High Protein Baked Ziti

MACROS AND CALORIES

6 servings 420 cals 14g fat 35 carb 40 protein

INGREDIENTS;

- 1/2 Box of protein pasta (ziti or penne what ever you can find)
- 1lb of ground beef
- 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup of low fat mozzarella cheese
- 1/5 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 jar of pasta sauce of choice (I used Classico Fire roasted tomato and garlic its lower cal then most pasta sauces I have found)
- 1 whole chopped zucchini
- 1/2 chopped yellow onion
- Spices- garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS;

- Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the back of the box, while that cooks also brown your ground beef adding garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Once both noodles and beef are cooked, combine all above ingredients and mix together well
- Transfer all ingredients into a pyrex dish, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake on 375 for 35 mins
- wait 15mins for it to cool down and serve. (Optional; serve with parsley, red pepper flakes, and more parmesan cheese) ENJOY!

P.S. I typically make DOUBLE the amount so that I can freeze one pyrex dish full and have it ready for a quick dinner on nights I am super busy or don’t feel like cooking. If you are going to freeze a dish, put it in a pyrex DO NOT BAKE IT, cover with foil, and freeze. When you go to eat the frozen dish in the future you can bake it right out of the freezer 375 for 40mins and it taste like you JUST made it!

Million Dollar Ravioli Bake

 Ingredients:

-cooking spray

-1 (25 ounce) package frozen ravioli

-1 pound ground Italian sausage

-1 (28 ounce) jar marinara sauce

-1 cup ricotta

-1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

-1/4 cup sour cream

-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-2 cups shredded creamy mozzarella cheese, such as Kraft®

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, breaking up clumps with a spatula, about 10 minutes. Drain fat from the skillet. Stir in marinara sauce and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, softened cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Add ravioli. Toss to coat.

Spread ravioli in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Pour meat sauce over ravioli. Top with mozzarella cheese. 

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Italian Ground Turkey Veggie Skillet

 -2.5 lbs ground turkey

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp p-epper

-1 tsp chili powder

-1 tsp oregano

-1/2 tsp paprika

-1 tsp onion powder

Veggies:

-1/2 yellow onion

-2 tsp minced garlic

-2 medium zucchini, cut into quarters

-2 bell peppers color of choice, chopped

-1/2 tsp garlic salt

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp oregano

-1/2 tsp basil

-1/2 tsp chili powder

-1/4 tsp paprika

-6 oz tomato paste

-1 cup water

Brown turkey over medium.high heat and drain any excess water/fat.  Add turkey seasonings and stri to combine. Remove and set aside. Drizzle olive oil in pan and add onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant and then add in zucchini and peppers.  Add veggie seasonings.  Cook until desired tenderness.  Add ground turkey back in. Add tomato paste and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve over pasta or rice or with garlic bread.

Lasagna Soup

-1 pound lean ground beef

-1 pound ground sausage

-1 yellow onion, chopped

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-2 T tomato paste

-24 ounces marinara

-1/4 t red pepper flakes

-2 t dried parsley

-1/2 t dried oregano

-1 t dried basil

-4 cups chicken broth 

-4 cups beef broth

-9 ounces lasagna noodles broken into pieces

-10 ounces ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)

-1 cup shredded mozzarella

-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

-Garlic Salt

-Parsley

Brown meat and drain.  Add in onion and garlic.  Add in marinara, paste, and broths.  Season with herbs.   Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan with garlic salt and parsley.  Set aside.  When soup begins to boil, add in broken lasagna noodles and boil for 10 - 12 minutes.  Place soup in bowl and serve with a dollop of the ricotta mixture on top.

Orecchiette with Veal, Capers, and White Wine

From the kitchen of Kevin Kmetz 

(courtesy of foodandwine.com)

Serves 4 (double batch serves 8)

- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lb ground veal
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay works well)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
- 2 Tbsp small capers, rinsed 
- 3/4 lb orecchiette 
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 

Step 1) 

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add the veal, season with salt and pepper, and raise the heat to high.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veal is no longer pink and any liquid has evaporated (about 8 minutes).  Remove excess grease.

Step 2) 

Add the white wine to the skillet and boil over high heat until nearly evaporate (about 5 minutes).  Add the chicken stock, rosemary, and capers and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).

