Hearty Lasagna Soup

From: An old index card

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the beef, onion, garlic and parsley in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the beef is browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat.

Stir the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.

Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked this soup a lot. I used venison instead of beef, crushed tomatoes instead of diced, and elbow macaroni instead of corkscrew. I thought this soup was yummy and filling. My only problem with it is that I had to add a ton of water while it was cooking because the pasta soaked up so much of it. So in the end I wish I had added a little more tomato flavoring to it. It was still great though, and I would definitely make this again in the future. I also appreciated the fact that I had every ingredient in the pantry already! 

Italian Sausage Soup

From: Sunset Pasta cookbook

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausages
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, chopped
1 large can (1 lb, 12 oz) Italian-style tomatoes
3 cans beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine or water
1/2 tsp dry basil
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-size green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
5 oz medium-size bow-shaped noodles

Remove and discard sausage casings; cut sausages in 1/2-inch lengths. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, cook sausages over medium heat until lightly browned. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbsp drippings. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid.

Add broth, wine, and basil. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, zucchini, and noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Pass Parmesan at the table.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I loved this recipe. I only made a couple of changes. I used beef bouillon cubes (3) instead of actual broth, and I did use the water instead of red wine. I used rotini instead of bow-shaped noodles. This was such a great, filling, delicious soup. I would love to make this again in the future.

Italian Herb Marinated Chicken

From: McCormick

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp McCormick montreal chicken seasoning
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1. Mix oil, vinegar, Chicken Seasoning and Italian seasoning in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.
2. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.
3. Grill chicken over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Verdict:
Well, here's the deal. My whole family and I found the herb flavor of this chicken to be too overwhelming for our tastes. So I shredded mine and made a wrap out of it. I found that to be the perfect offset to the herbs. If you like strong herb flavors such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc. you will really like this chicken. I would actually make this again and just not use as much of the seasonings.

Nutrition information: (based on my ingredients; per tenderloin)
117 calories
1g carb
6g fat
16g protein

Italian Vegetable Soup

From: Back-to-School Lunches cookbook

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 bag frozen Italian vegetables or mixed vegetables
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp crushed dried oregano
1 cup uncooked wagon wheel pasta
1 cup cooked diced chicken, optional

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in frozen vegetables, tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken broth, salt, pepper and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Stir in pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook at a low boil 15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. If desired, stir in chicken with pasta.

Easily frozen: Just put it in a freezer container. Thaw overnight and you can pack it for lunch or eat it at home.

 
Verdict:
Thumbs up! Such a classic, feel-good, comfort meal! This was definitely a recipe meant for kids but it was delicious. I like this because it's easy to adapt. I'll definitely be making this again and I highly recommend it.

Italian Spinach and Chicken Skillet

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked yolk-free whole wheat noodles
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in the tomatoes, soup, spaghetti sauce, chicken, spinach, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles; toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used canned spinach instead of frozen. Otherwise, I didn't change anything.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs UP!! Whoa, this was so good. I just happened to pluck this recipe out of my "to try" pile. I had everything I needed (mushrooms frozen that I bought on discount a couple of weeks ago, spaghetti sauce leftover from lasagna that I had frozen, leftover teriyaki chicken breast I baked two nights ago) except the spinach. Then I got the spinach free today (after coupon and on sale) so it was just in the cards to make this! It was so. good. I know I used less chicken than the recipe called for and a bit more spinach but it really didn't matter. In fact, I almost wonder how this would taste as a dip... There is nothing I like more than a recipe that is so easy, quick, and straight-forward. A definite "do-again" for our household!!

Italian Spinach and Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked yolk-free whole wheat noodles
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in the tomatoes, soup, spaghetti sauce, chicken, spinach, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles; toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Basil Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:
8 oz rotini
4 chicken breasts
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp olive oil
26 oz pasta sauce
1/4 cup basil
1 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp parsley

Prepare pasta. Drain and keep warm. Cut chicken in 2 pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap; flatten. Combine 2/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Dip chicken in egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Brown chicken in oil in skillet.

Stir pasta sauce and basil together, spoon half of that into an 11x7 dish. Put chicken in pan; pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve over warm pasta.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used ziti because that's what I had in the pantry, used an egg instead of an egg substitute, and I forgot to put the parsley on at the end!!

What I'll do differently next time:
Same stuff. BUT I will also use MUCH less pasta. Stephen wasn't a huge fan of the pasta (loved the chicken though) so although Brianna and I ate a lot of the pasta there was a ton left over. Next time I will probably make about a cup of pasta and split it between myself and Brianna, and just let Stephen have the chicken and sauce.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! We love chicken parmigiana and this recipe was awesome and super easy! I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, frankly, because I'm not a huge basil fan. But the taste was definitely not overpowering and I loved this recipe.

Ingredients:
8 oz rotini
4 chicken breasts
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp olive oil
26 oz pasta sauce
1/4 cup basil
1 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp parsley

Prepare pasta. Drain and keep warm. Cut chicken in 2 pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap; flatten. Combine 2/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Dip chicken in egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Brown chicken in oil in skillet. Stir pasta sauce and basil together, spoon half of that into an 11x7 dish. Put chicken in pan; pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve over warm pasta.

Italian Bread Wedges

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees), divided
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough flat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Press into a greased 14-inch pizza pan. Spread with salad dressing. Combine the garlic powder, oregano, thyme and pepper; sprinkle over dough. Top with cheeses.

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used a bit less Italian dressing and thyme than what the recipe called for because I know these flavors can be quite strong.

What I'll do differently next time:
I'll use less dressing again. I'd probably use closer to 1/4 cup or maybe a smidge less than that even. I'd use probably 1/8 tsp of thyme because it was still quite strong. I'd use a bit more garlic powder just because we love garlic and I couldn't taste it a lot. And I'll probably add more cheese because - yum!

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! This is just one of those recipes that will take a little tweaking. We paired it with pasta and it was great. I also dipped it in pasta sauce and it was very good. This is definitely going to be used again very soon!! (You could very easily make a pizza from this recipe too.)

$$:
This recipe cost me less than $2. All I paid for really was the cheese, which we use all the time anyway and we needed. Everything else that would usually cost a bit extra (salad dressing, yeast, etc. I had gotten for free from coupon events. This was a VERY cheap meal for us!)

Printable version:

Ingredients:
3 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees), divided
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough flat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Press into a greased 14-inch pizza pan. Spread with salad dressing. Combine the garlic powder, oregano, thyme and pepper; sprinkle over dough. Top with cheeses. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheesy Italian Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 package (about 1 lb) chicken breast tenders
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
8 oz uncooked spaghetti

Heat oven to 350. Into ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish, spoon and spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Top with chicken tenders in single layer. Spoon remaining 1 cup sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and chicken is no longer pink in center. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Well, I did use mozzarella cheese instead of Italian because we had more of that already open. And then at the end we added Parmesan on top. But that's all!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! What a simple recipe! We loved it - it was almost like the chicken parmesan recipe I make but just different enough, with the noodles and cheese on top and everything. This is going to become a regular in our house, I can tell!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 package (about 1 lb) chicken breast tenders
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
8 oz uncooked spaghetti

Heat oven to 350. Into ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish, spoon and spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Top with chicken tenders in single layer. Spoon remaining 1 cup sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain.

Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti.