Category Archives: pasta

Smoked Macaroni and Cheese on the Grill with Smokin O’s #CookoutWeek #Sponsored

Posted in main dishes, pasta, sides by

Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

I never really considered macaroni and cheese a cookout food – until I had kids. Now, macaroni and cheese is an all-the-time food. I’ve been dreaming up an on-the-grill version for a while and I knew Cookout Week was the perfect opportunity.

It was also a great chance to try out Smokin O’s. Smokin O’s is one of our Cookout Week sponsors and they sent us a sampler pack to try out. Smokin O’s are a great way to add smoked flavor on a gas grill – this recipe features an Applewood Smokin O.

And this makes a creamy, delicious, smoky mac and cheese with almost no effort. It’s a perfect cookout dish!

Smoked Mac and Cheese

Smoked Macaroni and Cheese on the Grill with Smokin O’s
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)

2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 cups milk
2 cups half and half
16 oz. shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 Applewood Smokin O
Green onions, for topping
Chopped bacon, for topping

Prepare the grill with the Smokin O. Directions are here.

Spray a disposable 9×11″ pan with non-stick spray.  Pour in the elbow macaroni. Pour the melted butter, milk, and half and half into the pan an stir to combine. Stir in the cheese, salt, pepper, mustard and paprika.

Place the pan on the grill over indirect heat with the cover closed. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes to two hours – stirring every 10 minutes for the first 40 minutes.

When cooked, top with green onions and chopped bacon before serving.

Smoked Macaroni and Cheese

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta

Posted in chicken, main dishes, one dish meals, pasta by

‘Tis the season for comfort food. I’m not sure if it’s holiday stress or the weather getting colder but I now want all of my food to be warm and cheesy. Which totally does not agree with losing the baby weight. And knowing that I’m going to totally blow any good eating at holiday parties, I’ve been trying to be a little more careful with family dinners.

Luckily, I have some awesome blogger friends to lean on! This lightened-up comfort food dish from Prevention RD‘s cookbook totally hit the spot. This was warm and cheesy and perfect – without the guilt.

SkilletBBQChickenPasta

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta
(from Prevention RD’s Everyday Healthy Cooking)
Serves 4-6

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 red onion, diced
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
12 oz. whole wheat penne
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/3 cup cheddar, shredded

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet until shimmering. Add the chicken and onions and cook until chicken is cooking through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, at the water, chicken broth, penne and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 12-15 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed and pasta is tender. Stir in barbecue sauce and Greek yogurt. When well combined, stir in the cheeses and reserved chicken mixture. Cook until heated through. Serve immediately.

Hatch Chili Mac ‘n Cheese

Posted in main dishes, pasta, sides by

For the first time since I started this blog, one of our local grocery stores stocked hatch chilies. I feel like I’ve been watching my more-Southern food blogger friends rave about them for years and could never participate in the hatch chili fun. So now that they’re here? I’m making hatch chili everything.

First up: mac n cheese. I really, really loved this. The roasted chilies paired really nicely with the jack cheese sauce. I had split this into two pans with intentions to freeze one for later – but it all got eaten before it made it to the freezer. Oops!

 

HatchMacNCheese

Hatch Chili Mac ‘n Cheese
(from Life’s Ambrosia)
Serves 6-8 as a side

5 hatch chilies
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 Tbsp. flour
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded jack cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. olive oil

On the grill, roast the chilies over high heat until charred and blistered. Transfer to a bowl. When cool enough to handle, peel the chilies, seed, remove the membrane and dice.

Cook macaroni according to package directions.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the diced onion and cook until nearly translucent. Whisk in flour until the mixture is a play dough consistency. Add milk, whisking constantly, and cook until starting to thicken, about a minute. Stir in cheeses and stir frequently until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni and diced chilies and season with salt to taste. Spread the macaroni in a greased baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the panko and olive oil. Spread over the top of the macaroni.

