Broccoli and 3 cheese stuffed shells

None of us really like cooked broccoli too much but these are still yummy! You could always adjust the amount or just take it out completely and I am sure it would be delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
18 jumbo pasta shells (i usually cook a few extra in case some break while cooking)
15 oz Ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I have used both grated and shredded, either way is good)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Jar (around 28oz) Pasta sauce with vegetables

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta. Drain.
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, broccoli, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spread about 1 cup of the pasta sauce in 9x13 dish.
Spoon approximately 2 Tablespoons of filling into each shell and arrange them in the dish in a single layer.

Pour remaining sauce over shells evenly. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
Bake @400F for 25 minutes.

Pizza Cupcakes

Easy to make and fun for the kids to help!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans of Grands extra large biscuits
pizza sauce (roughly 16 Tablespoons, probably a little more)
mini pepperonis
mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease cupcake pan.
Place a biscuit in each spot, pushing down to make a place for the fillings.

Fill each one with a spoonful of pizza sauce and spread it around. Fill with desired amount of pepperoni and top with cheese.

Bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. They will rise a lot but go down a little after cooling. Enjoy!

NOTES:
The original recipe found HERE used regular sized biscuits and cooked for a shorter time. I only saw the large when I went shopping and I was worried there would be too much biscuit and not enough pizza but we all thought they were delicious.

Ranch Chicken Lasagna

Delicious fresh out of the oven and just as good (if not better) reheated the next day.

INGREDIENTS
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pack dry Ranch Salad Dressing Mix (I actually used 1.5 but we are ranch lovers)
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
9 lasagna noodles
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix evaporated milk and dressing mix in a saucepan. Heat over low heat approximately 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cooked chicken to sauce mixture.
Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Put 3 cooked noodles in a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 1/3 of the chicken sauce (it will be a very thin layer, don't worry about it). Top with about 1/3 cup of each cheese. Repeat all of the layers 2 times, except the last one use all of the remaining cheese. 
Bake @ 350F for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Pie

A little twist on spaghetti. So much better in my opinion! My favorite part is that the bottom layer gets slightly crispy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons beef seasoning
8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (plus extra for garnishing, if desired)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef in 12 inch skillet. When done, remove from skillet.
Mix beef seasoning and tomato sauce together.
Place cooked pasta in the bottom of the skillet.

Top with meat, followed by the sauce and cheese.

Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Cut into slices like a pie. Enjoy!

Hot Antipasto Poor Boys

Anything with artichokes has to be yummy!!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
14 oz can artichokes, drained and quartered
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
5 oz thinly sliced pepperoni
2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
Hoagie Rolls (3-4)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, mix Italian dressing and grated Parmesan cheese together. Add the artichokes, tomatoes, pepperoni, and black olives. Toss to coat.
Slice each roll in half. Place cut side up on baking sheet. Broil 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
Spread filling over the buns. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil another 3-4 minutes, til filling is hot.

NOTES:
We use 4 hoagie rolls, and make 2 of them with a small amount of filling for the kids. If it was only adults eating, I think 3 would be better.

Thin Crust Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza

Similar to Papa Murphy's Chicken Bacon Artichoke deLite pizza.

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast
SAUCE:
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper

TOPPINGS:
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (I use Oscar Myer Fresh Deli chicken)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 slices turkey bacon, cooked, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In medium bowl, mix warm water and salt. Add yeast and 1 cup of flour. Mix together, then add 1/3 cup of flour. Knead into a sticky dough, adding a little more water if needed. Let dough rest, covered with a towel, for at least 10 minutes.  

 Butter a 16 inch round pizza pan. With buttery hands, spread dough thinly over pan. (It might seem like there isn't enough dough, but it works, be diligent!) 

Mix the Italian dressing, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Spread over the crust. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Put toppings over the sauce in the order listed.

Bake @425 for about 15 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly. Watch it carefully, the crust burns easily since its thin!

adapted from here

Spiral Pasta Pizza Bake

This is easy to make despite the long list of ingredients.  It makes a large amount (9-12 servings probably), so it would be good for a pot luck, or any group of hungry people! :)

INGREDIENTS
12 oz Tri color Rotini
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste with pesto
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Parmesan (I used half shredded, half grated)
3 cups Mozzarella
Pepperoni slices (I had a 6oz package, I used roughly half)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In large pot, cook the beef, onion, salt, and pepper til no pink. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
In medium bowl, eggs, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir. Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan. Pour beef mixture over pasta. Top with Mozzarella and pepperoni. 
Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes @ 350F. Uncover and bake additional 20-25 minutes, til cheese is golden brown.

Chicken Garlic Pizza

This pizza is SO good! It is supposed to be similar to Papa Murphy's chicken garlic pizza, but I have never eaten that particular one from there, so I can't say how close it is. In any case, it is delicious!

Before the top layer of cheese:

 Right out of the oven:

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Ranch Dressing
3/4 Tbs minced garlic
2 cups shredded mozarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup grilled chicken breast, bite sized pieces
3/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced green onion (green part only)
Homemade pizza crust

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ranch and garlic together. Spread over pizza crust.
Mix all cheeses together. Spread about half over the sauce.
Evenly spread chicken, tomatoes, and green onions on pizza. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake @ 425F for 12-15 minutes, til cheese is golden brown.

NOTES:
I use this chicken instead of making my own:

Also, any kind of tomatoes will work but if you use something other than Roma, be sure to drain off extra liquid/seeds.


adapted from here