Melanie's Tortellini

I'm calling this "Melanie's Tortellini" because "Italian Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Tortellini with Burnt Butter & Basil Tomato Sauce" is kind of a mouth full.
This is one of those complete accident recipes - I just started throwing what I had in the fridge together & ended up with this - and it is to die for!  I'm not going to lie - this one is a lot of work.  There are a bunch of little steps, but it comes together quickly.  For me it's well worth the 30-45 minutes of prep time - the trade off is that it only takes 5 minutes to cook!  I love it & hope you enjoy it too!

This is a HUGE Recipe!  When I make it there is enough to feed my family for dinner & have left over's for lunch the next day.

PASTA
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour {or you can use freshly ground soft white wheat - that's my favorite!}
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
1 tsp olive oil

Sift together 2 cups flour & salt.  Pour onto counter & make a well in the center.  Combine eggs, water & oil.  Pour into center of well & use a fork to combine with flour until it forms a ball.  If you need more flour, lightly sprinkle some on & knead until dough is soft & elastic (8-10 minutes).
*If you add too much flour the dough is shot & there is no going back.  I tend to keep it a little on the sticky side because I'll add more when I roll it out.*
Cover & set aside to rest while you make the cheese filling.

Cheese Filling
15 oz ricotta {you'll need to drain off the excess liquid.  A few hours before I start I line a colander with cheese cloth & a bowl underneath & let it sit in the fridge.  Then right before I start putting it together I squeeze out as much liquid as I can.  You want the ricotta pretty dry}
1 cup shredded mozzarella*
1 cup shredded Parmesan*
2 oz cream cheese*
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz baby spinach leafs, washed & chopped

*Kraft makes a 5 Italian Cheese mix with Cream Cheese - which is a great substitution.

In a saucepan heat oil & add spinach.  Saute until spinach leaves are soft & just start to wilt.  Set aside to let cool.  Combine drained ricotta, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese,  cream cheese, & salt.  Stir in cooled spinach.

Next comes the fun {& time consuming} part.  Start by dividing your pasta dough into 4 equal parts - this will make life easier!  On a lightly floured surface roll each potion to about a 12" square, or 1/16" thick.  Cut dough into circles & add filling.  {I use a 2.25" cutter & 1 tsp filling - it is the perfect bite size for me & I cut them in 1/2 for my kids}

Next wet 1/2 of the outside edge of the pasta.  Fold it over to form a semi-circle & press tightly closed.  Fold up the sealed side & bring the 2 ends together pressing/sealing together (hopefully the picture above helps).  Set finished Tortellini aside on a lightly floured towel.

Have a large pot of boiling water ready before you start the sauce - this last part takes about 5 minutes to finish & you're ready to serve!
Burnt Butter Basil & Tomato Sauce
4 Tbsp Butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
30-40 fresh Basil leaves
30 oz diced tomatoes

In a large skillet, melt butter & cook until it just starts to turn light golden brown - be careful not to let it go too dark.  Lower heat & add basil leaves & garlic.  Cook until leaves have just started to wilt & add diced tomatoes.

Add your pasta to the boiling water (I do it in 2 batches).  It take about 2 minutes to cook the pasta - you know it's done because they will all float.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop out pasta, drain, & add right to the pan of tomato sauce.  Let everything simmer together for a minute or too & then plate it up.  We really like cheese, so I usually sprinkle some more Parmesan over the top.

Fried Buttermilk Chicken

This is a total comfort food... It tastes like chicken fried in a buttermilk biscuit. Yum!

2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 chicken breasts (or the equivalent... any meaty piece of chicken will work, especially legs & thighs. Boneless skinless breasts just happen to be my favorite)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup buttermilk
Cooking oil

Combine buttermilk, salt, & sugar. Cut up chicken breasts in 1x2 or 1x3 inch pieces. In a large bowl, pour buttermilk mixture over chicken and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Mix four, salt, pepper, & garlic powder together. Drain buttermilk off of chicken and discard. You can pat the chicken dry with paper towels if you want, but I like to leave a lot on to get a thicker crunchier crust. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Dip in fresh buttermilk, and then coat in flour mixture again.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown. Place on a baking sheet and finish cooking at 350 for about 15 minutes (You could also use a deep fryer).

Ratatouille

I've heard of ratatouille before... I don't know why I've never tried it, because I LOVE eggplant. Now that Disney has made Ratatouille famous, at least in our house, I thought I'd actually try to make it. I should have done this sooner ~ it is awesome!

8 strips of bacon (you can use more if you're a meat lover, but 8 slices is what I had in my fridge)
1 small onion, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 large eggplant, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and let cool enough to crumble. Drain grease out of pan, but leave renderings.

