THAT'S ITALIAN!!!!

One of greatest things about the holiday season, is planning and preparing a theme night for dinner! Here is another one of our themed dinners, that we hope you will use in your upcoming family traditions!

 Meat Manicotti Recipe:

8 manicotti shells
1 lb.ground beef
1/4 lb.Italian Sausage ( We like to use regular sausage)

1 cup mozzarella cheese(grated)
1 cup cheddar cheese(grated)
4 oz. cottage cheese
4 oz. Ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cracker crumbs (saltine)          
1 small onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs beaten  

Directions:

Cook manicotti according to directions on the box. Saute onion and garlic- add meats and cook until done. (Drain) Add spices. Put meat into a bowl and add cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, crumbs, and parsley. Mix together and stuff into cooked noodles. Lay single layer in 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake at 325 degrees covered for 30 min. and uncovered for 10 minutes.

Sauce: Bottled spaghetti sauce or use our homemade tomato sauce that is on our blog ,and add your favorite Italian spices to it.









Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe:

2 pkgs. jimmy dean sausage
1- 8 oz. pkg, cream cheese                          
1 bunch green onions minced
1 Tablespoon minced green pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions: Brown sausage. Drain grease. Press into paper towels to get as much grease out as possible. Mix sausage with cream cheese, onion, green pepper, and parmesan. Clean mushrooms. Remove stems and fill with sausage mixture. Dip tops into Italian bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.







Seasoned Swirl Rolls-

24 frozen rolls
1 Tablespoon seasoning blend (we use Italian seasoning blend for pizza and pasta)
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil or parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions: Combine seasoning blend, oregano, basil, and cheese. Roll each roll into 10 in. snake rope and brush all sides with melted butter. Sprinkle one side with herb mixture. Roll up rope into a ball, seasoned side in. Place in muffin tins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with wrap and let rise to double the size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. Remove from pan to let cool.