Macaroni Salad

Submitted by ??? (Terrys, was this yours?)

Beef Tortilla Casserole

Submitted by Heather Sheehan

3-4 large flour tortillas, cut in half
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
3-4 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
16 oz sour cream
1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 tsp onion powder

Cook beef. Fold in with soup & sour cream. Line baking dish with 3-4 tortilla halves. Top with 1/2 filling & cheese. Repeat.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool & set 5 - 10 minutes before cutting.

Cheese-Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Submitted by Nicole Sizemore

12 oz. Jumbo Shells (you can use manicotti pasta instead. It doesn't really matter.)
1-16 oz. ricotta cheese
1-16 oz. cottage cheese (or just use all cottage cheese if you don't like ricotta and vise verse)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 Parmesan cheese, grated ( I grate my own)
spinach, how ever much you want.
2 eggs or 6 egg whites
2 TBSP parsley
3/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
6-8 cups favorite marinara sauce

1.Bring water to a boil and add pasta. Cook about 10 min. Avoid over cooking. Cool pasta in a single layer on wax paper to keep pasta for sticking together.

2.While pasta is cooling mix together ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs or egg whites,spinach, and the dry seasonings. Fill each pasta with 2-3 TBSP of cheese mix.

3.Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 or 13x9 inch pan.(it just maters how much you will eat) Place the shells open side down in a single layer in the pan; cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for about 35 min. or until hot and bubbly. Fills about 36 shells.

To freeze you can put it all together then freeze it as is but then when you cook it it will have to cook longer, about a hour, and there will be more moisture in the dish. So you can take the tin foil off for the last 20-30 min. Or you can freeze the filled pasta individually on a cookie sheet with wax paper on it so the pasta wont stick to the pan. Then once when they are frozen put them in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. You can also freeze the sauce and cheese. When you want to eat the meal let the manicotti and sauce thaw. Then put it together from number 3 and enjoy.

Try both ways or different ways because you will have a lot of manicotti to experiment with.

Orzo Pasta Salad

Submitted by Janet Schlosser (She brought this fantastic dish to the ward Christmas Party)

1 box of orzo pasta (which can be FINALLY found at Wal-mart and Target)
1 bag dried cranberries
one bunch (extremely finely chopped) parsley
one container of feta cheese
one cucumber (peeled and seeded and finely chopped)
one red onion (finely chopped)

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
Garlic Salt to taste
2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs dried mint
Dash of salt and pepper
pinch of sugar
1 tsp of yellow mustard

whisk all ingredients and pour over salad mix. Chill overnight but serve somewhat room temperature. Enjoy!

Penne with Spinach Sauce

Presented by Janet Schlosser at the Provident Living Fair

Ingredients
1 lbs whole wheat or multi grain penne
3 garlic cloves
2 oz goat cheese
1 oz reduced fat cream cheese
3//4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.

Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Asian Noodle Salad

Submitted by Janet Schlosser

1 lbs thick spaghetti
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
A few shakes of hot sauce
1/2 cup cashews
Snow peas
Sliced carrots
2 Tbsp honey

Combine wet ingredients including peanut butter into a sauce. Make noodles as directed and toss in fresh ingredients. Mix all with sauce.

Moroccan Shrimp

Submitted by Karla Kelsch

I got this recipe from the magazine Real Simple (actually from their website that has tons of great, simple, easy recipes). I did use shrimp in this recipe but I'm sure chicken will taste just as good. Couscous is a Middle Eastern pasta. It's "grains" are smaller than rice and it only takes about 5 minutes to make.

1 10 oz box of couscous (can buy in the rice aisle or can get it bulk from Vitamin Cottage)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt (regular salt also works)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced (can leave this out)
3/4 C golden raisins
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used the precooked, frozen shrimp), can also use a pound of chicken cut into bit sized pieces
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, halved (I used the bottled lemon juice...it's about 1 tbsp equivalent to 1 lemon)

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions; set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and 1/8 tsp of the black pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and raisins and cook for 4 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and heat for 3 minutes.

Meanwhiles, place the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, cinnamon, and the remaining black pepper. Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp and toss to combine. Add the shrimp (but not the liquid) to the tomato mixture in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes (chicken will take longer depending on how small you cut up the pieces). Fluff the couscous with a fork, serve the shrimp over the couscous.

Tip: Add flavor and color by stirring about 3 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or scallions into the couscous just before serving.

Serves 4.

Baked Pasta with Tomatoes

Submitted by Julia Jutras

Here’s one of my favorite easy pasta dishes. Except for the cheese and the meat, the ingredients are good for food storage staples. And it tastes good with just the pasta, oil, salt and tomatoes. However if you do find yourself eating out of just food storage with very little meat then increase the oil to 1/3 cup. The extra fat will help to keep you healthy. When doubling this recipe you will have to use 2 casserole dishes, it grows as it cooks.

Serves 4

½ lb Penne Pasta
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (reduce to 2 Tbsp for low-fat version)
½ tsp Salt
2- 28oz cans Diced Tomatoes
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
2 cups Small Meatballs or Italian Sausage cooked and crumbled or Precooked Chicken Breast Sliced (Optional)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (Optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

In a 3quart Casserole dish toss pasta noodles with olive oil. Let sit for at least 20 min. Stir tomatoes, salt, parmesan cheese and meat (if using) into noodles. Cover with aluminum foil. Place dish in oven and bake for 45 – 60 min, stirring every 15 min. When noodles are tender remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake for additional 5 min until cheese is melted and bubbly.

BBQ Macaroni Salad

Submitted by Julia Jutras

We like the sweet, smoky flavor of Texas Best or Bull's-Eye barbecue sauce here, but feel free to substitute your favorite. As the salad sits, it can become dry; just before serving, stir in a few tablespoons of warm water to bring back its creamy texture.

Serves 8 to 10

Table salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 red bell pepper , seeded and chopped fine
1 rib celery , chopped fine
4 scallions , sliced thin
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (see note above)
Ground black pepper


1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain once more, briefly, so that pasta is still moist; transfer to large bowl.

2. Stir in bell pepper, celery, scallions, vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and let sit until salad is no longer watery, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Check seasonings before serving.)

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Submitted by Dana Smith

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
Add all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, let simmer for 12 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. you can serve over your choice of pasta noodles. or if you want, you can just have it as a dipping sauce for your bread sticks!