Italian Calzone Wrap

Calzone in a wrap? Yes please.  These wraps come together fast, are super fresh and taste incredibly delicious.  My husband liked dipping his wrap in marinara, which I have to admit is pretty darn good.  You could use this or this recipe, or just open a can of your favorite marinara sauce (which is what we did).  This recipe came from Darla Evanson, who is a fabulous caterer in Utah.  Her niche is doing inexpensive buffets and dinners with everything made from scratch.  She's amazing, and earlier this summer, she shared with me some of her favorite recipes she uses at home... so watch for more coming!  In the mean time, enjoy a favorite recipe from a popular professional caterer.

Italian Calzone Wrap
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1-2 red bell peppers (1 large or 2 small)
2 teaspoons chopped sundried tomatoes
1 pound fresh mozarella, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
marinara (optional)
Tortillas (Tortilla Land uncooked tortillas shells are my favorite)

In a medium skillet, heat oil.  Add onion, cook on low for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and sausage, crumble as you cook, stirring 3-5 minutes.  Drain off excess fat at this point.  Add red bell peppers and sundried tomatoes.  Cook a few more minutes.  Add mozarella and basil leaves.  Toss, put the lid on pan and let cheese melt.  This only takes a minute or two (cheese will go stringy if left on heat too long).  Cook tortilla shells as directed and top with filling.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, wrap it up and serve immediately.

Authentic Italian Red Sauce

 

This recipe is from my dear friend Karen, who comes from a big Italian family with fantastic recipes.  Another one of their recipes is 'Mama Filoso's Chicken Rice Soup'.  Anyway, Karen gave this recipe to me a long time ago, but unfortunately it got lost in my big recipe binder and I never made it until last weekend.  WOW it was INCREDIBLE--the best marinara sauce I have ever made.  This comes together quick and tastes amazing!  This is very similar to the  5 Minute Marinara Sauce  recipe, but I think better!

According to Karen, this sauce is good on everything from sauteed vegetables like zucchini, or thinly sliced cabbage to any pasta. I am thinking it would be good as a pizza base or to dip your Stromboli  or Calzone into.  I even thinned the leftover sauce with chicken broth( a little cream would have been good too:) for a quick tomato soup to dip grilled cheese into for lunch.  It was great--let me tell you-YUM!

Thank you Karen for another great recipe!

Authentic Italian Red Sauce
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

3-4 TBsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4-8 fresh garlic cloves (Karen says she uses 8 or more- I used 6)

1 (29oz) can of tomatoes (for a milder sauce add more)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup fresh basil, or as much as you like (I left this out because I didn't have any)

1 tsp Better than Bouillon, beef flavor, or 1 bouillon cube

Mild cayenne pepper (optional)

Blend up tomatoes until fairly smooth.  Put olive oil in the pan with the minced garlic, just until the garlic starts to really sizzle.  Do not over cook the garlic.  Add tomatoes to the garlic and oil  and bring to a simmer.  Add tomato paste, bouillon, fresh basil, and cayenne.  Bring to a simmer.  Let cook a minute or two.  This does not need a long time to cook.  It will actually lose it's pungent flavor if you do.

ENJOY!!

Italian Pasta Salad

I have had several requests for this recipe that I had pictured with my weekely menu on my Melandboys blog. It is super simple, so I almost feel silly posting it as a recipe. It comes together super fast and my family LOVES it, so maybe yours will too. This is a throw together pasta dish, so I have never measured. I just put in the amounts I think we would like. I love an easy quick dinner, don't you?!

*I was asked to teach a cooking class next month on how to make family dinners easier. I would love to hear of any ideas/recipes that work for you. Leave a comment here or email me at melandboys@gmail.com. Thanks so much!!

