Pasta Pizza Pie

1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup sliced mushroom (about 3 ounces)
Vegetable cooking spray
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups cooked tri-color or plain corkscrew-shaped pasta
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups Prego Traditional Italian Sauce or Prego Tomato, Basil & Garlic Italian Sauce


Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender and almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat. Spray 12" pizza pan with cooking spray.

Mix egg, milk, pasta and 1/2 cup cheese. Spread pasta mixture in an even layer on prepared pan.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Spread pasta sauce over pasta crust. Top with onion mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 18 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is hot. Let stand 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Sloppy Joe Turnovers

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 can (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits


Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until beef is bronwned and crumbly and onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Add ketchup, chili sauce and vinegar to beef and onion; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat over to 375°F. Separate dough into 10 bixcuits. Press or roll each biscuit on lightly floured surface to a 6-inch round.

Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto half of each round. Fold round in half over filling. Press edges together carefully to seal. Place on baking sheet.

Bake turnovers until golden, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.


Helpful Tips

It is important to let the beef mixture cool; if the filling is too hot, it can melt the biscuits.

Mix 'n' Match

For and easy casserole, pour the ground beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish and top with prepared corn bread batter. Bake at 350°F until corn bread is golden, about 15 minutes.

Hot Fudge Brownie Pudding

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups boiling water


Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; mix well.

Combine half-and-half, butter, melted chocolate and vanilla in a medium bowl; blend well. Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture; mix until well blended. Spread in prepared dish.

Combine brown sugar, cocoa powder and remaining salt in a small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle over batter in pan. Pour boiling water over top of mixture in pan.

Bake until pudding starts to bubble around edges and top is set, 40-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 servings


Helpful Tips

No need to dirty a bowl or pan to melt the chocolate. Keep squares in their paper wrappers and microwave the chocolate on Medium (50 percent power)-2 squares will take about 3 minutes.

Classic Mozzerlla Sticks

Oil for frying
1 (8 ounces) package mozzarella cheese
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)


Pour oil into medium-size heavy saucepan or deep skillet to depth of 1 inch. Over medium heat, bring oil to 365°F on cooking thermometer, about 12 minutes. If oil is hot before cheese sticks are ready, turn off heat and bring back to temperature when ready to fry.

Meanwhile, cut cheese into strips 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch. Line baking sheet with paper towels; set aside. Place flour on paper plate; roll cheese strips in flour to coat.

In shallow bowl, combine egg and water. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

One stick at a time, coat cheese sticks in egg wash, then in bread crumbs. Repeat process to coat each stick. Place sticks in single layer on paper plate.

Frying in small batches, carefully place sticks in hot oil. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon to lined baking sheet. Let oil return to 365°F between batches.


Helpful Tips

To speed up preparation, use string cheese bars cut in half across the length. For variety, strips of any firm cheese such as sharp cheddar or pepper jack can be used.

All-American Mini Apple Pies Recipe

2 medium tart baking apples
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (1/2 box)


Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel, core and chop apples into 1/4-inch pieces. In medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon, tossing gently. Set aside

Open and unroll pie crust flat onto work surface. Using 4-inches-wide bowl or cup, cut out five circles, reserving scraps. Press each circle inside 5 spaces of muffin tin.

Evenly divide apple mixture into each prepared muffin cup. Cut reserved dough scraps into strips 1/4 inch wide. Top each pie with strips. Fill remaining empty muffin cup 1/4 way up with water.

Bake until bubbling, about 18 minutes. Let pies cool in muffin tin, then remove.


Helpful Tips

If you're a family that loves apples, opt for the less expensive bagged apples rather than the more pricey per-pound varieties. The savings can be significant and they keep well.

Family-Style Macaroni & Cheese

2 Cups elbow macaroni
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups ( 6 ounces) shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dried unflavored breadcrumbs


Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a small skillet. Add bread crumbs. Cook and stir until toasted, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat. Add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Spoon onto individual serving plates, then sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs and serve.


Helpful Tips

As all the ingrediants are already cooked, there's no need to bake this dish, but if you like the topping extra crunchy, then pop it into a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.


Mix 'n' Match

Make this dish even heartier by dicing up leftover ham, pot roast or steak and mixing it right into the casserole.

3-D Holiday Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Decorating Glaze (recipe follows)
Assorted food colorings
1/2 cup "M&M's"® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits


In large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Wrap and refrigerate dough 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Working with half of dough at a time on lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8-inch thickness.

Cut into pairs of desired shapes using 3-inch cookie cutters. Reroll trimmings and cut out more pairs. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 5 to 7 minutes.

Immediately cut 1 cookie of each pair in half vertically. Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute; cool completely on wire racks.

Prepare Decorating Glaze. Tint glaze with food colorings as desired. Spread line of glaze down cut edge of half cookie. Press half cookie to middle of whole cookie; let set. Repeat with remaining half cookie, attaching half cookie to middle back of whole cookie. Spread glaze over entire 3-D cookies; let set. Using glaze to attach, decorate cookies with "M&M's"® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits. Store in tightly covered container.

Decorating Glaze: In large bowl combine 4 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup water until smooth. If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a medium-thick pourable glaze.


Helpful Tips

Store 3-D cookies upright in a tall plastic container. Crumble pieces of waxed paper and arrange between cookies as cushions to keep them from breaking.

Fish Sticks Marinara

2 Packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar (15 ounces) marinara sauce
20 frozen breaded fish sticks


Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange broccoli in a 12- x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic salt; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Pour marinara sauce evenly over mozzarella.

Arrange fish sticks on top of marinara sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake until fish sticks are golden and casserole is bubbly, 30-35 minutes.


Helpful Tips

For best results, purchase crispy fish sticks, so they'll stay crunchy when baked with the moist broccoli and marinara sauce.


Mix 'n' Match

For a chicken marinara casserole, substitute chicken nuggets for the fish sticks in this recipe.

Tuna Melt-Stuffed Shells

12 jumbo pasta shells (from a 16-ounce box)
1 medium stalk celery
1 small onion
1 can (12 ounces) tuna, drained, flaked
1 1/3 cups Alfredo sauce (from a 17-ounce jar), divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded American cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain and set aside to cool. Dice celery and onion.

Combine tuna, 1/3 cup Alfredo sauce, celery, onion and pepper in a large bowl; mix well.

Stuff each cooked pasta shell evenly with tuna mixture; place in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Top stuffed shells with remaining Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with American cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted, 30-35 minutes.


Helpful Tips

For a quick way to cool the pasta shells, place them in a colander or strainer and run cold water over them. Drain thoroughly and pat dry before stuffing.

Mix 'n' Match

For traditional tuna melts, omit the shells and Alfredo sauce. Spread the tuna mixture on toasted bread, sprinkle with shredded American cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza

1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 package (16 ounces) frozen pizza dough, thawed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup pizza sauce
2 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Coat a 10 1/2-inch deep-dish pizza pan with cooking spray and coat lightly with cornmeal.

Coat work surface lightly with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour. Roll dough to 14-inch diameter.

Transfer dough to pizza pan, fitting it into corners and 1 inch up the side of pan. Let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.

Brush dough with olive oil. Spread with pizza sauce. Top with pepperoni, onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake until crust is browned, top is bubbly and cheese is melted, 12-16 minutes.

Makes 8 servings


Helpful Tips

If dough shrinks while rolling, let it rest a few seconds, then further; repeat until dough is 14 inches in diameter.


Mix 'n' Match

To make a Greek pizza, brush dough with olive oil and top with 4 thinly sliced Roma tomatoes and 16 ounces fresh baby spinach; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups diced feta cheese and bake as directed.

Turkey, Ham & Swiss Pockets

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3-ounce box), thawed
4 teaspoons honey mustard or Dijon-style mustard
4 thin slices deli turkey
4 thin slices deli ham
4 thin slices Swiss chees

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut into four 6-inch squares.

Spread each pastry square with 1 teaspoon mustard. Fold turkey, ham and cheese into triangles. Layer triangles of turkey, ham, and cheese on one half of each pastry square. Fold pastry over filling; press edges with a fork to seal. Place on baking sheet.

Bake pockets until golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm pocket sandwiches with additional mustard, if desired.


Mix 'n' Match

For individual appetizers, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle. Spread with honey mustard and cover with meats and cheese. Roll up starting with one long edge. Bake as recipe directs and cut into slices.


Helpful Tips

As a shortcut, pre-packaged sliced meats work fine. If there's a long line at the deli!

Colorful Rainbow Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons multicolored cake decors, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cupsl Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Combine milk, oil, egg and vanilla in a small bowl; mix well.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in 2 Tablespoons cake decors.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with remaining cake decors.

Bake muffins until golden, 15-18 minutes. Remove muffins from pan; place on wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm

Mix 'n' Match

For mini rainbow muffins, divide the batter evenly among 24 greased miniature muffin cubs. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 12-14 minutes.

Helpful Tips

Gently stir the cake decors into the batter just long enough to evenly combine them. If the batter is overmixed, the colors might start to run.

PB & J Cookie Sandwiches

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup "M&M's"® Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/2 cup grape or strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl cream butter, peanut butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and baking powder; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in "M&M's"® Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Just before serving, spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottom of one cookie; top with second cookie. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Helpful Tips

Set out the jam jar and let the kids assemble their own cookie sandwiches for a quick, fun after-school treat.