Real Simple Chicken, Spinach, and Noodle Casserole

I don't make casserole's very often.  It's not that I don't love food that's cooked all together in a lovely mismash of flavor (I've been known to gross out my family a time or two by stirring my mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, gravy and whatever else might be floating around on my plate into a yummy mix), it's just that I really don't think to make them.  That, and maybe I have some horrid repressed memory of a tuna casserole floating somewhere in the recesses of my brain- because for some reason, that's what often comes to mind when I think casserole.

This month, in Real Simple magazine, they listed a few tasty casserole recipes.  I decided to test out the chicken, spincach and noodle casserole on my family.  I made a few little changes (like the addition of basil, as well as fresh thyme rather than dried, and frozen spincach rather than fresh), and it came out really well.

Real Simple Chicken, Spinach, and Noodle Casserole

*make ahead tip:

The casserole can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance (but don't top with the bread crumbs.)  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs just before baking.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 8-10 minutes more.

You'll need:

• 6 Tb unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk (they recommend whole milk, I used 2%)
• 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 12 oz egg noodles
• 4 slices sandwich bread (or breadcrumbs if you don't feel inclined to use the food processor.  *TIP: Use the heels of the bread that you more than likely throw away to make bread crumbs.)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, or rotisserie chicken (I used 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked broth on medium low heat for 4 minutes per side, with salt and pepper to taste)
• 5 oz baby spinach, chopped (I used 5 oz chopped, frozen spinach, drained of water)
• 2 tsp dried thyme (I used three sprigs of fresh thyme.  Remove the leaves by running your thumb and pointer finger down the stalk.  Discard the stalk, add the leaves to the mixture.)
• I used 6 chopped fresh basil leaves.  Even if you have an herb mincer, I find that rolling the basil and using scissors to cut it works best.

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 400-degrees F.  Melt 4 Tb butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour an cook, stirring, until foamy, 1-2 minutes (do not let the mixture darken.)
• Slowly whisk in the milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper).
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and return them to the pot.  Pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. (Or just use 1 cup breadcrumbs)  Melt the remaining 2Tb butter in a microwave safe bowl.
• Add the milk mixture, chicken, spinach, thyme, and basil to the noodles.  Toss to combine.  Transfer to a 9x13 inch or some other 3 quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and drizzle with the melted butter.
• Bake until the bread crumbs are golden and the filling is bubbling, 8-10 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Flatbread Pizza!

Over the last two and a half weeks, we've done a lot.  I've signed up for two mommy groups (something I was always too nervous to do in Philadelphia), made some new friends in the area, and have discovered some really great places to eat.

The only thing that I haven't been able to find is really great pizza.  For some reason, the pizza here tastes really bland.  The dough doesn't have that amazing texture that pizzza had back home.  The pepperoni and sauce are missing that really kickin' spice that you can find in PA.  Here, people eat pizza from chains.  At home, we ate pizza from the Italian neighborhood we lived in.

Last Sunday, we went to a Greenville Drive game with a mommy group that I joined.  The game was really fun and the moms' seemed really nice!  After the game, Kyle and Laela were cheering "pizza! pizza! pizza!", so we ran to the store, picked up some ingredients, and I came up with this totally tasty flatbread pizza.

This pizza is practically effortless!

Flatbread Pizza with Tomatoes, Basil, Ricotta Cheese, Pepperoni and Mozzarella
You'll need:

• 1 tomato
• 6 basil leaves
• Pasta sauce (as much or as little as you'd like)
• Fresh mozzarella (I used mini balls, about 5 will do.)
• 1 piece flatbread
• Olive Oil
• Ricotta cheese (about 4 tsp, depending on how cheesy you want it.)
• Pepperoni (optional)

Instructions:

• Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush your flatbread on both sides with olive oil.
• Toast the flatbread for ten minutes in the oven.
• Take the flatbread out of the oven.
• Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop about four tsp of ricotta cheese onto the flatbread.
• Spread some sauce over the ricotta.
• Slice the tomato into thin slices.  Add the slices to the pizza.
• Add the basil.
• Add the pepperoni slices.
• Slice your mozzarella balls into halves.
• Place them on the pizza.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Serve!!

*Since Kyle does not like tomatoes on their own, I  made him the same thing without the tomato slices.

