Lasagna Roll-Ups

This is a great recipe from your leftover lasagna ingredients or if you have leftover ricotta cheese and lasagna noodles.  I came up with this after having too many cooked lasagna noodles and leftover ricotta cheese after making lasagna a while ago.  This time i had leftover plain ricotta cheese and lasagna noodles in the cupboard.  It is a quick recipe to have fun with and i never measure my ingredients when I am making this.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 25-30 minutes.

Lasagna noodles, cooked
Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
Basil or Italian seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Spaghetti Sauce

Mix ricotta cheese, egg, basil, Parmesan cheese as desired, and mozzarella cheese as desired.  Cut Lasagna noodles in half.  Put a dollop of ricotta cheese mixture on the lasagna noodle followed by a pinch of mozzarella cheese.  Roll up and place seam down in a greased pan.  After you are finished, cover in sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake!

If you are sick of lasagna you can make these and freeze them for a later date.  Just do not add the sauce before you freeze them.  These are something different and fun, packed full of flavor!  You can add meat to them if you want or you can add different cheeses and seasonings.    Enjoy

Strawberries and Cream Pie

I got this recipe from my grandma Carol Trostle.  The original recipe is Peaches and Cream Pie.  I changed it and added strawberries instead!  My grandma used to make this and when I was around I would always ask her to put extra cream in it because it was so delicious!  This pie is something different and it is just great!  I will give you both recipes for peaches and strawberries.

Peaches and Cream Pie or Strawberries and Cream Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.         Bake 35-45 minutes or until it sets

Peeled Ripe Peach Halves or 1 Quart strawberries stems removed and sliced
Filling:                  9"                                      8"
                       7-8  peach halves               6 peach halves
                       2/3 C. Sugar                       1/2 C. Sugar
                       4 TBSP flour                      3 TBSP flour

Cream            1/4 tsp salt                          1/4 tsp salt
                      1/2 tsp cinnamon                1/3 tsp cinnamon
                      1 C. cream                          3/4 C. cream

Mix together peach halves, sugar, and flour.  Arrange Peach halves rounded side up in pastry-lined pan.  Pour cream mixture over peaches and bake.
-or-
Mix strawberries, sugar, and flour.  Put into pastry-lined pan.  If there is excess liquid from strawberries do not allow it into the pan.  Pour cream mixture over strawberries and bake.  The strawberries and cream pie might take longer to bake and set. 
For both pies, put tinfoil around crust if it gets too brown. You don't want it to burn.

 The brown you are seeing on top is just the cinnamon.

I let the strawberries sit over night which made them have too much juice.  So, do not let them sit overnight.  Prepare them and use them right away.  I added all the juice and the cream and it was too much.  It took the pie forever to bake and set.  The strawberries and cream pie was absolutely delicious though and everyone who ate it enjoyed it.  Have fun with this recipe and add whatever other fruit you would like to try!  Enjoy!

Bacon-Cheese Stuffed Shells

I got this recipe from my boyfriend's sister, Colbie!  She wanted me to try it out for her to see if it was worth making.  Since it yields 12 servings i decided to make it for their family for dinner one night.  Turns out this recipe is delicious!  It was a little pricey to make but it was worth it.  The flavors are unbelievable.  You might be expecting regular tasting stuffed shells when you bite into them but that is not what you will get.  The combination of cheeses, bacon, mushroom, and onion is just wonderful!  I would definitely make this again.  The whole family love them!

Bacon-Cheese Stuffed Shells


Prep: 45 min Bake: 40 min Yields: 12 servings
24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup butter, divided
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened, divided
1-1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, divided
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (2%)
2 cups shredded Romano cheese
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in 1 Tbsp butter until tender.
In a large bowl, beat ricotta and 4oz cream cheese until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese, bacon, 1 Tbsp parsley, garlic salt, nutmeg, pepper and mushroom mixture. Spoon into shells; place in a greased 13'x9' baking dish.
In a large saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add the cream, broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in Romano cheese and the remaining cream cheese, Asiago and parsley. Pour over shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

 This is what was leftover from a large pan of shells made!

 I used my own fresh sweet basil in this recipe and it worked out great. This was the first time i have used fresh basil.  I got these basil plants from my friend Amylynn's dad who knew i liked to cook.

The only thing I did differently from the recipe was that i added more cream cheese to the shell mixture and less to the white sauce on top.  This was my mistake as I did not read the recipe correctly.  I do not think it changed the taste that much though so I would just use the recipe as it stands!  Enjoy! 

