THREE CHEESE BAKED ZITI

This is a recipe I've tweaked to make a quick and easy meal. Of course you can use whatever spaghetti sauce you like, or make your own from scratch, or add onion, peppers, etc... whatever type of spaghetti sauce you like will work well with this recipe. I opt for the easy method, being a working mom and all... fast meals are my BFF!


Ingredients»
24oz spaghetti sauce (I use Bertolli; vidalia onion is my fav)
16oz (1 box) ziti noodles
1lb ground beef
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated


Directions»
{1} Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease a baking dish.


{2} Brown the ground beef. I usually add a few spices.




{3} While the meat is browning, cook the pasta as directed.


{4} Drain the meat once its completely browned, if necessary. Add the spaghetti sauce, brown sugar, and ricotta cheese; mix. Continue to simmer on low to med-low heat.






{5} Once the pasta is done, drain. Add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce.


{6} Spread a layer of the sauce/pasta mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese ontop.


{7} Add the remaining sauce/pasta mixture ontop, and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.




Voila! Easy meal and a great alternative to typical, boring spaghetti dinners. I like to serve with fresh steamed green beans and garlic bread. Yum!

SESAME CHICKEN

This is Jeremiah's favorite chinese food dish, so I found a recipe online and tweaked it a bit. I don't batter and fry the chicken, so I like to think its at least a tiny bit healthier. :)

Ingredients»
4-6 chicken boneless, skinless breasts
1/4 of a large yellow onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons toasted seasame seeds

Directions»
{1} Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Chop the onion.




{2} Cook the chicken and onion in a skillet until no longer pink in the center.


{3} Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, and corn starch. Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.


{4} Pour sauce mixture into the skillet with the chicken.


{5} Sprinkle with sesame seeds, cover, and cook about 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Add more corn starch if sauce is too thin... add more water if sauce is too thick.


{6} Once sauce is thickened to your desired level, serve! I usually serve with rice and broccoli.


Voila! Easy meal made in less than 30 mins that the whole family enjoys, even my picky 7 year old! ^_^