Creamy Baked Ziti

This is yet another recipe for Kraft. I latched onto it because I love baked Ziti. Yummy! Kraft also lets us know that you can prepare this recipe for up to eight hours before you need it. Just put it in the refrigerator until you're ready. Just increase the baking time to 30 or 35 minutes or until heated through.

I've never had a problem finding ziti past. If you do, Kraft suggests using other types of tubular pasta, such as penne or rigatoni.

Creamy Baked Ziti

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
3/4 cup sour Cceam
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings.

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

This is one of those easy meals -- and no, quiche is not just for women. I don't really know where that got started but it's just not true. Making men don't think it's "substantial" enough for them. Whatever. Just serve it with a nice salad and it's a great meal. If you really want to make it festive, Kraft suggests adding 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers to filling before pouring into the pie crust.

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup each chopped onions
1 cup chopped broccoli
5 eggs
1/3 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust (9 inch)


Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place vegetables in skillet sprayed with cooking spray; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.

Beat eggs, dressing and milk in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in vegetable mixture and cheese; pour into pie shell. Place pie shell on baking sheet.

Bake on baking sheet 40 to 45 min. or until center of quiche is set and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 min. before cutting into slices to serve.

Makes 6 servings

Chicken Divan

This recipe comes from the Pillsbury kitchens. It just seems so easy. I love that all the ingredients are items I usually have around anyway. And I love broccoli. That's always a good sign. But the real advantage is that you can put a wonderful mean on the table in a very short period of time. Of course, I'd probably add some carrots and maybe a salad. And bread is necessary because in the South you always serve bread with dinner or supper. Folks might think you've been slaving away all day. Now, that would be a laugh wouldn't it?

Chicken Divan

1 bag (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Select® frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups cubed deli rotisserie chicken
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (18.5 oz) Progresso® creamy chicken and wild rice soup
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/4 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

Heat oven to 375°F. Cook broccoli as directed on bag 4 minutes. Place broccoli and chicken in ungreased 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with pepper.

Pour soup over broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Makes 4.

Sausage & Cheese Crescent Squares

This reminds me of a Breakfast Pizza I make sometimes, only without all the extra ingredients and work.

The recipe comes from the Pillsbury folks. I always check out their site. I especially love recipes featuring Crescent Rolls because they're one of my favorites.

Pillsbury says the sausage and two kinds of cheese turn crescent dough into a rich and tasty appetizer. I can't wait to try it.

Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls OR 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury®     Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 lb spicy or mild bulk pork sausage
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Heat oven to 375°F.

If using crescent rolls: Unroll 1 can of dough into 2 long rectangles. Place in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish; press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. If using dough sheets: Unroll 1 can of dough. Place in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish; press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust.

In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Remove sausage from skillet; discard drippings. To same skillet, add cream cheese. Cook over low heat until melted. Add cooked sausage; stir to coat. Spoon evenly over crust in baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

If using crescent rolls: Unroll second can of dough on work surface. Press to form 13x9-inch rectangle; firmly press perforations to seal. Carefully place over cheese. If using dough sheets: Unroll second can of dough on work surface. Press to form 13x9-inch rectangle. Carefully place over cheese.

Bake 21 to 26 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into small squares.

Makeas 32.

Spinach Pull-Apart

This is another recipe from Pillsbury. It even came with a short video. I loved that. The woman (I think she may have created the recipe) illustrated how to make the little balls. She held each small triangle in the palm on her hand and used a metal spoon to push the dough and make the triangle larger. Good idea.

She takes this to football parties and serves it as an appetizer. I think it would be perfect for any gathering. What do you think?

Spinach Pull-Apart

3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Garlic Salt
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz)
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Basil Leaves, if desired
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper
2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated garlic butter crescent dinner rolls (16 rolls)
1 cup marinara sauce, heated, if desired


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with no-stick cooking spray.

In small bowl, mix butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic salt. Set aside.

In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, basil, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic salt until blended. Set aside.

Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise to make a total of 32 small triangles. Stretch or press on triangle slightly, being careful not to tear it. Spoon 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto center of triangle; pull dough around mixture into a ball. Press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining triangles.

Roll each ball in butter mixture; layer in pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cool 10 minutes longer. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Serves 8.

White Chocolate-Raspberry Pie

White chocolate and raspberry? Sounds like a winning combination to me. It comes from the Pillsbury site. Apparently, this recipe is for the top prize-winning pie from the 2010 State Fair Pie Contest.

White Chocolate-Raspberry Pie

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
5 oz white chocolate baking squares
3 tablespoons milk
5 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
3 cups fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely.

In microwavable bowl, microwave 4 squares of the white chocolate and the milk uncovered on MEDIUM about 2 minutes or until almost melted. Stir until melted. Cool to room temperature.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange peel with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Beat in white chocolate mixture. Fold whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Spread in bottom of cooled baked shell. Arrange raspberries on filling.

Melt remaining square of white chocolate; drizzle over pie. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Beef Burrito Skillet

Found this recipe on the Kraft foods site. I think it sounds wonderful. And easy. And quick. My kind of meal!

Quick-Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large green onion, chopped

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

Add seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 min.

Stir in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Makes 4 servings.

Extra-Easy Spinach Lasagna

This is another wonderful recipe from the folks at Campbell's Kitchen.  If you'd like, you can substitute the mozzarella cheese with a blended Italian cheese. It's one of those personal taste kind of things.

Another tip is for thawing the spinach. I'm big on the microwave for those types of things. Campbell's apparently agrees. Microwave the spinach on HIGH for 3 minutes, stopping half way through to tear apart with a fork. Don't forget to drain it.

Pepperidge Farms makes a wonderful Texas Toast that is perfect with lasagna. Five minutes and you're done.

Extra-Easy Spinach Lasagna

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup water


Stir the ricotta cheese, spinach and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup sauce in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles and half the spinach mixture. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining sauce. Slowly pour water around the inside edges of the baking dish. Cover.

Bake at 400°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Makes: 8 servings (1 cup each).

Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe comes from the folks at Campbell's Kitchen. It's a quick, easy meal that perfect for a cold, winter day -- like this one.

Campbell's suggests serving the Lasagna with Pepperidge Farm Texas Toast. I wholeheartedly agree. I'm a big fan of Texas Toast. The Pepperidge Farm brand only takes 5 minutes to cook (any longer and it gets hard) and also great for spaghetti. I'm particularly fond of the garlic version. It's a freezer staple for me. But they've got other versions as well.

Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.


2 3/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)
15 uncooked oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 can (about 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)


Heat the broth in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil. Break the noodles into pieces and add to the broth. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes or until the noodles are tender.

Stir the soup, tomatoes and spinach in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spoon the ricotta cheese on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Tip: You can try using 4 ounces mozzarella cut into very thin slices instead of the shredded mozzarella.

Makes: 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each).

Frosted Fudge Brownies

I needed a dessert. Quickly. Something that would appeal to a mostly male population. That meant chocolate. Not enough time for a cake. Brownies. That would be perfect.

I found a recipe that sounded good. That means all the ingredients were present and accounted for. Don't you just hate finding a recipe, getting excited, then realizing you'll have to make a trip to the grocery store or choose something else? Not today. No time.

The original recipe came from The Southern Living Cookbook. I've had this cookbook for more years than I care to admit. It's still my favorite. You can tell. Drops of this and that litter some of the pages. Hey! I never said I wasn't messy.

The only problem with the recipe is that it involved a double boiler. I really didn't want to deal with that. So I did what I do. I used the microwave instead of the double boiler. It worked great so those are the instructions I'm giving you.

Another tip I'll pass on involves sifting. Dont't do it. Yes, the recipe calls for it but a faster way is just to whisk the powdered sugar. It works just as well and with a lot less mess and effort.

Enjoy!

Frosted Fudge Brownies

1 cup shortening
4 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Frosting (recipe follows)

In a microwave bowl, combine shortening and chocolate. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir. Chocolate should be fully melted. Microwaves vary so you may have to put it back in for another few seconds. Just be careful not to do too much.

Slowly stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds. Stir.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Stir in flour and salt, mixing thoroughly. If you choose to add pecans, stir those in now.

Spread batter in a well-greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Be sure to grease the sides of the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool. Spread with frosting. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerataor.

Yield: about 3 dozen.

Frosting

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons boiling wataer
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Combine chocolate and boiling water, stirring until chocolate melts. Blend in butter. Using a mixer, slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the egg and beat until blended.

Yield: Enough for 3 dozen brownies