Tag: Mushrooms

Veggie Mac & Cheese
Dinner · Recipes

Veggie Mac & Cheese

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Veggie Mac & Cheese

One of my favorite dishes since childhood is Mac & Cheese, but now that I’m an adult I like adding a variety of veggies. That’s why this Veggie Mac & Cheese recipe is so great! This dish is packed full of deep rich flavors and will please the entire family. You can have this as a side dish or as the main course for a comforting family meal. This dish takes a little bit work and time, so it may be best to make this one on the weekend especially if you have a lot of after work/school activities throughout the week. This dish also reheats well thus making it a hit for leftovers!

This dish works best with fresh ingredients as opposed to frozen. If you were to use frozen vegetables it could make this dish a little on the soggy side. The style of noodles that I like to use gives this dish a nice bite and a fun appearance, but you may use any style of noodle that you are accustomed to. The key is not over cooking your noodles so they don’t turn to mush while baking. This dish has such a robust flavor and is nice and rich with all of the veggies and the cheese sauce. Now, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

Veggie Mac & Cheese

VEGGIE MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (16 oz) Cellentani Pasta, cooked al dente
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pint Sangria medley tomatoes
  • 1 pkg (12 oz) pkg baby spinach
  • 1 pkg mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 6 Tbsp flour
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (I like Better Than Bouillon Base)
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 pkg (16 oz) mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 3/4 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs
  • Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
  • Parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
  • Prepare a large and deep baking dish with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Set aside.
  • In a large stock pot boil noodles, drain and set aside.
  • In a large sauce pan add tomatoes to hot pan to blister and burst. Once most of the tomatoes have burst add onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft. Add spinach to wilt. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add mushrooms to saucepan and brown. Once browned remove and add to tomato mixture; set aside.
  • Add butter to pan and melt. Once melted add flour and whisk until mixed well and flour smell has cooked off. Slowly add milk while whisking. Slowly add stock while whisking. Cook for roughly 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly.
  • Remove from heat and add cheese; whisk until melted and incorporated.
  • Add veggies and noodles to sauce. Stir well to mix throughout.
  • Add to prepared baking dish. Top with panko and remaining olive oil.
  • Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
  • Before serving top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
  • Enjoy!
Chicken and Veggie Pasta Bake
Dinner · Recipes

Chicken and Veggie Pasta Bake

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This is a yummy was to bake up a fast weeknight meal that is packed full of something everyone loves! I like to make this Chicken and Veggie Pasta Bake on the regular and I really enjoy how versatile this dish is. You can choose all sorts of veggie combinations with this recipe. It should be fun to try new combos. Keep in mind the season as you could always utilize fresh from the garden veggies like squash and zucchini or even a variety of peppers. In the winter months, I like to use mushrooms and peas because frozen peas work great in a dish like this. There are a couple of staples that are must for a deep and rich flavor. Those staples include Parmesan cheese and sliced almonds. Without these key ingredients your dish would be missing that crunchy topping that completes the whole dish. Now, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Chicken And Veggie Pasta Bake

CHICKEN AND VEGGIE PASTA BAKE

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced (cook it how you like it…grilled is our favorite!)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 (16 oz) pkg angel hair pasta, cooked and cooled
  • 1 (8 oz) pkg mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 bundle asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 Tbsp white wine
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 3 cups milk (room temp)
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Cook chicken according to your preference. We prefer to grill the chicken, rest it and then slice it. You could even bake or roast the chicken and then shred it.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a casserole dish.
  • Cook pasta to just under; should only boil for 1 minute.
  • Sauté mushrooms in a hot pan until juices start to run out and they become brown, add white wine and asparagus; cook for 3 additional minutes. Remove veggies and leave liquid in the hot pan.
  • Add butter to liquid and allow to melt and bubble. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes or until the flour smell has dissipated; add milk and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Once gravy is thick remove from heat.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and add pasta, veggies and chicken; combine well.
  • Add pasta mixture to baking dish. Top with almonds and the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
  • Let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy!
Asparagus and Mushroom Pizza with a Peach Berry Salad
Dinner · Recipes

Asparagus and Mushroom Pizza with a Peach Berry Salad

enbrookshireLeave a comment
Asparagus and Mushroom Pizza

This meal was a fabulous end to a fun filled Sunday! We took it upon ourselves to get out of the house and go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was so a cool 64 degree ride with the wind blowing through our hair. It’s days like this that make me crave summer on a plate!

Asparagus and Mushroom Pizza with a Peach Berry Salad.

This meal is so refreshing as it incorporates many summer flavors. The mushrooms are cooked prior to adding them to the pizza by simply browning for a couple of minutes and lastly adding a splash of white wine. This helps bring out the deep and meaty flavors of the mushrooms. I slice the asparagus at an angle after finding the area in the stock to snap them. By trimming them down it allows for a easier cook on the asparagus. The salad helps complete the meal with a delicious mix of blueberries and peaches. I like to add a hint of red onion in the salad as well for a bit of a bite to the salad. Sometimes red onion can be more powerful than what you would like, so I like to soak the red onion slices that I use on my salads. By soaking the red onion it takes the punch down a bit. Now, for the recipes!

Asparagus and Mushroom Pizza

ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

Ingredients:

  • 1 pizza dough
  • 1 cluster of asparagus, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 (8 oz) container of mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 container of Garlic & Herbs cheese spread (I used Alouette Cheese)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp white wine
  • Olive oil

Directions:

  • Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F and prep pizza dough.
  • In a medium pan cook mushrooms on med-high heat until they start to brown; add white wine and reduce for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Once pizza dough is stretched into a circle, pre-bake crust for a couple of minutes or until the crust just starts to brown; remove from oven.
  • Top pizza with cheese spread and be sure to spread out evenly.
  • Top with half of the mushrooms, then add asparagus and finally the rest of the mushrooms.
  • Rub olive oil on crust.
  • Bake for 10 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown; remove from oven and immediately top with Parmesan cheese.
  • Make salad while pizza cools.
Peach Berry Salad

PEACH BERRY SALAD

Ingredients:

  • 2 peaches, cut into slices, then in half
  • 1/4 cup of blueberries
  • A couple of slices of red onion
  • A couple of handfuls of mixed greens
  • Balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

  • Mix all ingredients together, except the balsamic vinaigrette.
  • Toss gently to combine.
  • Add balsamic vinaigrette as a self serve.