In bacon pan, cook onion in the olive oil just until the onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic, bacon, diced tomatoes, tomato paste & salt. Simmer for a few minutes.

Spread 1/2 sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with eggplant, zucchini, squash & cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.

*I'm fairly confident you could freeze this because everything in it freezes really well. You could also easily make it a vegetarian dish by substituting the bacon with portabella mushroom. Or just take out the bacon and use only the tomato sauce.

Marinated Steaks

My local grocery store was having a sale on selected meat: 5 packages for only $20. So we're having steaks for dinner tomorrow night. This is kind of a strange recipe because there aren't any specific quantities of the ingredients. This is the way my hubby likes to prepare steaks so I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredient list:
Steaks
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
garlic salt
1 can of Coke (you may need more than one if you're doing a large quantity of steaks.)

Place the steaks in a Tupperware bowl at least a couple inches deep. Keep in mind you'll need it big enough to work but small enough so that the steaks are covered as much as possible in the marinade. Splash a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce on each steak and poke it several times with a fork (or a meat tenderizer if you have it). You want this meat tender and to be able to really soak up the marinade. Use your judgment on how much to use, but you will need to use quite a bit--maybe 1/4 cup per steak?? That's a rough estimate because I don't measure it before I put it in. Flip the steaks over and repeat. You may want to tenderize each side 2-3 times. Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. For good measure I splashed another couple tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce in the bowl until they steaks were about 1/2 or 3/4 covered. Pour some of the coke over the steaks until they are covered and marinate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

I apologize this isn't a very precise recipe but the combo of the Worcestershire sauce and the Coke is very good. I would probably recommend that you use more of the Worcestershire sauce than the Coke.

To go with this meal I'm going to try my friend Becky's recipe for corn on the cob. I want to make sure she gets complete credit for this recipe, so click HERE for the recipe. It sounds so yummy and I can't wait to try it. (And isn't her little girl just darling!)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup pace picante sauce or salsa
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheese
10 fajita size tortillas
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1 can sliced olives

Mix soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder. Mix one cup of the mixture with chicken and cheese. Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in 3 qt. shallow baking dish. Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

8 oz. shell macaroni
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 1/2 lb. lean hamburger
8 oz. can tomato paste
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/4 cup water
8 oz. cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni, drain. Brown hamburger. Add seasoning mix, tomato paste, tomato paste and water to hamburger. In 3 quart dish layer 1/2 macaroni, 1/2 cottage cheese and 1/2 meat sauce. Repeat. Top with cheddar cheese. Freeze at this point or bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If frozen, either thaw before cooking or increase cooking time to 50-60 minutes.

Veggie Pasta Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells
10 oz. vegetable broth or water
1 carrot, shredded
1 potato, shredded
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, optional
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce

Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse, drain and cool. In sauce pan heat broth or water to boiling. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and onions and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables well. Combine with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses and egg. Add Italian seasoning. Fill each cooked pasta shell.

Freeze at this point. To cook, either defrost and follow the cooking directions below, or increase cooking time to 45-60 minutes.

Pour 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan, place the filled shells in the dish, and cover with the remaining spaghetti sauce. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Garlic Chicken & Rice

4 chicken cutlets (or 2 breasts)
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter & oil in pan on medium/medium-high heat. Cook chicken until evenly browned, about 5 minutes on each side.

Transfer chicken to a plate & start rice. (Chicken doesn't need to be cooked all the way through yet, you'll add it back in a minute).

Add garlic to pan; lower heat to medium-low and saute until soft; be careful not to burn. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan and simmer about 30 minutes, turning half way through.

Remove chicken and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add flour to sauce, whisk until it's well incorporated. Add cream and boil about 3 minutes or until thickened.

To serve, plate rice, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sauce. Add chicken and top with additional sauce and cheese. Garnish with parsley and cayenne pepper, if desired.

Tater-Tot Casserole

I kind of made this up playing off of hamburger gravy my Grandma makes and a tater-tot/meatloaf a friends mom makes. It's not very healthy... but one of those "comfort food" meals. I think it has freezer meal potential... but I've never actually frozen one to see how it turns out after. It's pretty quick to make so I've never felt the need to throw an extra one in the freezer.

1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1/2 white onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tater-tots

Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is done; drain of fat.

Add cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Pour in hamburger mixture. Top with shredded cheese and tater tots. Cook according to tater-tot package directions... or at 450 for 18-20 minutes.

