Easy Weeknight String Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

This is the quickest, easiest baked pasta dish that you'll probably ever make. {And, it only uses five ingredients.} With only about ten minutes of hands-on prep time {no need to even pre-boil the pasta}, you can toss this in the oven while you whip up a quick side salad and maybe get some garlic bread made up. It's perfect for busy weeknights and is an extremely kid-friendly dinner option.

This no-frills and no-fuss baked manicotti recipe really couldn't be easier. After a quick soak in hot water, the pasta shells get stuffed with string cheese before being baked off in a sea of good-quality, store-bought marinara sauce. A sprinkling of shredded mozzarella atop it all ensures an end result of bubbly, gooey, cheesy goodness amidst all that sauce - everything that a good pasta bake should be.

NOTE: Preparation of the pasta following my recipe directions yields al dente manicotti {still slightly firm}. If your family prefers very soft, almost mushy pasta, you may desire to boil noodles according to manicotti package instructions - ending the cooking a couple of minutes shy of the recommended time on package - prior to assembly of the dish.

Yields 4 - 5 servings.

Fourteen Tantalizing and Comforting Soup Recipes

Fall is upon us. Winter will be here before we know it. In my household, this time of year means SOUP. I've complied some of my favorite and most-popular soup recipes from Joyously Domestic. Some are for the slow cooker. Some are vegetarian. A few are cream-based soups. A handful of them are more-healthful and good-for-you versions. Basically, there's something here for everyone.  

 

 

Just follow the links to check out the recipes for each soup. And, if you'd like to browse through all of my soup recipes, you can visit my RECIPES page here and look through the SOUPS, STEWS AND CHOWDERS section.

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

I think that most of us can agree that Macaroni and Cheese is like, one of the best dishes on earth. It's pretty much one of the ultimate comfort foods in life. I make many versions, but I really like this one because of how incredibly easy it is. It, literally, is just a dump-everything-in-the-slow-cooker kind of recipe. Stir it up, plop the lid on, turn the temp to low and walk away for a few hours. That's it. Seriously. {You don't even boil the noodles first.} The pasta ends up perfectly cooked {not mushy at all}, an amazing creamy sauce is created and the flavors are simply spot on.

This takes just a short time to cook {three and a half hours or so}, so I like that this is something I can get going shortly before the kids get out of school and it's ready just in time for dinner around six o'clock. This, also, would be just perfect as a side dish for Sunday dinner after church.

A warning, however ... this is {obviously} not diet food. It has pasta and butter and cheese and milk and eggs and more cheese. So, it definitely doesn't quite register on the "healthy" scale. But, isn't that what we love about Macaroni and Cheese? It's totally supposed to be a little indulgent and a whole lot of yumminess.

NOTE: DO NOT PRE-COOK THE NOODLES. THEY GO INTO THE SLOW COOKER STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.

Yields 6 servings {as a side dish}

Classic Macaroni Salad

A true summer staple, Macaroni Salad is a throw-back to so many of our childhoods and a side dish that never quite goes out of style. With simple ingredients and easy prep, it's a recipe that I come back to time and time again. It's perfect alongside baked beans, corn on the cob and watermelon wedges at cook-outs. Our grandmothers and moms knew a thing or two about easy, delicious recipes. And, Macaroni Salad is just one of those recipes that truly stands the test of time.

Grab some elbow noodles, make a creamy {and quick} dressing, dice up a few vegetables, toss in some chopped boiled eggs and give the whole thing a stir. It's a great make-ahead option for picnics and warm-weather gatherings. And, it always disappears quickly.

Yields 6 - 8 servings.

Cold Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

I've gotten into the habit in recent months of spending my Mondays prepping lunches for myself for the week. With the kids gone to school and the hubby at work all during the week, it's just me at home throughout the day. One of my New Year's resolutions was to eat more purposely and with greater intention. {I'm trying for lunch for myself not to be just a string cheese and a protein bar.} Some weeks I roast off a bunch of veggies and cook up some grains so that I can throw together a quick grain bowl on an given day. I often make up pasta salads, too, for myself. And, I keep quick, homemade vinaigrettes on hand and lots of prepped, fresh vegetables.

Over the past week, I worked on developing and testing this Cold Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce recipe. It's loaded with tons of fresh vegetables and is served tossed with a killer peanut butter dressing.

It is a super versatile salad ... whatever crisp veggies that you like or have on hand work here. In addition to what I've listed, some suggestions would be sugar snap peas, sliced cabbage, edamame or even some chopped apples. And, if you like things spicy, toss in some sliced chili peppers in place of the sweet ones I've used.

The peanut butter sauce is simple to whip up and really makes this salad the winner that it truly is. Its base is a blend of sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice and peanut butter.

Preparing this whole thing will require boiling off your noodles, whisking up the dressing and a little effort chopping up your veggies - maybe twenty minutes or so total. Then, you can tuck the leftovers away in the fridge and enjoy a healthful, hearty, fresh lunch for the next couple of days without any work at all.

Yields 4 servings.