Salmon Broccoli Bake

I found this recipe and it sounded delicious!  I wanted to make it because i thought it would different from your everyday chicken or beef.  I love salmon but my boyfriend doesn't like it that much.  The first time i told him i was going to make it he didn't want it...so i waited a few days and told him i was making a surprise dinner.  I wouldn't tell him what i was making and i asked him to stay out of the kitchen.  When i served it to him before telling him what all was in it, he had already decided it was delicious!  He had second helpings and took it for lunch the next day!

Salmon Broccoli Bake
Prep: 15 min               Bake: 35 minutes               Preheat: 350 degrees

1 Cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 Cups cooked wild rice
1 Can (7.5oz) salmon, drained, bones and skin removed
1 Egg
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1-1/2 Cups (6oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Prepare rice as directed.  In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.  Remove from the heat;  Stir in rice and salmon.  Combine egg and mayonnaise; add to the salmon mixture.  Spoon half into a greased 2-qt baking dish.  Top with half of the Parmesan cheese and broccoli.  Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese.  Top with the remaining salmon mixture, Parmesan cheese and broccoli.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

I did all kinds of things differently with this recipe and it came out great!  The first thing I did was I had 1/2 Cup extra rice because the rice mix I used had 2 Cups in it.  This made the dish a little more hearty.  Therefore to compensate next time I would add 1/4 Cup more mayonnaise to make sure the rice and salmon do not get too dry.  I also used broccoli florets instead of chopped broccoli.  Therefore, i layered mine a bit differently.  I put half the salmon mixture down, then the Parmesan cheese and all the broccoli florets, and then the cheddar cheese.  I then put the other half of the salmon mixture on it and covered it with Parmesan cheese and baked it.  It still came out delicious!
   

This was my first time ever using canned salmon!  I thought it was going to be chunks of salmon...to my surprise it was part of a salmon, with the backbone, rolled up into a can.  Needless to say, i was a little shocked and grossed out.  I had to take the skin off and remove the spine and little bones.  It was a bit of a hassle making sure none of them got into my food.  If i were to make this recipe again, i would just use boneless, skinless, salmon filets and chunk them up!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!  Enjoy!

Pizza Dip

I made this recipe for Father's Day at my boyfriends house.  It went over pretty good.  It does taste just like pizza!  I did a few things differently but they worked out great!  This is a crock pot dip, so you just throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook!

Pizza Dip
Cook time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, cubed
1 can (14oz) pizza sauce
1 pkg (8oz) sliced pepperoni, chopped
1 can (3.8oz) chopped ripe olives, drained
2 Cups (8oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Bagel chips or garlic toast

Place the cubed cream cheese in a 3 qt. slow cooker.  Combine the pizza sauce, pepperoni, and olives; pour over cream cheese.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until cheese is melted.  Stir.  Serve with bagel chips or garlic toast.

Yields: 5 1/2 Cups

This is the picture of the dip before i stirred it all together.  You are seeing the sauce bubble up with the mozzarella cheese on top.

Since everyone does not have a love for black olives like I do, I did not add the black olives into the sauce and pepperoni mixture.  I just halved them and put them on the side.  I also chopped some onion and cooked it a little and put that on the side.  It turned out good and people could just add the toppings that they wanted.  You could also do this with any of your favorite pizza toppings to add some flavor and pizzazz to your pizza dip.  You could add them into the dip or just leave them on the side.  To dip with i got the garlic bagel chips and i also got a loaf of garlic bread.  I baked the bread like you normally would and then cut it into pieces.  People seemed to definitely enjoy the garlic bread the most and they could load it up with toppings!  I hope you enjoy!

Cheesy Bacon Pinwheels

These are the best pinwheel appetizers.  They are so easy to make and they are a crowd-pleaser.  I first made them for a group of my college friends and they were a big hit.  I then made them for my family and they absolutely love them!!!  I recently made them for my boyfriends family and they too thought they were excellent.  So, if you want to please someone with a tasty and good-looking appetizer then i would make these!

Cheesy Bacon Pinwheels

Prep time: 30 min                       Bake time: 12-15 minutes

1 pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
8-9 slices of Bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. milk
2 Cans refrigerated crescent roles

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except dough
Separate each can of dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal.  Spread each rectangle with 1/4 of cream cheese mixture leaving a little space at one end.  Roll the doll and seal the end down.  Cut the dough into 4-5 pinwheels and re-shape them if needed.  Place the pinwheel on a greased baking sheet. 
Bake 12-15 min.

When you make this recipe I would recommend using Philadelphia cream cheese, because other cream cheeses change the flavor a bit.  Make sure the cream cheese is softened and mix it up before you start, that just makes it easier to work with.  I would also recommend using regular crescents, not the Jumbo ones.  My mom used the jumbo crescents once and there was too much breading and they did not work out the same.  Have fun with this recipe and add extra bacon or Parmesan cheese.  Sometimes I also add an extra half a block of cream cheese to add more filling and also increase the bacon amount and milk amount.  You really cannot mess this recipe up so enjoy!

