meals for many: baked ham & cheese sandwiches with pasta salad

Whether it's for entertaining or making a hospitality meal to bring to a friend, it's hard not to make your typical casserole or lasagna dish (which are both perfectly fine, by the way!)  I thought I would share some recipes I have used lately to feed "many."  I made this meal for our bible study last week and they LOVED it.  I think it works well for summer because it's not too heavy and the ingredients are very easy to round up.  The complete recipe can be found HERE (also on my Pinterest board under "Party Ideas"). 

Very simple ingredients.  The recipe makes 24 sandwiches.  I used the smaller buns, so most people ate two mini sandwiches.

I cut up the cheese slices into smaller squares so that they would fit on the sandwiches.

Layering them up with ham and cheese.

The last step is to combine the melted butter, worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder.  You drizzle the mixture over the sandwiches and then top them with poppy seeds.  Let the sandwiches chill in the fridge for at least a few hours, and then pop them in the oven at 350ᴼ for 20 minutes.

This pasta salad paired well with the sandwiches.  Nothing fancy here, but fresh and tasty! 

Ingredients: cooked bow tie pasta and tortellini, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, red onion, green pepper, a dash of ground pepper, Light Italian Dressing

I just eye balled it with how much of each veggie to use.  Some other veggies that might be good to swap out or add in could be peas, cucumber, and/or carrots.

I made this in the morning, let it chill in the fridge, and then added Light Italian Dressing right before I served it.  To complete this "summery" meal I threw in some Ruffles, pop, and Publix Bakery chocolate chip cookies ;)

I made everything in the morning and then baked the sandwiches right before we had to leave.  I could see myself using this meal for a birthday party in the future too.  Enjoy!

 

Homemade Mac'n Cheese for Big Kids!

Every once in a while I really want some mac'n cheese, but I always feel too guilty to buy it in the box from the store.  So, I was really excited when I found (on Pinterest, of course) this recipe and it tasted so good! 

Ingredients

• 8 oz macaroni pasta
• 8 oz American cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (I use 0% Fage)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup shredded leftover chicken (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni pasta for 8-10 minutes in salted water, until al dente.
2. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining the pasta.
3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
4. Add 1/4 cup pasta water, the yogurt, and 1/3 of the grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
5. Stir in remaining cheese, one small handful at a time to prevent clumping.
6. Add additional pasta water as necessary to thin the cheese sauce.
7. Stir in peas and chicken, if using, and serve warm.
8. To reheat, microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. If you think it needs it, add a tablespoon or two of skim milk or water. It's usually creamy enough after it's heated thoroughly but it's up to you.

A Couple of Notes:

*I didn't add the peas or chicken.

*Instead of using shredded American Cheese, I used the old fashioned Kraft Singles (I think the last time I ate this cheese was when I was 8 years old haha).  I just shredded the cheese into smaller chunks and slowly added it to the pasta, allowing it to gradually melt in.

*This recipe may not be super healthy but at least it is easy and homemade with real ingredients (not like the box version with a packet of powdered cheese--although it is still yummy ;).

Enjoy!

A Really Good Meal

This post could be considered as "Part II" of the "Three Hours at the DMV..." post. These are PW recipes that I tried and turned out REALLY well. I highly suggest them.

Below are "zucchini cakes." Very easy to make. Check this out for the recipe :)

Recipe #2: Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

I recently received a blender/food processor as a belated wedding gift (thanks, CORE!!!). I didn't realize what I was missing until I used it to make this pesto cream sauce. Highly enjoyed my new appliance! Here is the recipe.

Below is the process...

And, the final product...

Happy cooking!

p.s.- I had to preface these meals with telling Matt to not get too used to all of this cooking...haha I think I might have raised the bar a little high!