Make Ahead! Red + White Mostaccioli

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 ounces cream cheese (I used reduced fat.)
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound uncooked mostaccioli
• 2, 26-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce or 3 cups homemade sauce, divided (The recipe only calls for one jar, however, I always grab two.  I use a little over one jar for the recipe, but it's always nice to have a second one on hand in case of leftovers (pasta soaks up the sauce over time) or if someone wants additional sauce on top for serving.)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I used 2.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  To make Alfredo, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, mix in the cream cheese. Next, stir in the heavy cream and garlic powder.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often, while you cook the pasta. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.  (Go easy on the salt, as you've added Parmesan to the sauce and pasta water will be salted.  Start with a pinch.  I used a heavier pinch of pepper.)


2. Using SALTED water, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
   
   
3. To assemble, spread a thin layer of desired spaghetti sauce in a 9x13- inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese (I only used two total cups of mozzarella, so for each cheese layer, I only used one cup, not 1.5.) Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
   
   
4. To prevent the top layer of cheese from sticking to the top of the foil as it bakes, apply a quick spritz of cooking spray onto the aluminum foil, then cover pan and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.  After cook time, I like removing the foil and broiling the top layer of cheese for 2 minutes (set a timer!) so it's nice and bubbly.  Serve with your favorite garlic bread or breadsticks!
   
   
   (I made this ahead of time, covered with foil, and refrigerated until ready to bake.  Add a few extra minutes to the cook time if you put into the oven cold.)
   
   
   
   
   *www.thefoodnanny.com

Berry Trifle

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. container fresh strawberries, sliced

• 12 oz. container fresh blueberries

• 16 oz. homemade or store bought pound cake (Sara Lee is personal favorite.)

• 1-2 cups vanilla instant pudding (Can be scratch-made or store-bought.  Use one, 3.4 oz. box if making store-bought.  Milk is needed for pudding.)

• 2 cups whipped cream (Can be scratch-made or store-bought.  If store-bought, purchase 16 oz. of Cool Whip.)

HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM:

• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. If using frozen pound cake, thaw according to package instructions. Cut fresh or thawed pound cake into 1-inch cubes.

2. To make the homemade whipped cream, first place the beaters from an electric hand mixer and a large glass or stainless steel bowl in freezer. Keep cream in the fridge until ready to whip. While they chill (10-15 minutes), clean and prep berries.

3. Once the beaters/bowl have chilled, add cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to your bowl. Start mixing on low speed, increasing the speed to medium-high until soft or stiff peaks form.

4. To assemble trifle, add some cake to the bottom of a bowl or trifle dish. Top with alternating layers of pudding, whipped cream, and fruit. Repeat layers and top with a final dollop of whipped cream and sprinkling of berries. Serve immediately or store covered in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*www.peasandcrayons.com

Go-To Veggie Dip

Ingredients: (SEE NOTES SECTION BELOW BEFORE PURCHASING INGREDIENTS!)

• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon seasoning*
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, garlic powder, onion flakes, seasoning*, parmesan cheese, and sugar. 
• Fold in shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Refrigerate 2+ hours. 
• Serve with vegetables and or crackers.

Notes:

Substitutions

• Sour Cream - Substitute with greek yogurt for a lower calorie alternative.
• Mayonnaise - I use Olive Oil Mayonnaise, but anything you have on hand will do!
• *Seasoning - It’s amazing with a southwest spice mix for a little Mexican flavor. However, we also love it with garlicky seasoning like the 21 seasonings salute (available at Trader Joe's), Sweet Onion and Herb, Garlic and Herb.
• Parmesan Cheese - Can be substituted with Pecorino Romano or Asiago.
• Mozzarella - Fresh grated mozzarella makes this vegetable dip stand above the rest! I always purchase a block of cheese because it's higher quality, uses less preservatives and is creamy rather than dry, but you can use pre-shredded mozzarella if you'd like as well! Monterey Jack is a great alternative.
• Sugar - Omit, if needed.

Optional

• Spice it Up - You can spice it up by adding pepper or red pepper.

Serving Suggestions

• red peppers
• snap peas
• bell peppers
• cauliflower
• carrots
• celery
• broccoli
• cherry tomatoes
• your favorite crackers (thick, sturdy ones work best)

Tips

• Freshly Shred Your Cheese - Blocks of cheese tend to be of higher quality and have less preservatives. Therefore, overall they are so much creamier. Fresh shredded cheese blends in perfectly with this veggie dip! You won't regret it, I promise!
• Marinate - Allow it to marinate for up to 24 hours for the best flavor, but it can be served immediately.
• To Store - This vegetable dip keeps well, refrigerated for up to 5 days covered. Never freeze sour cream.
• Safety - Never leave sour cream at room temperature more than 2 hours.

 *www.julieblanner.com

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

While there's no real "recipe" per se, these combined ingredients make a super yummy, casual lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

1 package of Trader Joe's Pesto Genovese Chicken (If you don't have a TJ's by you, simply smother about 1/2 cup of your favorite basil pesto onto 2 pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  Put 1/4 cup of additional pesto to the side for later.)

1 jar basil pesto

roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

arugula

sliced mozzarella, fresh OR deli slices will work

balsamic GLAZE

mayonnaise 

bread of choice (Ciabatta and focaccia are personal faves. There are yummy ones at Trader Joe's.)

Directions:

Chicken:  Season meat with salt and pepper on each side.  You can grill (4-5 minutes per side at 400 degrees), cook on skillet, or bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Regardless, all chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees.  For even cooking (and less hassle), just be sure to pound meat to even thickness before grilling, cooking, or baking.  ALLOW TO REST BEFORE SLICING!!!

To assemble, prepare bread of choice.  Combine two parts mayo to one part basil pesto and mix.  Spread a generous layer on bottom of bread.  

Top with thinly-sliced chicken, then cheese, tomatoes, balsamic glaze, then arugula.  If desired, spread more mayo/pesto mixture on top slice of bread.  

Serve with kettle chips and your favorite cold veggies!

Yummiest Baked (Beef and Turkey) Tacos!

This recipe has been modified a bit from the original.  I didn't like that it called for "half a can..." and "half a can...." because I didn't want the other half to go to waste.  To solve that problem, I changed it to 2 pounds of meat, but when I served it, I used half the recipe and saved the other half for another time!  

For a better idea, half of the recipe below will use about 10 taco shells.

Ingredients: 

Hard taco shells (I used the 10 count, El Paso "Stand and Stuff" brand so I could have the flat bottom for easy filling. *If your kids aren't hard taco shell fans, you can also just make the meat filling and serve in soft shells.)

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound ground beef (I used 93/7.)

1 can refried beans

1, 15 ounce can tomato sauce

2, 7 ounce cans of mild green chilis (You're safe using one 8 ounce can if you prefer that.)

1, 1 ounce packet mild taco seasoning

1, 8 ounce bag shredded cheese 

Taco toppin's - whatever your heart desires!

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Start by browning your meat in a skillet. Once cooked, drain any excess fat.

3. Stir in refried beans, tomato sauce, and the green chilis.

3. Add taco seasoning and combine.

4. Warm for 5-10 min until heated through.

5. Fill hard taco shells with mixture (I used about 1/3 cup for each shell) and assemble in a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

6. Top with shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. 

*www.arrowsandbow.com