Step 3)

Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain the pasta well and add it to the skillet along with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, parsley, and butter.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick and creamy (1-2 minutes).  Transfer to bowls and serve right away

PW Bowtie Pasta

  2 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. mild Italian pork sausage, casing removed

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. bowtie pasta

3 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 

4 c. small broccoli florets (from 1 8-oz. piece of broccoli)

1/2 c. julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil

1/3 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Red chili flakes, for serving (optional)

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the sausage. Cook, breaking the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until it is golden brown and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a plate and set aside. 
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the pasta, broth, 2 cups of water, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium or medium low to keep it simmering for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. Stir in the broccoli. Cover the pot and let cook until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, about 5 minutes, stirring half-way through. 
5. Uncover the pot. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and reserved sausage. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. 
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Serve topped with more parmesan cheese and red chili flakes, if you like. 

Ravioli in Creamy Pesto Sauce

 -2 package Ricotta Cheese Ravioli 
-1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
-2 shallots, sliced thinly into half-moons
-salt and pepper to taste
-8 ounce jar pesto 
-12 ounce bag frozen peas
-1 ladle of hot pasta water
-8 ounces heavy cream
-1 tsp lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
-4 fistfuls baby spinach
-freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
-1 cup toasted pine nuts, optional

Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles

1 pounds bulk Italian sausage

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (one 28 ounces, one 15 ounces) crushed tomatoes

2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste

2/3 cup water

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, divided

2 teaspoons dried basil

3/4 teaspoon fennel seed

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (3/4 lb)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning, 1 tsp

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Drain.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 3 tablespoons parsley, basil, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, and remaining parsley and salt.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 2 cups meat sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and a third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses (dish will be full).

Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Pasta Da Vinci (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

• 1 pound  penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons  butter divided
• 1 pound chicken breast meat cut into 1" chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms sliced (you can use crimini if you want)
• 2 cloves  garlic
• 1 cup  Madeira wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup  sour cream
• 1 cup  heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the pasta one minute shy of the directions on the box and drain.
2. In a cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter.
3. Add the chicken, salt and pepper in the pan on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring once in the middle.
4. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside with the pasta.
5. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter.
6. Add in mushrooms and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes.
7. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan with the mushrooms and add your onions.
8. Cook on medium-low for 5-7 minutes or until caramelized.
9. Add in the garlic and cook one additional minute.
10. Add the wine and 1 cup chicken broth and let reduce by 3/4 of the liquid (10-12 minutes depending on how hot the skillet and flame are).
11. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and final tablespoon of butter.
12. Whisk until it is well combined.
13. Add in the chicken and pasta and stir to combine.
14. Serve immediately.
15. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

1 lb. cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. torn fresh basil

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. angel hair

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic and basil and season generously with salt and pepper. Let sit 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair until al dente, 4 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and season with Italian seasoning salt, and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, 10 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
4. Add tomato mixture and sliced chicken to angel hair and toss until fully combined.
5. Top with Parmesan and serve.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 2.5 pounds), cubed and fully cooked
• 1 to 1.5 jars of marinara sauce
• ½ cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced as thin as possible
• 2 cups panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• Fresh, chopped herbs (I use basil...about 1/4 cup or so) 
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Layer the chicken in the bottom. Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with both cheeses until all the chicken is covered.
4. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs and a dash of salt and pepper together.
5. Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the top.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

15 lasagna noodles , cooked

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained

1 (15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings

salt and fresh pepper

(optional) 1 chicken breast, cooked and diced

32 oz tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)

15 Tablespoons part skim mozzarella cheese , shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Make sure you drain the spinach well. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasonings, 1 cup mozzarella, chicken, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry by patting them with a paper towel. Take heaping spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 15 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Baked Anelletti

Ragu’

-1 onion

-1 carrot

-celery

-parsley

-olive oil

-1/2 pound ground pork

-1/2 pound ground beef

-white wine

-tomato sauce

-Green peas

-Salt and pepper to taste

Cream Sauce

-3 tablespoons butter

-3 tablespoons flour

-3 cups milk

-1 pound anelletti

-Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

-Mozzarella

First of all prepare the ragù as follows.  Finely mince together the onion, carrot, celery and parsley.

Put the minced vegetables together with the meats in a large pot, add olive oil and  brown them. Raise the heat to high and add the wine. Let most evaporate off. Add the salt, pepper and tomato sauce.

Cook covered over very low heat for 30 minutes. Add the green peas you have boiled before,  and continue cooking another 15 minutes. Stop cooking when the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile make the cream sauce.  If you find it ready, you do not need to prepare it.

