Sloppy Joe Casserole

I adored Sloppy Joe Casserole when I was growing up - it was a recipe from my grandma, and I thought it was the best thing ever.  I made it all the time when my husband and I were first married, but somehow it fell out of the rotation over time.  I made it for my kids the other night, and Abby devoured her bowl and asked for seconds - a rare event!  Time for this recipe to make a comeback!

The original recipe (which is such a 1950's kind of recipe) calls for a packet of sloppy joe mix, but I season the sauce myself.  This allows me to adjust the spice level for my kids and avoid whatever oddities are lurking in those packets!

Sloppy Joe Casserole

1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
8 oz small pastas (elbows or shells), cooked
16 oz small curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 large can tomato sauce (15 oz, I think?)
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp white vinegar
onion & garlic powder
pepper
Optional:  shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Cook the turkey and the onion together.  Toss in a large bowl with the pasta and the cottage cheese.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, mustard, and vinegar.  Add onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to taste (and more worcestershire or mustard - or add some Tabasco to give it kick!).  Don't add any salt - the cottage cheese is pretty salty already.  Pour the sauce over the pasta mix and stir well.

Pour the pasta mix into a 2-qt casserole dish.  (Optional:  top with shredded cheddar cheese)  Bake until heated through, about 25-30 minutes.  This dish can be prepared early in the day and baked at dinner time.

Mushroom-Spinach Sauce

We had a day last week when I realized the girls had reached dinner time with nary a fruit or vegetable to their day. This is very uncommon for us - but it was a day when we were running around with school, ballet, and errands, and we had done more "on the fly" eating than usual. I wanted to pack as many fruits and veggies into dinner as I reasonably could, while also making something the girls would eat without complaint (as they were very tired and likely to kick up a fuss). I resorted to the favorite mom trick of pureeing veggies into a sauce for pasta, and served the pasta with smoothies. I like to use a rotini pasta with sauces - the spirals hold a lot of saucy goodness! The girls cleaned their plates (and their cups), and I felt much better about our day!

(I'm continuing my goal of one vegan and one vegetarian dish per week, which has been much easier than I expected. This was our vegan meal of the week (the smoothies were bananas, strawberries, pomegranate juice, and vanilla soy milk).)

Mushroom-Spinach Sauce

1 box rotini pasta
2-3 handfuls of baby spinach
1 zucchini, sliced
5 large white mushrooms, washed and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
dash of oregano, salt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water when draining the cooked pasta.

In a sauce pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, zucchini, and mushrooms. Season with oregano and salt. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini and mushrooms are soft. Transfer the veggies to a blender, adding balsamic vinegar. Blend veggies until smooth, adding some of the pasta cooking water as needed.

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce before serving.

Stages of Acceptance: Cold Chinese Pasta Salad, revisited

This post is to participate in Food with Kid Appeal's new "Big Words, Little Foodies" recipe swap. I know we've had more than a few moments with Abby like Big Boo's "Long Avocado," though rarely have they been about food!

Last night, I trotted out an old favorite for the kids - Cold Chinese Pasta Salad. I make this a lot in the summer and fall, but we hadn't had it in a while. Not wanting to go out and buy red pepper, I finally tried swapping in ribbons of carrot - with great success! I vastly preferred the thin ribbons of carrot (achieved with a simple vegetable peeler) to the bulky strips of red pepper. Even better - the kids preferred it, too!



Though she has had this dish a bunch of times, we still had to go through Abby's stages of dinner acceptance:

1. Initial rejection for imaginary, petty reasons

Abby: Mommy, what are you doing?

Me: Boiling the pasta for dinner.

Abby: Oh. I don't like boiling.

2. Visual inspection

Abby: Oh! These orange ribbons (the carrots) are so pretty! Like a present!

3. Continued petty rejections

Abby (who hates anything that is warmer than room temperature): This pasta is pretty cold.

4. Continued petty rejections, again and some more

Abby: This pasta is not getting on my fork! Mommy, it won't get on my fork!.... Oh. There it goes.

5. Acceptance:

(finally eats a piece) Abby: Oh! This is so yummy! I love it, Mommy!

Penne Alla Vodka with Sausage

My husband's birthday was this week, and he requested that I try to duplicate our favorite dish at Vinny T's - penne alla vodka with sausage. My attempt was yummy, though fell short of the restaurant's version... but I suspect that they use a lot more fat in their version than I was willing to use!

I did have some qualms about posting this, as the evidence on just how much alcohol is burned off in cooking is mixed, and I know some people would never serve this dish to their kids. I serve my children beef stews that have been simmered in beer and chicken that has been braised in wine - and one of our favorite breads is yeast bread made with a bottle of beer. Vodka gave me some pause, but it's a small amount spread over a dish that had a large yield of servings (for my family, at least - my girls will only ever eat about 1/2 cup cooked pasta at most, so we have leftovers coming out of our ears!), and it simmered for about 20 minutes.

Better yet, it was something both girls liked and ate without complaint, and the dish was a breeze to put together. So, woohoo!

Penne Alla Vodka with Sausage

1 lb whole wheat penne, cooked according to package directions
1/2 lb sweet italian sausage, removed from casing
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Start making the sauce while you are bringing the pasta water to a boil. In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, breaking up into chunks.

When the sausage is cooked, add the garlic and basil and cook until garlic is softened. Add tomatoes and vodka. Bring sauce to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the pasta is done cooking (it took forever for my water to come to its first boil, and then cook the pasta, so my sauce simmered for about 15 minutes).

Drain the pasta and return to pot. Stir the light cream and parmesan into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Cook the pasta and sauce together, stirring constantly, for about 5 more minutes, until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce.

Serve, covered with more parmesan if desired.

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Abby's birthday was the following night - her requested birthday dinner? PB&J, carrots, and tortilla chips. It could be worse! We used whole wheat bread, organic peanut butter and jelly, and multigrain tortilla chips... and it made for one happy 4-year-old!

Halloween 2009 Dinner Date!

It's time to start thinking about what to serve to your little ghouls and goblins on Halloween night! We gave the girls a little "trick" with some spaghetti n' eyeballs for dinner, and a "treat" with a fall-flavored cake for dessert.

Spaghetti and Eyeballs

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 handful canned black olives, chopped
20 or so large pimento-stuffed green olives

spaghetti and marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425F.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, and chopped black olives. Do not add any salt - the olives make these salty enough! Grab one or two tablespoons of the beef mixture and flatten it into a circle. Place a green olive in the center, sideways, and wrap the beef all around. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining meat and green olives.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the meat is well-done. Use a serrated knife to slice each meatball in half to reveal the "eyes"! Serve over some cooked spaghetti that has been well-bloodied with marinara sauce :-)

Maple Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Frosting

Cake
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp maple extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the two eggs.

Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Add the milk mixture and the flour mixture to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between adding the wet and dry ingredients. Beat until well combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Add the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, and beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until very fluffy. Add the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.

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Looking for more Halloween ideas? Check out Celeste's Halloween Dinner Date from last year, with Candy Corn Pizza and Monster Milkshakes!

Spinach-Prosciutto Casserole

I wasn't so sure if my kids would go for this, but I took a picture of it before we ate just in case. And I'm glad I did - both kids ate their entire portion, without complaint and without me having to coax them one bit. In my family, that's the equivalent of my kids giving something 4 Michelin stars!

This made enough to fill two 2-quart casserole dishes (I froze one for a future dinner).

Spinach-Prosciutto Casserole

1 box elbow pasta, prepared according to package directions
1 1/2 cups ricotta (I used part-skim)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (again, I used part-skim)
1 egg
20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
salt & pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 lb prosciutto, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan


Cook and set aside the elbow pasta.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the egg. Stir in the spinach. Season with salt & pepper.

In a small bowl, mix together the marinara and the prosciutto.

Layer the casserole; into one casserole dish, layer 1/4 of the pasta, then 1/4 of the marinara mixture, then 1/4 of the cheese-spinach mixture. Repeat the layers. Layer the remaining ingredients into your second casserole dish. Divide the additional 1 cup mozzarella over the tops of each dish. Sprinkle each casserole with 1/4 cup grated parmesan.

When ready to eat, heat the oven to 400F. Bake a refrigerated casserole for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooked through (remember, there is egg in there!). The cooking time will be longer for a frozen casserole, but I haven't tried that yet :-)

Neko's Birthday Dinner Date!!

Amazingly my little girl (who seemed to be 2 FOREVER) has turned 3!! In honor of the special occasion I planned a dinner date that was sure to make her happy.

Even though Neko will happily eat things like sushi, calamari, tofu, sardine nuggets and spinach smoothies (honest to god she will) she is still a kid and if I ask her "What would you like for dinner?" almost always her response is "macaroni and cheese". I've tried many different variations of mac and cheese and thankfully there are even hundreds more I haven't tried. This help keep this kid favorite fresh.

I decided to try a version featured on Kara's friend Ana's blog: Our Veggie Family because it looked so yummy. It was super easy to make and WAS very yummy indeed! The butternut squash blended right into the cheesy goodness and the dish tasted like mac and cheese should.
I also served steamed and buttered green beans which I don't have a picture of or a recipe for since they are pretty self explanatory. The only thing I will add is that I let Neko and Abby snap off the ends of the beans before I cooked them which they both really loved doing. Kara said she had not previously gotten Abby to eat green beans but she scarfed them all down at dinner date. I'm guessing she liked them better after having had a part in making them. :o)

We have too many birthdays in July/August in our house and we are caked out (which I didn't think was possible). So for dessert I decided to do build-your-own-sundaes instead! For toppings we had: sundrops, blueberries, sliced strawberries, Funky Monkey Bananamon chips, whipped cream and homemade agave butterscotch.
Agave Butterscotch

Ingredients:
1/2 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:
1. In a med. saucepan combine agave, brown sugar and butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil and cook for another minute.
2. Remove from heat and stir in cream and vanilla.
3. Serve warm or keep in fridge until ready to serve. Yum!

Happy Birthday Neko!!

Semi-Homemade Dinner Date

Why no, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! We put our house on the market about 2 weeks ago, accepted an offer after the open house, and are now busily house-hunting. Frankly, worrying about getting my kids to try new things has fallen to the bottom of my to-do list... bad mommy!

I came back from an afternoon of house-hunting last week and had to prep for dinner date. Good thing I had decided to do a little Semi-Homemade Theme! I used to love to watch Sandra Lee and her table-scapes, but never made much of what she did. I felt like every dessert involved a store-bought pound cake or angel food cake. For my semi-homemade, I hit up Trader Joe's for some mixes that I like to keep in the house, and worked from there. This dinner date certainly came together a lot faster than I'm used to!

Polenta Griddlecakes

1 package prepared polenta (it comes in a tube)
ground cumin
ground coriander
paprika
Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

This could not be easier, but the mommies loved it. Once Abby got past the initial texture shock (my bad... I told her it was a cracker) she loved it, too!

Preheat a griddle pan or an indoor electric grill. Slice polenta into rounds. Sprinkle each round with spices and cheese to taste. Grill for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Zesty Mac and Cheese Casserole

2 packages macaroni and cheese, prepared according to package directions
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
10-16 oz package of frozen veggie (I used broccoli spears, which the kids completely avoided)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the mac and cheese. Set aside in a big bowl.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. When cooked through, drain out the fat and add the spices. Cook for one minute more, coating the beef. Add the beef to the mac and cheese. Add the veggies. Stir all together.

Divide between two 1-qt casserole dishes (and freeze one for later!). Sprinkle cheese all over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Lemon Cake on Brownie Crust

The brownie crust eliminates any need for frosting...

1 package of brownie mix, mixed according to package directions
1 package of vanilla cake mix, mixed according to package directions
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to the temp called for on your cake mix box. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans.

Divide the brownie batter between the two pans. Stir the lemon zest into the cake batter. Divide the cake batter between the two pans, carefully spreading it over the brownie batter.

Cook for the lowest time in the cake mix's time range; if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the cake is done.

Toddler Gourmet Dinner Date!!