Bake at 350F degrees until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Rattlesnake Pasta

Posted in chicken, main dishes, pasta by

My Mom and Mother-in-law both got me vintage Pyrex pieces for Christmas. Since then, I’ve become mildly obsessed with casseroles. Because when you’re using dishes from the ’50s, is there anything more appropriate to make than a casserole? I think not.

My new casserole dish is small – perfect for 2-3 servings, so I’ve been using it a lot and freezing extra portions for busy nights.  I can’t wait to break this one out again!

RattlesnakePasta

Rattlesnake Pasta
(adapted from The Oland Girls Craft)
Serves 6

12 oz. whole wheat pasta
1 26 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 lb. dice, cooked chicken
1 small can diced green chilies
1 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, garlic, Parmesan, bacon, chicken and chilies. Stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top with shredded cheddar.

Baked for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Posted in main dishes, one dish meals, pasta, vegetarian by

Our pasta pot was passed down to us from Mark’s parents when we moved into our first apartment. It works – so we’ve yet to replace it – but, my goodness, does that pot take a lot time to come to a boil. And I sometimes avoid making pasta because I don’t want to deal with it. Sad, but true.

It’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to this recipe – one pot pasta that doesn’t need to be made in the pasta pot! This was as easy as it gets: dump, stir, cook – done. Simple, but delicious.

OnePotTomatoBasilPasta

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
(from Apron Strings)
Serves 4-5

12 oz. linguine pasta
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 T. extra virgin olive oil Parmesan cheese for garnish

Add pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil to a large stock pot. Add in vegetable broth and sprinkle the pepper flakes and oregano over the top. Drizzle with oil.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until the desired amount of liquid has evaporated .

Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring the pot several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Posted in beef, main dishes, one dish meals, pasta by

I’m very fortunate. Even though I love cooking, there are nights that I just don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. When that happens, Mark is always happy to step in and take care of things. He’s a great cook.

This is one of the dinners he cooked up recently. Its a one-pot meal – you don’t have to cook the pasta separately, just keep adding things to the pan and in the end you have a creamy, spicy pasta dish. It was awesome.

SpicySausagePasta

 

Spicy Sausage Pasta
(from A Bitchin’ Kitchen)
Serves 4

1 T. olive oil
1 14 oz. package smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
1 1/2 c. diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1/2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. uncooked whole wheat penne pasta (about 2 1/2 c.)
1/2 t. black pepper
1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Thinly sliced scallions
Salt, to taste

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil until smoking.  Add the sausage and onion to the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, uncooked pasta and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking.

While the pasta cooks, preheat the oven broiler. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Add salt to taste. Top with the scallions and remaining cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Posted in main dishes, pasta by

June is a very busy month for us. Both Mark and I are June babies, we’ve got a vacation scheduled and two of our good friends are due at the end of the month! I promised myself last month that I’d get ahead and put together some freezer meals to break out on crazy nights. And, I failed.

I’m really going to try to have at least one freezer-friendly meal on our weekly menu for the next couple weeks so when we get back from vacation I’m not totally swamped with cooking. This was last week’s meal and it turned out beautifully – although, it’s really hard to go wrong with a pizza/pasta combo!

Pepperoni and olives are my favorite, so I didn’t bother to play with other ingredients here but now I’m wondering how ham and pineapple would be. I love Hawaiian pizza – do you think it would work in casserole form?!

PepperoniPizzaCasserole

 

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
(from Closet Cooking)
Serves 6

12 oz. whole wheat penne
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 c. marinara sauce
1/2 c. sliced black olives
4 oz. pepperoni
8 oz. ricotta
2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c. parmigiano reggiano, grated

 

Cook the pasta as directed on package, stopping a minute or two before fully done. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the sauce, 3/4 of the olives and 3/4 of the pepperoni to the pan and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. Set aside.

Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray and then place half of the pasta in the bottom. Top with half of the sauce and then half of the cheese mixture. Repeat each layer, and then arrange the remaining olives and pepperoni on the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minute, until the cheese has melted.

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli

Posted in chicken, main dishes, pasta by

This time of year always seems endlessly dreary. It’s cold, but we’re not getting snow. The days are depressingly short and I still seem to have a holiday hangover. By the time I get home from work, I just don’t feel like cooking so I’ve been relying on old favorites like homemade pizza and ham and cheese waffles.

In an effort to jumpstart more cooking, we took a trip to Whole Foods to do some impulse shopping, We ended up getting some basil and garlic chicken sausage which was perfect for this dish. Despite being really simple, it was incredibly flavorful.

PastaChickenSausage

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli
(adapted from Real Simple)
Serves 4

12 oz.  penne (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
6 oz. chicken sausage, casing removed
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets and stems sliced
1/4 c. grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Begin cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Five minutes before the pasta is finished, add the broccoli florets and stems to the boiling water. When pasta is done cooking, drain, reserving some pasta water and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan. Break up and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.

Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture, including a little of the pasta water, and the Parmesan.

Hibachi Style Noodles

Posted in main dishes, pasta, vegetarian by

I recently had my first Hibachi restaurant experience. I had no idea what I was missing. I loved everything about it – but I especially loved the noodles. They were sweet and spicy and I devoured my whole portion entirely way too fast.

I dreamed about them for a few weeks (hubby vetoed going back to the restaurant so soon) before googling to see if I could find a recipe to make them at home. When I ran across this one, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Seriously, if you can boil water, you can handle making these. They’re also rediculously quick – mine took about 10 minutes start to finish.

We served these as a side with grilled steak and veggies. They also reheated well for lunch the next day.

Hibachi Style Noodles
(from Best of the Veg*)
Serves 4 as a side

1 package fresh, Chinese-style noodles
1 T. oyster sauce
2 T. soy sauce
8 T. sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. sesame oil
1 t. chili garlic

Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Whisk together the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium/high heat. Add half of the sauce, then the noodles, followed by the remaining noodles. Toss for 2 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl.

*Note: I’m not linking the blog here like I usually do because the last two times I visited the site, my antivirus flagged it as a site that was distributing viruses. If you’re interested in visiting the site anyway, you can find it by googling the name.

Homemade Manicotti

Posted in main dishes, pasta, recipe swap, vegetarian by

One thing I love about doing recipe swaps is that I often end up with recipes I wouldn’t have picked out on my own. I’ve had homemade pasta on my to-make list for a while, but I’ve been treating it as something of a pipe dream – something I’d get to on some lazy Saturday when we’re snowed in and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand.

Instead of getting the perfect storm, I got a recipe that involved homemade pasta for this round of the recipe swap – vegetarian recipes. I’ll fully admit I was nervous about this – not only was it way out of my comfort zone, it was something I’d have to pull off on a weeknight after work because of our schedule. Eeek!

All of my worrying was for naught, though – these were incredibly easy, even for a weeknight. It took a few tries to get the noodles the right thickness, but once I got the hang of it the process moved along quickly.

If you have “make homemade pasta” on your cooking bucket list, this is a great recipe to start with!

Homemade Manicotti
(from Simple Gormet Cooking with Dawn)
Serves 6-8

For the noodles:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
3 eggs
Dash of kosher salt

For the filling:
1 1/2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus additional for topping)
1 egg
1 T. minced fresh parsley
2 c. spinach leaves (optional)
1 jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Whisk flour, milk, 3 eggs, and salt in a bowl until smooth.  Pour about 2-3 tablespoons into a hot greased frying pan and spread to a 5 inch circle or smaller.  Cook over medium heat until set-do not brown.  The top will be slightly doughy.  Repeat with remaining batter, making about 18 crepes.  Stack crepes between wax paper and set aside.

Pour half of the sauce into an ungreased baking dish and set aside.

Saute the spinach with a dash of salt in an ungreased saute pan until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

For the filling, combine the cheeses, egg, parsley, and spinach.  Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons into each crepe.  Roll or fold up and place the crepes over the sauce.  Pour remaining sauce over the top.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and serve.