Fiesta Spaghetti

My mom was so gracious to take my kids for a sleepover on New Year's Eve.  My husband and I went to a little Italian place close to our house called Gabriella's.  We were standing there waiting to be seated, and I was freezing since we just came in from outside and it was so cold!  I saw their brick oven in the back and told my husband that if he gave me a dollar, I would go stick my hands by the fire in the kitchen to warm up.  He just chuckled, but the guy next to me said that he'd give me a dollar.  Luckily, he got seated so I didn't have to get kicked out of the restaurant before getting to eat.  We got seated shortly thereafter, and that same guy came over and put a dollar bill on my menu!  I wouldn't keep it from him, but it did make me laugh.

The food at this place is great!  I got their vegetable pizza that first time, and it was amazing.  This time around, I got the fiesta spaghetti.  It's basically a meat sauce loaded with vegetables.  It was delicious.  The flavor of the sauce was fantastic.  I wanted to recreate it at home, and this is my best shot.  It was pretty darn close!  I loved the extra vegetables and extra meat in the sauce.  Also, don't be shy about adding the red pepper flakes!  I put it in all my red sauces because it gives it just a little kick.  It's so good.  At the restaurant, there was also some chicken strips in the sauce, but I just did the pepperoni and hamburger.  I noted all my modifications to the regular recipe.  Enjoy!  This may be my new favorite pasta sauce.  The flavor was outstanding!



Source: Modified from Taste of Home Italian Favorites pg. 68

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (90% fat)
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper pepper, diced (not in original recipe)
1/2 c. sliced olives (not in original recipe)
1 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained, pureed (the original recipe just used 2 cans of diced)
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 c. reduced sodium beef broth
1/4 c. red wine (not in original recipe)
15 pepperonis, halved (not in original recipe)
2 T dried parsley
1 T brown sugar
1 t dried basil
1 t oregano
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes (not in original recipe)
1/4 t fennel seeds (not in original recipe)

In a large skillet, add ground beef, mushrooms, onion, and red pepper.  Saute until beef is no longer pink.  Drain fat.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for two hours.  You can also transfer it to a slow cooker, if you'd like.  The longer you simmer, the better the flavor becomes!

Serve over whatever pasta you like.  I used thin spaghetti.

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

My son was getting a bedtime snack, and he held up a small box of frosted mini-wheats and asked if he could have that with milk.  

I said, "Well, we're out of milk.  You can have them dry if you're curious about what it would be like to eat a tumble weed sprinkled with a little sugar." 

For real, though.  Thank you, Kellogg's for making frosted mini tumble-wheats.  While I'm on the subject, have you ever seen the non mini-wheats?  They are pretty much the size of my head.   One giant, slightly frosted tumble weed.  

Now on to this recipe.  It is delicious, and it's really easy to throw together.  I have been working about 10 hour days all week long, so I've been beyond tired once dinner comes rolling around.  As tempting as it was to just go get some hamburgers, tacos, or pizza for everyone, I've been trying to avoid fast food since I'm counting calories and all that jazz.  Sooo... I made a cheesy pasts dish #winning.  In my defense, I scraped the cheese of my portion.  :)   My family loved this tortellini.  The fennel seed gives it the flavor of Italian sausage without the sausage.  The mushrooms give it a little different flavor.  Quick. Cheesy. Delicious!

Cheesy Tortellini Bake
photo and recipe source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_tortellini_casserole/

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) prepared frozen cheese tortellini
• Salt
• 12 oz  mushrooms, roughly chopped or sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 T butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 large bunch swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 cups) OR 2 cups fresh chopped spinach OR 1/2 cup frozen spinach (I omitted this- my family isn't too find of leafy greens)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil or 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 to 6 ounces Mozzarella cheese slices, enough to cover the surface of the casserole

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Start a pot of boiling water.  Once it's boiling, add the tortellini and cook according to package directions.  When it's done, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, add the chopped mushrooms into a large pan.  You'll be adding the remaining sauce ingredients, so make sure it's big enough to fit all of that.  Cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat for about five minutes.  They will start to release liquid and shrink.  Once that starts to happen, add the butter.  Stir.  

Add the garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes (don't leave these out!  They terrified me when I was young, but they add just a pinch of heat to pasta sauce!)  Cook this for five minutes, stirring constantly.  

Add the tomatoes and basil.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for five minutes.  
Add the Swiss chard or spinach (if using) and cook for five minutes or until it starts to wilt.  

Add the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Stir in the cooked tortellini.  Place in a baking dish and top with slices of mozzarella cheese.  

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove the foil and cook for five more minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley or oregano before serving.

Roasted Vegetable Tortellini

We had a family BBQ at Spring Mountain Ranch this weekend.  It's a beautiful place with a huge grassy field, trees all around, and beautiful scenery.  It seems like you're far from Las Vegas because it's just beautiful, so naturally, it's packed on the weekends.  Well, my not-so-athletic 8 year old daughter went out to throw a frisbee around in the grass.  She was trying to throw it into the middle of the field, but she threw it toward the next group of picnic-ers.  The frisbee barely missed a kid and rolled on the ground right underneath some poor Mexican lady's chair.  It nearly scared her to death.  My embarrassed daughter went over and got it with her tail between her legs.  Then, she was trying to fly a little remote controlled helicopter, and it b-lined right to that lady's head.  Luckily, it fell short by a couple feet. We were laughing so hard.  I have a feeling that she may not have a career in athletics or aeronautics.

