Noodle Caboodle!

Whenever I throw a casserole together with pasta and whatever else I have in the house, I call it Noddle Caboodle. I got the name from Family Guy, and it's stuck. Today for lunch, I made a Caboodle with shell pasta, white cheddar sauce, chicken, collard greens, onion, and garlic.

Brian: Lois, this pasta, better than Italy.
Lois: It's just my Noodle Caboodle. I did use a different brand of potato chips for the crust, though.
Brian: Your culinary prowess is surpassed only by your unfailing grace and the uncommon, sometimes haunting glow of sensuality that surrounds you.
Lois: It's just Noodle Caboodle.
Peter: Hey, what are these hard things?
Lois: M&Ms. I ran out of paprika.
Brian: [blows kiss] Magnificent.

Share

Tagliatelle with Asparagus & Gorgonzola Sauce

from "Pasta" by Parragon Publishing

1lb asparagus tips
olive oil
salt and pepper
8oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
6 fl oz heavy cream
12 oz dried tagliatelle

1) Place asparagus tips in a single layer in a shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat in the oil and seasoning. Roast in a preheated oven, 450, for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned and just tender. Set aside and keep warm.

2) Combine the crumbled cheese with the cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3) Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a warmed serving dish.

4) Immediately add the asparagus and the cheese mixture. Toss well until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated with the sauce. Serve at once.

Share

Cheesy Mexican Mushroom Skillet

from bettycrocker.com

Notes: I bought a 5 oz box of vermicelli already broken into small pieces - it was "for soups". Try and find it...it makes the recipe much easier. I also used chipotle-flavored diced tomatoes for a richer flavor.

1 1/2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
4 oz uncooked vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (about 3 cups)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium jalapeño chiles, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add vermicelli; cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion and mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in tomatoes, chiles, water, cumin and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand about 2 minutes to melt cheese.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Stew

from Betty Crocker

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lb boneless beef tip steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cans (18 oz each) Progresso® Vegetable Classics creamy mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (4 oz)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, if desired


1. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, layer onion, garlic and beef. Pour soup and water over beef.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 7 hours.
3. Stir noodles into mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in sour cream. Garnish individual servings with parsley.

Linguine with Silky Mushroom Sauce

Recipe and picture from KraftFoods.com




1/2 lb. linguine, uncooked
1 pkg. (1/2 lb.) sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Light Cream Cheese Spread
2 cups baby spinach leaves


COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 8 min. or until lightly browned. Add broth and cream cheese spread; mix well. Add spinach; cook just until wilted.

DRAIN pasta; toss with sauce. Season with fresh ground black pepper.

Primavera Ravioli Bake

from Betty Crocker's Quick-to-Fix Casseroles, February, 2005

1 bag (25 oz) frozen Italian sausage-filled ravioli
1 bag (14 oz) frozen broccoli florets
1/2 c chopped, drained, roasted red bell pepper
1 jar (1 lb) Alfredo past sauce
3/4 c milk
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 c Parmesan croutons; crushed

Layer frozen ravioli on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining ingredients (except croutons) and toss together. Bake for 50 minutes at 350°. Top with croutons and bake 10-15 minutes more.

"I'll Bide My" Thyme Noodles

from Cooking in Oz

Note: I used fresh thyme.

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup boiling water
8 ounces fettuccine or medium noodles
3/4 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided

In a saucepan combine the butter or margarine, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Blend in the cream cheese; stir in the boiling water. Blend well. Keep warm.

Cook noodles in large amount of boiling salted water till tender; drain. Turn into mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese; toss well. Place noodles in serving dish and top with hot herbed cheese sauce. Serve with remaining cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Baked Lasagna Casserole

This is my Dad's lasagna recipe. He writes: "Here it is. I first used cheddar cheese because I did not know what ricotta cheese was and the store did not have it. In other words, the cheddar cheese was an accident. This was when John and I shared an apartment right after getting out of the navy. I was 25 years old. I invited your grandma and grandpa over to eat some of it. Grandpa loved it. Long time ago."

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion minced
1 clove garlic chopped
1 teaspoon parsley chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces Lasagna
2 eggs
3/4 pound ricotta or creamed cottage cheese (my Dad uses cheddar)
3/4 pound sliced Mozzarella
2 cans tomato paste -- (6 oz.)
grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large heavy pan, brown ground beef in oil with onion, garlic, and parsley. Add tomato paste, 2 cups water, salt, pepper and simmer for one hour.
Meanwhile, cook lasagna as directed on package. Mix together eggs and ricotta, cottage, or cheddar cheese. In a 13 X 9 X 2" baking pan spread about 1/2 cup of sauce, then alternate layers of lasagna, sauce, cheese and egg mixture, and mozzarella until baking pan is filled. Top with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F. about 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Easy Chicken Spaghetti

from the Texas Co-op Power Cookbook

Notes: I used chopped onion and celery and left them in the recipe (not just for seasoning the chicken). Next time I think I am going to make the sauce separately. It was too hard to stir to get the cheese mixed into the pasta.

4 medium chicken breasts
3 stalks celery, cut in half
1 large onion, quartered
1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti
5 carrots, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small jar pimentos
1 can English peas
1 block processed cheese, cubed

Boil chicken breasts with celery and onion until done. Strain and reserve broth. Remove chicken and let cool; debone and cut into bite-size pieces. Boil spaghetti and carrots in strained broth until spaghetti is done. Drain spaghetti and carrots, then return them to the pot. Add soups, pimentos, peas, processed cheese, and chicken. Cook over low eat until cheese is melted (about 30 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

Spaghetti Pie

This is a recipe I created from a traditional Spaghetti Pie recipe I found in my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. The amounts are not exact, as you will see. Play with the amounts to suit your taste.

4oz spaghetti
1 T butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c parmesan
1/2 c mozzarella
8oz cottage cheese
8oz vodka sauce
1 pkg frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 clove chopped garlic or to taste
1/4 c chopped onion or to taste
1 t oregano or to taste
red pepper flakes (optional) - to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.

3) While spaghetti is cooking, sauté the garlic and onion. Add the vodka sauce, spinach, and oregano. Heat through.

4) To assemble: Drain spaghetti and return to warm pot. Add butter, parmesan, and egg. Press spaghetti mixture into bottom and up the sides of a greased pie plate. Add the cottage cheese as the first layer and then the sauce. Top with mozzarella. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6.

Southwest Pasta Bake

from allrecipes.com


* 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
* 1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, cubed
* 1/2 cup fat-free milk
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
* 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
* 1/4 cup sliced green onions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; beat until smooth. stir in spinach and oregano; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.
2. In a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and all of the spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mac and Jack Salad

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

(note: I used the tomatillo salsa and regular Monterey jack)



1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatappi corkscrew shaped hollow pasta
Salt
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
Black pepper
8-ounce brick Monterey pepper jack cheese, diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1 cup store bought tomatillo salsa (mild, green) or chipotle salsa (hot, smoky red)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley

Bring water to a boil, salt it and add pasta.

While pasta water is coming up to a boil and cooking, combine corn, pepper, onion and celery in a bowl with pepper Jack cheese. Season the veggies with salt and pepper.

Run pasta under cold water to cool it and drain it well. Add pasta to vegetables and cheese.

Place vinegar in a small bowl and whisk in extra-virgin olive oil, then fold in salsa. Pour sauce over salad and toss to coat evenly. Garnish salad with cilantro or parsley and serve.

Pasta Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing

from: foodnetwork.com
recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

Note: I followed Rachel's advice and substituted Feta cheese. I also opted to use a can of Italian seasoned stewed tomatoes because it was faster and I like them better than raw tomatoes. I also used shallots instead of scallions because that's what I had on-hand.

1 pound cavatappi, corkscrew pasta, or medium shells
Coarse salt
1 cup prepared pesto sauce from refrigerated case in supermarket
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 scallions, chopped
3/4 pound ricotta salata, chopped and crumbled, in specialty cheese case of market or 1 pound tub bocconcini mini pieces of mozzarella, drained, pieces halved
Black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

Place pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, tomatoes, scallions and cheese in a large bowl.

Cook pasta to al dente then cold shock it and chill it down under cold running water. Drain well. Add to mixing bowl. Combine salad and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Broccoli Cheese Macaroni (aka Ari Astonishment)

from: Ariel Boettcher

Note: Ari told me about this recipe she came up with, and it sounded great! I asked her to send it to me so I could post it here.

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
4 tbsp Butter
1/4 c Milk
1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 link leftover Garlic Sausage (preferably from Elgin, TX) (or cook as
desired beforehand)
2-3 Kraft Singles

Prepare Macaroni as directed on the box, including draining it, and
adding milk and butter.
Melt 2-3 Kraft Singles (or other cheese of your choice) into the
macaroni on low heat.
Slice and quarter the sausage into bite size pieces. You can also
crumble or shred it. Stir to mix in.
Add the cream of broccoli soup, unreconstituted, to the pan and stir
til
blended. You can add another splash of milk if it looks too thick to
you.
Mix well and bring it up to a nice hot temperature (as desired) and
serve.

Optional: add different meat, or add some chopped cooked broccoli as
well as the soup.

Macaroni & Cheese

from: Autumn from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch, pg. 76

Serves 4-6

10 oz elbow macaroni
2 eggs
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups half & half
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375. Cook & drain macaroni. In a lg. bowl, lightly beat eggs with mustard, salt & pepper. Stir in half & half, then cheese, then macaroni. Pour into buttered 2-qt. casserole, bake 25 min. Put under broiler 1 min. to make top brown and crisp.

Bay Scallops with Pesto

from: Food Network



Show: $40 a Day
Recipe courtesy Trattoria on the Hill

Sarafina's Note: This recipe calls for 3 cups of olive oil for the pesto. I found that 1 cup was too much. Start with 1/3 cup and if it is too dry, slowly add more. They have paired this down from a much larger recipe, and I don't think they calculated the olive oil correctly.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
User Rating: 4 Stars


3 cups fresh, cleaned basil leaves
2 cups fresh cleaned flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup grated Parmesan
3 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound bay scallops
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced zucchini
Kosher salt
8 ounces linguine

Combine the basil, parsley, walnuts, and cheese in a food processor or mortar. Pulse or grind gradually adding the 3 cups olive oil until the mixture forms a paste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine and cook until it is al dente, about 8 minutes; drain and reserve.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the scallops, mushrooms, and zucchini and cook until the vegetables are tender and the scallops are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the pesto and the linguine. Toss to coat the pasta with sauce. Spoon onto warm plates and serve.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Episode#: AD1B19
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved