Italian Layer Bake

"This was so yummy and not intended for anyone on a diet (which means I cheated last night).  I made a few changes which are included.  You can find the original recipe over at Mr. Food.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8-ounce) container refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 lb. sliced deli ham
1/2 lb. sliced deli pepperoni
1/2 lb. sliced deli salami
1/2 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. sliced provolone cheese
1/2 c. Italian dressing
1 1/2 cups mild yellow pepper rings
3 eggs, beaten
garlic powder and italian seasoning blend

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll 1 roll of crescent roll dough without separating triangles and press into bottom of 9x13 baking dish.
Layer with half the ham, pepperoni, salami, Swiss provolone, and peppers. Pour half of beaten eggs over peppers and then 1/2 c. Italian dressing.  Layer remaining meats and cheeses and peppers.
Place remaining roll of dough over peppers. Pour remaining beaten eggs over dough and season with garlic and Italian seasoning blend.
Bake 20 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden and heated through.

Serves 6-8

Jen's Creamy Italian Gnocchi Soup

"I am so excited to share my new creation with you.  It's been a while since I came up with an original recipe.  This idea came about when I made a soup a few weeks ago that I wish was tomatoey so to the leftovers I added a cream sauce and spaghetti sauce, which made it perfect.  I racked my brain for  yummy  ingredients, and thought it'd be fun to try gnocchi in it."

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sirlion
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 1/2 c. raw carrots, diced
1 c. sweet onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 T. garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, diced (peeled or not)
3 c. beef stock
1 c. white wine
2 T. balsamic vinegar
3 - 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
28 oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)
6 oz. tomato paste
3 c. water
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
*******************
2 lbs cheese-filled gnocchi, cooked according to package directions
2 c. half and half
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook beef and pork until browned, drain grease.  Meanwhile in large stock pot over medium heat melt butter and add olive oil, carrots, onions, celery and garlic.  Saute until carrots are soft.  To  pot mix in next 11 ingredients and cooked meat.  Simmer soup over medium heat for 30 minutes.  Mix in cooked gnocchi and garnish with shredded Italian blend cheese sprinkled over top.

*NOTE:  This recipe made about 16-20 servings, so to make a standard large pot to serve 6-8 I would half the recipe.

Baked Spasanga

"I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The recipe came from Plain Chicken and they got it from food.com.  I've decided to reduce the amount of noodles and add a jar of sauce (my changes are included).  I also think baking it longer is wise...I don't think it was hot enough.  My suggested baking time is also included below.   I think the spaghetti itself without the sauce is amazing too."

INGREDIENTS:

20 oz spaghetti noodles prepared as directed (I used thin spaghetti)
32 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese , divided
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 lb Italian sausage or ground beef (I used sausage)




DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.

In large bowl, stir together sour cream, ricotta, half-and-half, mozzarella, oregano, basil, pepper, garlic, salt, and half the Parmesan cheese.  Add spaghetti and toss until well coated.

Pour spaghetti mixture into 9x13 pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Top spaghetti with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover dish aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes.

While pasta is baking, prepare meat sauce. Brown meat in skillet. Drain and return to skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.

Remove pasta from oven.  Cut into squares and top with meat sauce.

Jen's Insalata Caprese

"I have been wanting to make this for a long time. So many of the recipes I looked up were similar, but since I added so many of my own touches, I feel I can call it my own. Note: The photo shows only half of a recipe. This recipe would make twice as much. "



INGREDIENTS:
4 small vine ripened or Roma tomatoes cut into slices
24 (approx.) fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
8 oz. fresh (soft) mozzarella cheese cut into slices to match tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Arrange tomatoes, basil and cheese in dish, alternating slices. Sprinkle with garlic. Drizzle on oil and vinegar, season with pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for at least two hours in refrigerator.

Serves 6

Simple Seasoned Pasta with Chicken

"This is a recipe that Campbell's posted on allrecipes.com. My changes are included."


INGREDIENTS:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup Italian dressing
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups uncooked spiral pasta (the exact amount in a box of Barilla Plus)
6 fresh basil leaves ripped into small pieces


DIRECTIONS:
Saute chicken with basil in Italian dressing until browned. Meanwhile, heat broth, tomatoes, cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in large pot to a boil.
Stir pasta into broth mixture. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in cooked chicken. Sprinkle with additional grated or shredded parmesan cheese.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

"This was a really good bruschetta recipe. I loved the flavor! Check my notes below."

INGREDIENTS:

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Notes:

-The recipe didn't say whether to use the oil in the oil-packed sundried tomatoes. I did not, and it was fine.

-I would recommend using a loaf large enough to produce enough surface for the tomatoes (mine was not.)

-I used roasted minced garlic from a jar

-I did not broil it. I baked the bread on 350 degrees without the tomatoes for five minutes and then baked with the tomatoes and cheese for another 10.

Jen's Stuffed Shells

"I love stuffed shells. I don't have them as much as other italian food because my kids are not crazy about ricotta cheese or spinach. If you don't over-fill the shells, there is enough ricotta mixture for all of the shells. It doesn't, however, fit into a 13x9 dish. I would recommend either using two square 8x8's or 9x9's, or getting a large disposable pan. This picture is not so great."

INGREDIENTS:

1 12 oz box jumbo shell pasta, prepared as directed on box (I use barilla brand)

1 jar spaghetti/marinara sauce

8 oz. (2 cups) shredded mozerella

Filling:

1 30 oz. container ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (grated is fine, but use 1/4 cup instead)

1/4 cup cream (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

16 oz. frozen spinach cooked and drained (see tip below)

1/4 cup italian flavored bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all of the "filling" ingredients in large bowl. Put 1/3 of jar of sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Put mixture into shells* and place in dish. Add the remainder of sauce to top of shells and top with shredded mozerella. Spray large piece of foil with cooking spray, so cheese doesn't stick, and cover dish. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Remove for and bake for additional 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8

*tip #1 I like to buy a frozen bag of spinach instead of the box. I put the bag, unopened on a plate and microwave it for 4 minutes. I then cut a small hole in the corner of the bag, and squeeze the liquid out. I used to use paper towels to wring it out, but this is so much less wastefull.

tip #2 You can cut the corner off of a ziplock bag (don't zip the bag) and put filling inside to use like a pastry bag to fill (squirt into) shells...it saves mess. I prefer to use a quart size freezer bag

Eggplant Gratin

"I saw this recipe made on The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten, on the food network. It looked and sounded so good that I had to try it myself. I doubled this recipe and baked it in a 13x9 inch dish. Please read my note at the end."

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil, for frying

3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 extra-large egg

1/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.
Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

NOTE:

I thought this was too greasy because the eggplant soaks up all of the oil you use, and it's quite a bit. My suggestion is that maybe you could just spread butter on each side of the slices and fry them in a pan until browned.

Jen's Lasagna

"I have made a few lasagna recipes, and my one biggest problem was dealing with the noodles. I discovered Barilla 'no boil' lasagna noodles and I was in love. This recipe does not fit into a 13x9 pan. You will either have to use a deep dish lasagna pan or a disposable aluminum pan (15x11?). The noodles do not reach to the edges. It doesn't seem to make a difference."


INGREDIENTS:



1 lb. italian flavored ground sausage (I use Bob Evans brand)
1 lb. ground beef (I use sirloin)
2 jars spaghetti sauce (my favorite brand is Kroger's "Private Selection" Roasted Garlic and Sundried Tomato)
1 box Barilla "no boil" lasagna noodles
6 cups (24 oz.) shredded mozzerella cheese

Ricotta mixture:

1 (30 oz.) container ricotta cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of the 6 cups shredded mozerella cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook , chop and drain meats together. Put all of "ricotta mixture" ingredients in large mixing bowl and stir together. Spray deep dish baking pan (or large disposable pan) with cooking spray.


Layering:

1. Spread 1/3 of one jar of sauce into pan

2. Layer 4 uncooked sheets, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, half of meat, 1 cup of the mozerella and 1/3 jar of sauce

3. Layer 4 uncooked sheets, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, and rest of 1st jar of sauce

4. Layer 4 uncooked sheets, rest of ricotta mixture, rest of meat, and 1/3 of second jar of sauce

5. Layer 4 uncooked sheets, remaining (2/3 jar) of sauce, and remaining 4 cups of cheese


Bake covered on 375 degrees for 55 minutes, and uncovered for another 10 minutes
Let stand 10-15 minutes (to set) before serving
Serves 8-10

Jen's Chicken Fingers Parmesan

"This was one of the first recipes I made up. I've been making it for friends and family for over seven years. I decided to add some preparation photos. I make fingers instead of whole breasts because it's easier to cook and tell that it's done."

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

1/2 cup flour

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (Italian works well)

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

dash of pepper

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 jar spaghetti sauce

4 oz. shredded mozzerella cheese

4 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse chicken well. Put flour in it's own bowl. Crack eggs into second bowl, add all spices and scramble with fork. Put bread crumbs in third bowl. Put oil into

large frying pan on medium head. Dip chicken into flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs.

Place into frying pan. Fry chicken, turning to heat both sides until chicken is medium golden brown. Place cooked chicken on tray/plate lined with paper towels to soak up grease. Coat 13x9 dish with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into dish to coat bottom. Place chicken into dish, pour remainder of sauce over and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake covered with foil on 400 degrees for 20 minutes and uncovered for another 10 minutes. Great with a side dish of spaghetti with meatless sauce.