Italian Pasta Salad
submitted by Melanie

1/2 -1 package of bowtie pasta
broccoli florets--bite size pieces
sliced pepperoni (cut in half)
sliced olives
mozzerella cheese-cubed (or just slice up cheese sticks like I did)
cherry tomatoes (I was out so they are not pictured)
favorite italian dressing (I like the good seasonings dry packets, made with red wine vinegar and add a TB or so of fresh parmasen)

Boil the pasta in water according to the package directions. For the last minute of cooking add the broccoli florets. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Add to a bowl with the pepperoni, olives, cheese and tomoatoes. Toss with your favorite italian dressing. Remember that the pasta will soak in some of the dressing so put in a little more than you think. Or add some right before serving, so it is not too dry. Chill and enjoy!

Fresh Pizza Sauce

I didn't have any tomato paste to make pizza sauce a few weeks ago, and I thought.... Man! I have all these garden tomatoes... there has to be a good fresh recipe out there. So I googled it and settled on one I found on allrecipes.com I've made it a couple of times now, and turned out fabulous every time. It is a thin, kind of watery pizza sauce, but it packs a lot of flavor so you don't miss the thickness of traditional sauce. I was wary of the cinnamon the first time, so I only put a small pinch in.... it turned out awesome! Not overpowering, but added another subtle layer of flavor that was fun. The second time I added a couple of shakes of the cinnamon shaker. It was still good, but the cinnamon came through a little bolder and I liked it better as a faint background flavor. So the moral of the story: don't be afraid of the cinnamon, but only one small shake (or pinch). :) Hope you enjoy!

Fresh Pizza Sauce
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 ripe tomatoes (I highly suggest fresh garden tomatoes if you can get them)
1 clove garlic
1 packed tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 pinch cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley, as well, and it works great)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients: the tomatoes, garlic, basil, cinnamon, salt, pepper, sugar, oregano, oil, and parsley. Blend without liquifying. It should remain a little chunky.

Adapted from Aligorn at Allrecipes.com

Margherita Pizza

A hundred years ago (was it really only 13??) I spent a summer in Italy doing study abroad. For 2 weeks I actually got to live with an Italian family... so I really got to experience authentic Italian food! Wow, was it delicious. My mouth still waters thinking about some of the amazing fresh pasta, sauce, pizza and antipasto I got to try there. Oh and let's not forget the nutella gelato. Mmmmm! During that summer I fell in love with the margherita pizza. (Which was partly due to the fact that it was routinely the cheapest thing on any menu and I was a poor starving college student that had sold her car to even make it to Europe!) But once I had tried it, I was hooked. I'm sorry to say that there is just no replicating it... however, this pizza was so tasty I thought it was a worthy enough wannabe to share the name. After attempting a NY style thin crust in Utah with my family (uh, sorry guys) I found a much better recipe for dough that ended up deliciously chewy and perfect. I still love our basic pizza dough but I was ready for a change and wanted to try something new. The 3 main toppings for margherita pizza are tomatoes, fresh basil and a little mozzarella. No heavy red sauce. It makes a simple but fantastic pizza. Trust me.

Margherita Pizza

submitted by Brittany at www.www.thesisterscafe.com

printable recipe here

3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes (of course from your own garden is best!), chopped in large chunks

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tb olive oil

1/3 cup+ loosely packed fresh basil leaves, julienne cut

mozzarella cheese, shredded (fresh mozzarella is wonderful)

parmesan cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients except cheese and toss lightly. Roll out pizza dough to 12 inch circle and place on hot pizza stone. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella on dough. Spoon on tomato mixture and spread evenly over cheese. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup parmesan on top. Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and crust is a deep golden. Let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle additional 1-2 tablespoons of fresh basil over pizza before serving.

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups very warm water

1 Tb sugar

1 scant Tb yeast

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tb olive oil

4 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water - let sit for 10 minutes. Foam should form on top. Whisk in salt, olive oil and 1 cup flour. Whisk in 2nd cup of flour. At this point put on dough hook and turn mixer in low as you add the last 2 cups of flour. If your dough is too sticky, add flour a little bit at a time until dough forms a ball. Knead for 5 minutes. (Or 10 minutes by hand) Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for an hour in a warm place until double in size. Punch down dough and divide into 2 parts. Each half will make a 12 inch pizza. (If you only want to make one pizza now, then put other dough ball in an oiled freezer bag and pop in the freezer for another day!) Take the dough ball that you want to use immediately and allow it to rest for 15 minutes then roll out.

