Monday, July 11, 2011

Bannister Baked Ziti




This is a great pasta dish I like to serve the boys before their basketball games! It was also Justin's choice meal when he graduated boot camp!

Ingredients

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce(more or less depending on how much sauce you like!)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 (16 ounce) package ziti/penne pasta
1 tablespoon salt
24 ounces ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef with onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. when the beef is browned add 1 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti/penne and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, asiago cheese, egg, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Once the cheese mixture is combined, add the cooked ziti/penne pasta to the cheese mixture.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in enough (1/4 of the sauce) spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.

Spoon half the pasta/cheese mixture into casserole dish and pat down. Layer 1/2 the beef/sauce mixture over the pasta/cheese mixture, pat down. Repeat. Topping with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes covered; then 15 minutes uncovered, let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Stuffed Shells




This recipe was given to me by one of my fellow teachers...she swore that this recipe was a keeper. I gave it a try and it has been a go-to recipe ever since!

Ingredients
1 lg. box stuffing shells, cooked
4 breasts chicken, cooked and chopped
2 boxes Stove Top stuffing
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can milk

Directions
Prepare stuffing according to directions on box. Mix chicken in stuffing with mayonnaise. Stuff chicken mixture into the cooked shells. Mix soup with milk and pour over stuffed shells. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.