When I actually had time to make lunch one day last week, I knew I had tortellini and asparagus on hand.  I googled a recipe for those ingredients, and I found this one a couple pages in.  I did modify it a bit by adding red pepper, red onion, kalamata olives, and feta.  You could add any other vegetables you'd like, but I think this combination is amazing.  I've made this two times since because it is so quick and delicious.


Roasted Vegetable Tortellini
recipe and photo source: http://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/02/roasted-tomato-and-asparagus-tortellini/

2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 lb. fresh asparagus,
1/4 red onion, cut into slices
1/2 red pepper, cut into 2 inch strips
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
24 oz. tortellini
1 c chopped spinach
1 T lemon juice
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. feta cheese
1/4 c. Kalamata olives

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet with foil.

Cut off the bottom inch of the asparagus.  Throw that away, and cut the remaining asparagus into two inch chunks.  Place them on the cookie sheet with the diced tomatoes, red onion slices, red pepper strips, and garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Roast this in the heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

While that is cooking, boil water and cook the tortellini according to package directions.  Drain.

Place the chopped spinach in a large serving bowl.  Put the warm tortellini on top.  Do not mix yet.  Add the vegetables on top.  Add the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, fets cheese, and kalamata olives.  Mix well.

Serve.

It's also delicious to eat cold as leftovers.

Baked Manicotti

I remember going to a dine-in Pizza Hut restaurant often when I was a kid.  We would put songs on the jukebox like "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns'n'Roses, "More Than Words" by Extreme and "To be with You" by Mr. Big.  Does anyone else remember that song?!  Or do jukeboxes even exist anymore?!  Anyway, we'd be sitting at the table listening to the same songs every time, and I would be looking around at all the stuff on the walls, and my eyes would drift to the table.  Then, I would see it.  The spice of death known as Red Pepper Flakes.  My eyes widened, and a fear came over me.  How could anyone like that stuff!  Maybe Smaug, the dragon, appreciates it because no human on earth could possibly like their mouth to be one fire when eating pizza.  To further my point, recently we went to a pizza place, and my two-year old tends to get a little excited with sprinkling things on her pizza.  Apparently, she grabbed the red pepper flakes when I wasn't looking and sprinkled a bunch on her pizza.  Well, since she eats as much as an ant in a day, I thought I'd finish off one of her pieces.  Holy piece of death!  There were so many red pepper flakes on that bad boy, and I had no idea until I took a bite.  It was crazy, folks.  My mouth was burning for like 30 minutes.  Well, despite my fear of red pepper flakes that stemmed as a child in Pizza Hut, I have come to appreciate them in red pasta sauce.  The flavor disperses and gives the pasta sauce a bit of a kick.  I know the recipe says "optional" for them, but try it out if you never have!  I'm telling you, it does wonders for your pasta sauce.

Now a quick blurb on this manicotti... When I told my husband I was making this, he was not thrilled.  He's not a fan of ricotta, so he was thinking that it would be pasta tubes filled with 1 c of manicotti.  These are different, my friends!  They use lasagna noodles and are rolled up.  It's more like lasagna rolls than manicotti, and they were amazing!  The sauce was great, there wasn't too much ricotta in each one, and when I told my son it was like lasagna, he ate four of these, which is crazy because he eats as much as two ants in a day.

This recipe will not disappoint!


Baked Manicotti
source: America's Test Kitchen The New Family Cookbook pg. 363
photo source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/best-baked-manicotti/

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes (optional)
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 c fresh basil (or 1 1/2 T dried)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs ricotta
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
2 T minced fresh parsley (or 3/4 t dried)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (The flat kind)

1 c mozzarella or Parmesan for the top

In a large pot, cook oil, garlic, and pepper flakes until fragrant- 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn of the heat, and add 3/4 t basil, salt, and pepper.  Cover to keep warm,

Mix ricotta, 1 c Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, parsley, 3/4 t basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Mix well.

Pour 1 inch of boiling water into a 9x13 pan.  Slip the lasagna noodles in, one at a time.  Let the noodles soak for 5 minutes, using a knife to make sure they don't stick together.  Remove the noodles and place them on a clean dish towel.  Pour the water out and dry the pan.

Preheat the oven to 375, with the rack in the middle position.  Spread 1 1/2 c sauce into the 9x13 pan. Working with a few noodles at a time, spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture onto each noodle.  Spread the ricotta evenly onto the bottom 3/4 of the noodle.  Starting at the bottom, roll up the noodle.  Place it seam side down in the pan.  Finish the remaining noodles and cover completely with the remaining sauce.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the pan.  Take the foil off and cover with 1 c mozzarella or Parmesan, or a mixture of both.  Broil 6 inches from the broiler for 4-6 minutes or until the cheese is spotty brown.

Let cool for ten minutes.

Tortellini With Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

It's election day!  Two stories:

1. When I checked in to vote, the cute little old man was finding my name.  After looking at my ballot, he said, "So, your first name is Frank" and looked up.  I smiled at him as he quickly realized that my first name is not Frank, clearly.  Although, I could be the girl named Frank like the boy named Sue.  The two of us would be unstoppable.  Too bad dear ol' Johnny Cash has passed on.  He'd be behind me 100% for a new song about a girl named Frank.