*to freeze the pizza dough... at the point where you divide the dough into two parts, you can put one half in an oiled plastic bag and put directly in the freezer. When you want to use it, let it thaw in the frig or at room temperature. Once thawed, there is no need to allow it rest/rise again - just roll out and use immediately.

Pizza Rolls

This is a super fun and tasty dinner! Who doesn't love pizza? Now imagine little individual garlic rolls stuffed with melted cheese and your favorite toppings that you can dip into warm marinara sauce... delightful! My friend introduced me to the pizza roll concept and since then, I've conducted some delicious experiments! Here is my favorite: a supreme pizza roll with a garlic bread twist. Read on and you'll get what I'm talking about!

Pizza Rolls

submitted by Brittany

printable recipe here

pizza dough (click on title for recipe)

mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed

pepperoni, cut into fourths

1/2 green bell pepper, diced small

1/2 small onion, diced small

1/4 cup chopped olives

Roll pizza dough out into a large rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 12 pieces. (I actually prepared 1.5 pizza dough recipes in the picture which is why I have 16, not 12) Layer the toppings in the center of each square of dough; about 2-3 Tb total of toppings on each. Now stretch and fold the dough around the toppings, pinching to seal edges. This is the tricky part - the more toppings you use, the harder it gets to tuck them all within the dough! (fyi: pepperoni and cheese or ham and pineapple are much easier, as you can imagine.) Now place seam side down in a lightly greased casserole dish or glass baking dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with garlic salt and Italian seasoning. (oregano, basil and thyme, etc) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until rolls are light brown. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping. Dig in and have fun!

Lasagna

I have tried many lasagna recipes. This one from my husband's mother is still my favorite. It is moist and cheesy, flavorful and delicious. Even after having tried out more 'gourmet' types of lasagna, this recipe still stands at the top. I love it! The last time I made it, I doubled it and put it in four 8x8 pans so I could freeze three of them for later. I had to figure out how many noodles would go into each pan, and I think I ended up doing three scant layers of noodles in each pan, and dividing up the meat sauce, riccota sauce, and cheeses accordingly. I can't remember what I've done in the past - maybe just the two layers? It doesn't really matter how you divide up the layers. Anyway, I recommend that before you get started on the layers, count out your noodles and see how many layers you will need to use up your noodles. (Next time I make this I will pay closer attention and revise this! :) )

By the way, as you can see in the picture, I serve this Lasagna with my Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread recipe, which has been posted already. It is sooo good!

Mom Walker’s Lasagna

Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable Recipe

Half of a 1-lb package lasagna noodles

1 to 1 ½ lbs ground beef

1 c. chopped onion

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 6-oz cans tomato paste

2 tsp sugar

2 ½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp pepper

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 Tb parsley flakes

4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ c. grated parmesan cheese

Prepare lasagna noodles, drain. Cook ground beef and onion. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 2 teaspoons of the basil and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. In a small bowl blend ricotta, egg, parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. In a second bowl combine the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.

Put a layer of noodles in a 9x13 pan, a layer of meat sauce, a layer of ricotta mixture and a layer of the mozz/parmesan cheese then repeat all the layers. Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

 

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. We make it a lot at our house. It is so simple, healthy, delicious, and best of all ...it uses glorious summer bounty from your garden or local farmers market.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

submitted by Melanie

 

2 large ripe, firm tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 Tb fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese
6-8 oz angel hair pasta ( we prefer whole wheat)Mix together the diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Let "marinate" on counter for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and toss with the tomato mixture. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Mmmmmm

Grilled Pizza

Oh this is divine!! Grilled pizza is my new favorite. It is super easy, fun and DELICIOUS! You can get really creative too. I think this would make a fun party menu. Your guests could build their own pizzas from bowls of different toppings.

