Penne Parmesan Pesto Pasta

This was very delicious, a homemade Alfredo sauce would be better, just adding pesto to it....

Make the sauce and then pour over your pasta... eat up!

Penne Parmesan Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• ¼ cups Butter
• ¼ cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 4 cups Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup  Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Tablespoons Basil Pesto (I used store bought, which I found in the cooler section with the hummus and pasta stuff)

Preparation Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour. It will clump up and that’s ok. Add nutmeg. It’s ok to let the butter/flour mixture cook for a few moments, this will actually help remove the raw flour flavor.

Very slowly whisk in milk, working hard to remove lumps. Keep sauce on medium heat and stir often. The sauce will slowly thicken; just keep stirring and keep those lumps away! Add Salt and pepper... 

Once sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat, add pesto.

Serve as soon as possible.

Delicious Lasagna

 I really liked this Lasagna, and I am picky! I added Spinach and Carrot puree and cut some of the Tomato puree just for the kids, I was trying to be healthy and it didn't change the taste... so I will add what I did and then the original recipe.

Brown the meat, drain and add the onions and garlic, let simmer for 5 minutes...

add in the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and tomato paste.. add your spices and sugar. (mine is a different color cause I added 5oz of tomato puree and 7 oz of carrot and spinach puree combine.)

Mix 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of mix bag cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and all of the ricotta cheese together.

Layer according to directions below in recipe.. I used oven ready noodles so I didn't have to boil noodles first... It turned out delicious... even though Daniel was worried about the carrot and spinach puree, but he never even noticed it.

Yummy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Beef (I used 1lb because I only had that)
• ½ whole Onion, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced Fine
• 10-¾ ounces, weight Canned Tomato Puree (I used 5 oz and then pureed carrots and spinach and used 7 oz of that in addition)
• 14-½ ounces, weight Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 6 ounces, weight Canned Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 8 ounces, weight 6 Cheese Blend, Shredded (I just used a 3 cheese blend)
• 15 ounces, weight Ricotta Cheese
• 8 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
• 4 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 box (9 Oz. Box) Lasagna Noodles, You Will Need 12 Noodles (I used oven ready)

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up the large clumps. Drain ground beef and add it back to the pan.

4. Add onion and garlic to meat and cook, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, parsley, black pepper, sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1/2 cup 6-cheese blend with ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella and parmesan. Add the egg.

6. Taste the meat sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Put 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and lay 4 noodles on top of them. Top with more sauce, dot with a third of the ricotta mixture, and a third each of the remaining shredded cheeses. Repeat 2 more times, ending with the cheese mixture.

8. Push down slightly to make sure the top is even. Spray a piece of aluminum foil and tightly cover.

9. You can refrigerate this at this point, or go ahead and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Lay the oreo on top of the dough...

 top with more cookie dough and pinch the sides...

Makes VERY large cookies, I only put 6 on a sheet at a time...

 I baked mine for 10 minutes cause I like chewy soft cookies..

 Yum!

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

-Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo Cookies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop ofcookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies