Week 16 - More holiday recipes; Baked ziti and Egg Biscuit Casserole

Happy New Year! I've been very busy entertaining and cooking so I wanted to share a few more popular recipes from the holidays.

I've actually never made Baked Ziti. Ben requested this for Christmas Eve, so I made my very first Baked Ziti. It was easy and delicious!! I found the recipe on pinterest from this site - http://elephantintheroomblog.com/?s=ziti&submit=Search

Ingredients:

• 16 oz ziti, cooked not-quite al dente
• 1 tub part skim ricotta cheese
• 1.5 lbs shredded, part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 whole egg
• 5-6 cups of sauce (I used this recipe)

Preheat oven to 375. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta until not quite al dente (it should still feel a little tough when you bite into it). Drain under cool running water and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, plop in the ricotta cheese and mix in the egg. Add 1 lb. of shredded mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined.

 Add in the pasta and mix until coated.

Pour in the sauce, reserving about a cup, and stir until combined.

Spoon the mixture into a large casserole dish. Top with the rest of the sauce and mozzarella cheese.

 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling. I served with garlic bread and salad and it was a great meal and we had LOTS of leftovers too!

For Christmas morning we decided to start a new tradition. I found a recipe on pinterest for Egg Biscuit Casserole - http://midwesternmoms.com/2013/08/recipe-egg-biscuit-casserole/

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• ¼ cup of milk
• 16 oz ready made biscuits (found in the refrigerator section)
• 1 container of grape tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese
• 4-5 strips of bacon (or whatever type of meat you would like to add)

1. Beat your eggs and milk together in a large bowl
   
2. Cut your biscuits into four pieces each, then add the biscuits to the egg and milk mixture. Let this soak while you work on everything else.
   
3. Cook your bacon, pat your bacon dry to take away the extra grease when it is done.
4. Crumble your bacon and cut the tomatoes.
5. Add your cheese, bacon, and tomato mixture to the egg, biscuit, and milk. Stir really well.
   
6. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and add the mixture to the pan.
   
7. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes.
   

Serve with ketchup and enjoy!!!

Wishing everyone a Happy 2014!!!