Baked Ziti

I made this recipe for our housewarming party this past weekend. It was really good! It reheats well too.

Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

New House!!!!

We love the new house! I am enjoying figuring out how to decorate and even though I am no where close to being done, it is getting there. We had a picnic last weekend with some of our friends and family. There were over 40 people there! Everyone had fun and it was a great time!

Follow this link to see more pictures of the house:

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/user/page.aspx?username=BeckysinLuv

Cheesy Rice

I made this as a side dish to the Chicken Crescent Pockets. The flavors were very tasty.

Cheesy Rice

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:25 min
Makes:2 servings, about 1 cup each

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 oz. (1/8 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

HEAT dressing in small saucepan on medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 3 min. or until tender.

STIR in rice, broth and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 min.

Chicken Crescent Pockets

My parents stopped over for dinner tonight so I decided to try a new recipe. I had this saved in my "recipes to try" list for a long time. I had intended to make it last week. I bought the Crescents at Giant Eagle but I stupidly put them on the refridgerator door and they exploded! Haha!

Rating: 10 of 10

Chicken Crescent Pockets

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp butter, melted

2 cups chicken

2 tbsp milk

salt & pepper to taste

1 (8 oz) can reduced-fat Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed



Heat oven to 350°F. Cook chicken in skillet.

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter; stir until smooth. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well. Add this mixture into the skillet with chicken.

Separate dough into 4 rectangles (combine two crescents). Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Gently spray tops of chicken pockets with olive oil; sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.