Welcome to italian cooking Guide
Italian Cooking Tours Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Pizza Casserole With Three Cheeses, a Dish Family, Friends, and Surprise Guests Will Love
from:Holidays are a time to visit with family, friends, and unexpected guests. These visits are fun for everyone, a time to catch up on news and make plans for the future. While making plans is easy, making dinner can be hard. Can you make a meal that young kids, teens, parents, and grandparents will enjoy? Yes, and it is Pizza Casserole, a blend of healthy pasta, lean ground beef, pizza sauce, and three kinds of cheese.
Cook the pasta the day before to save preparation time. Drain the pasta in a colander, put it in a zipper plastic bag, and coat elbows with a little olive oil to prevent clumping. This recipe calls for Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta (name trade marked), a new product with added fiber and calcium. It also calls or a specific brand of pizza sauce, but you may substitute another brand if you wish.
Cream cheese is the surprise ingredient and it adds richness to the dish. If the casserole has been refrigerated for a long time take it out of the refrigerator a half hour before baking and uncover it. Oven temperatures vary and you may have to bake the casserole a bit longer than stated. Remove the casserole from the oven when the sauce bubbles and the cheese starts to brown. Here is the recipe for Pizza Casserole with Three Cheeses, a holiday dish that may become a family favorite all year long.
INGREDIENTS
Half a 14.5-ounce box of Ronzoni Smart Taste elbow pasta
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 1/4 pounds 93% lean ground beef (or 96% lean)
2 15-ounce cans De Fratelli all natural pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese
8 ounce carton low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
METHOD
Cook pasta in boiling water, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Put olive oil and butter in skillet. As soon as the butter has melted add chopped onions to the skillet and cook until soft. Add onions to pasta. Brown beef in skillet, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Combine cooked beef with onions, pasta, and pizza sauce.
In a small bowl combine cottage cheese and cream cheese. (Make sure there are no lumps of cream cheese.) Coat a 9 1/2" x 13 1/2" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the meat mixture in the dish. Spread cheese mixture over meat layer. Top with remaining meat mixture. Spread mozzarella cheese over casserole and sprinkle with oregano. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve Pizza Casserole with a a green salad, garlic toast, and fresh fruit for dessert. Makes 10-12 servings.
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 29 years. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for a local magazine. Hodgson is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Couseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http:http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find other reviews on the American Hospice Foundation Web site ("School Corner" heading) and the Health Ministries Association Web site.
Please visit Harriet Hodgson's Web site and learn more about this busy author.
Italian Cooking Tours News
World Report (Windsor Star)
EUROPE -- GERMANY PLANS LAB TESTS FOR AIRPORT 'NAKED SCANS'
Read more...Vintage Inn Bed and Breakfast in Alva sets big grand opening (The Enid News & Eagle)
Vintage Inn Bed and Breakfast in Alva is gearing up for its big grand opening 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 . Sisters and owners of Vintage Inn, Lori Kraft and Sherri Garroutte, have been decorating for the Christmas-themed grand opening for more than six weeks.
Read more...Giving thanks : Volunteers make sure celebration and food is aplenty (Rutland Herald)
Maryann McDonough had long wanted to volunteer at a soup kitchen or hall to serve Thanksgiving dinner to those in need, but with a house packed with family, it was more wishful thinking than a real possibility. ... - By STEPHANIE M. PETERS Herald Staff
Read more...11:00 (BST), 27/11/2008 Diva Girls range Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Milton Keynes - 505 Games today ... (gamesindustry.biz)
Milton Keynes - 505 Games today announced the launch of a new range of games aimed at pre-teen female gamers, featuring the characters from the hugely popular Princess on Ice . The new Diva Girls brand sees Kelly, Gabrielle, Alyssa and Madison embarking on new adventures as they chase their dreams of fame and stardom.
Read more...Weekend Guide (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A list of things to do this weekend.
Read more...