Chicken Parmesan

* Servings: 4
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1 jar (24 oz.) Classico Four Cheese Pasta Sauce
* 8 oz. Fettuccine pasta
* 1/4 cup(s) Seasoned dry breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup(s) Grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 Egg, lightly beaten
* 1 pound(s) Boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 8 pieces
* 2 tablespoon(s) Olive oil


Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm. In a small shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another small shallow dish, place the beaten egg. Dip each chicken into the egg mixture, and then into the breadcrumb mixture until evenly coated.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

3. To serve, divide cooked pasta evenly between 4 plates and spoon warm Pasta Sauce on. Arrange chicken on top and serve immediately.

TIP:
If desired, substitute Classico Four Cheese Pasta Sauce with Classico Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce.

Baked Mostaccioli

* Servings: 6
* Cook Time: 40 minutes
* Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1 jar (24 oz.) Classico Four Cheese Pasta Sauce
* 8 oz. Mostaccioli rigati pasta*
* 1 cup(s) Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
* 3/4 cup(s) Halved or quartered sliced pepperoni
* 2 tablespoon(s) Chopped mild or hot pepperoncini salad peppers
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) Ground black pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven 375°F. Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain. Coat 2 qt. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together cooked pasta, Pasta Sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, pepperoncini and black pepper. Spoon evenly into baking dish.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

TIP:
If desired, substitute Classico Four Cheese Pasta Sauce with Classico Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions Pasta Sauce. If preferred, substitute mostaccioli rigati pasta with penne pasta.

You can also add roasted red peppers and olives to give it a little kick.

Pan-Fried Zucchini Cakes with Marinara Sauce

* Servings: 6
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 jar (24 oz.) Classico Marinara with Plum Tomatoes Pasta Sauce
* 1 1/2 pound(s) Zucchini, or about 3 or 4 small zucchinis
* 1/2 cup(s) Chopped green onion
* 1/2 cup(s) Seasoned dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup(s) Flour
* 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup(s) Olive oil, divided

Directions:

1. Shred zucchini using the large holes of a box shredder, yielding about 4 cups. Place on paper towels and pat dry. In a large bowl, mix together zucchini, green onion, breadcrumbs, flour and eggs.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, Drop 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture for each cake. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through, or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil as needed. Serve with warm Pasta Sauce.

TIPS:
To serve as an appetizer, prepare smaller zucchini cakes using 1/8 cup of batter for each. Makes 24 appetizer servings.

If desired, substitute Classico Marinara with Plum Tomatoes & Olive Oil Pasta Sauce with Classico Traditional Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce.

Braised Pork Chops and Penne Sorrento

* Servings: 6
* Cook Time: 45 minutes
* Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 jar (24 oz.) Classico Florentine Spinach and Cheese Pasta Sauce
* 8 oz. Penne pasta
* 2 tablespoon(s) Olive oil, divided
* 1 Medium onion, cut into thin strips, or about 3 cups
* 1 Small green bell pepper, cut into thing strips, or about 1-1/2 cups
* 1 Small red bell pepper, cut into thing strips, or about 1-1/2 cups
* 6 Boneless center-cut pork chops, cut 3/4-in. thick, about 5 oz. each
* 3 tablespoon(s) Flour
* 1/2 cup(s) Dry white wine*
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) Dried thyme leaves*

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and peppers for 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Season pork with salt and pepper if desired, and lightly coat with flour. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Brown pork for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Stir in Pasta Sauce, wine and thyme, turning pork until well coated. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pork is tender and cooked through, turning halfway. Return the onions and peppers to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Serve hot with cooked pasta.

TIPS:
If desired, substitute 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme with 1/2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh thyme. If preferred, substitute white wine with chicken broth or water.

If desired, substitute Classico Florentine Spinach & Cheese Pasta Sauce with Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic Pasta Sauce.

Bow Ties with Pesto, Beans and Potatoes

* Servings: 7
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup(s) (8 oz.) Classico Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce
* 4 Medium redskin potatoes, cut into 1/2-in. slices, or about 4 cups
* 1/2 pound(s) Fresh green beans, cut into 2-in. long pieces, or about 3 cups
* 12 oz. Bow tie pasta
* 2 tablespoon(s) Heinz Gourmet Garlic Wine Vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes and green beans for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer potatoes and green beans to a large bowl using a slotted spoon.

2. In the same sauce pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.

3. Add Pesto Sauce, Vinegar and cooked pasta to green bean mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm or chilled.

TIP:
If desired, substitute Heinz Gourmet Garlic Vinegar with Heinz Balsamic Vinegar.

Chicken Rollatini

* Servings: 6
* Cook Time: 40 mins.
* Prep Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients

* 1 jar (24 oz.) Classico Marinara with Plum Tomatoes Pasta Sauce
* 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 24 Genoa salami or sandwich pepperoni slices
* 6 Provolone slices
* 18 Asparagus spears trimmed
* 1/4 cup(s) Cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Slice each chicken breast in half and pound until about 1/4-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Place 4 salami slices and one cheese slice on top of each chicken breast. Place 3 asparagus spears in center of each and roll up, securing with a toothpick.

