Baked Ziti

Ingredients

1 lb ziti pasta
2 cups spaghetti sauce (Homemade or store bought.)
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (Divided into 2 portions - 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup.)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350* F.
2. Boil ziti pasta until tender. Meanwhile, lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
3. Drain pasta.
4. Mix together pasta, spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, and spices. Stir well to combine.
5. Spread the mixture into the pre-greased baking dish.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese across the top of the dish.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Tips

I used store bought spaghetti sauce for this - a four cheese blend.

Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 cup diced mushrooms
1 carrot, finely diced
2 potatoes, diced (about 1/2 inch square or smaller)
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup corn
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (or any combination of seasonings like thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 pie crusts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Mince garlic. Chop onions and bell pepper. Peel and dice potatoes and carrots.
3. Saute garlic, onions, and bell pepper in olive oil.
4. Add diced chicken to the pan. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, peas, and corn to pan.  Add seasonings. Saute for 5-10 minutes.
6. Place pie crust in pie pan (lightly greased) or a cast iron skillet (not greased, if seasoned). Set aside.
7. Move vegetable and chicken mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.
8. Melt butter in skillet. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for a few moments until it becomes a dark yellow to a light brown.
9. Add chicken stock to roux, a bit at a time, whisking to combine. Allow the mixture to thicken some. Make sure it is still a liquid and does not thicken to a paste.
10. Pour chicken stock mixture over vegetables and chicken in bowl. Stir to coat.
11. Pour mixture into pie crust.
12. Cover pot pie with second pie crust. Pinch edges to seal. Cut 3-4 one inch long slits in the top crust to let steam escape.
13. Bake at 350* F until the crust is golden brown, 45-60 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes to cool a bit before cutting and serving.

Tips

1. You can easily leave the chicken out and replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version.
2. For the pie crusts, you can use store bought or homemade, but keep in mind you need either one already in a pan, plus a flat one to lay across the top or two flat ones (one for the bottom crust in the pan, one for the top crust). Don't buy two already in the pan.
3. You can mix and match vegetables to taste. I often substitute broccoli for some of the potatoes and peas.

Choose Your Own Adventure Enchiladas

This makes 3-4 enchiladas. Scales up easily as necessary.

Ingredients

Tortillas:
3-4 corn tortillas OR
3-4 flour tortillas

Seasonings:
1 tsp paprika AND
1 tsp minced garlic AND
2-3 tbsp diced onion AND
1-2 tsp olive oil

Meat:
1-1 1/2 cups chicken breast or thigh, diced into small pieces OR
1-1 1/2 cup ground beef OR
1-1 1/2 cup cooked shredded beef (leftover roast beef works well for this) OR
2 cups sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini

Cheese:
1/2 cup feta cheese OR
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Enchilada Sauce:
3/4 cup green enchilada sauce OR
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce

Optional additions:
2-3 tablespoons diced bell pepper OR/AND
4-5 sliced button mushrooms

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil. If you want to include bell pepper or mushrooms, saute them with this. Add the beef or chicken and brown. 
3. Oil a baking dish, then add half of your enchilada sauce. You can use more or less than the recipe if you like your enchiladas wetter or drier. 
4. Take the meat mixture and divide it among the tortillas, placing it in the middle of each. Add a sprinkle of cheese across the meat. Fold the ends of the tortilla over, then roll it up. Place the rolled tortilla with the seam down in the pan on top of the sauce. Repeat until you've used up all the tortillas and meat mixture.
5. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the rest of the cheese across the whole. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes, until it is as browned as you want. 
6. Serve hot, with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, if wanted.

Tips

1. As my husband notes, placing the tortillas on a flat, hot pan (he uses our cast iron) briefly on each side makes them easier to work with!
2. To make a vegetarian version, use a mix of diced mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 tablespoon oil

Directions

1. Combine cinnamon, ginger powder, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and flour. Toss diced chicken in mixture to coat.
2. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Add green peppers and mushrooms to oil and sautee.
3. Add coated chicken to sauce pan and stir mixture until chicken begins to cook.
4. Add vinegar and tomatoes, stir. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Add rice and stir. Let cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve hot!

Tips

For a vegetarian version, substitute large chunks of mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini for the chicken.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1 cup shredded Edam cheese
1/4 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups milk
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta
1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 cups vegetables
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed crackers
1/4 cup shredded Edam or Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Boil water and cook pasta until al dente. When the pasta is done, strain and set aside. You can skip this step, but it will take at lot longer to bake.
2. Meanwhile, dice and slice your vegetables into medium sized chunks. Mix the vegetables and seasonings together and set aside.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 350º F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
4. In a saucepan on the stove, melt butter. Add flour. Stir the mix over medium to medium-high heat until turns golden-brown. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking, and allow to thicken slightly.
5. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. Shake together cracker crumbs and shredded Edam or Cheddar together in a plastic bag. Sprinkle the mixture across the top of the mac and cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove and eat hot!

Tips

1. Pastas that work well include elbow, rotini, small shells, etc., anything that the cheese sauce will grab.
2. Vegetables that work well include diced bell pepper, mushroom, zucchini, yellow squash, diced tomatoes, etc.
3. You can also add chunks of sauteed or grilled chicken to this.

Baked Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lb. uncooked cubed chicken
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. Italian dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Put the entire mix into a 9x13 inch pan, lightly greased with oil to make clean-up easier.
4. Bake covered in foil for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and rice is done.

Tips

1. I use red or orange bell pepper because I think it adds a nice sweetness, but yellow, green, or purple bell peppers work as well.
2. You can also substitute turkey for chicken or, for a vegetarian option, large chunks of mushrooms.
3. You can also, if you want to, entirely leave out the onion, celery, and bell pepper.