Pasta and Cheese Stuffed Meat Loaf-Improv Cooking Challenge

Pasta and cheese are the two ingredients that Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker picked for the September Improv Cooking Challenge.

In trying to think about something a little different, I remembered that, when my kids were growing up, I made a dish called Macaroni and Cheese Meat Loaf.  The kids liked both meat loaf and mac and cheese, so they really liked having them together.  Two comfort foods, what more could they ask?

I haven't seen the recipe I used in years but thought that I could probably create one of my own.  I adapted a recipe I found in my recipe cards (copied from Family Circle in 1981) that had mac and cheese served on top of a meatloaf. I am sharing the meatloaf mixture that I used, but your favorite meatloaf recipe that uses 1 1/2 lbs. meat can be substituted.  I chose to use rotini pasta so that is why I did not call the recipe Mac and Cheese Stuffed Meat Loaf.  I did not include a topping because the pan is very full, but a very thin one could be added, if desired.  I love red peppers and used them for nutrition and color, but have listed them as optional in the recipe.  Leave them out if you have picky eaters.

To prevent having to clean the oven, I place the loaf pan on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Pasta and Cheese Stuffed Meat Loaf
1 1/2 c. rotini, macaroni or other pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped red pepper (Optional)
1 egg
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 T. butter or margarine
1 T. flour
3/4 t salt
Pinch black pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp, but you can use mild or medium or American cheese if you prefer)
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. dry breadcrumbs
1 T. minced dried onion or 1/2 c. minced fresh onion
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking it 1 to 2 minutes and adding red pepper to pasta water 1 to 2 minutes before you remove the pasta from the heat.  Meanwhile beat egg and milk together in a small bowl.  Drain pasta.  Return pasta to pan and quickly stir in  butter or margarine, flour, salt and pepper.  Heat and stir until butter is melted.  Stir in milk/egg mixture and cook stirring constantly until mixture is thickened.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Set aside.   Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl.  Add bread crumbs, instant minced onion, salt and pepper.  Mix to combine.  In a glass measuring cup, mix together evaporated milk and Worcestershire sauce.  Add to ground beef mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly.  Place half of the meat mixture in a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan and spread evenly.  Top with all of the pasta mixture, spreading evenly.   Cover pasta mixture with remaining meat mixture.  (Pan will be very full.)  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.  Cover and let set for 10 minutes.  Drain off any fat if necessary.  Slice and serve.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

More Improv next month with cake and frosting.  You can find out more about joining the Improv Challenge by visiting Kristen's Improv Page.

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Pasta Salad with Tartar Dressing

Since I wanted to do as little actual cooking as possible when we were on vacation, I made several salads to take with us.  One of my favorite things about having fish and chips when I am eating out is the tartar sauce.  Several years ago, I ran across a recipe in Family Circle magazine for a dressing for pasta salad that included tartar sauce.  The original recipe made more than I usually need, so I have adapted it over the time.  Now this is usually the dressing I use when I make pasta salad.

Since tartar sauce is already in the dressing, this is a great salad to add fish or seafood to.  I personally like tuna or salmon.

Everyone has their own take on what to put in a pasta salad so add and subtract ingredients as you  please.

Pasta Salad with Tartar Dressing
8 oz.. pasta of your choice, cooked just until tender
1/3 c. chopped red pepper
1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 medium dill pickle finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped ripe olives
1/2 c. tartar sauce

1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 1/2 T. cider vinegar
1 1/4 t. sugar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. salt

Combine pasta, red pepper, red onion, dill pickle and olives in a large mixing bowl.  Stir well to combine.  In a small bowl, mix tartar sauce, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, pepper and salt.  Stir until ingredients are well combined.  Spoon dressing over pasta mixture and mix until all pasta pieces are coated with dressing.  Place in a covered container and chill at least several hours before serving.  Makes 6 servings.

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Barbecue Pasta and Bean Salad

When I did my index for this blog, I found several drafts for posts that I had not posted.  This is one of those drafts.  I made this for a barbecue last year, and the recipe seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle.  I wanted to try a salad with a sort of barbecue dressing.  Since pasta salad seems to be mostly a summer dish, I thought that I should get this one up.

You can, of course, add cooked meat or chicken to make this more of a main dish.  Next time I make it, I think that I will add some cubed cheese.

Barbecue Pasta and Bean Salad
8 oz. rotini or other pasta
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 can (15 oz.) pinto, kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. quartered ripe olives
1 medium dill pickle, chopped
1/2 c. mayonnaise, reg. or low-fat
1/4 c. plus 2 T. barbecue sauce
1 T. cider vinegar
3/4 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 t. hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Place in a large mixing bowl.  Add red pepper, celery, onion, beans, ripe olive, and dill pickle.  Combine mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Spoon over pasta mixture and mix in well.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and chill several hours before serving.  This is good with corn chips or the Cheese and Onion Nut Bread.  Makes 4 servings.

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Chicken in Shells Alfredo

This dish, that I make often, is one of those that I call a pantry shelf recipe.  That means that the ingredients can be kept on a pantry shelf and/or in the freezer for an easy meal.  This can also be made ahead and feeds a crowd.

Jumbo pasta shells are used to make this.  I find that one package of the shells is more than enough for one recipe but not enough to make it twice.  So I buy two packages of shells which is enough to make the recipe three times.  I cook about 25 to 26 shells and usually end up with about 24 I can actually use.  Some shells always seem to tear apart in when cooking.

Although my favorite  Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce recipe is at Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures,  I generally use Ragu Classic Alfredo and Ragu Garlic Parmesan sauce to make this.  Otherwise, I can’t really call it a pantry shelf recipe.  I use a jar of each flavor.  They can be mixed together in a bowl, but I just pour each one over the prepared shells and swirl them together with a spatula.  You may,  of course, use two jars of a single flavor.

The veggies can be varied to suit your taste.  I usually use peas and carrots for their color, but just peas, as well as chopped broccoli and mixed vegetables, can be used.  In the spring, chopped, cooked asparagus is a great addition.



Chicken in Shells Alfredo
25 to 26 jumbo pasta shells
1 (6 oz.) pkg. stuffing mix such as Stove Top
1 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/3 c. finely chopped red pepper
1 c. frozen peas and carrots or another veggie
1/2 c. mayonnaise (low fat is OK)
2 cans (5 oz.) chicken chunks or 2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 jar Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce
1 jar Ragu Garlic Parmesan Sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded Italian cheese blend

Cook pasta shells according to package directions.  Set aside to cool.  Combine water, onion, red pepper, peas and carrots in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in dressing mix, cover, and let set 5 minutes.  Stir in mayonnaise and mix well.  Stir in chicken.  Spoon heaping tablespoonfuls of mixture into the pasta shells.  Place shells in a sprayed 9x13-inch baking pan.  Pour jar of Alfredo Sauce over the prepared shells.  Pour jar of Garlic Parmesan Sauce over prepared shells.  Using a spatula swirl the two sauces together slightly.  Cover tightly and place in a 350-degree oven.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Top with cheese and return uncovered to oven until cheese melts.  May be made up to 48 hours ahead.  Use a glass pan and cover with plastic wrap.  Bake 1 hour 15 minutes.  Makes 8 to 12 servings.




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Ingredient Spotlight

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

Welcome to my new followers.  I appreciate that your are here.  Thanks to all who take the time from their busy lives to read my blog.  I know that I only post a "thank you" weekly, but in my heart I say it every day.  I hope that you find the information here useful.

When I made the Hungarian Beef that I posted last week, I served it over Home Rice-A-Roni.  I said that I would post that recipe so here it is.

I found this recipe in Sunset magazine many years ago.  They called it Rice and Vermicelli Pilaf.  Since it has the same main ingredients as Rice-A-Roni, I have always called it Homemade Rice-A-Roni.

Vermicelli is not always easy to find at the grocery store so angel air pasta that has been broken up may be used in its place.

Since my hubby isn’t particularly fond of regular steamed rice, I use this recipe a lot, changing the seasonings to go with whatever main dish I am serving with it.

If I want Italian flavor I use Italian seasoning, Greek flavor I use Greek Seasoning.   For Mexican I use taco seasoning or cumin and chili powder and add tomato bouillon.  The tomato bouillon is a product that can be found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store.   For Asian flavor I sauté the rice and vermicelli in sesame oil and add soy sauce and a bit of ginger or Chinese 5-spice.

This is a good recipe to have in your recipe arsenal as a change from potatoes.  Since it is homemade it has much less sodium and chemicals than the commercial product and is significantly less expensive.
 
To save time, the rice and vermicelli can be combined and put into zip-top bags and stored in the cupboard.

Homemade Rice-A-Roni
Adapted from Sunset magazine

3 T. butter, margarine, vegetable oil or 2 T. vegetable oil and 1 T. sesame oil.
1 c. regular long grain rice  (I usually use Calrose which is an oriental rice)
1/2 c. vermicelli or angel hair pasta broken into about 1-inch pieces
2 12 c. water
1 t. thyme leaves or seasoning of choice
2 T. fresh parsley ( may also use dried or omit)
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1 T. granulated beef, chicken, tomato, or vegetable bouillon (I like to use Better than Bouillon Organic Paste)

Melt butter or margarine over low heat in a medium saucepan.  Add rice and vermicelli, stir well and cook until it is lightly toasted, stirring often.  Add water and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer over medium heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, abut 15 to 20 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

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Beef Enchilada Stuffed Shells

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I love the giant pasta shells.  I think they are so cute and “up” the presentation factor when serving a pasta dish.  They are a little more time consuming, but so well worth it, I think.   I have stuffed the shells  with cheese, ground beef and Italian stuff, Italian sausage and Italian stuff, and chicken and dressing.  Recently I decided to stuff them with beef and enchilada stuff.

This dish makes 20 shells so is a good dish to take to a potluck as one shell a person is plenty for that type of occasion.  If making for a potluck, I would add 1/2 c. sliced ripe olives.  I leave the olives out if cooking for hubby.  At home, this is a great one-dish meal needing only sliced tomatoes or a side salad to complete dinner.

I make my own Enchilada Sauce, but 2 (10 oz.) cans can be substituted.  I cut the corn for this from a leftover cob of corn, but would use frozen if I had not had the leftovers.  Any kind of bean can be used for this.  I just choose to use pinto.  I had some “going stale” tortilla chips so I crushed them and added them to the top.  This is entirely optional but does add a nice little crunch to the dish.

I am sure that they would freeze well, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Beef Enchilada Stuffed Shells

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 to 1 1/2 c. frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (15 oz.) pinto, kidney, black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)
20 large pasta shell, cooked according to package directions
1-2 c. Mexican Blend Cheese or 1 c. each cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 c. crushed corn or tortilla chips  (optional)

Brown ground beef with onion, red pepper, and garlic.  Drain if necessary.  Add corn, beans, cream cheese, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and 2/3 c. Enchilada Sauce.  Let cook 10-15 minutes.  Cool beef mixture slightly.  Place about 2 heaping tablespoons beef mixture into each cooked shell.  Place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle each shell with some of the cheese.  Pour remaining Enchilada Sauce over the shells.  Top with crushed chips.  Cover, bake 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Remove cover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 15 minutes longer.  Let set a few minutes before serving.  Makes 10 servings of two shells each.

Enchilada Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce, can rinsed with 1 can water
1 1/2 c. additional water
1 T. minced garlic
1 to 2 T. chili powder (I only use 1)
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained 

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, adding 1 can water to tomato sauce can to rinse it out.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Ingredient Spotlight

Salmon Pasta Ranch Salad

On Monday I decided to make Chili-Mac for lunch.  This simply consists of cooked macaroni, a can of Nalley's Hot Chili thinned with a little water, mixed together and topped with shredded Mexican Blend Cheese.  Since I was going to cook macaroni anyway, I cooked extra to make a salad.  I decided I wanted a salmon and pasta salad.  Hubby doesn't eat either pasta salad or fish.  Yesterday I posted that he does not eat cabbage.  I think that I am making him sound like a picky eater, which he is not.  I just seem to be posting recipes for things he doesn't eat.  I shared the salad with a friend at work.

I have unofficially been doing the pantry clean-out that some of the bloggers are doing this month, and I wanted to use up some food that had been on hand for awhile.

The thing that I love about pasta salads is they are so versatile.  Cook any kind of pasta, combine with almost anything, season with almost anything, and use almost any dressing.  It is just whatever you want to do that day.  Here is my current rendition of pasta salad.  I used 1/2 package of dry Ranch Dressing Mix because it was left from making something else and I wanted to use it up.  If I hadn't used that, I might have instead used Greek seasoning, lemon-pepper, curry powder, Italian herbs just to suggest a few.  The amounts of ingredients added to the pasta are approximate.  Add or subtract as you like.

Salmon Pasta Ranch Salad

1/2 lb. macaroni or other pasta, cooked
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 c. chopped onion, red would be nice if you have it
1/2 c. chopped red pepper (I put red pepper in everything I can)
1/3 c. chopped dill pickle
1/4 c. sliced black olives, drained
1 c. frozen peas
1 (5 1/2 oz.) can salmon, drained (could be tuna, chicken, ham) Use a larger can if you want.  This is the size I had on hand
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream (I used Mexican Sour Cream which they sell in our area)
1/2 pkg. dry Ranch Dressing Mix

In a large bowl combine pasta with celery, onion, red pepper, dill pickle, olives, peas and salmon. Measure mayonnaise and sour cream into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.  Add dressing mix and stir well.  Combine pasta mixture and dressing mixture, blending well.  Chill, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Makes about 6 servings.  (Or just for me eaten over several days.)