Rigatoni with Prosciutto and Parmesan

This is a super easy pasta that can easily be doubled so that it feeds a lot of people without costing a lot of money--perfect for nights when we have my big family over for dinner!

1 lb. rigatoni pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 oz. prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch strips
Salt and pepper

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Add the pasta and toss. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in parmesan cheese and prosciutto. Season with salt and pepper; toss. Top with more cheese.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Onion, Pepper, Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

I LOVE a good omelet for breakfast, but making my own omelets kinds of intimidates me for some reason (maybe I need to try that "As Seen On TV" special omelets-for-dummies pan?). Luckily, frittatas can pretty much do the job of an omelet without all that scary egg flipping required!

Onion, Pepper, Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced pancetta (regular old ham works too or you could omit it all together to go vegetarian)
1/2 cup sliced bell peppers (any color works, I prefer a mixture just for added color)
About 8 oz. of spinach
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup crumbled feta


Move oven rack to position nearest to broiler and set oven to broil. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Saute onion until translucent and soft. Season with salt and pepper, and add pancetta, spinach and bell peppers. Cook for 4 minutes. Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half and pour mixture into skillet. Stir to arrange fillings evenly and cook until bottom is set. Sprinkle feta on top. Transfer skillet to oven; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until top is set. Cut into slices and serve. Makes 3 servings.

Source: Glamour magazine

Football Food!

Now that football season is in full swing, our Sundays are pretty much always planned around the Cowboys games. Usually while Colin is watching the game, I spend most of the time in the kitchen (how 1950s do we sound?!) making something "football-y". A football appropriate dish is usually a. easy to eat b. delicious and c. unhealthy. These are two of my favorites that definitely meet all of the criteria!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
4 oz. canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan
Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together cream cheese and mayo in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapenos. Pour mixture into an 8x8 dish and sprinkle with Parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Bake until cheese is bubbling and panko starts to brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Source: allrecipes.com

Chocolate Football Crispies

6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups Cocoa Pebbles cereal
2 small tubes of white decorative frosting

Microwave chocolate, corn syrup and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring when 1 minute remains. Blend in vanilla. Add cereal, mix well. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use moist hands to shape into football shapes on parchment paper. Let cool completely and use frosting to add lacings. Let stand until frosting is firm.

Source: goodthingscatered.blogspot.com