Creamy Balsamic Corn and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

I am a sucker for pasta salads during the summer. I have a few favorites like, my Veggie Overload Pasta Salad and my Mandarin Orange and Spinach Pasta Salad {with Teriyaki Dressing}. This version is loaded up with fresh-from-the-garden sweet corn, chopped sun dried tomatoes, a variety of other fresh vegetables and some fun, twirl-y pasta. And, although those components are all fabulous in their own rights, it's really the creamy dressing that makes this pasta salad swoon worthy. A hint of fresh garlic, a little oil, a few spices, some dashes of a good-quality balsamic vinegar and creamy mayonnaise get whisked up together to create what I consider the ultimate pasta salad dressing.

Of course, you can choose to switch up the veggies that you use, but this recipe calls for a combination that I find works great together. The sweetness and pop of the fresh corn compliments the chewy, flavor-packed sun dried tomatoes. The cucumber lends a cool, refreshing component to the salad while the radish brings a slight peppery "bite" to the party. And, a subtle onion flavor is present by way of the scallions.

I've chosen an Italian Trottole pasta (such a neat shape), but any small or medium size pasta works here. Just be sure not to overcook the pasta ... you certainly don't want mushy noodles in this fabulous summertime side dish.

Rice Noodle Salad Bowls

The turkey roaster pans, electric carving knives and gravy boats are making their return to the back of our cupboards. Visions of sugar cookies and Christmas ham are stirring in our heads. Stop offs for peppermint mocha coffees and caramel brulée lattes are almost inevitable as we bolt from store to store seeking out the perfect gifts for our loved ones. And, homemade baked goods from neighbors are sure to grace our counters during the coming weeks.

 

 

Frankly, most of us could stand to eat a few more salads this time of year. Indulgence is pretty much a given during the handful of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Having a few go-to salad recipes in our back pocket is never a bad idea - especially when we want/need to take a break from heavy, carb-laden dishes and treats that are the "norm" for most of us during this festive season of the year.

 

These Rice Noodle Salad Bowls are light, refreshing and chocked full of so many crisp, vibrant ingredients. I make a quick dressing with some basic pantry staples, fresh garlic and scallions. The salad holds up well for a couple of days in the fridge, so it's something nice to make up and have on hand for lunch during busy days, too.

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

 

It's been a bit of a frenzied week here in our house.  My daughter's fourteenth birthday party is this Saturday.  We have over thirty guests set to attend and I've been in my crazy party prep mode since the weekend.  (My poor children and husband know what I'm talking about ... don't ya, guys?)

 

I still have most of the shopping to do and a bit of housework yet to get done.  The always-present-the-week-before-a-major-party-event chore list has been posted on the fridge for several days ... color-coded according to each family member's respective day-to-day tasks for the week.  (I know ... my OCD really comes out in full force at times such as these!)  Since all of my children have their birthdays in the spring, we get ready for their parties and get much of our spring cleaning done all at the same time.  (It's a win-win for this mom!)

I'm taking a brief break, however, to share this wonderfully scrumptious recipe with you.  It's a very simple pasta bake that could be changed up to suit your tastes and to utilize what you have on hand.  Swap out the spinach for some blanched broccoli.  Add in some canned artichokes or fresh, chopped mushrooms.  Want to make it a little more healthful?  Use whole wheat pasta.

Yields 6 - 8 servings.

Lasagna Soup

We all know that making a huge pan of lasagna can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.  But, lasagna is one of those comforting dishes that most everyone adores. This particular recipe is a fun and simple twist on traditional lasagna. It's made right on the stove and there's only about fifteen minutes of actual hands-on prep time. You'll find all of the flavors and components of lasagna present here, but in soup form.

I chose not to add in any kind of ground beef or Italian sausage simply because my kids are not wild about those two ingredients. I would recommend about a half of a pound of either for this amount of soup if you'd like to include it. (It should be browned in the pot prior to the addition of the onion, garlic and green pepper.) Alternatively, you could swap in vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock should you desire to keep this completely vegetarian.

Regarding the pasta for this recipe, you can buy Campenelle pasta, which looks like mini lasagna noodles.  But, regular lasagna noodles work just fine. Just break them into pieces. I used about 8 - 9 large lasagna noodles. Any smaller-sized pasta would work, however. (I have even made this with egg noodles.)

Yields 4 - 5 servings.

Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Over Pasta

 

It was Sunday.

It was cold and rainy.

I was thinking soup for dinner.

Then, I came across this recipe on Little B Cooks' blog.  What a fun blog to browse!  Her recipe for Sun-dried Tomato Chicken was my inspiration for dinner. 

I made a few changes to the original recipe.  And, I served my chicken and sauce over pasta.

As a person who blogs about food and recipes, there are times when I try something new and then, later wish I had done the recipe a different way.  This dish was one of those instances.  Both my hubby and I agreed that using this exact sauce recipe with homemade meatballs would be killer!  The chicken was good, but this sauce is somewhat similar to say, a Swedish meatball sauce ... just infused a bit with the flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes.  So, I plan to try it with meatballs soon!

And, by the way ... if you think you don't or won't like sun-dried tomatoes, I urge you to try it in this recipe.  The flavor combinations are lovely and I know I will be making this sauce again many times in the future!