Spinach Turkey Pasta Bake

Baked pasta dishes are a real comfort meal for me.  I love how versatile they can be and how easy it is to throw some veggies in there and pretend it's healthy.

















This pasta bake is something I made the other night using stuff that I almost always have in the house.  It made a huge casserole dish full and now I have lunches for tomorrow and frozen sections for dinner later.

Spinach Turkey Pasta Bake:

1 box ziti, baked al dente
1 package ground turkey
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 container reduced fat ricotta cheese
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 - 3/4 jar pasta sauce (or homemade)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt (if you like saltier things add more salt, I tend to under salt)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and heat a skillet over medium high heat.

Heat the olive oil in the skillet and add the ground turkey, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Brown the turkey and add the diced onion and garlic.  Once the onion starts to get soft add the spinach.

In a medium bowl add the cooked pasta, browned turkey mixture, pasta sauce, ricotta cheese, and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Pour the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is nice and melted.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I love sweet potatoes and Thanksgiving and fall are the perfect time to make them.  This is a basic recipe for sweet potato casserole, which is perfect for all of the holiday get-togethers that happen during this time of the year.

Sweet Potato Casserole:

5 sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, divided (1/4 cup softened)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray (or rub butter on it).

Bake the sweet potatoes for 35 minutes.  Once they're out of the oven and cool mash the potatoes.  Put them in a bowl and add the salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sugar, and heavy cream.  Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.

In another bowl combine the rest of the butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans.  Mix together with a fork and spread over the sweet potato mash.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the topping in crisp and lightly browned.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta Casserole

This is another recipe that I got from work.  I first tried this at my friend Marilyn's son's wedding rehearsal dinner.  (Did that make since?)  She was kind enough to share the recipe with me.  This is a great make ahead meal.  It freezes great too.

Cheese Chicken Pasta Casserole: 

(Marilyn)

6 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)

16 oz. spaghetti

1 stick of butter

1 medium onion

1 can of rotel tomatoes and green chilies

1 can of tomato soup plus ½ can of water

1 small box of Velveeta cheese (cubed)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

Cook and drain pasta.  In a pan, melt the butter and cook the onion until tender.  Add Rotel tomatoes, tomato soup, ½ can of water to onion, gradually add cheese until all melted.  Add the garlic powder and pepper.  Combine chicken, pasta and cheese sauce, mix so everything is combined.