Pizza Factory Breadsticks

I found this recipe last night and they taste soo similar to the ones they serve at Pizza Factory.
Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. Add salt and stir.

Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.

Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close.

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.

When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I did that once. It was awesome.

photo and recipe from: www.ourbestbites.com

Freezer Dinners from Spaghetti Sauce

Bulk Spaghetti Sauce
Yield: 13 cups

In large stock pot mix:
2T canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 t. garlic, minced
2 lbs browned Italian sausage (buy Jimmy Dean bran in a tube, less expensive)
2 lbs browned hamburger

Drain the meat mixture then add:
1 (106 oz) can spaghetti sauce can from Costco or 5 jars (28 oz) commercial spaghetti sauce
1 (106 oz) can of diced tomatoes or 2 (28 oz) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
4 (2.4 oz) cans sliced black olives (optional)
3 T Italian seasoning
1 T dried basil
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper

*Sauce is used for lasagnas, manicotti, ravioli and can be frozen for spaghetti or pizzas. When defrosting pour off extra liquid.

Chicken Manicotti
Yield: 2 9x13 or 4 8x8 (directions are for 9x13, but I split it down more into 8x8)

1 T garlic powder
1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 boxes (8oz) manicotti shells
4-5 cups bulk spaghetti sauce
1 lb Jimmy Dean Italian sausage, cooked and drained
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup water

1. Rub garlic powder over chicken; cut into 1 in strips. Stuff chicken into manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in each of two greased 13x9 baking dishes. (use aluminum ones from store so you can freeze them in container)
2. Place eight stuffed manicotti shells in each dish. Sprinkle with sausage. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Drizzle water around the edge of each dish. Cover and bake one casserole at 375 for 65-70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and pasta is tender.
4. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months.

To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator, 24 hours and bake at 375 for 65-70 min. You can also bake frozen at 350 for 2 1/2 hours.

Lasagna
Yield: 3 8x8 lasagnas or 2 9x13

1 (16oz) box lasagna noodles divided into three 8 inch aluminum containers
4 c mozzarella cheese, grated
1 (24oz) container cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
10 c bulk spaghetti sauce

Don't pre-cook noodles

In three greased (or lined with aluminum foil) 9 inch aluminum baking dishes, make layers in the following order.
1. 3 noodles (break to fit pan)
2. cottage cheese (or ricotta)
3. mozzarella cheese
4. nickel sized cream cheese plopped evenly all over
5. sauce, and repeat

Wrap pans with foil, label, and freeze

To serve: Bake frozen for 2 hours at 350 degrees or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake 350 for 45 min. Take off cover for final 10 minutes of baking. Let stand 10 min before serving. Lasagna will be a bit watery but this is normal. Pour out all but a little water, the rest will soak into the sauce overnight.

Cheesy Ravioli
Yield: 3 9x13 sized dinners
3 bags (13 oz) frozen cheese ravioli
10 cups bulk spaghetti sauce
3 c mozzarella cheese

To Serve:
1. Thaw 10 cups bulk spaghetti sauce completely.
2. Boil frozen ravioli for 5 min. Pour 1/2 c sauce on the bottom of 9x13 pan
3. Drain ravioli, then place in pan. Completely cover the ravioli with remaining sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
4. Cover; bake 350 degrees for 30 min. Uncover and cook 10 more min. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Sorry that was so long! It seems intimidating, but the sauce doesn't take that long to make, then I just assembled the rest and froze them. I did it all during one nap, so it's not as bad as it sounds and it's nice to be able to pull one out of the freezer when I don't feel like making something. Let me know if you have any questions.

Florentine Shells

My visiting teacher made this for our lil' family when John got his appendix out. It was soo good that I just made her give me the recipe. I made it last Sunday when my parents were here for dinner and it was a hit again, so thought I would share.

Ingredients:
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed/drained/squeezed
2 c. Italian cheese blend, divided
3/4 c. half n' half, divided
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
1 jar (26-28 oz) spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells according to package directions & drain.

Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 1/2 c. Italian cheese blend and 1/4 c. half n' half, parmesan cheese. Add garlic & seasonings. Set aside.

Whisk spaghetti sauce & remaining 1/2 c. half n' half until blended. Reserve 1 c. sauce. Spread remaining sauce over bottom of 9x13 pan. Fill shells w/ cheese mixture & arrange in pan. Top evenly w/ reserved sauce mixture.

Cover w/ foil. Bake for 40 min. Uncover & put remaining 1/2c. Italian cheese blend. Continue cooking uncovered 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Italian Veggies

These are so delicious and just TOO easy! We had them at our Primary party last night and they were a hit.

Cut up several different kinds of your favorite veggies (I use carrots, a large red pepper, a medium zucchini, medium yellow crook squash, and a lg. tomatoes)
Spread out on large cookie sheet
Pour one bottle of Italian dressing over the veggies
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Somthin' Warm for the Cold

I wanted to make this today because it's FREEZING in Utah. However I didn't have all the ingredients and didn't want to walk to the store-again! But I thought I'd share it. Thanks to Grandma Mona for the Recipe.

ITALIAN TORTELLINI SOUP

4 cans Italian stewed tomatoes (14 1/2 oz)
2 cans of Beef broth (14 1/2 oz)
2 Tbs fresh basil
1/2 tsp grd pepper
1 medium zhuccinni
1/2 lb green beans
3/4 lb italian sausage (crumbled and browned)
1 pkg tortellini and cheese (6-8 oz frozen bag)
Parmesan cheese grated on top

Combine tomatoes, broth, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add zhuccinni , beans, sausage and tortellini. Cook 10-15 mins. Serve with grated cheese.

More Italian for Racquel

Paula's Lasagna (One of my very favorite dishes ever!)

2 pkgs schilling spaghetti sauce
3 cans of 15 oz tomato sauce
about 3/4 cup of water
2 lbs lean ground beef
1- 8 oz pkg wide lasagna noodles
2 cups (1 lb) ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I've used the bottled and it tastes good too)
1 Tbs chopped parsley
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the ground beef. Add 2 pkgs of spag sauce, 3 cans of tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup of water. Slow cook for 10 mins over the stove. Cook noodles until slightly bendy. Grease 9x13 pan. Then layer sauce/meat mix, layer of noodles, thin layer of cottage cheese (1/2 of container), sprinkle with grated mozzarella. Layer of sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, cheese, sauce, cheese. Sprinkle Parsley and Parmesan. Cover with foil and I would put a cookie sheet underneath the pan because they tend to boil over. Bake @ 375 for one hour.

Racquel requested some Itilian Recipes:

Italian Chicken:

In crockpot: 1/4 stick of butter, 1 Italian dry season dressing packet. cook in crock pot for 2 hours-stir occasionally. Add 1 pkg softened cream cheese and 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Add milk to texturize. Heat til warm, serve over rice.