2.  I'm not too big into politics, but luckily, my husband is, so he filled out my ballot.  However, when I was on my way to vote, I saw a candidate's sign on the side of the road with some brightly-colored helium balloons flying around in the wind.  I read whose sign it was and made up my mind that I'm voting for that person.  Balloons are fun, so clearly, so is the politician that put up those balloons.  Don't you think that politics needs a little more fun?!  I'd like to see this taken to the next level.  Freshly baked brownies next to campaign signs.  Massage therapists willing to work their magic while spewing a candidates views on political issues.  Heck, if one of them offered a plate of this tasty pasta for a vote, I'd give my vote in a heartbeat!  This stuff is amazing.  The sausage gives it a little heat, the cream gives you the advantage of gaining some winter padding, the fennel adds a delicious new taste, and the spinach provides some nutrition.  And the cheese... well, it's cheese!  My husband and I loved this meal so... very... much.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

source for recipe and picture: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/tortellini-with-italian-sausage-fennel-and-mushrooms

1 T olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through the core, thinly sliced lengthwise, about 3 cups

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled

1 8 oz. package of mushrooms

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 T fennel seeds

1/2 c heavy cream

1 c. low sodium chicken broth

16 oz. tortellini

5 oz. package of fresh baby spinach

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced fennel, sausage, and mushrooms.  Cook until the sausage is cooked through- 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute.  Stir in the cream and chicken broth. Boil until the liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened- 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to package directions for al dente.  Drain.  Return the tortellini to the same pot.

Add the sausage mixture to the pot with the tortellini.  Toss over medium heat until blended.  Add spinach and toss for a couple minutes until the spinach is slightly wilted.  Stir in 1/2 c Parmesan cheese.  Add 1/4 c mozzarella if you love extra cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

My Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs

I am aware that I have a bajillion recipes for spaghetti and meatballs on here, but this one takes the cake.  If you prefer a plate of overcooked noodles, and a blob of dark red, salty, store-bought sauce on top with frozen meatballs, go ahead and close the tab.  This is more of  restaurant-style spaghetti where less is more.  When I told my husband that this is the spaghetti I was making, he busted into a Celtic riverdance.  It's his favorite, and I think it's mine, too!  The sauce has so much flavor, and the meatballs are tender and flavorful as well.  Give it a shot!  You won't regret it! 

 My Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs
source: An old beat-up stained photo copied paper from my mom

Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together:
1/2 c unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. plus 2 T Parmesan cheese
1/4 c whole milk
1/4 c beef broth
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley or 1 T dried parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1 T dried oregano
1/2 T minced garlic
1/2 T kosher salt
1/2 T black pepper (tone it down if you have kids)
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (again, use less if you don't like the flavor heat)

Add:
1 lb ground beef

Stir together and shape into meatballs.  Place them on a greased baking dish, spacing them evenly without touching.

Cover bottom of baking dish with:
1 c low sodium beef broth

Bake for 25 minutes.  Reserve the pan juices for the sauce.

For the Sauce:

Saute in 1/4 c olive oil:
1 1/2 c yellow onion, diced
Saute for about 4 minutes.

Stir in:
2 t. garlic, minced
Cook for 30 seconds

Add and simmer:
3 cans (14 1/ oz) whole plum tomatoes, crushed (I used diced and put them in a food chopped before adding them to the sauce.  I'm not a huge fan of tomato chunks.)
1/2 c reserved meatball pan drippings (or as much as you have)
1/2 minced fresh parsley (or 2 T dried)
1 T sugar
1 t crushed red pepper flakes (use less, if desired)
salt to taste

Simmer this for 15 minutes.

Start boiling the water for the pasta.

Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for ten minutes.

Cook 1 lb. pasta according to package directions.  Cook to al dente.  Drain the pasta.

Stir the noodles into the sauce and toss well to coat.

Top with Parmesan cheese.

This stuff is so good.  I don't know why I ever even tried any other recipes!  This one is perfect!  The most perfect spaghetti and meatballs in the entire world!  No universe!  Because I'm sure that there are some martians out there somewhere that are really big into Italian food, but they've got nothing on this!

Italian Drunken Noodles with Sausage and Peppers

Would you ever try to make Mexican food without cheese?  How about bread without flour?  Maybe making shish-ka-bobs without skewers.  Riiightt... Well, I was all gung-ho to make this dish.  I started it, and got all the way to the part where I add the tomatoes.  I go into my tomato storage in my closet, and there are no tomatoes.  Don't panic... I text three different neighbors, and the only one that had some on hand was out of the house.  I could have thrown in the towel, tossed the kids in the car, and headed to McDonald's for the ump-teenth time.  I kept on keeping on.  I just followed the recipe exactly minus the tomatoes.  It turned out amazing!  I'm not a huge chunky tomato fan anyway, so this fit the bill for me.  The different peppers, the cooking wine, and the sausage made for a delicious one pot meal. 

Italian Drunken Noodles with Sausage and Peppers
source: http://thecozyapron.com/a-cozy-pasta-italian-drunken-noodles-and-shaking-things-up-a-bit/

Olive oil
4 Italian mild sausages, casings removed
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 1/2 t salt
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, whole (just kidding- thinly sliced)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c white wine (I used dry cooking white wine)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice (I didn't have any tomatoes on hand, so I omitted this)
2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 c basil, cut into strips, divided
8 oz. pasta (I used extra thick spaghetti noodles- original recipe called for Pappardelle)
fresh Parmesan

Heat 2 T olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Once it's hot, add the Italian sausages.  While they are cooking, break them up into chunks. Brown the sausage on all sides.  Once it's browned, remove it and set it aside.