Wonton Ravioli with Garbanzo Spaghetti Sauce

If I had to write a love letter to a specific type of food, it would probably be pasta.  It's the one thing that I could eat almost everyday, and never get sick of it.  So when I looked at the label on my wonton wrappers, and saw that I could make them into ravioli, I decided to give it a go.

Wonton Ravioli:

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups part skim/part whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 8-9 large basil leaves- chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 40-50 wonton wrappers
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil leaves, salt, pepper, and egg. 
• Mix well.
• On a clean surface, line up all of your wonton wrappers.
• Using a spoon, or melon baller, scoop the mixture onto half of the wontons.
• Dip your finger in the water.  Run your wet finger along the edges of the wonton wrapper. 
• Top the scooped wonton wrapper with a plain wonton that has also been lined in water.
• Pinch the wontons together so that they won't open when you boil them.
• Boil them in salted water.
• When they float to the top, they're done.
• This is what they'll look like:

Garbanzo Spaghetti Sauce:

Ingredients:

• my super easy pasta sauce
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed.
• 5-6 large basil leaves, chopped
• 1tsp crushed garlic
• 1tsp olive oil
• 4 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and drained

Instructions:

• In a medium pan, on medium heat, combine the spinach, garbanzo beans, garlic, and oil.
• Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the pasta sauce and basil.
• Cook until it becomes one cohesive, well mixed sauce.

Top your pasta and enjoy!

Leftovers Pasta!

After going to the grocery store three times in one week, I made a decision.  With the exception of milk, eggs and bread, I'm not going to go grocery shopping until the fridge is empty.  I want to find out what I can do with the things in my pantry, fridge, freezer and cabinet, and how long I (well, and Kyle and Laela too) can get by without getting crazy bored or just plain stuck with the food that we already have.

You might be thinking that I'm a total weirdo, but think about it for a second.  How much food do we all waste in a week?  A month?  A year?  This isn't about carbon footprints or piles of waste that we have to deal with.  It's about the food.   First, it's recognizing that you can make delicious food out of pretty much nothing (I learned this from my great-grandmother who used to be able to make the most amazing biscuits for ten people with the very minimal ingredients in her pantry).  If mamas and grandmas could make amazing meals with scant supplies during the Depression, can't we try it out?  During these trying and unstable financial times, is it really such a wild food risk to learn to make do with what you've got now and then?  You might be surprised with what you will learn about yourself and your cooking ability.

Second, one of the biggest problems that a lot of us have is laziness.  We get in food ruts.  I say we because everyone does it.  I've done it!  When I lived alone, I went through a phase where I'd make a roast, live on it for a week or two, then make pasta, live on that for another week.  It was easy.  But damn if it didn't get boring from time to time.  So I learned to make lots of different things with the leftovers, or with the extra things in my pantry.  Give yourself a chance to make a little more effort for your dinner.  I'm not saying bust out the French cookbook and spend hours cooking, but try something new with the same old ingredients.  You may surprise yourself!

Let's call this "Leftovers Pasta".

I'm not going to give you the specific ingredients list for this pasta.  Just try using whatever you have on hand.  (If you do want to try out this exact recipe, combine some cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, garlic, chopped basil, cannellini beans and pasta.)

I was exhausted when I made this pasta.  We had some leftover spaghetti noodles, some leftover homemade pasta sauce, and some leftover cannellini beans that I had cooked in chicken broth and garlic.  We had some ground beef in the fridge, so I cooked it on medium heat with some salt and pepper.  Once the ground beef was done, I drained the grease, tossed it back in the pan, added the sauce and beans with some of the broth that the cannellini beans were in, and I added some fresh basil (I just ripped it up with my hands, but you can chop it if you'd like).  I let the sauce simmer with the beef and beans for five or ten minutes (the longer it simmers, the better it is, but if you don't have time, it'll still be delicious.)  Once I was ready for it, I added the cooked pasta and topped it with fresh basil.  If you have any parmesan shaker cheese or fresh parmesan, feel freed to add that as well!

Don't be afraid to raid your fridge and re-invent leftovers or old stand-bys.  Toss your leftover spaghetti and sauce in some olive oil with some broccoli for a fun twist, and bake your leftover spaghetti for a change!  You don't always need to run out to the store, rush around like a maniac to get a healthy, delicious meal on the table.  Try something new!  Go for a new food experience!

*My homemade pasta sauce