Spinach Mostacciolli Pasta Bake

This is an oldie. I've been making this for years, but not too often because there are so many recipes out there in the (internet) sea. This is from Cooking Light, I think from one of my first CL cookbooks.

 

I've always liked this recipe because it is meatless. Sometimes you don't need meat. For real. And this is full of spinach and tomatoes, and cheese, and creamy goodness. You just don't miss the meat.

The crunchy breadcrumbs really make this pasta dish. And it makes plenty. I should probably half this recipe one day. I always forget.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Spinach Mostacciolli Pasta Bake.

 

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Hearty Tuna Casserole

This is one of those recipes that should come out more often but I have to be in a mood to have tuna, so it doesn't get made often. It is easy, pretty healthy, and kid/husband friendly.

Well, my kid doesn't eat it but I can see "normal" kids eating it!

I don't like using "cream of" soups at all so this recipe always appealed to me because you're making your own mix of spices and cream/sauce. It also includes vegetables, which is a good thing.

I don't remember where I got the original recipe because it has been quite a few years since I started making this, but I did find it online. I have made one major change which makes this an even easier recipe to make. Instead of a fresh tomato I use one can of chopped tomatoes with green chiles. It keeps the casserole "m" (moist) and it adds a bit of spice. I add the can of tomatoes on top of it all, before baking.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Hearty Tuna Casserole.

 

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Quick Chicken Parmesan

 

I have a new subscription to Eating Well magazine. I've been drawn to the magazine every time I've seen it at Borders or grocery stores. I finally decided to buy it when I also bought a gift subscription for my friend's wedding shower. I've received a few issues now but this is the first recipe I've made from the magazine.

I do agree that this is a quick version of Chicken Parmesan but all together the recipe probably took a leisurely half an hour. If I had been ultra-efficient I suppose I could have whipped this up in 20 minutes. You know, there is a skill in that. There is a skill in multi-tasking in the kitchen. See, while the pasta water came to a boil I should have been chopping and prepping the ingredients. I think I waited until the big pot of water was at a boil before I started assembling everything else.

So this was quite good. Jim really liked the crunch of the panko crumbs (tossed in olive oil). I appreciated the tomato sauce because I used my first carton of chopped tomatoes. A carton, not a can. "They" say that cartons or jars of tomatoes are better for you because you aren't using cans that are lined in BPA. Ugh, so much to worry about!

This recipe tastes exactly the way you think. A light tomato sauce with onions and garlic, sauteed chicken, melted cheese, and toasted breadcrumbs. (The entire pan is broiled for a minute or two to toast the breadcrumb mix. Yum.)

 

 

Click here for the stolen recipe for Quick Chicken Parmesan.

 

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Tangy Pork with Tomatillos, Tomatoes, and Cilantro

I LOVE this pork dish. My husband? Not so much. He thinks it's the cumin but he's grown to love cumin and spice, so I think maybe the tomatillos? Or maybe he's just so used to saying that he doesn't love it that he doesn't love it. I think that's it.

It's not at all spicy but it's kind of smoky and sweet at the same time. I just love tomatillos! I wonder if I can ever find any fresh ones at farmer's markets? Well anyway, this reminds me of a dish that my Mom used to make for us when we were young. I don't think her version had the cherry tomatoes, and I think it was spicy?

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine waaaaaaay back. I found the recipe online, of course, because it's a great recipe.

Click here for the online recipe.