Manicotti

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended.
3. Place about 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9x13-inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom.
4. Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells- if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.
5. Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately.
6. Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

I made this last night and use mushrooms too and cooked the manicotti before I stuffed them. If you do this reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes covered.

~Enjoy

Slow Cooker Barbecue Beans

• 1 onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 4 cups water, plus additional hot water as needed
• 1 lb dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 tbs prepared brown mustard
• hot sauce
• salt and pepper Microwave onion, garlic, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
  Stir water, beans, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, coffee, sugar, and bacon slices into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 9-11 hours on low, or 5-7 on high.
  Discard bacon slices. Stir in remaining 2 tbs barbecue sauce and mustard and let sit until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste and serve. This dish can be held on warm setting for 1 to 3 hours before serving. Loosen with additional hot was as needed before serving.

~Enjoy!

Lasagna

• 1 pound lasagna noodles or packaged precooked lasagna noodles
• coarse salt
• 5 links sweet Italian sausage, or a mixture of hot and sweet, pierced with a fork
• 1 large egg
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 jars sauce 
• 1 pound fresh or prepackaged mozzarella cheese, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and a generous pinch of salt and cook for half as long as the package suggests. Drain and float in cold water. (Skip this step if noodles are precooked.)
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry the sausage links until cooked through, about 10 minutes. With kitchen scissors, cut the sausage into disks in the pan and continue to fry over low heat until the cut surfaces are crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain off the fat.
   
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of the pecorino.
   
4. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Drain and pat dry the noodles. Overlap one third of the noodles atop the sauce to cover the pan bottom. Spread all the cooked sausage over the noodles and spoon over another cup of sauce. Lay down the second third of noodles. Evenly dollop all the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and flatten with the spoon to make an even layer. Top with the remaining noodles to completely cover the cheese. Pour over 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce to cover. Evenly lay all the mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle around the remaining 1/4 cup pecorino and drizzle with olive oil.
   
5. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling all over and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with grated cheese and warmed extra sauce at the table.

Have an extra jar of sauce on stand by in case you need more.

~Enjoy!

Strawberry Salad (from my friend Rose)

1 package srw Jello 1 and 1/2 cups hot water add 1 pkg frozen berries allow to set- add 1 small package of sour cream on top of Jello- allow to set. Then add 1 package str Jello- 1 and 1/2 cups of hot water and a flat of crushed pineapple and allow to set.

Patato Salad

4 cups cubed red potatoes
10 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped

1. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet.
3. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

~Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

1. 8-10 cups of fresh broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
2. 1/2 red onion, cut into thin bite sized slices
3. 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
4. 3/4 cup raisins or craisins
5. 3/4 cup sliced almonds (I do not use these, Joey can't have them)
6. 1 cup mayonnaise
7. 1/2 cup white sugar
8. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
9. salt and pepper
1. Combine broccoli with the red onion, bacon, raisins, and almonds in a large bowl.
2. To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad.
3. Let salad chill for about 3 hours. It may not seem like enough dressing but after it chills the dressing marinates and is plenty. This also allows the flavors to meld.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve

Bow-tie "Lasagna"

• 1 pound Ground Chuck
• 5 cups Bow Tie Noodles (1 package)
• 3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (1 jar)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
• ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream

Fry ground chuck in large pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

~Enjoy