Supreme Pasta Salad.

I first had this pasta salad about five years ago when a co-worker brought it to a pot luck. See, I told you in my last post that pot lucks are THE BEST for new recipes! The best part of this recipe - it's perfect every time no matter which vegetables are in season or you have on hand. The magic ingredient - McCormick's Salad Supreme.

Supreme Pasta Salad

(adapted from McCormick)

1 box of your favorite pasta (about 12 ounces) (cooked according to package directions)

4 cups of fresh chopped vegetables (think broccoli, pepper, carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, tomato, cucumber, radish, onion - anything!)

1/2 package mini pepperoni

1.5 cups of italian salad dressing

4 teaspoons McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning

Toss all ingredients together. Store in the refrigerator.

This dish can double as a side dish or main dish. All those vegetables make it more than filling. And it can be made vegetarian by eliminating the pepperoni without losing any deliciousness. It comes together quick and is the perfect way to use of the bits of vegetables you have sitting around.

Broccoli, Potato, & Cheese Pie.

I was excited about this recipe from the moment I spotted it over at Veggie Belly. I sent the link to my sister-in-law right away since I get excited about vegetarian recipes that appear appealing to the masses. And this is one of them!

Broccoli, Potato, & Cheese Pie

(adapted from Veggie Belly)

2 medium potatoes (cut into quarter-inch slices)

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon flour

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 1/2 cup gruyere and asiago cheese (cut into small pieces)

you could also use a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella cheese

1 cup broccoli florets (chopped)

2 tablespoons parsley

1 tablespoon dried onion

1 teaspoon pepper

1 sleeve saltine crackers

4 tablespoons butter (melted)

1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap potatoes in a towel and microwave for about 2 minutes or until half cooked. Allow to cook and cut into slices. In a bowl, combine milk, flour, and mustard. Add cheese, broccoli, potatoes, parsley, onion, and pepper. Make the crust by crushing the saltine crackers into powder (best accomplished with a food processor). Combine the cracker powder with melted butter and hot water; stir until it combines like dough. Press onto the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Place broccoli/potato/cheese mixture over the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly and serve.

I loved the flavor of the asiago and gruyere with the vegetables. The left overs did not last which says something!! And this was easy to put together! Give it a try!

Alfredo Recipes

Wednesday night for our dinner group, I made two different alfredos. I cheated a little bit in the fact that I bought jars of alfredo sauce rather than making my own, but in my defense, I was cooking for 10 people, some of which are vegetarians and others of which are picky. :) Everyone told me it was very good, but they've said that about most everything I made so I'm beginning to wonder if they are just being polite. :) So, without further ado, here they are:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

5 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper (I use the McCormick Peppercorn Grinders)
Italian Seasoning (McCormick Grinder, again)
1 bag frozen broccoli (fresh would be even better)
1 box fettuccine noodles
1 1/2 jar alfredo sauce
a splash of milk (helped to rinse out alfredo jar)

Cook chicken in olive oil. Add pepper and italian seasoning. Once chicken is fully cooked, add broccoli. After broccoli is no longer frozen, stir in alfredo sauce. To clean out jar, add a little milk and shake and add to chicken also. Prepare noodles and toss the two together. Serve immediately.
Vegetable Alfredo

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
5-10 mushrooms, sliced
1 - 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
Freshly ground pepper
Italian Seasoning
1 /2 jar alfredo sauce (1 jar was a mushroom alfredo)
splash of milk (to rinse jar)
1 box fettuccine noodles


Saute vegetables in olive oil with pepper and italian seasoning until tender. Add sauce and let simmer. Cook noodles according to box. Combine with sauce and serve immediately. Enjoy! :)

Roasted Broccoli Pesto.

Have you ever roasted broccoli? It's delicious! And pesto? Again, delicious! And when you mix the two - amazing things happen. And it's a great way to pack a little more veggie in your day!

Roasted Broccoli Pesto.
1 small jar prepared pesto (or you could make your own)
1/2 head broccoli
dried, roasted, or crushed garlic
olive oil for tossing
olive oil for mulching
parmesan cheese
pasta

Heat oven to 450. Prepare pasta as package instructs. Cut broccoli into florets. Toss with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Process broccoli, garlic, oil, and parmesan cheese in a food processor until broccoli is mulched into small pieces. Combine pasta, prepared pesto, broccoli pesto, and top with additional cheese.