Add the onions to the same pan.  Cook them for about five minutes.  Stir them often and add more olive oil if necessary.

After the are browned a bit and soft, add the salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper.  Stir,  Add the bell peppers.  Saute for a couple minutes.

Add the garlic; Cook a minute longer.

Add in the wine and allow it to reduced almost completely.  Stir occasionally. Add the diced tomatoes and the cooked sausage.  Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add 1-2 T more olive oil.

Stir in the parsley and half of the sliced basil.

Keep warm while you cook the noodles.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it, and add it to the sauce.  Use tongs to gently toss it all together.

Serve onto a plate and top with the remaining basil and fresh Parmesan.

Louisiana Pasta

One night, I wanted to find a recipe using chicken and shrimp in pasta.  I did a little googling, and found this recipe.  Sweet mercy!  It is amazing.  The original recipe was a copycat of a Johnny Carino's recipe for Spicy chicken and shrimp pasta.  I had never had that, but I did have some Lousiana Pasta at Lucille's recently, and it tasted just like this!  I loved the addition of bell pepper and sausage in the Lucille's dish, so I added them to this recipe.  This is one of my favorite dishes ever.  I've made it for company a few times, and they always want seconds, if I didn't polish it off after third helpings.  This stuff is dynamite!

Louisiana Pasta (Lucille's BBQ Copy Cat Recipe)
source: modified from http://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-shrimp-and-chicken-pasta-like-carinos-288012

Serves 6-8
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
3 T butter
20 medium shrimp, thawed (I didn't have any on hand but it's tasty with it)
1/2 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced
1 c mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 c sun-dried tomatoes or freshly diced tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips (I only used red)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 c heavy cream
1/2 c Romano and/or Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2- 1 1/2 t cayenne, depending on your spicy preference
16 oz dry penne pasta

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the diced chicken, sausage, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, and salt and pepper.  Saute, stirring often, until the mushrooms and shrimp are cooked thoroughly.

Add the cream, Romano or Parmesan, and the cayenne.  The first time I made it, I did the full 1 1/2 t of cayenne.  It was amazing.  My kids thought they were going to breathe fire after taking one bite, so I've toned it down to 1/2 t or less of cayenne.  The dish as Lucille's like this is quite spicy, so I'm sure they would use the full 1 1/2 t of cayenne.

Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer and let the cream reduce by half.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente by following the directions on the package.  Drain.

If the pasta sauce is still really thin, combine 2 T milk with 2 T corn starch in a small bowl.  Stir to combine.  While stirring the sauce, add the cornstarch mixture slowly.  Let the sauce heat up again, and the mixture should thicken a bit.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce.  Toss to combine.

 You can sprinkle a little more Parmesan on top once it's on the plates.  It's a nice little touch.

Baked Four Cheese Penne Pasta

When my husband asked what the four cheeses were for this dish, I said, "sharp cheddar, mas-car-pony, er, mascapon, uh, marscapone.  You know that one that starts with an m.  And gruyear, uh, guyerre, er, gorilla, or something like that.  And fonti.... here is the recipe.  I can't pronounce these crazy cheeses, but I'm sure it'll be delicious!"  And, it was.  Despite the fact that I could have bought two filet mignon steaks for the same price as these four cheese, I loved it!  The flavor of the cheese sauce was incredible.  I loved the crunchy Panko topping, and the melty, gooey, goodness all over the pasta.  I can't make this too often since the cheese will cost you your first born, but it is amazing.

Baked Four Cheese Penne Pasta

source: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/03/four-cheese-baked-skillet-rigatoni/

1 pound penne (or whatever pasta you like)

1 shallot, minced (I used an 1/4 of an onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 T butter

1/4 c flour

2 c milk

1/3 c mascarpone cheese

8 oz. freshly grated Gruyere cheese

8 oz. freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz. freshly grated fontina cheese

1/4 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t nutmeg

1/3 c Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

Grate the cheese into a bowl and set aside.  Prepare a pot of water to boil the pasta according to package directions, stopping 3-4 minutes before 'al dente.' Drain 

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat with the butter.  Once hot, add the shallot (or onion). Saute the onion for a couple minutes.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.  

Add flour and whisk for a couple minutes to create a thick paste.  Add the milk a little at a time and whisk to combine.  Cook for a couple minute until it thickens.  Add in the mascarpone and all but 1/2 c of the grated cheeses.  Stir for 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  

Add the drained pasta to the sauce.  Pour into a oven-safe dish.  Top with the remaining cheese and panko breadcrumbs.  You could use regular bread crumbs, but Panko is so much better!

Bake for 30-35 minutes. It should be slightly browned on top and bubbly.

Amazing Spaghetti and Meatballs

I think I have the pickiest child on the planet.  I'll spend two hours in the kitchen preparing an awesome five-course meal.  He'll look at his plate and tell me, "umm.. Mom, can I please have cereal instead?"  sigh.  Despite his pickiness, I can always rely on spaghetti and meatballs.  Everyone in the family loves that- especially this recipe.  The original recipe was from a Taste of Home cookbook for puttanesca sauce, but I omit the anchovies, olives, and capers to make it more similar to regular ol' spaghetti sauce.  I upped the garlic and oregano from the original recipe as well.  I've sort of made it my own, but I love it.  The flavor and consistency is the best.  This is also perfect sauce for Chicken Parmesan.  The meatball recipe is one I made up as well.  I don't claim it to be the best meatball in the world, but once it's covered in this sauce, they can't get much better.  Serve this with rosemary focaccia for a meal worthy of any Italian restaurant.  

