Autumn Comfort Pasta

 

*Adapted from Julia's Album.

PREP: 1 hour

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt & pepper
1/2-lb sausage, crumbled, without casings (I used 1/2 pkg of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage)
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz chopped spinach (3/4 cup frozen or 2 cups fresh)
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz farfalle (bow tie pasta)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss cubed butternut squash with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Spread the squash on a large, parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.

4. Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes or until crisp tender and beginning to brown. Remove from oven.

5. While the squash is roasting, cook the pasta until al dente.

6. Cook the sausage in a skillet with 1 Tbsp of olive oil until brown and crumbly. (Note--I like to use the other 1/2-lb of sausage in a breakfast casserole or frittata.)

7. In a separate, large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil together with minced garlic and spinach over medium heat. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 5-7 minutes until spinach starts to wilt (if cooked from fresh).

8. Add heavy cream. Bring to a brief boil, then immediately reduce to simmer (boiling but not intensely.) Add shredded Parmesan cheese. Keep stirring the sauce with the cheese on low to medium boil (simmer) until the cheese melts. Remove from heat.

9. Add pasta, sausage, and butternut squash to the creamy spinach sauce. Salt to taste.

Roasted Summer Veggies with Gnocchi

*From @uncomplicatedchef on Pinterest.

PREP: 30 minutes + 30 minutes cooking

SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 12-oz pkg of gnocchi
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry basil
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 medium fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup of grape tomatoes, sliced in half)
2 medium zucchinis, diced into large pieces
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 ball of mozzarella cheese
fresh basil
parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add veggies in a baking sheet pan with gnocchi.

2. In a jar, add olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, oregano, and basil. Shake well.

3. Pour the marinade over the veggies and gnocchi. Combine well so that veggies and gnocchi are well coated.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

5. Tear mozzarella pieces and distribute over the veggies and gnocchi. Spread some parmesan cheese over the top. Roast for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. 

6. Serve with fresh basil, chopped.

Cara's Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread

SERVES: 12 slices

PREP TIME: 15 min + 55 min cook time

*Adapted from MelanieMakes.com

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

4 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add eggs and bananas. Mix on medium speed until combined.

3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. 

4. With a spatula, fold in walnuts and chocolate chips until just combined.

5. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan with parchment paper sling, and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Turn oven off and leave bread in oven for an additional 15 minutes.

 

Sarah's Cowboy Caviar

SERVES: 12 (as an appetizer/side)

PREP TIME: 20 min

*Adapted from selfproclaimedfoodie.com.

INGREDIENTS

15oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)

15oz can black eyed peas (drained and rinsed)

2 medium tomatoes (seeds removed, diced) - about 1 cup once chopped

15 oz can corn (drained, can use 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen instead if available)

1 avocado (pit removed, peeled, chopped)

1 red bell pepper (seeds and stem removed, diced)

1/2 medium red onion (diced)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (minced)

15 oz can olives, optional

CAVIAR

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tbsp raw honey

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt, or more if desired

1/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the salad: Combine all ingredients except for those designated for the dressing in a very large bowl. Toss to combine.

2. Make the dressing: Combine all of the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil. While whisking, slowly pour a thin stream of olive oil in, whisking constantly, until it all has been added. Continue to whisk until fully emulsified.

3. Combine and serve: Add dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Transfer to a clean bowl for serving, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later. Best if served same day. If you want to make ahead, omit the avocado and keep dressing separate until you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Gail's Easy Chicken Pot Pie

SERVES: 4-6

PREP TIME: 20min (+ 30min bake time)

INGREDIENTS

2 deep-dish pie crusts (1pkg)
2 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup

DIRECTIONS

Boil chicken breasts, shred. Thaw frozen veggies while chicken is cooking (thaw further in microwave to save on baking time). Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Let refrigerated crusts stand at room temperature for 15 min or microwave on 30% power for 15 seconds before unrolling. Press one pie crust into pie pan. Mix shredded chicken, veggies, and can of soup together. 

Pour mixture into pie pan. Place second pie crust on top and fold top edge over bottom crust edge, then crimp as desired. Use a knife to cut 4-8 vents in top crust.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Add foil around the edges of the pie crust (to keep from burning), then bake another 10 minutes or until top crust has a golden brown color and mixture inside begins bubbling through vents. 

Expert tip: To keep baked edges from getting too brown, cover the edges with foil after the first 15 minutes of baking or as directed in the recipe. Use a 12-inch square piece of foil; cut out a 7-inch circle from the center, and gently fold the foil “ring” around the crust’s edge. Or, you can just cut 4-inch strips and place them around the outside if you don’t feel like folding. If the whole top is browning too quickly, cover the whole pie with foil while it finishes baking. Be careful—the pie will be hot!
https://www.pillsbury.com/everyday-eats/desserts/pies-tarts/how-to-make-pie 

Melanie & Jed's Lasagna

Prep: 30min assembly + 1hr cook time
Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ground beef
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1.5 jars of marinara sauce (recommend mix of herb/garlic marinara & three cheese marinara)
32 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
garlic salt, to taste
dried oregano, to taste
lasagna noodles, 9
shredded mozzarella cheese
other shredded cheeses (like cheddar or parmesan)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Meat mix: brown ground beef, add oregano & garlic salt, then add chopped veggies, and 1.5 jars of your favorite marinara sauce. 

Ricotta mix: mix ricotta and eggs with a whisk. When combined, add a dash of garlic salt & oregano.

Boil water and cook lasagna noodles according to package, 8-9 min.

The build: spray 9x13 pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom. Spread a layer of the ricotta mix on top of noodles with a rubber scraper. Add a layer using half of the meat mix. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top.

Repeat noodles, ricotta, meat, mozzarella sequence once more. Then for the final layer, add noodles, ricotta mix, and other shredded cheeses (recommend cheddar & parmesan). Sprinkle oregano on top for color. 

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and lightly cover lasagna. Place a cookie sheet under the pan to catch any drips if it bubbles over. Bake at 350 for 45 min. Remove cover and bake additional 15 min. 

Serve with salad & bread.

Roasted Summer Squash and Zucchini

*Adapted from eatingbirdfood.com.

PREP: 30 min
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS
1 cup carrots, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 small or 1 large yellow summer squash, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 small or 1 large zucchini, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup red onion, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees before chopping vegetables.
2. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread carrots on the baking sheet and place in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove before roasting with the rest of the vegetables. (This is to slightly soften the carrots so they cook more evenly with the other vegetables.)
3. Place all ingredients in a large bowl, including the carrots. Toss until the veggies are coated.
4. Spread mixture out onto the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are starting to turn golden brown and are crisp tender.