Pizza on the Grill

submitted by Melanie

Use your favorite crust recipe or try this one,

Crust Ingredients (from About.com):
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation:

Combine water, oil, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Mix flours and salt together thoroughly in a food processor or mixer. Add water mixture while blending. Let mix for 2 minutes. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Place in a large oiled bowl and let stand in a warm place for 2-3 hours. It should double in size.

Once the dough has raised, lightly flour two cooking sheets. On a floured surface roll out 1/4 of the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place on cooking sheet. Repeat process until you have four rounds. Place one pizza on a clean, oiled and preheated grill. Grill pizza crusts for about 1 minute on until the bottom is brown. With tongs, gently flip it over and grill for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining pizzas. Let cool. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and return to a preheated grill for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. It's best to grill one pizza at a time.

Try your favorite toppings. I did one Margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. It was great! The other one pictured is fresh garlic and Gouda chicken sausage, zucchini and sweet red pepper with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan.

Stromboli

My friend Mandy makes a mean stromboli! I had never tried stromboli (which is similar to a calzone) before hers and it is wonderful! Of course I had to get the recipe from her. It's super easy and delicious. Thanks Mandy! (You can get the meat sliced fresh in the deli of your grocery store.)

Stromboli

submitted by Brittany

1 Rhodes bread dough

1/4 lb ham, sliced

1/4 lb hard salami (I goofed and made it with pastrami and it was still so good!)

1/4 lb provolone

mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp dried basil, divided

1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided

melted butter or olive oil

cornmeal

Set out bread dough to thaw. Once thawed, spread the dough out on a cookie sheet or silpat (which works perfect). Layer the ham and then the salami along the middle of the dough going lengthwise. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each of basil and oregano then layer on cheeses. (I used approximately 1 cup shredded mozzarella but it's entirely up to you how much you want!) Sprinkle with remaining basil and oregano. Wet edges of the dough and fold over the long edges and roll up the ends. Brush olive oil over dough and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Carefully flip stromboli over and repeat on other side. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan

I have never cooked with eggplant before but I love this dish in restaurants so I thought I would give it a try. It is absolutely delicious!! I loved it - and it felt pretty healthy too! I did a little research about eggplants since they were new to me and learned that fresh is best. Eggplants need to be used asap - the day you buy them preferably. They spoil very fast. Also, traditionally people would sprinkle them with salt and leave them for a time to draw out any bitterness. Although I did this in the recipe, I also learned online that it shouldn't be necessary anymore since today's eggplant varieties are rarely bitter if eaten fresh - the older the eggplant, the more bitter and most of the bitterness is located under the skin, hence the peeling. Technically you can eat the peel but I chose to salt and peel to avoid any possibility of bitterness! :) (Make sure you rinse the eggplants very well after salting though, since the breadcrumbs are very salty too...)Baked Eggplant Parmesan

submitted by Brittany

2 fresh eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 egg whites, beaten
2 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
marinara sauce, divided (4-6 cups)
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tb fresh basil, chopped

Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 30 minutes then rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip eggplant slices in egg whites, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Bake on Silpat, parchment paper or grease baking sheet very well.) Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes on each side. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread marinara sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

*you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce or you can make this easy and yummy marinara in 5 short minutes!!

Mel's 5 minute Marinara Sauce

2 Tb olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 16oz cans Italian crushed tomatoes (or diced)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 handful Italian parsley leaves, chopped (optional)

salt and pepper to taste (leave out salt for this Eggplant Parmesan recipe)

Add olive oil to sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the heated olive oil. When pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes and stir in fresh parsley. Serve!

Meatball Calzone

This was one of the delicious items my dear friend (and fabulous cook) Steph served at her New Years party this year.I am usually not a meatball girl, but this was soooo yummy, that I asked her for the recipe. To my delight, it was SUPER easy!! I came home and made one for my family a couple of days later. It was a hit! In this picture I actually used some homemade pizza dough I had in the freezer. I do have to admit though, that this calzone is better with the Rhodes brand bread dough. Anyway, here is the recipe--hope you enjoy it!

