Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

Made this tonight for dinner it is AMAZING! Tyler and I loved it and the kids ate the noodles really well, they weren't real jazzed on the "green and red stuff". But the flavor is dynamo! I used the Protein enriched Barilla pasta, so it was healthy too!

1 pound fusilli pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago (I did not use this, I only added the Parmesan)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.

Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve.

Pressed Cuban Burgers

Bobby Flay made this burger on his Throwdown show and it won. But more importantly it looked by far the best of all the burgers they made. I have not tried it, but I am going to so I thought I would post it for all to try. I will let you know as soon as we've made them.


1 pound ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup best quality mayonnaise
3 cloves roasted garlic, pureed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 hamburger buns
4 slices thinly sliced smoked ham
8 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese
2 dill pickles, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices

Form the meat into 4 (1/4-inch thick) burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and cook in a saute pan (or on the grill) over high heat to medium doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard.

Place a slice of cheese on the bottom portion of each bun, place the burger on top of the cheese, then top the burger with a slice of ham then another slice of cheese then the pickle slices. Place the tops of the bun over the pickles and cook on a sandwich press or wrap the burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat with a heavy skillet placed on top of the burger to press the sandwich. Cook until golden brown and cheese has melted.

Carrie's Favorite Chicken Kicked Up A Notch

Alicia made this yesterday and it sounded good to me so I'm making it today and posting it here.

Put 4-5 chicken breasts/12 chicken tenders in a 9x13 pan
Salt & Pepper

In a separate bowl mix:

1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 T chili powder
1/2 cup salsa

Pour sauce over the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve over rice.

Another variation:

Cook chicken and sauce in crock pot all day long. Shred chicken and serve in tortillas. Top with sour cream and/or guacamole.

(I'll take a picture tonight and post it.)

Mini Frittatas

We had these for dinner tonight with French Toast and we all loved them. You might be able to do these in regular muffin tins, but I haven't tried. I think it is a fun breakfast though and good protein food.

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces thinly sliced ham or bacon or both, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or whatever cheese)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.