Macaroni & Cheese

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:
Serves 8
1 pound short pasta, such as cavatappi or macaroni
Coarse salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups shredded (12 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup finely grated (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese
3 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and return to pot.
Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons salt; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in cheeses until smooth. Pour over pasta; toss to coat. Divide among baking dishes.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over pasta. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; freeze up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen dishes on a baking sheet; remove plastic. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 60 to 70 minutes for large dishes, 40 to 50 minutes for small. Remove foil; continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

(Recipe from www.marthastewart.com)

Simple lunch recipes

I have a hard enough time coming up with lunches right now. I can't even imagine trying to get a lunch ready in the morning for kids going to school. Here are a few basic lunch items that can be frozen and stored in the freezer, to save a little time. All you have to do is put them in the lunch in the morning and they will be thawed by lunchtime.

Classic PB & J

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread
Peanut Butter
Jelly

Instructions:
Cover one side of each slice with peanut butter, being sure to go to the edges. Then put jam on half of the slices, leaving about half an inch from the edge on all sides. Put the sandwiches together, and the peanut butter will "seal" the jam inside and keep them from getting soggy as it thaws. Seal in freezer bags.



Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:
Bread
Ham
Cheese
Miracle Whip

Instructions:
Spread miracle whip on bread (VERY IMPORTANT - do not use regular mayonnaise, only use miracle whip). Add ham and cheese, seal in individual freezer bags. Freeze.


Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:
Bagels - plain or sun dried tomato
Pizza sauce
Assorted pizza toppings
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Cut bagels in half and place them face up on workspace. Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer, then add toppings. By making a variety of toppings, they won't get boring in lunches. Sprinkle with cheese then broil in oven until cheese melts.
Cool completely and package them individually (half a bagel per bag). Freeze.


Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups dry vegetable rotini
1/2 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped

Instructions:
Cook rotini until barely cooked al dente (VERY IMPORTANT, do not overcook)
Freeze in single portion servings in freezer bags or containers.

Classic Lasagne

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hr 45 minutes

Ingredients:

16 pieces (about 16 oz.) AMERICAN BEAUTY Lasagne, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups (about 28-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
4 cups (2 lb.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

In large skillet, brown meat; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; simmer 10 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Lay flat on foil to cool.
Heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Spread about 1/3 cup meat sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce, overlapping edges. Spread one-third cheese mixture over pasta; spread with about 3/4 cup meat sauce.
Repeat layers TWICE, beginning and ending with pasta. Top with remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake about 10 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. 10 to 12 servings.

(Recipe from http://www.americanbeauty.com/)

Cheese Filled Manicotti

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hr 30 minutes


Ingredients:

14 pieces (8 oz.) AMERICAN BEAUTY Manicotti, uncooked
3 cups (about 26-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
2 cups (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Instructions:

Heat oven to 400°F.
In saucepan, combine spaghetti sauce and water; heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; keep warm.
In bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into uncooked pasta tubes.
Pour 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish; arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil.
Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes longer. 6 to 8 servings.
MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS: Prepare as directed above; cool 30 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; then foil.
Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight (casserole is too dry if heated from frozen state).
Bake at 350°F. 60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

(Recipe from http://www.americanbeauty.com/ )