 Amazing Spaghetti and Meatballs
source: adapted from pasta alla puttanesca from Taste of Home Cookbook- New Edition

3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, pureed in a blender or chopper
1 1/4 c water
1 can (6 oz tomato paste)
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t pepper

Thin Spaghetti Noodles

Meatballs:
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs
3 T milk
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 T dried parsley
1 t oregano
1 t minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is warm, add the onion.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the tomatoes (You can put them in without pureeing them, but I don't like chunks).  Add the water, tomato, paste, and seasonings.  Bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer.

The original recipe says to simmer for 10-15 minutes, but I let mine simmer for at least 1-2 hours.  That way, it thickens up and the flavors tend to blend a little better.  If you want to use fresh herbs instead, add them in during the last 20 minutes of simmering.

While it is simmering, prepare the meatballs.  Preheat the oven to 400.

In a large mixing bowl, add the panko bread crumbs.  Pour the milk over them. Let this sit for about ten minutes.  The milk will soak into the crumbs.  Crumble the ground beef over the top.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix well, but don't overmix.  If the mixture seems too wet, you can add some more Parmesan or some italian style breadcrumbs.

Shape them into golf ball-sized meatballs.

Place them on a aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Once they're done, place them in the sauce.

Prepare the spaghetti noodles to 'al dente' according to package directions.  Drain.

Plop some noodles onto a plate, and top them with some sauce and meatballs.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

What is it about spaghetti and meatballs that is so delicious?

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

I went to Koh'ls today with my five week old, and this grandma wearing a white cotton co-ordinate outfit with floral arrangments on it came up behind me and wascarrying on about how little and cute she was.  Once I told her that the baby's name was Scarlet she said,  "Oh- I just saw Scarlet 'Yohansen' in "We Bought a Zoo.  She was fantastic!"  Then she starts on with a Marco Polo exchange with her husband who was wandering somewhere around in the men's sock department.  She called, "Lenny!  Where are you, Lenny?" I heard a distant reply, "Shirley?  Where are ya, Shirley?"  This continued on about five times back and forth until they finally found each other.  I had to laugh.  Then, she asked him where he got the socks from that he was carrying around.  He responded, "I don't remember."  "How can you not remember?!"  "Honestly, Shirley, you really expect me to remember?"  I wanted to follow these two around all day.

After a successful trip to Kohl's to get some pants, I came home and made this quick and easy meal.  I craved shrimp nonstop when I was pregnant, but I wasn't supposed to eat it.  I was thrilled to finally get to make something with shrimp.  I found this recipe on Melskitchencafe.com, and I loved it!  I love every stinkin' recipe I have tried from her website.  Mel, I salute you!  This recipe is not knock-you-to-the-floor delicious, but it is wonderful.  I loved the light butter-garlic-parsley sauce.  I served it with some Heat-before-you-eat Le Brea Focaccia rolls and a salad.  Delicioso! 

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
source: Melskitchencafe.com 
4 servings

Canola/vegetable oil
salt
3 T butter
2 1/2 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails trimmed (I used the frozen precooked ones and just trimmed off the tails)
1/4 t freshly cracked pepper
3/4 t salt
3 T chopped parsley
zest from one lemon
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 t red pepper flakes
6 oz linguine

Boil salted water and add a little olive oil.  Cook the linguine as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and saute for about one minute.

 Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper.  Saute for a couple minutes until the shrimp is cooked through.  If it is fresh, cook it until the shrimp turns pink, about five minutes.  If it is frozen and thawed, cook about three minutes or until heated through.

 Zest the lemon.

 Once the shrimp is cooked, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

 Once the pasta is done, drain it.  Put it back in the pot and add the shrimp mixture.  Toss to combine. 

There you have it! 

Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs

I've been on a kick lately for telling a story completely unrelated to the food.  Well, hold on to your hats because here is another story.  And since I am boycotting Facebook, this is my social interaction and my place to tell stories that might make you laugh.  When I was growing up, my oldest brother was a typical oldest child.  He would make all the rules.  He would flip a double-sided coin with my other brother and I and say that whoever got heads got to be the ruler and the others were his slaves.  Luckily, despite all the slavery I endured, they were both awesome older brothers that I still love and adore.  Well, the oldest one asked me to play Monopoly with him and his friend once.  I reluctantly agreed.  Well, as per usual, I am losing terribly and about to go bankrupt.  However, instead of letting me quit, he gets out a pen and paper to keep track of my debts.  I'm sure this was all great fun for him and his friend.  Not only did they tally my debt, but for every 1000 I was in the hole, I would have to make them "sammiches" or in his world, Grilled Cheese sandwiches.  I don't remember how many 1000s I was in debt, but I do recall making them quit a few grilled cheese sandwiches.  Now, my gameboard-hating husband busts out of nowhere last week, "I want to play Monopoly.  Can I go buy it?"  I reluctantly agreed.  We played that night, and sure enough, I was going down, down, down.  I landed on one of his huge monopolies with a hotel, and I declared, "I'm done."  He tried to get me to keep playing, but I said, "No sammiches for you!"  There is no way that I'm enslaving myself to making grilled cheese sandwiches for another monopoly-loving sammich-loving male in my life. 