Meatball Calzone

Frozen Rhodes bread loaf--( 1 pound loaf, thawed)

Frozen Costco Italian Meatballs-heat as directed-(about a dozen)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese (1-2 cups)

Parmesan (1/2 cup)

Egg wash

Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce (I have a really great 5 minute marinara sauce-I will post soon)

On a floured surface (or Roul pat), roll out the thawed dough into a 18 x 12 inch rectangle. Spoon on the desired amount of cooked meatballs and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese on half the rectangle of dough. Fold dough over filling and press edges firmly to seal.

Place on a baking stone (or cookie sheet). Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand for 15-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce. Enjoy!!

Mama Filoso's Chicken Rice Soup

I got this delicious and unique recipe from my friend Karen. This was her Italian Grandma's recipe. This soup is warm and comforting. The perfect meal to feed my family on a cold winter night. The key is the homemade stock--letting it simmer for hours to bring out the flavors and create a rich broth. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Thank you Karen for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Mama Filoso's Chicken and Rice Soup

submitted by Melanie

To make the Stock:

6 chicken breasts with the bone and skin, or 1 whole chicken

3 large carrots

3 stalks celery--be sure to use the heart with all the leaves

2 onions

4 dashes of Lawry's Season Salt (or Johnny's)

2 teaspoons chicken soup base (or you could use 2 bullion cubes)

Wash Veggies and cut into big chunks and put in big pot with chicken. Cover about 1 inch over the top of all ingredients. Turn on stove burner to medium heat and simmer for at least a few hours. I think long simmering makes for a rich broth.

When stock is finished strain. Discard vegetables--they will be very mushy at this point. Put broth back in pot. Shred chicken and set aside. You will not need all 6 chicken breasts for the soup. I usually just freeze about half of the meat to use later.

Cut up fresh vegetables:

4-5 carrots

4-5 celery stalks (make sure to include the leaves)

2 onions ( I only use 1)

Turn on the heat under the pot with the broth. When broth comes to a boil put in your chopped veggies. Simmer until they are almost tender and then add your shredded chicken.

2-3 shredded chicken breasts

Let broth come to a boil and drop in this egg and cheese mixture:

3 eggs beaten

1/4 c. Romano (or Parmesan) cheese

Pepper (opt)

Make your favorite rice (calrose, brown, jasmine, whatever) separately. When serving put rice in bowl first and then spoon soup over top. Top with some freshly grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

I know everyone probably has a Chicken Parmesan recipe but you have still got to try this one...it is phenomenal! Mel gave me this recipe when I got married but I didn't try it for at least a year...Chicken Parmesan sounds intimidating! However, this recipe is remarkably easy - especially if you do the Lowfat Version. I absolutely love it! There is something about the sauce that is addicting...can't wait for you all to try it out!

Chicken Parmesan

submitted by Brittany

Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tb olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (approx 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cans Italian diced tomatoes

1 Tb sugar

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken ingredients:

1-2 pounds chicken breasts

2 eggs

Italian breadcrumbs

1/4-1/2 c olive oil

8 oz very thinly sliced mozzarella

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Dip the chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Heat oil and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Put chicken on the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13). Put one thin slice of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan on each breast and half of sauce on top. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Lowfat version: skip breading and frying of the chicken. Place the chicken raw in the dish and do one layer of the cheeses. I don't even measure, I just sprinkle on grated mozzarella and parmesan then top with sauce. Bake a little longer - more like 40 minutes. It is fabulous!

Insalata Caprese

This is the most simple, and delicious salad! It is best made with garden tomatoes, freshly picked! Garden tomatoes are one of my favorite things of summer! They are so flavorful! The tomato pictured is not from my garden since they are not ready yet. This one is from Costco, their tomatos are the next best thing to fresh! This is a single serving that I made for a snack one afternoon, but a larger amount is very pretty on a platter. You can even serve it as an appetizer, just surround the salad with sliced bruschetta or crackers. MMmmm--delicious!