*I usually add a little more flavor to the beef by adding some Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin... whatever I'm in the mood for. You can change it up a million ways by adding what your family likes while your cooking the meat. Sometimes I also add a bag of frozen vegetables...

Orange Beef Stir-Fry

12-16 oz top round steak
Zest from 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp beef bullion granules
2 Tbsp oil
4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
5-6 oz spinach
4 oz water chestnuts
Rice

Thinly cut beef into bite sized pieces; set aside. Stir together orange peel, orange juice, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, and bullion granules; set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic; cook and stir in hot oil for about a minute and then remove, leaving the oil in the pan. Add remaining Tbsp oil and beef. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.

Stir sauce, add to center of pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return green onions and garlic. Add spinach and water chestnuts. Stir all ingredients together and continue to cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Pork Roast Burritos

This was also a recipe I got when I had my baby. My good friend brought it to me for lunch and it was so delicious. This makes a ton of food so whatever you don't use can easily be kept in the freezer.

1 small porkroast (approx 5 lbs)
2 23 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/3 c. worchestershire sauce
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. dried onion
salt to taste
1 squeeze of bbq sauce
mozarella cheese, shredded
flour tortillas (the uncooked ones from Costco or Sams are the best. You could also try the recipe Mel posted here.)
cooked rice (1 cup for about 4 burritos)
black or pinto beans
green chile enchilada sauce

Cook the porkroast on low for about 6 hours, or until cooked through. You can lightly salt and pepper it if you want, but it still tastes good without seasoning. Add about 1/2 cup water in the bottom so so it doesn't stick to the pot. It will produce a lot of juices on it's own. When it is fully cooked, discard the juice and shred the pork.

Just before the pork is done (or while you let it cool enough to shred it) combine in a large pot the tomato sauce, worchestershire sauce, sugar, ketchup, dried onion, salt, and bbq sauce. Warm over low-med heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and it's all well blended. Add the shredded pork to it and let it all warm through.

While the pork sauce mixture is warming, cook the tortillas and rice. Layer in the tortillas the rice, beans, a little bit of mozarella cheese, a couple teaspoons of green chile enchilada sauce (reserve the majority for later) and the pork mixture. Wrap the tortilla and place in a baking dish. When you've prepared all the burritos you need, cover with the remaining green chile enchilada sauce and mozarella cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, just enough to warm it through and melt the cheese.

Meatloaf

I was not a fan of meatloaf until I tasted this recipe. My sister brought it to us on our first day home from the hospital with our daughter. It was right in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever and our swamp cooler had broken while we were in the hospital. All of us were hot, hungry, overwhelmed and in tears. This was the best dinner we could have ever had. It was also so nice that she helped with the baby while we took a minute to get back on our feet. This recipe has also become my go-to recipe when I'm out of meal ideas.

2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, plain or italian style
1/4 c. finely chopped onion or about 1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley or about 1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, uncooked
ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (or more to taste)

Mix all ingredients together and pour in a standard 8x4x2 bread pan. You could also mince some vegis and throw in there too. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Lemon Chicken

I tried this recipe last night after seeing it on my friend Lauren's blog, and she got it from her friends recipe blog, Mmm... Cafe.

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 dash pepper
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. flour

Soak chicken breasts in egg yolk, soy sauce and pepper for at least 30 minutes.

Coat each piece of chicken in a mixture of cornstarch and flour. fry chicken in hot oil. Drain chicken on a plate covered with paper towels.

Lemon Sauce:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water

In medium saucepan mix together sugar and corn starch. Then add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Cook until thickened.

Of course I changed it up... I'm not capable of following any recipe exactly.

I actually marinated the chicken in the egg & soy sauce for about 4 hours. I don't know that made a big difference, but I was out running errands and wanted it to be ready to cook when I came home.

I only used about 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to brown the chicken. Then I finished baking the pieces in the oven at 350. This way it tasted "fried" but wasn't deep fried.

I also happened to have a couple lemons that I needed to use, so I used fresh lemon juice and threw in the zest of about 1/2 a lemon. And because I like my sauce extra thick, I let it reduce down quite a bit... almost in half.

The lemon sauce is pretty sweet, so we topped it with more soy sauce to give it more of a "sweet & sour" taste.

I also served this with a tropical fruit salad (pineapple, passion fruit, mango, etc.) and cabbage sauteed in a little olive oil and salt.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant has been one of my big pregnancy cravings... and thankfully my 2 year old LOVES it! Eggplant can look a little intimidating, but it really is delicious! And it also freezes like a champ!

1 small eggplant
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp milk
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup bread crumbs
2-3 Tbsp cooking oil, or Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Wash eggplant, and cut cross wise into 1/4" tick slices.

