in refrigerator for 1-4 hours.
4. Run the skewers under cold water, shake off excess water.
5. When ready to thread the skewers, drain the marinade off the chicken and discard. Carefully thread the meat and vegetable onto the skewers, alternating meat and vegetables, fruit may also be added, see notes about vegetable choices.
6. Turn on grill to medium heat or about 400 degrees about 15 minutes before cooking kabobs.
7. When ready to cook, place kabobs on hot grill. Barbecue for about 6-8 minutes then carefully turn so opposite side of kabob is exposed to grill. Cook for additional 6-8 minutes.
8. Remove and check one of the thicker pieces of meat to make sure it is cooked thru.
9. Place on platter and cover with foil until ready to serve.