3. Evenly spread 1/2 cup of Sauce on bottom of an 11x7 baking dish. Arrange chicken in baking dish, top with remaining Sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

TIP:
To pound chicken, place meat between two pieces of plastic wrap. Starting in the center, pound meat to reach an even thickness. If a pounder is not available, use a rolling pin.

Simple Potato Salad

This is another one of my favorite cold salads. It is not only filling but can be used as a great side dish with some proteins. I love making this recipe because it really doesn’t take much time and it comes out really delicious. Just make sure to not overcook the potatoes or under cook them. It does make a big difference. But it is a great dish to make and eat.

Ingredients:

2 large baking potatoes (Peeled and cut into two pieces each)
1 can luncheon meat
2 stalks celery (Diced)
1 medium red or white onion (Diced)
Seasoned salt (To taste)
Black pepper (To taste)
¼ cup saladmate salad dressing or mayonnaise
2 large cooked eggs (Dice, Optional)
Paprika (Optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook potatoes until you can stick a knife through it easily. Drained the potatoes and let it cool.

2. Take luncheon meat out of can, rinse and cut into little chunks.

3. When the potatoes are completely cool. Cut up the potatoes and diced them.

4. In a large bowl, add the diced potatoes, diced celery, diced onion, chunks of luncheon meat, salad dressing and diced eggs (optional). Stir well. Season with seasoned salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with paprika (optional) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Simply and Easy Macaroni Salad

This is one of the easiest cold salads to make. It is a great comfort food for the days when you just want something homemade. It is a great dish to eat with toasted bread or as a side to something else. Very delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pkg uncooked macaroni pasta
¼ Cup mayonnaise
2 stalks of celery (Diced)
2 stalks carrots (diced) (Optional)
1 medium red or white onion (Diced)
2 cans of Albacore tuna (Drained)
Seasoned salt (To taste)
Black pepper (To taste)
Paprika (Optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook macaroni pasta according to package instruction. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta is cool.

2. In a large bowl, add cool macaroni pasta, diced celery, diced carrots, diced onions, drain cans of tuna, and mayonnaise. Stir all ingredients together. Season with the seasoned salt and black pepper. Stir again. Sprinkle paprika over macaroni salad and refrigerate for at least a half hour. Serve cold.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits (Paula Deen)

I love love this biscuits. They pair well with any pasta dish. This biscuits are incredibly easy to make but taste amazing. One of my favorite Paula Deen recipes. So instead of plain bread or garlic bread, try this little biscuits. You will fall in love with them as much as I have.

Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups biscuit mix
* 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
* 1/2 cup water

Garlic Butter:

* 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the biscuit mix and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir just until combined. The dough will be slightly moist. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the biscuits are firm and beginning to brown.

While the biscuits are baking, make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, salt, and parsley flakes. Mix well. As soon as you bring the biscuits from the oven, brush them with the garlic butter using a pastry brush.

Sausage & Shrimp Noodles (Latin Inspired)

I came up with this recipe two Thanksgiving dinners ago. I always cook Thanksgiving Day meals mostly by myself. From the huge 22-26 lb turkey to the lasagna. I remember just putting this recipe together from scraps of meat and veggies that was left over. I have since refined this recipe and it is much more delicious. I love pasta. This is one of the best pasta dishes to make on a budget. It may not cost much to make but it will taste like it did. And you will have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day because of the quantity. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

1 pkg uncooked angel hair pasta
1 link Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa beef, pork or turkey sausage (cut into little chunks or slices)
1 pound pkg fresh or frozen cooked shrimp (Remove tails)
1 pkg pepper stir fry veggies
4-6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1-2 packets Sazon Goya seasoning
Adobe all purpose seasoning (with or without pepper)
Parmesan Cheese
Seasoned salt
Regular salt
Black pepper
1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (Depends on how spicy you want it)

Cooking Directions:

1. If you using fresh shrimps, skip this step. But if you are using frozen shrimp, pour into a strainer and run under cold water until thawed. Put thaw or fresh shrimp into a bowl and season with Adobe seasoning.

2. Put chunks or slices of Polska sausage in a bowl. Sprinkle with Adobe seasoning until coated. Stir until all sausage pieces are well seasoned.

3. On medium heat, in a frying pan, add 2-3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil. Let it warm up. Add sausage chunks to oil and brown. When browned add the thawed seasoned shrimp and let cooked quickly. Make sure to adjust heat accordingly as to not burn the sausage and shrimp. Put sausage and shrimp into a clean bowl.

4. With the oil still on the stove, add the rest of the oil and add the pepper stir fry veggies. Cook until tender. Add season salt, black pepper, Goya seasoning, red pepper flakes to taste. Add the sausage and shrimp and remove from heat.

5. Cook angel hair pasta according to package. After draining the pasta, put back to pot. Put the heat on low. Add the stir fry veggies and sausage/shrimp mixture. Mix well with the noodles until well coated. Add as much Parmesan cheese as you will like.

6. Remove from heat and serve with bread or biscuit. (For a simply biscuit recipe, try the Paula Deen Garlic Cheese Biscuits above.)