Turkey Tortellini Soup

8 ounces uncooked cheese tortellini
1 pound ground turkey with Italian Seasonings
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
2 cans (14.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper

Brown ground turkey in large saucepan with the onion, garlic, and carrots until meat is browned and vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes and basil to the meat and vegetables and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare tortellini according to package directions. Drain water.

Add tortellini to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

I made this recipe for a dinner party a couple of weeks ago & it was a hit. It's from the latest Kraft Food & Family magazine:

1 container cottage cheese

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 large tomato, chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and seasoning; spoon into shells.

Mix sauce and tomatoes; spoon half into 13x9-inch baking dish. Add filled shells; top with remaining sauce. Cover.

Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining mozzarella; bake, uncovered, 2 minutes or until melted.

Tips:

Spray foil with cooking spray before using to cover casserole. Place, sprayed-side down, on casserole to prevent sticking.

Make Ahead:

Assemble recipe as directed. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, covered, at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Freeze Ahead:

Reserve 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Assemble recipe as directed, but do not top with the reserved mozzarella. Wrap casserole in foil; freeze. When ready to serve, heat oven to 400 degrees F. Unwrap casserole; cover with foil. Bake 55 minutes or until heated through, removing foil after 30 minutes. Top with reserved mozzarella; bake 2 minutes or until melted.

Easy Cheesy Stromboli

1 can Pillsbury Country Italian Bread Dough
Genoa Salami
Pepperoni
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Dried Oregano
Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese Slices (not grated)
Pizza Sauce (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (or if you want to use foil on top of the sheet, spray the foil).

Flour a cutting board or other surface lightly and unroll the dough flat. Place salami on top of the entire surface of the dough, leaving about a 1 inch border around the edges. On top of the salami, sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. Place a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of everything, leaving the 1 inch border again. Do the same with a layer of pepperoni.

Roll the dough like a jelly roll or cinnamon roll dough, using the longest side to roll. Pinch the seam and sides shut and lay seam-down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of the roll with sea salt, oregano, and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread is browned. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into desired portions. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.

*can also be made with Italian Sausage instead of one of the other meats or in addition to them.

Baked Ziti with Pesto

Serves 4 (I made a double recipe)

1/2 pound ziti
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozerella cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup store-bought or homemade pesto

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8x8 inch baking dish.

2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 7 minutes. It will be partially cooked. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again thoroughly.

3. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

4. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzerella, about half the parmesan cheese, the pesto, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

5. Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with about a third of the tomato sauce. Spread the ricotta mixture on the sauce in an even layer. Cover with the remaining pasta and then the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzerella and the remaining parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

This is one of my favorite lasagna dishes because I love its slightly different taste from regular baked lasagna and it is soooo easy to make. This recipe is from Cody's mom. One time, she took a skillet and the ingredients for this dish and made it for Cody's dad in a hotel room when she went to visit him at officer training school. (or some kind of air force training.) It has a long legacy in the family.

1 pound ground beef
1 packet spaghetti sauce mix
12-16 ounce cottage cheese
lasagna noodles to cover pan
2 tsp. basil
1 TBS parsley
1 tsp salt
16 ounce can diced tomatoes
8 ounce can tomato sauce
8 ounce mozzarella shredded

Brown beef in electric skillet. Drain well. Sprinkle with half the packet of spaghetti sauce mix. Spoon cottage cheese evenly over meat. Top with layer of noodles covering all. Sprinkle with remaining spaghetti sauce mix, basil, parsley, salt. Pour tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup water over top making sure all is moistened.

Bring to a boil. Cover. (I leave the vent on the skillet lid a sliver open) Simmer 35 minutes or till noodles are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 minutes.

Linguine with Tomato-Basil Sauce

If food was judged by aroma alone, this dish would score a 10+. But it doesn't just smell good.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
8 oz. uncooked linguine
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add next 6 ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 mintues or until most of the liquid evaporates. Reduce heat. Stir in milk and simmer 5 mintues. Set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions omitting salt. (Al dente is best). Drain linguine well and pour tomato sauce over hot linguine. Toss well. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

**of course you can add sauteed shrimp, scallops, chicken or others to this dish as well.

Serves 2-4.

Artichoke Sausage Soup

I got this recipe from Kelley Thomas a while back & it has been one of my very favorite soups ever since then! It is SO flavorful & just plain delicious! I can't wait to make it again!

12 oz. Italian sausage (or 16 oz. pork sausage)
2 (14 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained
3 (14 oz.) cans Italian plum tomatoes (or Italian style stewed tomatoes)
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
3-4 cups water

Crumble sausage into pieces in a soup pot; brown and drain off fat. Cut artichoke hearts and tomatoes into bit sized pieces. Add to sausage. Add remaining ingredients. Heat through. Enjoy!

Makes 8 serving