Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Lasagna

This recipe comes from the January 2013 issue of Woman’s Day magazine. I love that it only makes four servings. Most lasagna recipes make enough to feed an army (or at least a large gathering of folks). I wish it had fewer calories and I will definitely reduce the garlic. Otherwise, I think this will be wonderful!

Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10-oz. package frozen leaf spinach
1 10-oz. package frozen broccoli florets
1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta
6 oz. part-skim mozzarella, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
½ cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup whole milk
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces
Pinch freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, ¼ each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

While the onion is cooking, thaw the spinach and broccoli according to package directions. Squeeze the spinach of excess moisture and pat the broccoli dry. Roughly chop both and place in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Romano.

Add the milk to the onions and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, then whisk in the cream cheese, nutmeg and remaining ¼ cup Romano. Gently simmer (do not boil), stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 ½ noodles (breaking as necessary to fit). Spread a third (about 1/3 cup) of the remaining sauce over the top. Dollop with a third (about 1 1/3 cups) of the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice.

Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender (a sharp knife should go through with no resistance) and the top is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings, at 662 calories per serving.

Chicken Broccoli Divan

This recipe comes from the folks over at Campbell's. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up to receive the Campbell's recipes via e-mail. Some of them are simply awesome!

 

Chicken Broccoli Divan

4 cups cooked broccoli florets
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
                                      
Place the broccoli and chicken into a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling.

Makes 4 servings.

Italian Style Meatloaf

This recipe comes from the folks over at Del Monte. It was on an ad I tore out of a magazine years ago. I believe the year was 1990. You thought I was kidding, right? Nope. Just another one of those recipes I collected and fully intended to try. But even if I’d remembered it, I never would have found it. Now I have. Sounds pretty good to me. What do you think?

Italian Style Meatloaf

1 lb. lean ground beef
6 oz. hot Italian sausage or spicy bulk sausage
1 can (14 ½ oz.) Del Monte Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 egg, beaten

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Place in 4 ½ x 8-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Drain.

Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

This recipe comes from Easy to Bake, Easy to Make. I think. It’s one of those recipe cards I saved. I probably got it in the mail when someone was trying to sell me something I didn’t buy.

I do love the helpful hints that are included. For example, be sure to use whipping cream and don’t substitute milk. The fat content in the whipping cream helps keep the sauce from separating and give it a rich flavor.

The card also says you can substitute butter for olive oil if you prefer a butter-flavored sauce. Either way sounds good to me.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

¼ cup all-purpose flour
6 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (about 4 oz. each)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 ½ cups whipping cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place flour is a shallow dish or pie plate. Sprinkle chicken with salt; coat with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook, turning once, until golden, 2-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet. Place in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish.

Heat remaining olive oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; cook until garlic is fragrant and onion is tender, 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add whipping cream, Parmesan and pepper. Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken in dish.

Bake chicken until an instead-read thermometer inserted in center of chicken registers 180 degrees, 8-12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken with Chipotle Cheese Sauce

            This recipe comes from the folks over at Campbell's. You can see a photo at their website and check out lots of other recipes with cheese, one of my favorite things.

One thing I love about the Campbell's site is that it allows reviews from those who have tried the recipes. One person substituted red cayenne pepper for the chipotle chile pepper. That's a good substitution for me because red cayenne pepper is something I always have on hand. Another person suggested using 1 cup of onions instead of two. I suppose it's probably just a matter of what you like.

Chicken with Chipotle Cheese Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 large onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

Stir the soup, milk, chile pepper and tomatoes in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the cilantro, if desired

Makes 6 servings.

Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe comes from the October 1990 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. That magazine consistently has wonderful recipes.

Eggplant Parmesan

2 medium-size eggplants (about 1 ½ lbs each)
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups dried bread crumbs
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
Salt
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 8-oz. package Mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley sprigs for garnish

About 50 minutes before serving:

Preheat broiler if manufacturer directs. Cut eggplants lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices. In pie plate, with fork, beat eggs with 2 tablespoons water until blended. On waxed paper, mix bread crumbs, dried basil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs mixture.

Arrange enough breaded eggplant slices to fit in 1 layer on large cookie sheet. Broil 10 to 12 minutes until tender and lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Remove eggplant slices to plate. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.

Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring often.

Turn oven control to 400 degrees. In 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spoon 1 cup tomato sauce. Top with half of broiled eggplant slices, lightly overlapping, then with half of remaining sauce and half of shredded Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering with eggplant, tomato sauce, and shredded Mozzarella. Sprinkle top with grated Parmesan. Bake 40 minutes, covered, until mixture is hot and bubbly. Garnish with parsley.

Makes 8 main-dish servings, about 240 calories per serving.

Cauliflower Mac 'N Cheese

I found this recipe in the September issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. It looks wonderful! Also check out the interview with Katie Couric and the short story. Hooray for fiction back in Good Housekeeping!

Cauliflower Mac ‘N Cheese

1 medium head cauliflower (1 ½ lbs), core discarded, florets cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots (10 oz.), thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted vegetable broth
¼ cup reduced-face cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch cayenne (ground red) pepper
¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Salt
Pepper
12 oz. elbow macaroni
8 oz. small broccoli florets (3 cups)
2 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 8-quart saucepot of salted water to boiling on high.

Add cauliflower and carrots to boiling water. Cook 15 minutes or until very tender.

Meanwhile, in blender, combine broth, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, ½ cup Gruyere, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. With slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to blender. Puree until very smooth.

Add pasta to same saucepot of boiling water. Cook half the time the label directs; adding broccoli during last minute of cooking. Drain; return to pot. Stir in cauliflower sauce and half of tomatoes. Spread in 2 ½-quart shallow baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and tomatoes.

Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and heated through.

Makes 6 main-dish servings at about 345 calories per serving.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

This is one of those recipes I tore out of a magazine. I have know idea which one. Not that it matters. It almost certainly came from an advertisement for Stove Top Stuffing. It sounds yummy and quick. Both are good things in my world.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

1 cup hot water
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons butter or margarines, cut in pieces
2 cups Stove Top Flexible Stuffing Mix
4 skinned boned chicken breast halves
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Conventional Oven:
Bring water, carrots and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in Stove Top. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Top with stuffing. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Microwave:
Stir water into butter and carrots to soften butter. Stir in Stove Top. Place chicken in microwaveable dish; top with stuffing. Cover dish. Cook at HIGH 5 minutes. Rotate dish half turn; cook 5 more minutes at HIGH. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 4.

Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe comes from the fine folks at Campbell's. I don't know about you, but I grew up on Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. It's still my go to food when I'm not feeling well or it's really cold outside. It's right up there with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches when it comes to comfort food.

That said, I'm always checking out their recipes to see what else they have come up with. Do you like lasagna as much as I do?

Vegetable Lasagna

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 1/2 cups milk

Vegetable cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter

3 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 10 ounces)

2 medium red or orange peppers, cut into 2-inch-long thin strips (about 3 cups)

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

12 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

• Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl and set aside. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish with the cooking spray.
• Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, peppers, zucchini and onion and cook until they're tender.
• Spread 1 cup soup mixture in the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer with 3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, 1 cup of the soup mixture and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice. Top with the remaining 3 noodles. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the noodles. Cover the baking dish.
• Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes.

Three Cheese Baked Ziti with Spinach

Here's another wonderful recipe from the Campbell's Kitchen. I LOVE baked ziti past with cheese. Can't wait to try it with spinach!

Three Cheese Baked Ziti

with Spinach

1 package (16 ounces) uncooked medium tube-shaped pasta (ziti)

1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach, washed (about 4 cups)

1 jar (1 pound 9 ounces) Prego® Marinara Italian Sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Add the spinach during the last minute of the cooking time. Drain the pasta and spinach well in a colander. Return them to the saucepot.
• Stir the sauce, ricotta, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper into the pasta mixture. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Serves 6.

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

I found this recipe on the Campbell's recipe website. It sure looks yummy!

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

2 eggs

4 medium carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

• Mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, eggs, carrots and broccoli in a medium bowl and set it aside.
• Place 3 lasagna noodles in greased 3-quart shallow baking dish.Top with half of the vegetable mixture and 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat the layers.Top with the remaining lasagna noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.

This serves 8 (about 1 1/4 cups each) with 321 calories per serving.