Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

There are no introductions for this recipe. It took me literally 5 minutes to make, all in one dish. Who doesn't love that?! And it's husband approved so I'm definitely going to make it again. Let's see it!

Pizza Casserole

If it has to do with pizza, you can guarantee I'll try it! As long as it doesn't involve those slimy little fishes, or ham, or pineapple...some people have weird taste when it comes to pizza. Me? I like my pizza normal: pepperoni, sausage, bacon and extra sauce...yummy! So here's one of my pizza related recipes, it's a hit!

Pizza Casserole

What you'll need:

1 bag of egg noodles

1 extra large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

3 or more cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it!)

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (or sausage, ground turkey, whatever you prefer)

1 package pepperoni

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350. Brown the meat and drain, and cook noodles according to package directions. Layer bottom of 9x13 baking dish with thin layer of spaghetti sauce. The layers will then go like this:

1. half of the noodles

2. half of the meat

3. half of the sauce

4. rest of the noodles

5. half of the cheese

6. rest of meat

7. rest of sauce

8. rest of cheese

9. Pepperoni

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes to cool and set. Serve and enjoy!

Source: www.formamas.blogspot.com

Baked Ziti

My husband is a picky eater, I've said so many times and he's proved me right many times. Can't have cheese on a burger, but it's ok in abundance on tacos or pizza. Will not ever touch any kind of vegetable, he even complains he can taste the vegetables in salsa...he's quite the 30-something kid! So when we got married and started living together, I had a daunting task before me. How do you cook for a picky eater? Well, almost 4 years later and to date there has only been one dish this lovely husband of mine hasn't liked. Score for me! This is one of his favorites, a good old fashioned baked ziti. It takes a little prep, like simmering the sauce and meat for a few hours, but the payoff in the end is UH-MAZING! 

Baked Ziti

What you'll need:

1/2 pound lean ground beef (I always use 1 pound of ground turkey, the turkey to make it healthier and a pound cause I love this dish meaty)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 3/4 cups spaghetti sauce

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

6 tbsp water

1 tbsp minced parsley

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 tsp dried oregano, divided

8 oz ziti pasta

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup (4 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper

Prep:

In a large saucepan, brown meat and onions together over a medium heat until cooked through. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer, then drain and place back in pan. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, Worcestershire, basil and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to directions on box and drain. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, 2 tbsp parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. 

Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce mixture onto the bottom of a greased oven safe dish (preferably 9x13). Layer with half the pasta, a third of the meat sauce, and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with parmesan and oregano. 

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until heated through.

Nutritional facts

1-1/3 cups equals 431 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 81 mg cholesterol, 818 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 27 g protein.