Cheesy Penne with Broccoli

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne pasta
• 5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
• 1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to pan; drain. Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
2. 2. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add cheese mixture to pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Ivy Manning, Cooking Light 

MARCH 2013

Pasted from <http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-penne-broccoli-50400000126252/?xid=scancook-mar13-ck>

Twice Baked Potatoes

I don't make these as often as I wish I could. I just love them but there is the time it takes. To help cut down on the time, make extras the next time to bake potatoes, you can store in the fridge for the next day or the day after to use. Saves time.

Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 teaspoons onion salt

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

Step-by-Step

Preheat oven to 500°F. Microwave potatoes on HIGH for 10 minutes. Bake in oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Cut 1/3 off top of each potato.

Scoop flesh from potatoes into a medium bowl, reserving shells. Add cream cheese, sour cream and butter to potato flesh.

Beat potato mixture with an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add onion salt, salt and pepper; stir. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Spoon potato mixture into potato shells. Sprinkle with Cheddar. Bake until cheese melts and potatoes are heated through, about 15 minutes.

Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crumb Crust
11 whole graham crackers (2 squares)
1/4 cub butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup raspberries

Step-by-step

1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. Use a food processor to crush the crackers into crumbs (or crush by hand). Add the butter and sugar; process to mix. Press onto the base of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Chill.
2. For the filling, place the cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Blend in the sugar. Add the flour and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until blended, scraping the side of bowl often. Add the sour cream, lemon peel and vanilla and beat just until blended. Pour the filling over the crust in the pan.
3. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and keep the oven door ajar. Let the cheesecake sit in oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a knife around sides. Cover; chill for 6 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, remove the pan sides. Slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate. For the topping, overlap the strawberries in circles on the cheesecake. Fill the center with the raspberries.