However, maybe if I could convince him to let me go into debt to make this spaghetti and meatball recipe, I'd be willing to give the game another try.  I love spaghetti and meatballs- especially when it is sauce and meatballs from scratch.  Good grief.  This was a great recipe.  It's actually two different recipes from the food network.  Thanks Emeril for the sauce and Tyler Florence for the meatballs.  You're both grand!  These meatballs are behemoth.  They are about the size of your fist and baked while covered with sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Angels I have not heard on high, but I'm pretty sure that if these meatballs could sing, I'd be hearing them loud and clear while singing heavenly praises.  I'd say this recipe is worth every minute it takes to make it.

 Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs
source: meatballs- Tyler Florence and sauce- Emeril Lagasse

ingredients:
meatballs:
olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 t parsley
1/2 c milk
2 slices firm white bread, crust removed (I used regular bread and toasted it a bit to dry it out)
3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese

Sauce:

1 T olive oil
3/4 c chopped onion
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t crushed pepper (don't omit this!)
1 t dried oregano
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t basil
1/4 t ground black pepper
28 oz whole peeled tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
3 T tomato paste
1 c water
1/2 t sugar
1/4 c parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (you can use the store-bought sprinkling stuff, if you'd like)

For the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, and black pepper.  Cook for about five minutes. 

Pour out the whole tomatoes in a bowl and squeeze to break them into smaller pieces.  Add these, the tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the pan with the onion mixture.  Stir.  Add the water, sugar, and parmesan to the pot.  Bring to a simmer then lower the heat to medium-low.  Let it simmer for 45 minutes while you make the meatballs.  Stir it occasionally. 

For the meatballs:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet.  Add the onion, garlic, and parsley.  Saute for about five minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 While the onions are cooking, place the firm white bread in a bowl and cover it with milk.  Let this sit for about 5-10 minutes. 

 After it has sat for awhile, squeeze the excess milk out of the bread.  Place the bread aside and dump the remaining milk.

By the way- this was so hard for me to do.  Soggy bread has got to be one of the grossest feeling things in the world. 

 Place the two kinds of meat  in a large bowl.

 Add the onion mixture, the squeezed-out bread, the egg, the Parmesan cheese, and the salt and pepper.  Mix well

 Here is what it will look like once it is all combined. 

 While you form the meatballs, heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  You can see here how gigantic the meatballs are.  They are about 3-4 inches in diameter.  Brown them on all sides in the oil-taking about 10 minutes of cooking time.  Be very careful with them!  They are tender little guys and can fall apart easily.  I flipped mine gently using two forks. 

 Once they are browned, place them in a baking dish. 

 Top them with some sauce and mozzarella cheese.  I wish I would have used more cheese.  You all know how much I love cheese.

 Bake them (covered) in the oven for about 15-20 or until they are cooked through. 

 While they are baking, cook the spaghetti noodles (to al dente).  Drain.  Dish up the spaghetti noodles, top with some sauce.

 Place a couple huge meatballs on top of that. Sprinkle with parsley and fresh Parmesan.  I was all out.  :(

Serve with a Cesear salad and French bread.  Who needs to eat out at an italian restaraunt when there are recipes like this around?  One last thing... The best way to finish off a delicious Italian meal is to end it with Spumoni ice cream.  If you've never had Spumoni, may the Lord have mercy on your soul.  It is amazing!  They serve it at "The Old Spaghetti Factory" and it is delightful.  I served it after this meal, and we all devoured every last drop. May you be able to do the same.

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-ups

When I was trying to figure out what to do today for dinner, I seriously had a list of six new recipes to try.  As I made my grocery list, I had every intention of making a homemade marinara to go with this.  However, with the other recipes on my list, I hung my head in shame as I bought a jar of bottled marinara sauce.  *Enter blood-curdling scream* I really could taste the difference, but this was still a great recipe.  It's fairly easy, too.  Next time, when I don't have a million other things going on in the kitchen, I will make homemade sauce.  I loved the pepperoni and provolone in there.  I added fresh basil, too, and that was quite the tasty little addition.

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-ups

source: Taste of Home Italian Favorites

6 lasagna noodles

1 1/2 c ricotta cheese

1 t minced chives (I omitted this)

1 t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

bag of pepperoni

6 slices provolone

fresh basil leaves (optional, but delicious)

2 c meatless spaghetti sauce

mozzarella for the top

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain. 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the ricotta, chives, oregano, and basil in a bowl.  Spread about 1/4 c of ricotta mixture on a noodle.

 Tear the provolone cheese in half and lay it on top of the ricotta mixture.  Top with pepperoni and fresh basil.

 Roll it up.

 Pour some spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  Place the roll-ups on top. (Clearly, I did a couple more than the recipe calls for.)

 Top the roll-ups with the spaghetti sauce.  Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top.  I sprinkled a little dried parsley on it as well.  Cover it with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

As a side note, I love having little helpers in the kitchen.  My kids loved helping me with this recipe.  They could do it almost completely by themselves.  I think kids are more apt to eat what you've made for dinner when they have helped.  I hope to instill a love of cooking to my kids.  :)

Antipasto Kabobs

I think I need to go talk to a psychiatrist about my obsession with food on sticks.  There's just something about it!  I recently got a Taste of Home Italian Favorites book, and when I stumbled upon this recipe, I lit up like the leg lamp on "A Christmas Story." First off, antipasto is great anyway.  There nothing wrong with marinated cheese and meat in my book.  Then, you add some fresh basil, olives, and tortellini.  Good Grief.  Talk about a dream come true.  If you're having a dinner party with Italian food, bust out these little appetizers.  People will think that Criss Angel showed up because these will just disappear.  Oh, yes I did. 

