parmesan Archives - Alida's Kitchen

Lighter Baked Tortellini

August 25, 2015 ·

Lighter Baked Tortellini is made with a lighter garlic, fontina sauce, chopped spinach, tossed with cheese tortellini, sprinkled with Parmesan bread crumbs and baked until bubbly. Quick and easy, perfect for a weeknight (or any time!)

Quick and easy dinner recipes that will please the whole family are essential – especially once school starts. My kids request this Lighter Baked Tortellini every week,…with good reason. It is garlicky, cheesy, packed with spinach and so tasty! Fortunately it is easy to make and can be made ahead to be baked before serving. …

Filed Under: healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: breadcrumbs, cheese, dairypure, fontina, garlic, parmesan, pasta, quick, spinach, tortellini

Burgundy Porcini Risotto

March 20, 2014 ·

Burgundy Porcini Risotto is a rich, cheesy risotto made with porcini mushrooms and red wine. While risotto may seem intimidating, it truly is very easy to make and definitely something worth trying.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy via the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the key components of risotto is wine. People always say the wine you use to cook should be a wine you enjoy to drink. I typically make risotto with white wine, but generally prefer to drink red wine over white. So I decided to experiment and take one of our favorite risotto recipes and use one of my favorite red wines – Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy. The Hearty Burgundy is a bold, flavorful wine that goes beautifully with the Parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, and porcini mushrooms in this dish. I decided to leave out the spinach from the original recipe, because I really wanted the red wine to shine through. The result was an amazing, cheesy, earthy risotto with the rich flavors from the Hearty Burgundy harmonizing with each bite….

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, sides, vegetarian Tagged With: #HBturns50, easy, mascarpone, mushrooms, parmesan, risotto, wine

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

April 4, 2013 ·

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken puts a delicious twist on a classic favorite with some added garlic (which makes everything better!). When I found this recipe, the title alone was so appealing, it vaulted to the top of the list and was made within a day. I reduced the recipe to be made for two (but it can easily be multiplied for more!), added some heat with red pepper flakes and changed some of the amounts and proportions since the first time I made this, there was too much breadcrumb mixture leftover. Served with a simple side salad or a favorite veggie, Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken is a healthy, quick and easy chicken dish that makes a perfect weeknight meal…or any time!

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
Crushed red pepper, to taste
2 4-5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, combine oil and garlic.
In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, and basil. Add crushed red pepper to taste.
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken in oil mixture and then in bread crumb mixture. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet. Repeat. Top with any remaining breadcrumb mixture and lightly spray tops with cooking spray.
Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken in cooked thoroughly.

Adapted from All Recipes

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: baked, chicken, dinner, easy, garlic, parmesan, quick

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

September 20, 2012 ·

Every time I make Baked Tortellini with Spinach, I am left with 6 ounces of fontina cheese. While I would happily make it 3 more times, I have also had this Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta dish on my list of things to make for some time now. The first time I made this dish without mushrooms, and it was good, but I felt it needed something more. It needed mushrooms. Mushrooms are not typically my go-to for anything, but it really cried out for something earthy and meaty. Sauteed in a little garlic, the mushrooms were the perfect addition to this dish. I used some Parmesan cheese for some of the fontina in the original recipe to give the recipe a little more bite. Topped with buttery, garlic breadcrumbs, Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta is a delicious and sophisticated twist on macaroni and cheese ~ perfect for company or Sunday dinner comfort food.

Looking to use up the leftover mascarpone cheese? Try Porcini Mushroom and Spinach Risotto with Mascarpone

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound medium pasta shells, uncooked (penne or other similar shaped pasta works too)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups skim milk
1¾ cups (6 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
¼ cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
1 clove garlic, minced
Cooking spray
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter (I use light butter)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour and milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook for about 10 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken.
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute mushrooms, with a pinch of salt, until softened (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add 1 clove of minced garlic in the last minute, if desired.
Remove milk mixture from heat and add cheeses, whisking until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Add cooked pasta and mushrooms, stirring to coat and combine.
Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and pour pasta mixture into pan.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs, stirring to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta mixture.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Adapted from Cooking Light, November, 2006

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, cheese, dinner, fontina, mascarpone, mushrooms, parmesan, pasta, shells

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

June 8, 2012 ·

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese is a delicious, cheesy, veggie-filled baked pasta with a Mexican twist. It is made with three different cheeses (yum!) and lots of vegetables (yum!). The chipotle chiles add a nice smokiness and spice which, along with the chili powder, balance nicely with the tomatoes and cheeses. Black beans give a protein and fiber boost while adding a nice color contrast to the rest of the dish. A traditional breadcrumb topping is sprinkled over the top before baking.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese is very easy to prepare and the result is no ordinary mac ‘n cheese, that’s for sure. This recipe makes plenty, and the leftovers heat up nicely for lunches the next day.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups dry whole wheat elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, including juices
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1 cup skim milk
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chiles, onion, and bell pepper, and cook 4 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle with flour and chili powder, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.
Add adobo sauce, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan and egg, stirring until combined and cheese is melted. Add cooked pasta and black beans, stirring until combined.
Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, black beans, casserole, cheddar, cheese, chipotle, cottage cheese, dinner, easy, macaroni, make ahead, Mexican, onion, parmesan, pasta, peppers, quick

easy parmesan black pepper buttermilk drop biscuits

Parmesan-Black Pepper Drop Biscuits

January 6, 2012 ·

There is nothing better than having warm fresh buns, bread or biscuits at the dinner table. Due to the time involved, that is often saved for the weekend. We’re always looking for quick and easy dinners, including accompaniments. Enter the wonderful world of drop biscuits! By simply dropping the dough instead of rolling and cutting, these can be made in around 15 minutes ~ just the amount of time you need to sear your meat, set the table, make a salad, catch up on your blog reading…or whatever you need to do. The result is fresh warm biscuits in no time. How nice is that!

From the original recipe, I used Parmesan cheese instead of Asiago cheese, as I was trying to use up what I had on hand. Either way is really good. I added garlic powder, which definitely enhances the flavor in these biscuits. I have tried using whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour and found the whole wheat pastry flour yielded subpar results. Light butter or regular butter work fine, but I’m always happy to shave off some calories if the light version works in a recipe.

Parmesan-Black Pepper Drop Biscuits are versatile, quick and easy to make. Great for a weeknight dinner, a last minute side or simply just because you’re craving warm biscuits.

Parmesan-Black Pepper Drop Biscuits

Yields: 8 biscuits

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1½ tablespoons light butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (or Asiago cheese)
¾ cup buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in medium bowl.
Into flour mixture, cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 knives) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and toss well to combine. Add buttermilk and fold until just moist.
Drop dough into 8 equal mounds on lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until edges are browned.

Adapted from Cooking Light