I need to come up with a main course for a dinner for 8 that I'm hosting. It's a rotating thing, and last couple to host served enchiladas. Everyone brings a side or something to compliment the main course (I assign what to bring). I've thought about baked ziti (anyone have a good recipe) or something along those lines, but I'm open to ideas. Thanks in advance!
Close to baked ziti. I've made this once and it was really good - even with me messing up the recipe.
BAKED SPAGHETTI
8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into thirds 1/4 cup egg beaters 1/2 cup 1% milk 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 lb ground beef, leanest 1 small onion, chopped 1 jar 14oz meatless spaghetti sauce 1 can 8oz tomato sauce 1 to 2 cups 2% mozzarella cheese
Cook spaghetti and drain. In a large bowl beat the egg, milk, and salt. Add spaghetti and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9 pan.
In a large skillet cook the meat and onion and drain. Add sauces and mix well. Spoon over the spaghetti mixture in the pan.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 10 minutes longer until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. WW: Makes 6 servings at 5 points
I'm not sure if you've already decided what to make, but I thought I'd throw out a recipe just in case you were still looking. I don't know a good recipe for baked ziti, but this is a super super easy lasagna recipe that I've made for a number of groups in the past:
SUPER-FAST SPINACH, PESTO AND CHEESE LASAGNA
It’s little wonder that lasagna became the informal party dish of the fifties and sixties-it can be assembled ahead of time, it freezes well, and it is a delicious and inexpensive way to feed a crowd. In this contemporary-and meatless-version, "no-boil" noodles eliminate a step, and bottled pasta sauce stands in for homemade.
4 cups bottled chunky pasta sauce 12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one unce package
2 cups grated Fontina cheese
Blend ricotta and Parmesan in medium bowl. Season cheeses with salt and pepper; stir in egg. Blend spinach and pesto in another medium bowl.
Brush 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with oil. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce in prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles side by side atop sauce. Spread 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mixture over in thin layer. Drop 1/3 of spinach mixture over by spoonfuls. Repeat layering with sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and spinach mixture 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and 1 cup sauce.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover lasagna with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Fontina cheese. Bake lasagna until heated through, sauce bubbles and cheese on top is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.
This is really easy and look pretty fancy when served, I've made it for dinner parties and it's typically a hit. Serve it with a salad and done!
Coco Van
4-6 lbs. boneless chicken breasts · 1 lb. chopped bacon · 1/2 cup dry white wine · 1/2 cup water · 1 1/2 cups pearl onions · 1 lb. small white mushrooms · 8 chopped garlic cloves · 1 tablespoon dried rosemary · 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cook the bacon until crisp in a large frying pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Brown the chicken in the same pan using the bacon grease. Once browned, set the chicken aside.
Add the wine to the pan and scrape the brown bits up so that they dissolve. Once the sauce forms move it to a crockpot. Add the water, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary to the sauce, and stir well to combine. Next, add the chicken and turn the crockpot on low for about 6 hours, or high for about 3 hours. Low heat is definitely the better option if you have the time.
Occassionally, move the chicken around in the crockpot to make sure all the pieces are cooking evenly. You may have to take them out and rearrange them depending on the size of your slow cooker.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the crockpot. Mix the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a spoonful of water to make a slurry, and then whisk it into the sauce to help thicken it. Add the reserved crispy bacon pieces to the sauce. Turn the heat up to high and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Great with mashed potatoes or egg noodles with butter.
__________________
I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are to women. It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in public without it.
Carrie Bradshaw
1 pound ziti 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound lean ground beef 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano (optional) 1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan 1 15-ounce container ricotta 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid 1 cup grated mozzarella
Cook the ziti according to the package instructions.
Heat oven to 400° F.
In a large pot, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beef, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until no trace of pink remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. Add the garlic and oregano (if using) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach and toss again. Spread the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual ramekins and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until the mozzarella melts, about 15 minutes.
Tip: If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef and chopped broccoli for the spinach.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
writeNutrient(); NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 1165.23(36% from fat); FAT 46.43g (sat 21.31g); PROTEIN 70.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 176.15mg; CALCIUM 672.94mg; SODIUM 1628.12mg; FIBER 7.12g; CARBOHYDRATE 117.18g; IRON 9.95mg