Frozen Dinner Roll Pizzas

A quick, easy dinner.
You need:
Rhodes dinner rolls for individual pizzas
pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
assorted toppings
olive oil

The Rhodes dinner rolls are in the frozen food section.  They only take about an hour to thaw and even quicker if you use the fast thaw method on the back of the package.

Smash then down or roll them out, whatever is easier till you get the desired shape.  

I use a generous amount of olive oil on the baking pan…that’s the secret to a good homemade pizza I think.  My kids love to make their pizzas themselves. We top with sauce, cheeses and pepperonis.

I bake mine at 400 degrees, maybe 10 or so minutes, middle oven rack.

Easy Pasta Primavera

3/4 of a 16 oz. box of pasta (I use rotini or ziti)
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope Knorr's vegetable soup mix
1 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook till al dente, and drain.

2. In a saucepan melt butter.  Blend Knorr soup mix with flour and milk, and then add to saucepan.  Stir.  Bring to a soft boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes.  Stir in grated cheese.

3. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

(This makes enough for all seven of us....I usually serve with a salad and garlic bread.)

Toasted-oli

My kids love these little breaded cheese raviolis.  We don't have them often, but when I do make them, they are gone in seconds.

2 TBS whole milk

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

25 oz. package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed

3 cups of vegetable oil for frying

2 TBS parmesan cheese

1 jar of spaghetti sauce, for dipping

Thaw raviolis.  

Combine milk and egg in a small bowl.  Place breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.  Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs.

Heat sauce in a small pan for later.

In a large heavy frying pan, pour oil to depth of 2 inches.  Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, until each side is golden.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with heated sauce for dipping.

(These are very hot and take awhile to cool after frying.  Beware!)

Spinach Lasagna

1 box of lasagna noodles

2 TBS olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1 TBS minced garlic

2 cups fresh spinach

3 cups riccotta cheese

2/3 cup grated Romano cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 egg

2 8ox bags mozzarella cheese

1 28oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I used a marinara)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil lasagna noodles and set aside.

In a skillet, saute mushrooms, garlic and onion in the olive oil and tender.

Cool.

Boil fresh spinach for 5 minutes and drain and squeeze dry, then chop.

Combine ricotta, Romano, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl.

Add cooled mushroom mixture.

Beat with an electric mixer on low for a minute.

Lay noodles in bottom of 13 x 9 pan. (Spray with cooking spray first.)

Spread 1/3 mixture over noodles.

Sprinkle with 1/3 mozzarella and 1/3 of Parmesan.

Spread 1/3 spaghetti sauce on top.

Repeat twice.

Cover dish with foil and bake in oven for 1 hour.

SO GOOD!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 box of vegetable broth

1 cup of water

1 small container of half and half (about 1 cup)

4 oz. cheddar cheese

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 cups broccoli florets

In a large pot over medium high heat combine broth, water, half and half, cheese, flour, onion powder and ground black pepper. WHISK all together to break up lumps.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

Stir in the broccoli and simmer for 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender.

Minestrone Soup

4 TBS butter

1 medium chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 (19 oz) can of cannellini beans

1/2 shredded cabbage

1 (14 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

1 TBS tomato paste

11/2 cup cubed potatoes

2 quarts vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS dried parsley

1/2 cup elbow macaroni

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in a heavy stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion and carrots; saute for a few minutes.

2. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, stock, garlic, parsley to the pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.

3. Simmer for abou 1 hour until vegetables are barely tender.

4. Add pasta and simmer for 30 minutes more.

5. Serve hot with grated cheese.

Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna

(Yes!  My kids eat this!)

9 lasagna noodles

1 TBS olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 ( 14 oz.) can vegetable broth

1(14 oz.) can marinated artichoke hearts, chopped and drained

1 (10 oz.) package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 (28 oz.) jar tomato pasta sauce

3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

1 (4oz.) package feta cheese

1. Boil lasagna.

2. In a large skillet saute onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes or until tender.

3. Stir in broth, bring to a boil.

4. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach, reduce heat and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in pasta sauce.

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6. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. (Spray with cooking spray!).

7. Top with 3 cooked noodles.

8. Repeat layer 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese.

9. Sprinkle feta on top.

10. Bake, covered for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly.

Stuffed Shells

4 cups mozzarella cheese

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (12 oz.) package jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

1. Combine cheese and spinach.

2. Stuff into cooked, cooled shells.

3. Arrange in 13x9 baking dish.

4. Pour spaghetti sauce over the shells.

5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Greek Penne with Artichokes

1 (16 oz.) box of penne pasta

3 TBS butter

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves of garlic minced (I always use the kind that comes minced in a jar to save time)

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 TBS chopped fresh parsley (I grow this in a pot on my windowsill)

2 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1. In a large pot cook pasta until done.  Drain.

2. At the same time, in a large skillet over medium high heat melt butter.  Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them.  Add chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained pasta to the large skillet.

4. Cook until heated through, about 3-4 minutes.

5. Serve warm.

Cheese and Salad Pizza

1 TBS olive oil

1 pound fresh or frozen (thawed) pizza dough (I use my breadmaker or just frozen bread dough.)

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (I didn't use "freshly grated")

1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes, halfed or quartered

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped (I have a pot on my window sill)

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Grease a jelly roll pan with 1 TBS olive oil.  With fingers, spread out dough.

2. Spread ricotta on dough, sprinkle with mozzarella, Romano and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle tomatoes (halfed or quartered)  and chopped basil.

3. Place pan on rack in lower third of oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Cheesy Bow Ties

2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes

1 box bow ties (16 oz.)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 1/3 cup grated Romano

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/4 cup Blue Cheese OR Feta (OR you could omit this all together if you don't like either)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsely

1. Drain tomatoes, reserving as much juice as you can squeeze out. (I squeezed out about 1 cup)

2. Cook pasta.

3. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk and reserved tomato juice.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, sauce and reserved tomatoes. (I used only one can of the tomatoes.)  Stir in cheese and parsely; toss gently.

4. Place in greased baking dish.  Cook uncovered at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Potato Soup

2 TBS butter

1 chopped onion

About a dozen potatoes, cut or sliced in big chunks.

2 carrots, diced

1 can of evaporated milk

Place butter and onions in a large soup pot and saute till onions are soft.

Place potatoes and carrots in next and cover them with plenty of water (about 3" above the potatoes).

Boil gently till potatoes are really soft and smushy.

Smash potatoes until smooth right in the pot.

Add the milk and stir together.

Add salt to taste. (It's usually about 1 TBS or so.)

Simmer till nice and warm-be careful to not burn!