Insalata Caprese

submitted by Melanie

Sliced fresh Mozzarella (1/4 in thick or so)

Sliced tomatoes (1/4 in thick or so)

Chopped fresh basil (roll the leaves and slice thin--I did not do that this time-but it sure looks nicer if you do)

Olive oil-for drizzling

Freshly ground pepper and coarse salt (such as Kosher)

Simply alternate tomato and mozzarella slices on a plate or platter. Sprinkle on fresh chopped basil and drizzle with olive oil. Finish off with a sprinkle of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

These are the best stuffed shells I have ever tasted. They are absolutely delicious. I like to serve them for company or when I need to take someone dinner and feed my own family at the same time, because this recipe makes a lot. This is a guaranteed delicious dinner, and when I get compliments I forward them on to my sister Brittany because she is the cooking genius that gave me this recipe. :)
These shells can be time intensive if you don't break up the prep work. I like to make the filling the day before and then cook the shells and stuff them the day-of. The recipe makes two 9x13 pans. I always do one 9x13 and two 8x8 pans, and freeze one of the smaller pans for a later dinner. And the other night when I made this I used some extra spaghetti sauce that I had in the fridge, which made it more saucy, but it's good with just the one jar too. Be sure to buy two boxes of Jumbo Shells for this recipe, as you'll need nearly 1 1/2 boxes.
Try serving these with the Macaroni Grill Bread on our blog. That's how I served them yesterday for our company and they went together perfectly. But usually I make bread sticks to go along, and the recipe Melanie posted already is a great one.


Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Submitted by Erin (Brittany's delicious recipe. :) )

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.

Macaroni Grill Bread

My sister Erin gave me this recipe awhile ago and I have finally gotten around to making it. It was amazing!! I will definitely be making it again soon! It was easy and soooooogood! My family loved it! (My boys had cut into it while it was still hot and before I had snapped a picture--so that is why it looks a bit crushed on top.)

Bread from Macaroni Grill
(This is a recipe intended to approximate that awesome chewy bread that they bring out at the Macaroni Grill. The kind you dip into the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and cracked garlic.)

1 Tbsp. Dry Yeast

1 Tbsp. Sugar 1 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

2 ½ cups white flour, divided

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped, (I used about a tablespoon of dried rosemary and it worked great.)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Coarsely ground salt

Put the yeast, water and sugar into a blender. Mix it until it is frothy.Turn the oven onto 200°. (You just need to warm it up; you’re not baking yet.)

To the mixing bowl of yeast mixture, add two cups of the flour, salt, and half of your chopped rosemary. Keep the other half cup of flour close at hand. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Add the rest of the flour as needed to get the dough to the right consistency (soft and stretchy without being overly sticky).Turn the oven off

Lift the dough out of the mixing bowl. Add the olive oil to a bowl and swirl it around. Roll the dough in the olive oil so it is well coated and let it sit in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and place it in the oven (the oven should be off by now, if you missed that step). Leave the door cracked so it isn’t too hot in there.Let the dough rise for about an hour. It should be approximately doubled in size. Punch the dough down and knead it again. Divide it into two equal sized lumps and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.( I just made one big loaf--but I am thinking it would have been easier to cut--not smash so much if the loaf was smaller--so I think I will follow these directions next time)

Prepare your baking pan. I use a ceramic stone, but a cookie sheet will work. If the surface is not naturally non-stick, spray it with the cooking spray, or use parchment paper. Shape the dough into two oval-shaped loaves and arrange on the pan. Melt the butter or margarine. Use a brush to paint the surface of the loaves with butter. Use all of the butter. The loaves will be quite saturated when you’re done. Take the rest of the chopped rosemary and sprinkle it over the loaves. Pat it down gently to set it into the dough. Return the loaves to the oven. Don’t turn it on yet. Let the dough rise again, for about 45 minutes. Remove the loaves and preheat the oven to 450°. Sprinkle a little bit of coarse(kosher salt is perfect) salt over the loaves. Return the dough to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until light brown.Makes two loaves. Best enjoyed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic.