12 uncooked manicotti pasta shells
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 jar (26 oz) tomato pasta sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with Italian-style herbs, drained
1 egg
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
Basil

Heat over to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

Cook sausage, garlic, and oregano until sausage is browned and drain. Stir in pasta sauce and tomatoes. Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in a 13×9-inch glass baking dish.

In a bowl, beat the egg. Stir in the ricotta cheese and 2 cups of the Italian cheese blend. Spoon cheese mixture into a food storage bag. Cut a hole in one bottom corner of the bag and squeeze the bag to pipt out about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture in each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells over the meat sauce in the dish. Pour the remaining meat sauce evenly over the shells.

Cover the dish with foil. Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with remaining cup of Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 - 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle basil over the top before serving.

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 package (10 oz) fresh spinach, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 packages (17.3 oz each) frozen puff pastry sheets (3 sheets), thawed
1 egg white, beaten
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 jar (7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter in a skillet; add 2 cloves of garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach and salt; cook, covered 2-3 minutes. Drain well.

Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap; pound with a meat mallet to about 8 inches in diameter. Combine Parmesan and basil; sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mixture over chicken breasts. Fold 2 sides of each breast over filling and roll up tightly. Coat rolls with remaining Parmesan mixture.

Spread pastry sheets on lightly floured board. Cut each sheet in half to create six 10-x5-inch sheets. Place 1 chicken roll near the end of each sheet; fold pastry over ends and roll to enclose. Trim off any excess pastry; press edges to seal. Place seams sides down on an ungreased jelly roll pan.

Brush rolls with the egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Make cuts on top of each roll to vent. Bake until golden brown (about 35 minutes)

Puree peppers, oil, vinegar, and remaining clove garlic in blender; serve sauce with chicken.

1 can diced tomatoes undrained (I personally buy the ones with lots of spices added, but you don’t have to do that)
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Pour tomatoes with their liquid into a bowl. Add stuffing mix, 1/2 cup hot water and the garlic; stir until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside. Put chicken into 13×9 baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese, and top with the stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.

1 box (16 oz) lasagna noodles
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 eggs
2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar (48 oz) seasoned tomato sauce

Makes 8 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles as package directs; drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, cook sausage and onion till brown. Drain fat. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Mix well.

Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish; top with a layer of noodles. Cover noodles with a layer of the cheese mixture; top with some sausage mixture. Cover with a layer of sauce. Repeat layering with noodles, cheese mixture, sausage mixture, and sauce. Top with final layer of noodles and sauce.

Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.