After my MomDonalds flop my ego needed a dinner that was CERTAIN to produce "Mmmms" and "Yummy!'s" I decided to take some classic toddler favorites-mac and cheese, peas and jello and fancy them up a bit. Everything DID go over well but honestly I got the same sort of "Mmmms" and "Yummy!'s" than mac and cheese normally produce so...whatever... ;o)

4 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes
(serves many...honestly maybe 10...great leftovers though!)

Ingredients:
1 package whole wheat elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2c. milk
1c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2c. mozzarella, shredded
1/2c. gruyere, shredded
1c. italian bread crumbs
3/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded
cupcake liners (I only had Halloween ones)

Instructions:
1. Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Rinse and drain.
2. In a large saute pan melt the butter over med. heat.
3. When melted, add flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute creating a roux.
4. Whisk in milk, cook for 3 minutes (stirring constantly).
5. Add the cheeses and stir until smooth.
6. Add the macaroni and gently stir until the pasta is well coated with the cheese.
7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. Line a muffin pan with the cupcake liners. Spray the liners with a non-stick cooking spray.
9. Fill each liner 3/4 full with macaroni and cheese.
10. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and pamesan cheese.
11. Top each "cupcake" with the bread crumb/cheese mixture.
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Serve!

Prosciutto Peas
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 package frozen peas
2 slices prosciutto

Instructions:
1. Prepare peas according to package directions.
2. In a med. saute pan cook the prosciutto over med-high heat until crispy.
3. Remove the prosciutto from the pan and cut into small pieces.
4. Return the prosciutto to the pan (leave the drippings in) and add the peas. Gently toss to get the prosciutto goodness all over the peas. Serve! Mmmm.

Juice Box Jello
(serves 4)

I only called this "juice box" jello because I didn't but enough juice to make it and had to use juice box juice instead!

Ingredients:
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/2c. room temperature fruit juice

3c. hot fruit juice (I used Acai berry and apple/pear)
1c. diced fruit (I used bananas, strawberries and blueberries)
1/2c. mini marshmallows (Whole Foods sells a non-HFC variety and they are GOOD)

Instructions:
1. In a medium sized mixing bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the room temperature juice. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Add the hot fruit juice and stir until the gelatin crystals are well dissolved.
3. Refridgerate for 45 minutes and then add the fruit and marshmallows.
4. Refridgerate for an additional hour and a half. Serve!

Kara's Birthday Dinner Date!!

My super duper blogmate and friend Kara celebrated a milestone birthday this week and to honor the occasion I planned a dinner date full of her favorites! I asked her what she wanted and she told me that she often had spaghetti and meatballs and/or hummus on birthdays past so I decided to give these a go with some Itty Bitty Bistro flair!

Sicilian Hummus Dip
(serves 8)

So what makes this dip Sicilian? Nada. I just thought it made it sound extra Italian. Did it work? I've never even been to Sicily. My friend Jen has though. Maybe she could tell us if there is anything Sicilian about this dip. ;o)

Ingredients:
1 can of garbonzo beans
1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1 bunch of fresh basil
3/4 c. cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

1. Add all ingredients to food processor. Process until smooth. Serve with crudite or toasted baguette rounds.

Kara's Birthday Spaghetti and Meatballs
(serves...many)

I did my best to channel my inner Italian Grandmother for the spaghetti and meatballs (even though I'm Scandinavian and not Italian whatsoever.) When in doubt I would ask myself "What would Giada do?"

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 med or large sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 green peppers (i used small ones), seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cans of tomato sauce
2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans of tomato juice (soda sized cans)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
salt to taste

1. In a large saute pan, saute the olive oil, onions and green pepper over med-high heat until the onions begin to be translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a crockpot. Add the tomato sauce, paste, juice, brown sugar, baking soda and salt (just a few shakes to start).
5. Cook allllllllllll day. :o) I put mine in the crockpot at 10:30 am and served it at 5 pm.
6. Add the meatballs (recipe below) and fresh basil an hour before you plan to serve.
7. Check the taste of the sauce. Salt if necessary.

Meatball ingredients:
1 lb. 'meatball meat' (I found this in my Shaws. It was a blend of beef, pork and veal.) You could, of course, use just one of these or even ground turkey or chicken
1 c. italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper (couple dashes of each)
1/8 c. fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil
1/2 cup warm water

1. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients, except water.
2. Slowly add the water until the mixture is moist but still a consistancy to roll into meatballs.
3. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
4. Using your hands, roll 1-2" sized meatballs. Add them to the pan as you make them.
5. Cook for about 7 minutes or until cooked through.

