Mini Pasta, Bacon & Cheese Frittatas

Just like omelets you can add anything to frittatas.  One of my favorites is pasta!  You can make some fresh or even better- use up left overs!  Any kind of pasta will work; plain, white or red sauced, long or shaped pasta.  I had some Garlicy Fettuccine Alfredo left over and let's face it, Alfredo just doesn't reheat well.  So, I decided to make these mini frittatas.  My husband loves them. They are like a mini meal all in one & they are easily portable!  Perfect for week day breakfasts!  I used bacon but you could use ham, sausage, deli meat, or left over chicken- what ever you have on hand!

Ingredients:
Eggs
1 1/2- 2 cups Cooked Pasta (or left over)
6 eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (I used Mozzarella)
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 pieces of Bacon, cooked & chopped
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray. 

In a medium bowl, break the eggs.  Add the milk & whisk.

I used leftover sauced pasta but you could use plain, cooked pasta instead.  If you use a long pasta like this fettuccine, you need to cut it up.  If you are using a smaller pasta like elbow noodles you can leave them whole. 

Add the chopped onions, pasta, shredded cheese, & bacon to the egg mixture.  Season with salt & pepper; stir to combine. 

Spoon evenly into muffin tins filling about 2/3s of the way.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until set. 

Allow the frittatas to cool a few minutes in the tins before removing.  

Enjoy!

 This recipe makes 12 mini frittatas.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

 These are scrumdillyumptious!!  I'm not even sure if that is a real word, but in our house it means very tasty!  I am so glad I ran across the recipe on this blog, Our Best Bites.  They were so easy to make, I used Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Dough but homemade dough would be great too!  I stuffed mine with Pepperoni & Mozzarella because that's my 4 year old's favorite pizza.  But you could do any of your favorite pizza combinations- ham & pineapple, pepperoni & sausage, spinach & olives, the possibilities are endless!!  These were so good, we almost made them twice in one weekend.  So be forewarned...you will be seeing these again! 

 Ingredients:

for the rolls

Pizza Dough (store bought or homemade)

Pepperoni

6 Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

4 tbsp Butter

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

for the dipping sauce

1- 8oz can Tomato Sauce

1 tsp dried Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (or according to the dough's package directions).  Roll out the pizza dough, making a 12" X 18" (approximately) rectangle.  Using a pizza cutting wheel, cut 24 squares.  As you  can tell from my picture below, the squares do not have to be exactly the same size. 

 I used sandwich pepperoni from the deli, so I had to quarter my slices to fit in the squares. Lay a slice (I used 2 quarters) of pepperoni on each square.

 Then top with cheese.   I also quartered the string cheese sticks.  We thought that ended up being the perfect amount of cheese per roll.

 This was a family affair at my house!

 Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with non stick spray.  I used a 9" X 9" square dish but a pie plate would work well too. 

 Pull the 4 corners of each square together to seal & place the rolls, seam side down, in the dish.   

 In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat.

 Add the minced garlic & cook for 1-2 minutes.

 Then add in the chopped parsley & turn off the heat.

 Brush the garlic butter on the top of the rolls, coating well.  (I also sprinkled a little Parmesan Cheese on the top!)

 Bake at 400 degrees (or according to package directions) for 10-15 minutes, until golden.  Just keep an eye on them since all dough cooks differently. 

While your rolls are in the oven, you can make the dipping sauce.  In a small sauce pan, heat the tomato sauce with the dried Italian Seasoning & Garlic Powder over low/ medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

Serve warm with sauce on the side.  Yum!

Chicken & Vegetable Lasagna

This is a delicious alternative to my Classic Lasagna.  It's made with a creamy garlic & parmesan sauce, chicken, fresh spinach, tomatoes and lots of cheese. I love it!!

Ingredients:

(for the Garlic & Parmesan Cream Sauce)

6 tbsp Butter

4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced

5 tbsp All Purpose Flour

3 cups Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

(Filling)

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked & shredded

15 oz Ricotta Cheese

1 egg

4 medium/ large Tomato, sliced 1/8"

6 oz Fresh Spinach

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

2 tsp Garlic & Herb Seasoning ( I use Ms Dash)

1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

Salt & Pepper

1 box of Lasagna Noodles

Directions:

If you prefer to pre-boil your pasta, do this first & reserve.  (I skip this step & assemble my lasagna with raw noodles.)  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. 

 When the butter is melted, add the minced garlic & stir.  Add the flour to the buttery garlic & whisk to incorporate.  Cook the flour for a couple of minutes, whisking frequently. 

 Slowly whisk in the milk & heavy cream until it is all incorporated.  With the heat on low, let the sauce sit to thicken, stirring (or whisking) occasionally. 

 While the sauce is thickening, get your fillings ready.  I roasted 2 chicken breasts, drizzled with olive oil & seasoned with salt & pepper, in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  After it cools some, I shredded it with my fingers.  You could use left over chicken or even a rotisserie from the store for this too!

 In a large bowl, add the egg & beat. 

 Add the ricotta, shredded chicken, garlic & herb seasoning, & fresh, chopped parsley to the beaten egg.  Fold to combine. 

 Keep an eye on your sauce while you are getting the filling together.  You'll need to stir it occasionally. When you're filling is combined, add the Parmesan Cheese to the sauce & turn the heat off.  Stir well to combine & melt the cheese.  It's ok if the sauce looks thin, it will thicken up through the baking process.

 In a 9 X13" casserole or lasagna pan, add 1 1/2 cups (or so) of the Garlic & Parmesan cream sauce. 

 Put a layer of noodles over the sauce.

 Then add 1/2 of the chicken & ricotta mixture.

 Then add 1 layer of your sliced tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with a little salt & pepper. 

 Add 1/2 of the spinach on top of the tomatoes. 

 Sprinkle 1/2 cup (or so) of mozzarella cheese on top pf the spinach.  (I don't really measure the cheese!)

 Then repeat the layers 1 more time, starting with half of the remaining garlic & parmesan cream sauce. 

 After adding the second half of the chicken & ricotta mixture, the tomatoes, the spinach & the mozzarella cheese, put 1 last layer of noodles.  Then pour the last of the sauce on the top of the noodles.  Cover with aluminum foil (I spray the bottom of the foil with non stick spray so it won't stick to my lasagna). And yes...if you use the same pan that I do, it will be full to the rim!!  I always put my lasagna pan on top of a sheet pan, just in case it bubbles over some in the oven. 

 Bake for about 40 minutes at 375 degrees, then remove the foil & top with mozzarella cheese.  Continue to cook for another 15 minutes, until bubbly & brown. 

 Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes or so before slicing so it can set & the sauce can thicken.  I serve a simple green salad to start while the lasagna is cooling. 

 Creamy, yummy goodness!!

 This recipe serves 6-8 people. 

Pepperoni & Mozzarella Egg Rolls with Pizza Dipping Sauce

Yes! These are as good, actually they are even better than they look! Oh the list of ingredients you can stuff these with is endless too. Use any of your favorite pizza toppings, sausage, ham, spinach, onions, olives, peppers, anything! You will definitely being seeing these again! Ingredients:

(For the Egg Rolls)

1/4 lb of Pepperoni, thinly sliced thin from the deli

4 3/4 cups of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 pkg Egg Roll Rappers

Oil for frying (Vegetable, Canola, or Peanut)

(For the Dipping Sauce)

1- 8 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 tsp dried, Italian Seasoning

1- tsp Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine the tomato sauce & seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. I let this cook while we prepare & cook the egg rolls. It's low maintenance, since the heat is on low. You just have to stir it occasionally as it thickens.

Preheat your fryer to 375 degrees (or oil in a pan if frying on the stove). To start assembling the egg rolls, lay a few wrappers on the counter. Place the pepperonis in the center, diagonally, making sure to leave a framed edge. I prefer the pepperoni (called Sandwich Pepperoni) from the deli to the pepperoni that you buy prepackaged, sliced at the grocery store. It tastes so much better, but it is a lot bigger so I only used 2 slices per egg roll. If you are using the prepackaged pepperoni, you will probably be able to fit 4 in a single layer. Then top with slightly shy of 1/4 cup of mozzarella.

Using a pastry brush dipped in water (or you can use your finger) wet all 4 edges of the egg roll wrapper. Then fold up the bottom corner.

Then fold up the 2 sides, making an 'envelope'.

Taking the bottom of the envelope, roll the egg roll closed. Press all the edges, making sure to seal well.

I tried baking & frying them. The fried were so much better. In fact, we ended up putting the baked ones back into the fryer to crisp them up more. (But that is our opinion, if you would like to bake them, you can bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping half way through.)

Fry them at 375 degrees for 1-2 minutes, doing 2-3 at a time. They continue to cook after they are out of the oil so you don't want to brown them too much.

Drain them well when you remove them from the fryer. We use a sheet pan, lined with tin foil & lots of paper towels to place the egg rolls on after cooking. They need to sit for about 5 minutes before you try to cut into them; the cheese inside will be HOT!

Pour your dipping sauce into a bowl, plate your egg rolls & serve!