Combine egg and milk, set aside. Combine flour & breadcrumbs (you can also season this, salt & pepper, garlic powder, oregano, etc.), set aside.

Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture and then into flour, turning to coat both sides.

In a large skillet, cook eggplant in hot oil or Italian dressing for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Place cooked eggplant slices in a single layer in a baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses; repeat layers.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Creamy Italian Chicken

I've been watching my friend Emily's kids while she's temporarily working full time. I threw this in the crock pot the other day for her, and it looked & smelt wonderful all day. I'm making this tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup margarine or butter, cubed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
4 ounces can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
Hot cooked rice or pasta

Place the chicken breast halves and butter in the crock pot. Sprinkle the Italian mix over the chicken. Cover; cook on low for 3-4 hours

Remove chicken and shred.

In the crock pot, combine the cream cheese and soup until smooth and blended (you don't need to drain the liquid). Stir in mushroom pieces. Add chicken back to crock pot. Cook for another 30-45 minutes, or until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta.

If you're using frozen chicken breasts, add an hour or so to the cooking time.

So after making this, I thought that it was pretty good. I did make a few changes though.

8 oz of cream cheese seemed like a lot to me, so I only used 4 oz cream cheese and then about the same amount of sour cream.

Also, when I pulled the chicken out to shred it, I was surprised at how much liquid there was, so I drained that off, and ended up adding about 1/2 cup back into the sauce. I like my sauce thick... like the consistency of glue. So you may want to add more of the juice back in depending on the consistency that you like.

And I didn't add any mushrooms... I totally forgot about them.

I also thought this was fairly salty ~ and I didn't add any salt at all. I'll try using low sodium ingredients next time to see if that helps.

Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

This is one of my family's favorite recipes. It's quick, it's easy, and a great fall back when I feel like being lazy. It also freezes really well! When I make this, I usually make 2, and throw 1 in the freezer.

It's taken us a while to start eating this again. When our son was born (2 years ago) some wonderful ward members brought us dinner, and we appreciate that service so very much! 4 out of the 5 people brought us this casserole... and enough for 2-3 days of leftovers. Again, we REALLY appreciated having dinner on our table, but after eating chicken, broccoli & rice for 2 straight weeks, I didn't think we'd ever want to look at it, let alone eat it, again. But after a solid year of avoiding it, we started liking it again.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp Italian dressing
1 Tbsp flour
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb frozen broccoli cuts
3 cups cooked rice

Prepare rice according to package directions (remember that 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice = 3 cups cooked rice).

In a medium skillet, cook chicken breasts, onion, & garlic in Italian seasoning. When the chicken is cooked through, add the flour and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour taste.

Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, broccoli, and 2 cups cheese; mix well. Add cooked rice and chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

*If you like you're broccoli more tender, thaw or bring to a boil before adding to casserole.*

Cheesy Mostaccioli

1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli pasta, cooked
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (11 oz) cheddar cheese soup
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown and drain meat.

Add seasonings to meat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and soup. Combine pasta, sauce mixture, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in casserole dish. Mix to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Mile-High Enchilada Pie

8 (6”) corn tortillas
12 oz salsa
1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Prepare foil handles for slow cooker (see below); place in slow cooker. Place 1 tortilla on bottom of slow cooker. Top with small amount of salsa, beans, chicken, & cheese. Continue layering using remaining ingredients, ending with cheese. Cover; cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Pull out by foil handles.

Foil Handles: Tear of three 18x2” strips of heavy foil, or use regular foil folded to double thickness. Crisscross foil strips in spoke design and place in slow cooker to make lifting of tortilla stack easier.

*This can also be prepared as a casserole in a 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes*

Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 oz salsa, divided
8 (6”) flour tortillas
12 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
¼ cup milk

Stir chicken, bell pepper, cream cheese, & ½ of the salsa in saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is melted.

Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Place, seam-side down, in lightly greased 12x8” baking dish.

Stir Velveeta cheese and milk in saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour sauce over tortillas; cover with foil.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour remaining salsa over tortillas.

Kalua Pig

4-5 pound boneless pork roast
2 Tbsp Hawaiian or Kosher salt
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/4-1/2 cup butter

Make several shallow cuts all over the pork roast, or pierce liberally with a carving fork. Rub with salt and liquid smoke.

Place in crock-pot with a few tablespoons of butter. Cook on low for 12-18 hours, adding more butter and liquid smoke if the meat begins to look dry. During the last 30-45 minutes, pull the roast apart with forks and add more butter and liquid smoke if necessary.

Serve with white rice and sauteed cabbage.