Ok, this next one I'm pretty proud of...I also got to showcase the Valencia one last time...so here we go....

Kara's Cara Cara Chocolate Citrus Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Cupcake ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
zest and juice from 1 Cara Cara orange
1 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 squares bitersweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spray the insides of the liners with Pam for baking or the like.
3. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk or beat until well combined.
4. Fill each liner half full with batter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting ingredients:
1 box of powdered sugar (16 oz)
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (or more) of milk
zest from 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest from 1 valencia orange
2 Tbsp orange juice

1. Combine all ingredients exept milk and juice in a mixer. Mix until a thick paste forms.
2. Add the milk, zest and juice. Mix on high until fluffy adding splashes of more milk if necessary.
3. Spread on cupcakes and garnish with a little more zest if you'd like. Serve!

THIS FROSTING IS SERIOUSLY GOOD. No joke. (Toot toot goes my own horn.)

Happy Birthday Kara!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (Freezer to Skillet)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (Freezer to Skillet)

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles
8 Tbsp. marinara sauce
4 tsp. heavy cream
1 summer squash, sliced lengthwise
5-6 stalks of asparagus
olive oil spray
1 c. frozen broccoli
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Cut into bite sized pieces and arrange in a single layer on a freezer safe dish. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare creamy marinara for freezing: In a small bowl stir together marinara and heavy cream until combined. Divide into 8 compartments of an ice cube tray. Freeze for at least an hour or until frozen enough to pop out of tray.
3. Turn on the broiler setting of your oven. Arrange squash and asparagus on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray. Broil until both sides have a slight char (turn about once every 3 minutes). Cut veggies into bite sized pieces and arrange on a freezer safe dish. Freeze for at least an hour.
4. Divide the cheese between 4 snack sized Ziploc bags.
5. Divide remaining ingredients between 4 quart sized freezer bags. (2 sauce cubes, noodles, roasted veggies and frozen broccoli). Add the cheese packets. Seal, label and freeze until ready to eat.
6. To prepare from frozen: In a small saute pan over medium heat add contents of bag (but not the cheese). Cook until sauce cubes are fully melted and veggies are cooked through. Add the cheese and cook until just melted. Serve!

Freezer-to-Skillet Creamy Tomato Pasta

Another Bertolli-style frozen bag o' dinner - this one with bacon. Because everything is better with bacon!

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Enough pasta for 8 servings (about half a box, for my kid)
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
16 oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
frozen peas

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and add bacon, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened - about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.

To freeze the pasta: if you are using shapes, scatter them on a freezer-safe dish and freeze. For noodles, gather up a forkful of noodles and twirl them into little nests on a freezer-safe dish:


Pour the sauce into an ice cube tray - about 1 or 2 Tbsp of sauce in each cube. Freeze.

When noodles and sauce are frozen, divide them evenly among 8 freezer bags. To each bag, add a few tablespoonfuls of frozen peas.

When you are ready to serve, pour the contents of a bag into a skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook for 3 minutes; stir, and then continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce is melted and everything is heated through. This should take 5-10 minutes total.

And voila! Pasta! (and yes, I took a picture of the one bag I didn't add peas to. And then didn't realize that until now. Whoops!)

Freezer-to-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta

Forgive the break - I think Celeste and I have both been so busy cooking old family favorites for the holidays, we haven't been coming up with much new for our girls! But I'm back today, with a make-ahead meal that I am just in love with!

My husband and I are huge fans of those Bertolli frozen dinners. You rip open a bag, plop it in the skillet, and 10 minutes later - yum! We're also huge fans of Top Chef, and when they did an episode dissecting the making of these Bertolli dinners... well, the wheels started turning. I created this freezer-to-skillet dinner for Abby and was thrilled with the ease of prep - and how tasty it was, even after being in the freezer for a month!

Freezer-to-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta

4 servings

1/2 lb ground beef
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
1/2 box of your favorite pasta shapes
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain and cool. When cool, scatter all over a large plate covered in wax paper and set in the freezer.

Scatter the diced tomatoes all over a large plate covered in wax paper; freeze.

Prepare the pasta shapes according to box directions. Drain, cool. When cool, scatter over a large plate covered in wax paper; freeze.

In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese; add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon one or two tablespoonfuls of sauce into ice cube trays (you want the ice cubes to be about half full at most). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, until completely firm.

When everything is well-frozen (the cheese sauce will take the longest to completely freeze), simply divide the frozen components between four bags.

When you are ready to cook, dump the contents of one bag into a skillet over medium heat. Cover for 1-2 minutes, then stir. Cover again for 1-2 minutes, and then stir. Continue to cook, stirring, until sauce cubes are completely melted and everything is heated through.

I loved having these on hand in the freezer for super-quick meals. I never tried heating them in the microwave, since it only took about 6 minutes in the skillet. I even added a bit of butternut squash baby food into the skillet on one of the reheats - and Abby wolfed it all down!

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Want more freezer-friendly ideas? Check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap of freezer-friendly recipes at Life As Mom!

Smoked Cheddar Shells and Cheese with Kielbasa

Smoked Cheddar Shells and Cheese with Kielbasa(serves 4)

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 1/4 c grated mild cheddar cheese
1/2 c grated smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 box shell pasta (I used Eden Organic Veggie Shells)
2 Kielbasa links
olive oil

1. Cook shells according to package directions, drain and rinse.
2. Cut kielbasa into "non-chokable" sized chunks.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Cook kielbasa chunks until heated through. (About 5 minutes)
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
5. When melted, add flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute creating a roux.
6. Whisk in milk, cook for 3 minutes (stirring constantly).
7. Add the cheeses, and stir until smooth.
8. Combine the cheese sauce, shells and kielbasa. Serve!

This one is seriously yummy.

Broccoli and Cheese Ravioli with Sweet and Spicy Marinara

Broccoli and Cheese Ravioli with Sweet and Spicy Marinara

(serves 2)

1 c. fresh broccoli, steamed and finely chopped
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. shredded parmesan cheese
12 won ton wrappers
1 egg white
1 can tomato sauce
1 c. fresh spinach, steamed and pureed in a blender or food processor
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Italian herbs (I have a grinder that has mixed Italian herbs)
1 small shake of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small sauce pot combine the tomato sauce, spinach, syrup, garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the raviolis are ready to cook.
2. In a small bowl combine the broccoli and 2 cheeses















3. Arrange 6 of the won ton wrappers in a single layer on a plate. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the broccoli cheese mixture into the center of each won ton.



















4. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of each won ton with egg white. Brush the edges of the remaining 6 wrappers as well. Put these on top of the won tons that have the broccoli mixture on them and use your fingertips to seal the edges.
5. In a large skillet put about 1/2 c. of the sauce. Add the raviolis and top with the rest of the sauce. Simmer for about 6 minutes over med. heat, turning the raviolis halfway through the cooking time. Remove from heat and serve!

When I was a teenager I worked at a greasy spoon diner as a cook. They made homemade spaghetti sauce for their spaghetti and meatball dinner. One of the ingredients was brown sugar. This is where I got the idea to use maple syrup. It gave the sauce a nice sweetness. As for the spicy...Despite trying to go easy on the heat I added too many red pepper flakes. I won't omit it when I make this again but I will use just a tiny, tiny bit.

Pasta with Salmon and Peas

As you can probably tell by now, Abby is a pasta kind of kid. Because I know I can call something "noodles" and she is likely to eat it, I use pasta as a bridge to get her to eat different things or try different flavors. So whereas on the face, it looks like a lot of pasta lunches and dinners, she's really trying a whole variety of tastes and flavors... or at least, that's what I tell myself!

Pasta with Salmon and Peas

Total time: 15 minutes

2 cups dry whole wheat pasta
1 cup frozen peas
1 6-oz can of pink salmon, drained
2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard (yellow or Dijon)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp nonfat milk
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. When the pasta has about 5 minutes left to boil, add in the frozen peas. Drain the peas and pasta.