Antipasto Kabobs
Source: Taste of Home Italian Favorites

1 pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini
40 pimiento stuffed olives (I didn't use these)
40 black olives
40 chunks of mozzarella
3/4 c Italian dressing
40 slices of pepperoni (I was all out of this, too)
20 thin slices of hard salami, cut in half
fresh basil or parsley

*Keep in mind that this recipe will make 40 little appetizers.  If you are doing this for your family, you can cut the recipe down to fit your needs.

Cook the tortellini according to package directions.  Once it's done, rinse it with cold water.  Let it cool for a little bit.  Once it's cooled off, place the tortellini, olives, and mozzarella in a large plastic bag.  Add the Italian dressing.  Let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

For the mozzarella, you can use string cheese and cut it into chunks.

Once that is done marinating, take it out of the fridge.  Use toothpicks and skewer one tortellini, 1 piece of salami, 1 piece of pepperoni, a chunk of mozzarella, a piece of basil, and one of each olive.  If you can't fit it all on a toothpick, you can vary what you put on each toothpick or use large wooden skewers cut in half.

That's it!  My daughter helped me assemble these, and she loved it.  I think I'm passing on my kabobiness.  Oh, dear. 

Herbed Cheese Pizza (with, quite possibly, the best crust ever, by the way)

I wanted to blog this recipe last night, but my husband was streaming Ancient Aliens on our laptop.  Have any of you seen that show?  Are these people serious?  If you haven't, here's an example of what goes on in the show: Long ago, a woman was baking a pizza.  While she was doing the dough, she left it in a draftless, warm place.  About an hour later... it had doubled in size.  Is there any other explanation than ALIENS?!  They must have zapped down in through the microwave, probed the dough, and implanted some extraterrestrial matter into the dough to make it increase in size.  *Cut to a man with an orange face, poofy black hair, and a black velvet sport coat* "Ancient texts have alluded to the existance of a disc coming down and manipulating all the dough in the city of Greece.  In my opinion, the notion of dough-puffing aliens is perfectly conceivable after reading these texts." 

On the serious side, the crust on this pizza was out of this world.  If there are ancient or modern aliens, they may just come down here to get a taste of this stuff.  It's the best crust I've made yet.  If I don't blog this recipe, I'll lose it forever!  I think it helps that aliens came down and carved stone into a perfect circle (there's no other explanation!) and packaged it in a Food Network Pizza Stone box and beamed it to me for my thirtieth birthday.  Oh, wait... My husband gave that to me.  Well, bless his soul because this pizza was amazing.  I know it will still come out great if you don't have a pizza stone because the dough was fantastic.  Next time I do this pizza, I'm making it right: pepperoni, mozzarella, Italian sausage, black olives, red onions, fresh minced basil and oregano, and maybe mushrooms if I'm feeling crazy. 

Herbed Cheese Pizza:
source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2003

dough:
1 c bread flour, divided
1/2 t sugar
1 package dry yeast ( 2 1/4 t)
1 c warm water
1 1/4 c flour, divided
1/2 t salt
1 t olive oil

topping:
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper, divided
1/2 t olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 t salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
14 oz can tomatoes
Provolone slices or mozzarella
1 1/2 T fresh parsley

Combine 1/2 c bread flour, sugar, yeast, and 1/2 c warm water in a bowl.  Let it rest for 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 c flour, 1/2 c bread flour, and 1/2 t salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, 1/2 c warm water, and 1 t oil.  Stir well. 

Place the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  Mix on low speed for about ten minutes or until it is smooth.  I ended up adding the last 1/4 c flour because the dough was really, really sticky.  Once it's smooth, place it in a greased bowl and set it in warm place, free of drafts (and aliens) until it doubles in size.  I always put a glass container of boiling water in the back corner of my microwave and put the bowl in there.  it works like a charm!  It took about 45 minutes. 

Take the bowl out and divide it into to portions.  This much dough will make one 7 inch pizza and and 14ish inch pizza.  Cover the portions of dough and let it rest for twenty minutes.

For the topping, combine the oregano, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 t pepper.  Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook for three minutes.  Add 1/4 t pepper, 1/2 t salt, garlic, bay leaf, and tomatoes.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.  Simmer for 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  If you have a pizza stone (they rule!), place it on the bottom rack of the oven while it is preheating. 

Using one portion of dough at a time, roll it out pretty thin.  Place the rolled out crust on a baking sheet with cornmeal on the bottom.  Add the sauce, top with cheese, and sprinkle with the herb/spice mixture. 

Bake for 12 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.   Sprinkle with parsley.

Now, one stress-inducing step you get to skip if you don't have a pizza stone is transferring the uncooked, dressed pizza dough onto the hot pizza stone.  Oh, man!  Here's how I did it.  I flipped a regular pizza pan over and covered it with corn meal.  I put the dough on there and adding all the toppings.  I opened the oven... leaned down... got blasted with 450 degree heat... and slowly shook the pizza pan until the dough slid onto the pizza stone.  Phew!   I thought for sure that it was going flop into a big pile of mess onto the pizza stone.  Thank goodness it didn't. 