Otherwise make it as follows.  Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan and stir in the flour to make a paste. Slowly add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add pepper and nutmeg.

Combine the ragù and cream sauce and set aside. Keep 1 cup separate to spoon on top of the casserole.

Cook the anelletti until very “al dente”, about 7 minutes.  Do not over cook as they will cook in the oven again.  Drain and combine the anelletti with the ragù and cream sauce mixture.  Add some pieces of mozzarella cheese and some parmesan cheese. Transfer to the casserole dish and spread the remaining sauce on top.  Add on top some pieces of mozzarella cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the top is nicely browned, about 30 minutes.

Good appetite!

From the kitchen of Teresa Ferreri.

Kelley's Stromboli

This recipe yields two stromboli, so half it if you don't think you'll need two....

-2 Italian bread doughs (appx 1 lb each, or if you use a freezer dough is fine)

-1 lb hot cappicola (sliced)

-1/2 lb sandwich pepperoni (sliced)

-1/2 lb honey ham (sliced)

-1 lb mozzarella cheese slices

-1 lb provolone cheese slices

-Mild banana pepper rings

-Olive Oil

-Dried basil seasoning

-Parmesan cheese

-Garlic powder

-Fresh ground black pepper

-Foil

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1) Flour a very large surface (we use our kitchen table); *keep flour nearby!

2) Flour rolling pin and start rolling out dough until it measures about 2 feet long by 2 feet wide and is thin, but not transparent.  *Keep dusting with flour if roller is sticking or dough is sticking to table.  If the dough tears from being rolled too thin, no worries, you can wet your finger with water and re-work the area.

3) Starting at upper right corner (leaving about 2 inches of dough at top), layer hot cappicola, pepperoni, provolone cheese in that order all the way down, like a column, leaving 2 inches of dough at the bottom.  I use about two slices of cappicola, one slice of pepperoni, one slice of provolone.

4) With the help of another person, carefully lift the right side you just layered and fold it over towards the left one time.

5) Now on the layer you just rolled, leaving the same 2 inches at the top, work your way down layering one slice of honey ham, one slice of pepperoni, one slice of mozzarella, in that order, all the way down (leaving 2 inches at the bottom)

6) Put pepper rings on this layer (careful not to get too much pepper brine as it will get soggy then), we like a lot of peppers, but its your choice.

7) Again with the help of someone, flip the left side of the dough over this rolled layer, extending about an inch past; tuck that extension under the roll; gently seal any tears, splits

8) Fold up the top and bottom 2 inches of dough to seal it.

9) Drizzle olive oil on the top, followed by the remaining ingredients; using your hands, rub this all over the top of the stromboli

10) With the help of another, carefully place stromboli on a thick sheet of foil, that's been folded up on all sides to prevent leaks. We do this because we don't have a pan long enough to accomodate!  Place in oven on middle rack; Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until nice and golden brown and bubbling.

11) Let rest for a few minutes once done, slice and enjoy :-)

Baked Ravioli Casserole

-1 Bag of frozen ravioli
-1 jar of marinara sauce
-2 cups of mozzarella cheese



Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in single layer over sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20-30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

-6 Tablespoons Butter
-4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
-2 bags Baby Spinach
-2 cans Artichoke Hearts, Drained And Halved
-3 Tablespoons Flour
-3 cups Whole Milk
-1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
-Salt And Pepper, to taste
-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
-1-1/2 cup Mozzarella Or Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
-1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (less Or More)
-12 ounces, weight Penne, Cooked Until Al Dente
-1/2 cup Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
-Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet. Add garlic and throw in the spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat and set aside.


Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high. Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.


Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk until it's combined. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Add Parmesan, Mozzarella/Monterey Jack, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt, and if it's overly thick, splash in chicken broth.


Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.


Serve immediately!


From the kitchen of The Pioneer Woman.

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on October 8 2012

Italian Wedding Soup

I attempted making wedding soup this weekend for the first time.  I've been hesitant to make it...nothing quite compares to my mom's or grandma's.  After combining a few recipes online, this is what I came up with...

It turned out pretty tasty with three happy boys gobbling it up tonight.  If you visit this blog regularly, you can tell that I like to freeze a lot of meals.  The less time cooking, the better.  Therefore, this is a double recipe.  We ate half tonight and I froze the other half.

