Pasta

• 2-3 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 to 1 ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 to 1 ½ tsp Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• Meatballs
• Parmesan Cheese

Put all ingredients into a crock-pot; stir to combine. Cook on high for about 3 hrs. Alternate cooking with crock-pot lid on and off. Stir occasionally. (Take off lid for a little while if sauce starts to look really watery.) Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Yield: 8-10 servings

• 1 lb Stew meat
• ½ large Onion
• 1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 TBL Salt
• 12 oz pkg Egg noodles

Bring 1 lb of stew meat, salt, pepper and onions to boil in 6 cups of water. Turn to low heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. Return to boil, add egg noodles. Cook until noodles are soft. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Yield:6-8 servings

It's crucial to cook the pasta until tender--just past the "al dente" stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broiler safe baking dish. If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) for sprinkling at the table.

Pasta and Cheese:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 5 cups milk (see note)
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon table salt

Bread Crumb Topping:

• 6 slices of white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Serves: 6-8, or 10-12 as a side

(From Aunt Lynne Johnson)

• 14 pieces (8 oz) Manicotti, uncooked
• 1 ¾ cup (15 oz container) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBL chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 3 cups (about 28 oz jar) spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to pkg directions; drain. Cool in single layer on foil. Heat oven to 350 º F. In large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x 9x 2-in. baking dish; arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly.

Yields 6-8 servings.

• 1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 2 cups dice cooked chicken
• 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 21 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, broccoli, chicken and cheeses. Spoon into pasta shells. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

• 2 TBL olive oil, divided
• 2 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves, cut into 1-in cubes
• 2 cups (or more, if desired) carrots sliced diagonally into ¼-in pieces
• 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz angel hair pasta (or more if desired)
• 2/3 cup chicken broth (1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 2/3 cup water)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ cup grate Parmesan cheese (or more if desired)

1. Heat 1 TBL oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, stirring until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
2. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Begin heating water for pasta. Add carrot to skillet; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil and Parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Sprinkle on additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Drain pasta. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• Egg Noodles (About 6 oz)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• ½ to 1 can of milk
• 1 small can mushrooms
• 1 can tuna
• 1- 1 ½ cup cheese
• Season Salt

Cook noodles according to pkg. directions. While noodles are cooking, combine soup, milk, tuna, mushrooms and half of cheese in a casserole dish. Add cooked noodles to casserole dish. Sprinkle with season salt; top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 4 ¾ cup water
• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti (or more, if desired)
• 1 (1 ¼ oz) pkg. taco mix
• 2 Tbsp. Instant minced onions
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

In 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef (350 º on electric skillet, medium-high on stove). Add tomato sauce, water, taco mix, onion & salt. Bring mixture to boil; add spaghetti. Reduce heat to 220 º, or medium-low. Simmer, covered until spaghetti is tender, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• Leftover “Mama Kim’s Spaghetti Sauce”
• Elbow macaroni

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain noodles. Add warmed sauce to macaroni and stir. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 6-12 oz ground beef
• 2 ½ cups spaghetti sauce
• 9 dried lasagna noodles
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 º. Brown ground beef in the skillet on medium-high heat. Drain excess grease. Set aside.
2. Spoon 1 cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Stir remaining spaghetti sauce into meat in skillet.
3. Place 3 uncooked noodles on sauce in bottom of dish. Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture on top of noodles. Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese over meat. Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese. (Layers will be high in the dish but will cook down.) Finally, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
4. Cover baking dish with foil. Put covered dish in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Let stand on a cooling rack with foil cover in place for 15 minutes. Remove foil and serve.

Yields: About 12 servings.

• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 Small onion
• 1 Medium minced garlic clove
• 28 oz Can crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz Can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Basil
• 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 No boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 Cup Cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 Cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain, add tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and pepper flakes. Simmer about 5 minutes. In separate bowl, mix ricotta, cottage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Spoon 1/3 meat sauce in bottom of slow cooker, add 3 noodles (break to fit), spoon 1/2 cheese mixture over noodles, then add 1/3 meat sauce mixture, add the remaining noodles, then add remaining cheese, then remaining meat sauce. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Turn off cooker, let sit for 10 minutes to firm up. Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can(10.75oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbl butter

Boil the macaroni for 6 minutes and then drain. Spray crock pot with a nonstick cooking spray. Combine the sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard, and pepper in the crock pot. Add the cooked and drained macaroni, and stir to combine. In a medium saucepan melt butter and cheese until the cheese melts,over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When melted pour over macaroni mixture and stir to spread evenly. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Alternate: If you don't have time to put this in the crock pot, you can combine all ingredients in a Dutch Oven or a casserole dish and cook for 30-45 minutes at 350º F, until heated through.