While the pasta is boiling, combine the salmon, 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and milk in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add additional mayonnaise if desired and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the sauce with the pasta and the peas until well combined.

This is a play on tuna noodle casserole - I pureed the salmon because I thought Abby might be suspicious of the little chunks otherwise, and it made for a very creamy sauce without having to use much mayonnaise. Abby thought it was delicious! Hooray for pasta!

Pasta Frutta

I was inspired by pasta primavera when I came up with this dish - hence my attempt to Italianize the name! Abby had this as her dinner; since there was some leftover, I added the Buckwheat Meatballs to my portion - it was actually a pretty good combination.

Pasta Frutta

Total time: 15-20 minutes

3 oz dry whole wheat pasta
2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
salt & pepper
1/2 ripe peach
1/2 ripe plum
1/2 ripe pear

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the oil, orange juice, vinegar, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper. Dice the fruit into bite-sized cubes. When the pasta is ready, drain it, and then toss it together with the fruit and vinaigrette. Serve!

Abby realllllly liked this, and so did I! This made two generous portions and would easily double. I diced up the other half of the peach, plum, and pear and tossed them with some lemon juice and sugarso that I can make up Whole Grain Fruit Crisp tomorrow for a snack.

Spinach-Alfredo Sauce

Abby and I had friends over for lunch today, which meant another unsuspecting toddler for me to use as a taste-tester! Ha! I made this spinach-alfredo sauce over noodles for the girls and got two big toddler smiles. Each girl even asked for seconds!

Spinach-Alfredo Sauce

Total time: 20 minutes

Your child's favorite pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pureed

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While pasta is boiling, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until the mixture is thick, golden, and bubbly - about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in the spinach puree. Add a little extra milk if sauce seems too thick. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve to happy toddlers!

This made a fair amount of sauce, so I tossed about half of the sauce in with the pasta and saved the rest in a storage container for future dinners. When my younger daughter starts solids and I have lots of baby purees around the house, I can see using this alfredo base to stir in lots of different vegetable flavors.

Cannellini Mac and Cheese

If you have a little mac and cheese lover on your hands, try this to slip in some extra protein and fiber! It only takes a little bit more time than making mac and cheese from a box.

Cannellini Mac and Cheese

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes (optional)

1 cup dry pasta shapes
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)
dash paprika (optional)
1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Topping, for baked mac and cheese:
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp wheat bran
1 tsp millet
1/2 Tbsp butter, melted

In a small pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture is turning very light brown, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the milk while whisking continuously. Continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly, 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the cheeses and paprika until melted.

Take the cheese sauce off of the heat and stir in the pasta and cannellini beans. The mac and cheese can be served as is. To make a baked mac and cheese, divide the pasta mixture among four oven-proof ramekins. Stir together the topping ingredients and divide among the four ramekins. At this point, you can cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for future meals.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is heated through and the topping is turning golden.

Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin) Ravioli

I was all set to make pumpkin ravioli for Abby, when I discovered that the can of pumpkin I was sure I had in the pantry was a figment of my imagination. I hate it when that happens. Thank goodness there was a can of sweet potato in there!

Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin) Ravioli

Total time: 15 minutes

1/3 cup mashed sweet potato (or solid pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
ground ginger, salt, nutmeg
12 won ton wrappers
small bowl of water


Bring a saucepan of 3" of water to a boil. Prepare the raviolis while you are waiting for the water to come to a boil.

In a small bowl, mash together the sweet potato, cinnamon, and a dash each of the ground ginger, salt, and nutmeg.

Divide the filling between the 12 won ton wrappers, placing the filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the edges; fold one corner to its opposite corner (forming a triangle) and run your finger along the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Boil six ravioli at a time for 2-3 minutes, until the wrap is translucent and the edges are tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper-towel covered plate; serve.

Though dubious at first, once I got Abby to take a bite - it was on. She gobbled ravioli down like it was going out of style. And this is a kid who claims not to like sweet potato! Ha!

(If your sweet potato is canned in light syrup, as mine was, I'd recommend rinsing it off very well first. No need to get your tot hopped up on sugar at dinnertime!)