Tag: Italian seasoning

Recipes and Cooking

Pizza Spaghetti Bake

Brandi C

Pizza Spaghetti Bake

Pizza Spaghetti Bake

I will write down what I did in this Pizza Spaghetti Bake because it was good! Yet, I will also write what I will add/do differently. I feel like all recipes need to be tweaked in some form or fashion, so this is pretty typical.

Ingredients

Beef

Onion

Minced Garlic

Pepperoni, chopped (and some whole for the top)

Next time, do a pound of beef and a pound of sausage.

Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Rosemary

2 packets of spaghetti mix

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Next time, I will add a jar of pizza sauce.

2 cans of mushrooms, drained

Chopped spinach

Panko

Parmesan

Cottage Cheese

1 egg

Mozzarella

Penne Noodles

Directions

Boil noodles and drain according to directions.

Cook beef, chopped pepperoni, onion, garlic, and seasoning (sausage if used) and drain. Put back in the pot. Next, add mushrooms and chopped spinach. Then, add the Italian seasoning, Rosemary, and spaghetti packets. Mix well.

Next up, add the spaghetti sauce (and about a quarter of that same jar, put some water to add). If you are also using pizza sauce, add it. Mix well. Add in some panko, parmesan, a couple of handfuls of mozzarella, cottage cheese, and the egg. Stir and keep warm until your noodles are done.

Finally, mix the meat mixture with the noodles and spread it in a greased 13×9 dish. Top with mozzarella and whole pepperoni—Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

 

 

Recipes and Cooking

Pizza Soup Recipe

Brandi C

Pizza Soup Recipe

Pizza Soup Recipe

Is it a secret that I love soup? I don’t believe it is. So, without further ado, here is my Pizza Soup Recipe. It’s a keeper! Bart says it is tied for first for his favorite soups. The other is White Chicken Chili. I did this all in the Instant Pot, but you can do it on the stovetop!

Ingredients

2# sausage

2# ground beef

Pepperoni

You Can add any meat you want here or combine your favorite meat toppings in this soup. Also, if you like a lot of veggies on your pizza, chop them up and add them here because you want to cook them down a bit. I want to use peppers, but my husband doesn’t care. Mushrooms would be good!

1 onion

Minced Garlic

Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Rosemary

1 jar of pizza sauce

Water (I believe I filled up the pizza sauce jar 3x and put it in there. Eyeball it.)

2 cans of Tomato Soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Mozzarella

Directions

On the saute mode (Instant Pot), combine the meats, onion, minced garlic, and seasoning. Cook until done, and drain if you need to. Once done, put it back in the pot and add your Italian Seasoning and Rosemary.

Next, add the sauce, water, and soups. Stir well and then place the lid on, seal, manual, for about 8-10 minutes. Everything is cooked, so you want to meld the flavors. Once done, use the quick release. Stir in your mozzarella. Again, put as much in there as you wish. I may have used 2 cups cause we like cheese!

Enjoy!

Oh, my original plan was to add a box of Ditalini noodles to it. I would have boiled them in saltwater on the stovetop. Then drained it and then added it to the instant pot. I have found that if I cook noodles that small in the IP, they get mushy.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Spin-on Tortellini Soup

Brandi C

Spin-on Tortellini SoupSpin-on Tortellini Soup

I love Tortellini Soup. Love it. So, today, as I was getting the stuff out of my pantry, I thought I would create a Spin-on Tortellini Soup. The broth is excellent! I did this in my instant pot, but it can be done on the stove.

Caution of warning, do not put your milk-based items in the soup before you seal the soup. You put that in AFTER it is done cooking, releasing the pressure. I made that mistake once, and I will never make it again.

Ingredients

Kielbasa quartered

Onion, chopped

Fresh garlic, chopped

Spinach, chopped (or kale)

Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

1 can cream of mushroom

6 tsp chicken bouillon paste

1/2 c. sour cream

2 cans of tomato sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

Water

Directions

In Instant Pot, saute the garlic, onion, kielbasa, and seasoning mix. Add a bit of water if it starts sticking to the pan. Once that is done, add in cream of mushroom soup; I think I did about 6 tsp of chicken bouillon paste. I will say, at this point, I added the sour cream and mixed it well. It did not explode, so that is a good thing. Then, I added the tomato sauce and the sugar. Next, add chopped spinach and Italian seasoning. I added enough water to thin it out just a little bit. You can always add more water towards the end.

Place on the lid, and move the lever to the “seal” position. I hit the soup function and adjusted it to 10 minutes. Once that is done, I did a quick release. I stirred everything well and tasted the broth to ensure the seasonings were good. A good rule of thumb is to start small. You can always add more, but you can’t ever take the salt out of something.

Bechamel Sauce

3 T. butter

Flour, 3 T.

Melt together while whisking.

Add a cup of heavy cream, and continue to whisk while on medium heat. The flour will thicken up. Once it was thick, I added in about 2 c. of cheddar. Stir well until it is all combined.

From this point, I added some broth to the bechamel pan. I did this to thin it out and make it to that it would incorporate easier into the soup.

Once incorporated and stirred, I added it to the soup.

Cue the angels, singing.

Tortellini

I cook these in a separate pot. I feel the tortellini get too mushy if I do the tortellini in the instant pot. Doing this serves a dual purpose. I boil the water, season it, and scoop out my tortellini. You can keep the starchy pasta in water. I add them to my Instant pot, and if I need additional water, I use the hot starchy water I cooked my tortellini in.

It’s good, people.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Keto-Friendly Lasagna

Brandi C

Keto-Friendly LasagnaKeto-Friendly Lasagna

Well, well, well, look what this girl has done. She has gone and made a Keto-Friendly Lasagna. Yes, she has! AND it was good! I will say the one thing I will do differently is season it more with Italian seasoning and make my marinara sauce. Usually, I do that, but I did not this time.

Ingredients

2 jars sugar-free spaghetti sauce (you can make sure own)

2# ground beef

Seasoning

Italian seasoning

minced garlic

onion

parsley

chopped spinach

Ricotta

Mozzarella

Parmesan

Zucchini Noodles

3 zucchini sliced on a mandolin

Salt

Cheese Noodles

3 c. mozzarella

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

8 oz. cream cheese

4 eggs

Directions for Zucchini Noodles

Once they are sliced, lay them flat on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt. Doing this allows the water to be drained from the zucchini noodles. If you don’t do this, your lasagna will be too watery. Allow sitting while working on everything else.

Cheese Noodles

Add mozzarella, Italian seasoning, eggs, and cream cheese to the food processor. Mix. It is thick. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Glop your mixture and press it down. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let it cool. Peel the parchment paperback and then cut it into strips. I cut it in 1/2 long way first.

Sauce

Brown meat, minced garlic, onion, and seasoning. Drain if necessary. Once drained, add spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, parsley, and chopped spinach. Taste to check to season.

Layers

Pat the excess water off of the zucchini. Place a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a greased 13×9 pan (I used that and an 8×8 pan). Then layer your cheese noodles. Next to the zucchini noodles. A layer of sauce, ricotta (or cottage), mozzarella, and parmesan. Repeat ending with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. Allow resting for about 10 minutes before cutting into it.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

Brandi C

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

This Chicken and Orzo Recipe made more than I had anticipated. I made one 13×9 pan for tonight and a smaller pan to freeze for later.

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • Seasoning
  • 30 ozs chicken broth (can be broth or water/chicken bouillon)
  • 2 c. spinach, chopped
  • Cauliflower rice, 2 c. (I buy it frozen and thaw it)
  • 28 oz. diced tomatoes
  • 2 c. orzo, uncooked
  • Minced onion
  • 2 c. cheddar (reserve some for the top)
  • 1 can cream of chicken
  • 2 packets of Italian dressing mix

Directions

Cook the chicken and then cut it up. Mix everything in a giant bowl. Place in a 13×9 greased dish. This amount made that 13×9 and an 11×8 pan. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top. Bake at 350, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.

I didn’t have many children here; only 5 kids ate here. We were able to eat the entire smaller dish. The 13×9 dish I wrapped and froze for next week!

Substitutions

You can substitute Ranch packets instead of Italian packets. Also, taco seasoning can be used as a substitute, and maybe add a can of corn to that and make it Mexican-flavored. This chicken and orzo recipe was delicious. It is one I will make again because I can sneak so much goodness into it without my family thinking I’m killing them.

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Recipes and Cooking

Lasagna Soup

Brandi C

Lasagna Soup

 

Lasagna Soup

This lasagna soup is a great twist on a classic comfort food, and it’s so easy to make in the Instant Pot! With its rich tomato flavor, tender noodles, and creamy cheese, it feels like you’re enjoying a warm, cheesy lasagna but in soup form. The ground beef, kale, and green peppers add a savory, hearty base, and the addition of cream of mushroom soup and chicken bouillon really enhances the flavor. Top it off with sour cream and a sprinkle of parmesan, and you’ve got a delicious, filling meal that the whole family will love. Perfect for busy nights!

2 pounds of ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 c. kale, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

In an instant pot, brown these all together with seasoning and drain.

Mix beef mixture, basil, oregano, and Italian Seasoning in the same pot. Then add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes (I pureed these up because Big Daddy does “not like chunks”), the equivalent of one can of cream of mushroom (can either use canned or make your own GF version). Next, add 4 chicken bouillon cubes, 32 oz—of water, and lasagna noodles (I used about 6) that are broken up.
Turn on the manual for 15 minutes.
Quick-release.
Check noodles and put them back on manual, if needed.
Add 1 c. milk, 2 c. cheddar cheese, and 1/2 c. sour cream.
Stir well and serve with parmesan.

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