German Spaetzle Dumplings

This is a traditional German dumpling. You can mince a few pieces of bacon in a pan, and heat the cooked spaetzle in the bacon drippings, omitting the butter if preparing the recipe with bacon. I omitted the nutmeg. Not my favorite spice.

1 cup flour

¼ cup milk

2 eggs

1 pinch ground white pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground nutmeg, optional (I omitted)

1 gallon hot water

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Mix together flour, nutmeg (if using), salt and pepper. 

Press the dough through a spaetzle maker or large metal grater. Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5-8 minutes. Drain well.

Sauté cooked spaetzle in butter. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Stuffed Shells

From Taste of Home website. My family loves these babies.

1  med  onion, finely chopped

3  cloves  garlic, minced

1  Tbs  vegetable or olive oil

1-1/2  cups  ricotta cheese

1  egg

1  cup  shredded Mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping

1/2  cup  freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1  tsp  dried Italian seasoning

1/2  tsp  black pepper, optional

1  (10 oz)  pkg frozen chopped baby spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1  med  jar  Prego spaghetti sauce (or your favorite brand)

1-2  lbs  Italian sausage (not links)

1  pkg  jumbo pasta shells

Boil the pasta according to package directions, until just tender.

Fry the sausage until fine and crumbly. Set aside. In another frying pan, 

saute onions and garlic in the oil, just until tender, but not browned. Put in a medium size mixing bowl. Add ricotta, 1-1/2  cups Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Add the egg, seasonings and spinach (spinach is optional). Mix until well blended.

In a large oblong Pyrex baking dish, spread a little spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Sprinkle with some of the cooked sausage.

Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells, and place on top of the sausage in baking pan. Repeat until all the filling is used up. Top with remaining sausage. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the filled shells. Sprinkle with more Mozzarella cheese (as much as you want). Cover with foil and bake @350 degrees for 45 minutes. Make sure the cheese has melted in the shells.

Fall to Your Knees Mac and Cheese

A heart attack waiting to happen from singer, Carnie Wilson.

3-1/2  cups  large  elbow macaroni

10  oz  Velveeta cheese, cut into 1" squares

10  oz  white Vermont cheddar cheese, cut into 1" squares

15  oz  Gruyère cheese, shredded

1-1/2  cups  Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese (combined), shredded

4  oz  cream cheese (at room temp.)

2/3  cup  sour cream

1-1/3  cups  heavy cream

1-1/3  cups half-and-half

1  egg

2 - 3  Tbs  flour

1  Tbs  Worcestershire sauce

1  tsp  garlic powder

1  tsp  onion powder

1  tsp  dry mustard powder

1/8 - 1/4  tsp  cayenne pepper

1/8  tsp  nutmeg (fresh if you have it)

1  tsp  kosher salt

A pinch of paprika

1  Tbs  fresh chives (for garnish)

Grease a 13" x 9" nonstick metal baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare macaroni according to the package directions, but make sure it's al dente. (Huh? It should still be a little firm.) Be sure to add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil to the boiling water while cooking. Drain pasta well and pour into the baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and sour cream; break the cream cheese into little bits with your (clean!) fingers as you add it to the bowl. Add the egg, flour, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powders, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; combine very well with a wire whisk to break up that cream cheese. It will look lumpy, but that's okay.

Starting at the corners of the pasta dish, place and push down the Velveeta and white Vermont cheddar cubes. Work your way around and toward the middle (they won't push down completely, but just smoosh them down a bit). Now sprinkle the fabulous Gruyère cheese evenly over the top -- gently and evenly pour that artery-clogging mixture on it, covering all areas. Gently shake the pan afterwards for a sec to make sure the liquid is even. I know it sounds gross, but push down and make little holes into areas of the mixture with your fingers. (You're just getting some of that Gruyère down deeper below the surface.) Wash your hands!

Sprinkle the jack-and-cheddar combo over the mixture and sprinkle the paprika on top. Put this baby in the oven (make sure your oven rack is right in the middle) and bake until brown and bubbly -- we're talking approximately 30 minutes. It will be creamy in the center and more crusty on the top and edges. Chop some fresh chives and get those taste buds ready. When it's done, garnish with the chives (but try not to eat part of the crusty top before you serve it. I'm watching you!).

For a super delish variation, omit the nutmeg and scatter 1/2 cup finely chopped onions and celery (that have been sauteed in 1 Tbsp. butter until clear) plus a 9-oz. packet of flaked white albacore tuna over the noodles before adding the cream mixture. Never mind what I said before -- this is the best ever!

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli

This is a Boger specialty. We happen to think Rav's without meat filling taste better, so we make ours with spinach and cheese. The trick is to get the dough as thin as possible, without breaking.

Dough:
3  cups  flour
1  Tbs  oil
3  eggs, beaten
1  Tbs  salt

Put flour in a bowl, and make a well in the center. Combine the eggs, oil, and salt. Pour into the well. Add water, a little at a time, just enough to make the dough smooth. Knead until smooth and elastic. Roll to desired thickness (as thin as possible), using the pasta machine. You have to run it through the machine several times, adjusting the thickness each time to get it thin.

Filling:
4  Tbs  onion, finely chopped
3  Tbs butter or margarine
3/4  lb  ricotta cheese
3  eggs, beaten
1  cup  fresh grated parmesan cheese
1  pkg  frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed out
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter.
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, onions, parmesan cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

Method of assembly:
Lay a sheet of pasta dough over a ravioli maker. Place a small amount of filling over the dough in each hole. Cover with another sheet of dough. Roll a rolling pin across the top of the ravioli maker, sealing and then cutting out each ravioli automatically.

Drop rav's into a pot of boiling water. Don't crowd them. When they float to the top of the water, they are done. This doesn't take long at all. Lift them out of the water, using a slotted spoon. Drain well. Continue cooking the remaining ravioli in the same way.

Sauce:
1  large  can  crushed plum tomatoes
1  small  can  tomato paste
1  cup  water
1  small  onion, finely chopped
2  cloves  garlic. minced
1/4  tsp oregano
1/4  tsp  basil
Salt and pepper
1  tsp dried parsley
1  Tbs  sugar

Combine ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an oblong Pyrex baking dish. Add a layer of cooked ravioli; layer of sauce; continue layering, but not more than three layers high. Top with sauce.

Bake @350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through. They also may be heated in the microwave.
Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese when serving.

Spaghetti Pie

Everyone likes spaghetti.

7  oz  spaghetti, cooked al dente
2  Tbs  butter or margarine, melted
2  eggs, beaten
1/3  cup  parmesan cheese, grated
1  lb  ground chuck or ground round
1/2  cup  diced onions
1  large  can  tomatoes, diced
1  6  oz  can  tomato paste
1  Tbs  sugar
1/2  tsp  garlic salt
1/2  cup  mozzarella cheese

Add melted butter, eggs, and parmesan cheese to cooked spaghetti.
Lay this mixture on the bottom of a 9" glass pie pan.

Brown ground beef and diced onions. Drain, and rinse in hot water. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and garlic salt. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour over spaghetti.

Bake @350 degrees for 25 minutes. Add grated mozzarella cheese and bake another 5 minutes to melt.

Can make this ahead of time and refrigerate. Bake slightly longer if you do this.

Dumplings

2  cups  flour
1  tsp  baking powder
1  tsp  salt
1/4  tsp  pepper
1  egg, beaten
2  Tbs  butter or margarine, melted
3/4 - 1  cup  milk
Snipped fresh parsley, optional

Combine all ingredients until just mixed together. Drop from large spoonfuls into simmering broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Do not crowd the dumplings, and do not lift the cover while cooking.