White Pretzel Salad

Well here it is, White Pretzel Salad!  Ive had so many people ask for this recipe after they try it.  People are  sometimes wary of it when they see it but once they try it they are hooked.  It is absolutely delicious! I made it last night for a dinner with my boyfriend's family.  My boyfriend and his father are convinced this is a dessert but it technically is a salad.  You can use it for whatever you want though.  His mother enjoyed it again for breakfast the next morning, which I have also done many times!
I believe this recipe either came from my mother or grandmother.  They both made it for many functions including both my sister and I's high school graduation parties.  It is a great, light dish to bring with you that everyone will enjoy and it is easy to double and triple!  Just make sure you do not add the pretzels until right before you serve because they will get mushy if they sit in there too long.

White Pretzel Salad

1/2 C. broken pretzel sticks
1/2 C. butter melted
1/3 C. Sugar

Melt butter and add sugar.  Spread broken pretzel sticks on cookie sheet and add melted butter and sugar.  Stir until all pretzels are coated.  Re-spread on cookie sheet so there is only 1 layer.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Break up more.

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 C. sugar
1 20 oz Can crushed pineapple, drained
12-16 oz Cool Whip

Allow cream cheese and cool whip to soften before use.  Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and stir together.  Drain pineapple thoroughly (this is very important because you do not want too much pineapple juice) and add to cream cheese and sugar.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Add crushed pretzels right before you serve so they do not get mushy. Enjoy!

                               *pretzels with sugar and butter on them

Spiral Pepperoni Pizza Bake

I made this new recipe last night after my boyfriend saw a picture of it on the front of one of my cookbooks.  He said it looked delicious and asked if I would make it for dinner the next night.  I of course agreed because i love trying new things!  here's the recipe!

Spiral Pepperoni Pizza Bake

Prep: 30 minutes                                Bake: 40 minutes

1 pkg (16oz) spiral pasta              
2 lbs ground beef                        
1 large onion, chopped                 
1 tsp salt                             
1/2 tsp pepper                               
2 cans (15oz each) pizza sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 eggs
2 Cups milk
1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 Cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 pkg (3-1/2 oz) sliced pepperoni

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, salt, and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in pizza sauce, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning; remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and Parmesan cheese.  Drain pasta; toss with egg mixture.  Transfer to a greased 3-qt baking dish.  Top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. 

After making this recipe I would do a few things differently.  The first thing is that I would not use a whole 16oz bag of noodles.  I would cut it down to 3/4 of a bag.  The second thing I would do is not add the garlic salt and Italian seasoning to the pizza sauce.  Although it tastes good, adding the 2 seasonings makes the pizza sauce taste like spaghetti sauce.  I would have preferred to taste more of a pizza sauce.  The third thing i would have done is I would add a small amount of salt to the egg mixture to give it a little more pizzazz.  My last suggestion is to make sure you use the full amount of pizza sauce and use more then less if you have to.  The noodles in the bottom are a little bland without the sauce.  Overall this was a good recipe and I would make it again.  It was quick and easy to make. My boyfriend loved the top with the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.  

Cheesy Biscuits

This recipe came from Paula Deen.  My Poppy and I were watching her one day on television and came across this recipe.  we decided right there and then to make them for dinner that night.  we added a little extra cheese to the biscuits and they turned out delicious!!! i also have noticed with this recipe you may need to add more water to the biscuits if they are too dry.  these taste like the biscuits from red lobster!  enjoy!

Cheesy Biscuits
1 1/2 C. bisquick
1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. Water (you may need to add a little more depending on consistency)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix top 3 ingredients together and drop by spoonful on greased cooking sheet. Bake 10 min.  Add together bottom 4 ingredients and put on top of biscuits.

Topping:
3 TBSP Melted Butter
As Desired: Parsley
                    Garlic Powder
                    Salt

Beginning my Blog

hello!  this is the first blog i have ever written and i am so excited to get started on it.  this blog will be primarily about cooking!!!  i love to cook and try new recipes so i decided that i would share the new recipes i try with you!  cooking was instilled in me as a young child.  the first thing i ever made was scrambled eggs!  i always enjoyed cooking with my great grandfather and my grandparents and i know they loved having me in the kitchen with them.  i am inspired by some of my family's recipes as well as people like Paula Deen!  i just love her!  i hope you enjoy food as much as i do and learn new things with me as i cook! enjoy!