Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

16 oz. ziti pasta

1 package (4) Italian sausage links, casing removed

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 Tblsp. crushed garlic

2 Tblsp. Italian seasoning

1 large jar Prego sauce

1 small container ricotta cheese

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tblsp. garlic salt

2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

1. Boil ziti until just slightly past al dente stage. Drain.

2. Toss ziti with 1/3 of the Prego sauce and set aside.

3. Brown sausage and ground beef with onion and garlic in large skillet, until cooked through and tender.

4. Add Italian seasoning and remaining Prego to skillet and mix.

5. Mix ricotta with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

6. Put a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Follow it with the ziti. 

7. Top the ziti with half of the remaining meat mixture.

8. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the top of the ziti, spreading it out to cover as much of the ziti as possible.

9. Top ricotta mixture with remaining meat sauce, the cover with mozzarella.

10. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Creamy Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped/shredded rotisserie chicken
1 Tblsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic, generous

2 8-oz. bricks of cream cheese, cubed

32 oz. chicken broth
16 oz. jar salsa verde

15 oz. can creamed corn

2 4-oz. cans chopped green chiles

2 15-oz. cans northern white beans, drained and rinsed

Goya, cumin, chili powder, pepper and salt, to taste

1 cup heavy cream or half & half

Preparation:

1. Sauté onion in olive oil. When clear, add garlic and sauté until lightly browned.

2. Turn down heat and add cream cheese, stirring until melted.

3. Add chicken broth and salsa, and stir until combined.

4. Add corn, chiles and white beans.

5. Let sit for about ten minutes, then add seasoning.

6. If a creamier broth is desired, can add the cream or half & half.

7. Add chicken, and stir gently.

Serve with Fritos, sour cream and shredded cheddar or Montery Jack cheese.

Jack's Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni

2 Tblsp. flour

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 block Velveeta

6 Tblsp. butter

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation:

1. Boil noodles until just past al dente stage.

2. Drain noodles, return to pan, and stir in butter until melted.

3. Combine flour, cream and milk in shaker bottle, and shake until combined.

4. Cut Velveeta into cubes.

5. Place Velveeta and cream mixture into saucepan, and heat and stir until melted and creamy.

6. Pour cheese mixture over noodles and stir until combined.

7. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese to macaroni.

8. Grease a square or small oblong baking dish with butter. 

9. Pour macaroni into baking dish. 

10. Top macaroni with remaining cheddar cheese.

11. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Crusty Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

1 Tblsp. yeast

2 Tblsp. white sugar

2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

4 cups bread flour

Preparation:

1. Stir together warm water, yeast and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for about ten minutes, until creamy.

2. Add oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture. 

3. Mix on low speed of stand mixer using dough hook.

4. Once dough starts to come together, continue to add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Turn mixer to low-medium speed, and mix for eight minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic.

6. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat.

7. Cover dough with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and deflate it.

9. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and roll into round balls.

10. Place balls onto lightly greased baking sheets about 2" apart.

11. Cover balls and let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled in volume.

12. Bake rolls in a 400-degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Italian Bread

 Ingredients:

2 cups ~100°F water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

5+ cups flour (all purpose or bread)

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tblsp. brown sugar

2 Tblsp. olive oil

1 egg white (optional)

Preparation:

1. Stir yeast into 1/2 cup of the water; let it proof while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in electric mixer bowl.

3. Add yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil.

4. Mix on lowest speed of mixer using dough hook attachment until a dough starts to form. 

5. Bump up the mixer one speed (still on low) and continue to mix for seven minutes. Add additional flour, as needed, up to 3/4 cup, to keep it looking like a dough.

6. While dough is mixing, oil a large glass bowl.

7. Put dough on floured surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes to get dough to be smooth, firm and elastic.

8. Put dough in oiled bowl, spray with a small amount of cooking spray, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

9. Place dough in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size (this process can be sped up by use of a warming drawer set to "bread proof").

10. On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and flatten it with your hand. Make it into a large rectangle -- or two smaller rectangles, if you want two smaller loaves instead of one big one.

11. Tightly roll up the dough, making sure to seal the seams with each roll.

12. Place dough on a baking sheet dusted with flour. 

13. Cover dough lightly with a towel, and let it rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

14. Preheat oven to 425°F.    

15. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven, and fill it with 2 cups (or so) of water to create some steam right before you put the bread in the oven.

16. If desired, brush loaf lightly with egg white.

17. Put the bread on the center rack of the oven to bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes (adjust to 20 minutes if you've made two loaves from one recipe), or until brown and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped.

Katie's Vanilla Buttercream

 Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

2. Add 4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, the heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes.

3. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioner's sugar if frosting is too thin, or another tablespoon of cream of frosting is too thick.

4. Add a pinch of salt is frosting it too sweet.

Katie's Chocolate Buttercream

 Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tblsp heavy cream

Preparation:

1. In a stand mixer with the beater blade, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth, creamy, and nearly white in appearance  

2. Add in the salt and vanilla  Mix until incorporated.

3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

4. Add the heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, mixing slowly until it is the consistency that you'd like.

5. Beat for one minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Note: The beater blade attachment produces a denser icing. However, if you'd like an airer frosting, use the whisk attachment and whisk for an extra 1-2 minutes.