Allrecipes.com features slideshows with photos and themes for a variety of recipes. Here is a sampling for their 20 most popular recipes in past years during January.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole
8 oz. rotini pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk mild Italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced green bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste
14.4-oz. can diced tomatoes
15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente (6 to 8 minutes) and drain. Run cold water over the pasta to stop pasta from cooking further. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the ground beef and sausage until completely browned and crumbled, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in the onion, celery, garlic and pepper and continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Allow to cool for five minutes.
Lightly grease a large casserole dish. Spread the pasta over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend over the pasta. Pour the meat mixture over the pasta and cheese. Cover dish with heavy aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes; remove foil and sprinkle Cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole. Continue baking until Cheddar cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Baked French Toast
1-lb loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1-1/3 cups brown sugar
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread at the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake in the preheated oven uncovered for 40 minutes.
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Mix oats, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Whisk milk, eggs, canola oil and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Stir egg mixture into the oat mixture until well combined. Let sit until flavors blend, about 20 minutes.
Spread oat mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
Readers are invited to submit their favorite recipes to enjoy, along with a note about what makes them special. Send recipes to lskarpness@parkrapidsenterprise.com.