If you don't want to make the homemade sauce, you can use bottled for time's sake.  This dough, however, must be tried! 

Alfredo Sauce

If you're looking for healthy, low-fat recipes, this recipe is not for you.  There is nothing low-fat about this sauce, but man alive it is amazing.  I've made several alfredo sauce recipes in my day, but this one takes the cake.  The flavor and texture is amazing.  It's very simple, too!  I've had company over a few times when this has been on the menu, and the guests always say how great this sauce is.  One of the girls even said that she's never liked alfredo sauce, but she dumped out her glass of Kool-aid and filled it with this sauce.  :)  Okay, she didn't do that, but she did love it.  You cannot go wrong with this recipe.  I served it over tortellini with shredded Parmesan cheese and parsley.  You can serve it with any pasta you'd like.  For a complete meal, add a piece of grilled chicken atop the bed of alfredo and serve with a Caeser salad.  Get ready to grub!

Alfredo Sauce

source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook Secret Recipes

1/2 c butter

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 c heavy cream

1/4 t white pepper (you can sub black pepper)

1/2 Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 c mozzarella cheese

pasta

Over medium low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Once it's melted, add the garlic, cream, and pepper.  Heat it to a simmer, stirring often.  Add the Parmesan cheese and cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  Finally, add the mozzarella cheese.  Stir until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.  Serve the sauce over the pasta of your choice.  It's also amazing as a dipping sauce for bread.  I suggest Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls.

Crispy Chicken Parmesan

There are so many people that love Chicken Parmesan, and I am one of them!  After all, it's like a giant chicken finger covered in delicious sauce and cheese.  What's not to like?  We all know that my all-time favorite kid food is chicken fingers.  I was a bit obsessed when I was young.  Back to the recipe.... I've had Chicken Parmesan in several restaurants, and this recipe is just as good or better than all that I have had!  The sauce from this picture is different than the one that we usually use, but I used this meat sauce the same night as the homemade ravioli, and I didn't want to make another sauce.  I would normally use the sauce here.  Either way, it's glorious.  My husband made this for some friends of ours that came over to eat, and they couldn't believe their tastebuds.  They ranted about it all night.  :)

 Crispy Chicken Paremsan
source for Crispy Chicken- America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1 c flour
2 eggs
2 c Panko bread crumbs (If you want super, duper fantastically crispy chicken, you cannot omit these magical crumbs)
3 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Place plastic wrap over a chicken breast and beat it with a mallet until it's 1/4 inch thick.  Make sure that the shiny side is up with the chicken.  It pounds out a little better that way.  Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

 Place the eggs on one shallow plate and beat.  Add the flour to another plate.  Add the Panko bread crumbs to another.

Dip the chicken breast in the flour, making sure that the whole thing is coated.  Dip it in egg next.

 Finally, dip it in the Panko breadcrumbs.  Place on a clean plate until the oil is ready to use.

 Put the oil in a 12-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Once the oil starts to smoke a little bit, add the chicken.  Don't crowd the pan.  Also- if the oil is not hot enough, the bread crumbs will absorb the oil and lead to soggy coating. Cook the chicken 4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 

 Remove from the pan and place on a cookie sheet.  Top with marinara sauce and cheese.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Place atop a bed of spaghetti noodles and serve to happy people.  If they aren't happy when they sit down, they will be once they take a bite of this. 

Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

This recipe was from my very first cookbook.  Memories....  I thought it was delicious then, and I think it's delicious now.  It does have a meat sauce, but you can omit the meat if you'd like.  On the contrary, you can add some Italian sausage in addition to the hamburger for more meat.  :)  I'm more on the "more meat the merrier" side, but I was out of Italian sausage.  Shucks.   

 Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce:
source: Best Recipes of the Great Food Companies

sauce:
1/2 c hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
2 t minced garlic
15 oz tomato puree
6 oz tomato paste
1 t sugar
1/2 t black pepper
1 t basil
1 t salt

shells:
1 c broccoli
1 carrot
1/4 c chopped onion
1/2 lb ricotta
1 1/2 c mozzarella
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 t basil
Jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

Brown the hamburger and onion in a large saucepan.  Once it is browned, remove the grease.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients and let it simmer for 45 minutes (or however long it takes you to get the rest ready.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Start the water for the shells.  Once the water is boiling, add the shells and cook for the minimum time listed on the package. 

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 c mozzarella cheesethe egg, and the Parmesan cheese.  Mix it all together.

 Place the broccoli, carrot, and onion in a food chopper and pulse until it's really small.   Add the vegetable mixture and basil to the cheese mixture. 

 Spread some of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. 

 Scoop some of the cheese mixture into the cooked shells.  Isn't it amazing how I can hold the shell, spoon the stuff in, and take a picture?  Yeah.

 Place the stuffed shells into the baking dish.

 Top with more marinara.

 Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 c of mozzarella.

 Bake, covered,  for 35 minutes. 

There you have it!  You can serve it with a salad, bread, or a vegetable side dish.  Pick your poison!  Only, don't serve poison to your family.  That is generally frowned upon by people- especially your family. :) 

Another perk to this meal is that you can add whatever vegetables your family likes: zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, red pepper, or whatever else you'd like.  You can even omit the vegetables altogether and just stuff it with the cheese mixture.  Either way, it'll be tasty.  Also, if you want to speed up the dish, you can use jarred spaghetti sauce.