Soup:
-olive oil
-1 onion, chopped
-1-2 cups celery, chopped (about 2-3 stalks)
-1-2 cups carrots, chopped (about 20+ baby carrots)
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 bay leaf
-1 teaspoon dried thyme
-1 teaspoon dried basil
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-84 ounces chicken broth...this is 2 extra large cartons, or 6 cans of chicken broth of chicken broth
-4 cups water
-8 ounces orzo (or ditalini, pastina or any other tiny pasta)
-2 cups escarole, sliced thin (you can use spinach in place of the escarole, but I grew up with the traditional Italian version with escarole)
-Parmesan cheese

Meatballs:
-1 pounds meatloaf mix
**I can never find this so I make my own:
-3/4 pound ground beef
-1/2 pound ground pork
-1/4 pound ground veal
-3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
-1 eggs
-1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Mix meatball ingredients together and roll small meatballs the size of a marble. (If forming the meatball is difficult, cover and refrigerate first.

 

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil. When the onion starts to turn a golden color; add garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in chicken stock and herbs.  Gently add in meatballs.  Simmer lightly, until veggies and meatballs are cooked through (about 10 minutes).  Add in orzo and escarole and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until pasta is cooked.  Serve immediately. 

 

Garnish soup with Parmesan cheese before serving if desired. 

Meatballs

-3 pounds meatloaf mix
**I can never find this so I make my own:
-1 1/2 pounds ground beef
-1 pound ground pork
-1/2 pound ground veal
-1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
-3 eggs
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-1/2-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine all ingredients above.  Roll into balls the size you prefer.  Lay in a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until browned (I flip them have way through).  If your are making sauce, stop here and place your meatballs in your sauce to continue cooking.  If you aren't making sauce, continue baking your meatballs until they are cooked all the way through (160 degrees in their center).

This recipe makes about 36 average sized meatballs.

Sauce

I just made a big batch of sauce to freeze for the winter so I thought I'd share my recipe.  I've shared my tripled recipe which will yield you about 6 mason jars full (1 liter jars).

*6 cans of whole tomatoes
*3 cans of tomato paste
*1 cup of Parmesan cheese
*1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
*Oregano (a few tablespoons to your liking)
*Basil (a few tablespoons to you liking) - fresh would be great but I tend to usually use dried herbs that I have in the pantry
*Salt and pepper to taste
*Garlic powder to taste
*3 cups or  more water
*Meatballs (I'll share this recipe next) (optional)*
*5-6 Italian Sausages, cut into 2 inch pieces (optional)*
*5-6 Pork Neck Bones (sounds gross I know, but it really helps flavor the sauce) (optional)*

Blend whole tomatoes one can at a time in a blender until they are pureed and then add to a large pot (I use a 16 quart stock pot). Add tomato paste, cheese, all the herbs and seasoning. Mix well. Add your meatballs, sausage, and neck bones if you want. You do not need to add any meat to your sauce, but I think it flavors is nicely. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Let is simmer covered for about 2-3 hours. Remove lid and let is cook to your desired thickness (usually about 30-45 minutes for mine).

When my sauce is done, I carefully fish out all the meat with a slotted spoon and put it in a separate bowl. (Make sure you get all the neck bones out...some of them are little. I toss all the neck bones and meat out but I'm sure it's tasty if you want to eat it.).  I lay the meatballs and/or sausage pieces on cookie sheets and put in the freezer.  Once frozen individually, I put meal sized portions of meat in a plastic freezer zip bag, label and pop back in the freezer.

After this, I funnel the sauce into mason jars and either use it within a few days or freeze it. I label the mason jars with some masking tape and make sure to include the date. As I mentioned before, this recipe will make about 6 liters (6 large mason jars) of sauce.

*Sometimes I start out by cooking diced garlic, onion, and carrots in some olive oil and then pureeing them in a food processor and adding to the sauce.  It depends what I have on hand and how motivated I am on my cooking day.

White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

I tried another pinterest find last night from Tasty Tidbits. It sounded so good that I went ahead and doubled it and made an additional lasagna to freeze.  It turned out great and is being added to the dinner rotation.  The recipe below is for a single lasagna.

-2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts (I diced 6 chicken tenderloions and sauteed in olive oil)
-1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
-1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided
-1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
-1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
-2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
-1 cup milk
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided
-12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Heat oven to 350°F.  Combine chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes. Beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture.

Spread half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Original recipe from tasteofhome.com