Pasta – Page 2

Spinach and Bacon Mac and Cheese

January 8, 2013 by Danielle

Spinach and Bacon Mac and Cheese

One of my favorite comfort foods is mac and cheese. There’s just something about the creamy goodness of the sauce and the filling, tasty noodles that screams satisfaction. I know that after every serving of mac and cheese I’ll have a smile on my face and a very full belly.

A few years back I was watching Ina Garten and she made her Grown Up Mac & Cheese. After watching her make this dish I’ve never made mac and cheese the same again! With a few key tips I took from Ina I’ve created a family favorite that we make at least once a month: Spinach and Bacon Mac and Cheese.

What I absolutely love about this dish is, like many of my favorite dishes, it’s a “whats left in the fridge” kind of meal. You can use just about any cheese you have on hand and throw in any vegetable you think might be tasty. Some nights it’s broccoli, other nights it’s frozen peas. Last night it was spinach.

So skip the boxed mac and try something that is sure to become a quick family favorite. You will not be disappointed!

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: bacon, cheddar, Dinner, mac and cheese, Pasta, spinach

4th of July Italian Pasta Salad {Side Dishes}

July 3, 2012 by Danielle

When we celebrate the 4th of July we do it with the 3 F’s:

Food, Family, and Fireworks!

And the food part is usually left up to me. Burgers are the main go to but the side dishes are the ones we try to change up and make better each year.

This year I’ll be bringing some delicious pasta salad that includes a few of my favorite flavors: pepperonis and mozzarella!

Not only is this dish easy to make, you can prepare everything the night before and let it sit in the fridge to marinate and just grab it right before you leave for the party.

And while it doesn’t have any blue in the mix, the red and white is covered! Paired with a juicy burger and delicious green salad and you have the perfect July 4th celebratory meal.

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: 4th of July, Pasta, Side Dishes, sides

Tuna Noodle Casserole {Dinner Recipe}

March 27, 2012 by Danielle

I’ve been pretty bad about keeping the cupboards stocked lately. I started to get lazy when it came to dinner planning and have been making sandwiches or eating what’s in the freezer to make up for it. So when Lent came around I was not prepared for a non-meat dish for dinner. But I didn’t have to worry… we always have the ingredients on hand for tuna noodle casserole. It’s a family favorite.

Only we were out of cream of mushroom AND cream of celery condensed soup.

So I went in search for an alternative. It was about time. I mean… really… I, er, we don’t need all of that extra sodium and additives. Plus I’m sure I read somewhere about canned stuff being bad. Or was that just for veggies?

Anyway… I only had 30 minutes until everyone under the roof starved and was already starting to get complaints about hunger pains so I searched the web until I found a recipe that sounded tasty and didn’t include canned soup.

This recipe is a winner! And I love how versatile I can be with the veggies. Next time I’m going to try some spinach. Delicious, nutritious, and the kids liked it. Added bonus.