This veggie-filled enchilada pasta bake is – you guessed it – made with loads of veggies. In fact, there are about as many veggies in there as there is pasta. Maybe even a little more.

And. And! The pasta is whole wheat.

But don’t worry. It’s definitely not rabbit food. This stuff is smothered in cheddar cheese and baked to bubbly perfection, so we’ve got that. The carnivores can even get their own dish with ground beef added to the mix.

Me, I’m good with the hearty veggies – bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach – along with a confetti of black beans. A little sour cream adds just a bit of creaminess and tang to the spicy enchilada sauce, added with a generous touch to guarantee pure sauciness in every bite. Saucy is good. No dry casseroles here.

It’s worth noting that when I first started developing this recipe, I made the enchilada sauce from scratch. But ultimately, I felt like it just made the recipe too fussy – too many ingredients, too many steps. So I say, go with a good prepared enchilada sauce – but if you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and make your own! It’s a pretty forgiving recipe that way.

On top of all that sauce and pasta and veggies, there’s a nice layer of glorious melty cheddar. And olives! Black olives. You’ve got to have the olives. Man, I love olives.

I’m kind of proud of this one, I’ve gotta say. It’s a very, very nice way to eat your vegetables, be it Cinco de Mayo or any other day of the year.

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Veggie Enchilada Pasta Bake

Packed with veggies and made with whole wheat penne, this saucy vegetarian baked pasta packs a little less guilt than your average comfort food casserole. If you’ve got meat-eaters coming to the table, it’s easy to bake two versions: one with ground beef, one without. I’ve included instructions for cooking it both ways.

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8 servings

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium green bell pepper cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 medium zucchini halved and sliced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce (I like a hotter version, but mild works just fine too)
• 1/2 cup sour cream I use low fat, plus more for topping if desired
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 8 ounces
• 1/2 cup black olives halved
• 3 green onions scallions, diced

If adding ground beef to half:

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef cooked, crumbled, and drained

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook pasta, according to package instructions, until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Select a pot that will be large enough for mixing the veggies, pasta and sauce later on. Add the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add baby spinach and saute, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add salt and stir.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and the sour cream.

If making an all-veggie version:

• Add the black beans, sauce, and cooked pasta to the sauteed veggies. Toss gently to distribute. Pour veggie and pasta mixture into a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and dot with halved olives. Continue to “Bake” step.

If making a half veggie, half ground beef version:

• Cook ground beef in a medium saute pan over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain.
• Add the black beans, sauce, and cooked pasta to the sauteed veggies. Toss gently to distribute. Transfer 5 cups of the pasta mixture to an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Add the hamburger to the remaining pasta mixture, mix gently, and pour into another 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle each with cheddar cheese. Dot with halved olives (my resident carnivore isn’t fond of olives, so I put ’em all on mine and leave his plain. Great way to tell the meaty dish from the veggie dish, too). Continue to “Bake” step.

Bake:

• Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through, bubbling, and the cheese has melted.
• Sprinkle green onions over the top. Serve with sour cream for topping, if desired.

The post Veggie Enchilada Pasta Bake appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Let’s start again. Hey! Have I got a great recipe for you today! It’s total comfort food (hellooo pasta) and it’s easy (like, super simple to make).

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The post Cheesy Baked Tortellini with Optional Ground Beef appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

As is the case in many backyards across America, my guy is the lord of the grill. I mean, I know how to use it. Okay, fine, I’m ashamed to admit he showed me how to operate it last summer. Then I promptly forgot.

And so that silver behemoth gracing our patio? Totally his domain. And totally at odds with itself. On the left, an assortment of tossed veggies, Field Roast “sausages,” and the odd veggie burger. The right: meatopia, where steak and bratwurst reign.

To the left of the BBQ sits a bowl of pristine, would-never-deign-to-touch-meat marinade and its virgin brush. On the right, another batch of basting goods – these nice and thoroughly meat-tainted.

He understands a little better now, but at the beginning, my guy didn’t really “get” the vegetarian thing. He also didn’t need to. He knew it was important to me that my vegetarian vittles never touch meaty anything. And that was all he needed to know, because he is awesome like that.

And so, one grill, divided, became the name of the game. It’s a little more work and a few more dishes, sure, but the freshly grilled food and the feelings of goodwill that emerge make it well worth the effort.

One favorite meal-on-the-two-sided-grill? Shish kabobs. Because they’re made individually and easily segregated, they’re yet another foodstuff perfectly designed for our one-recipe-two-ways point of view.

Meat and non-meat shish kabobs placed dangerously close to one another for photographic purposes only

An assortment of snappy veggies – colorful bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, sweet onion wedges. Fresh hunks of pineapple. Generous slices of Field Roast for me. Marinated petite sirloin chunks plus spicy chicken sausage for him. And then the best part: a kicky Hawaiian teriyaki marinade to glaze the heck out of ’em while they cook.

And! Bonus – the recipe makes just enough marinade so that you can reserve some to make a quick teriyaki sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over your fresh-off-the-grill kabobs and a mound of fluffy white rice.

Yeah, our grill may be living a double life, but it allows us to gather ’round the table as one. Proof positive, I think, that a little compromise and a lot of love go a long, long way.

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Hawaiian Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Two Ways (with Field Roast or Beef and Chicken Sausage)

A sweet and savory marinade adds flavor to colorful bell peppers, button mushrooms, sweet onion wedges, and fresh hunks of pineapple plus slices of Field Roast for the vegetarian or vegan; sirloin and chicken sausage for the meat-eaters. Note: This recipe requires some make-ahead steps, so please be sure to read through the directions before starting the recipe!

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Kare

Ingredients

Hawaiian teriyaki marinade and sauce:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice + 1/2 cup pineapple juice divided
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 4 medium cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root about one thumb-sized hunk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Shish kabobs:

• 1/2 pound white button mushrooms wiped clean with a damp paper towel
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks about half a small pineapple
• 1 medium sweet onion cut into large wedges (cut in half, then quarters, then eighths)
• Cooked rice to serve alongside if desired

Optional addition for vegetarian shish kabobs:

• 1 Field Roast "sausage" link I like the smoked apple sage flavor for this recipe, cut into 1-inch slices

Add for meat-eaters:

• 1/2 pound petite sirloin cut into 1-inch square chunks
• 1 sausage of your choice my guy likes Aidell's pineapple bacon chicken sausage, cut into 1-inch slices

Equipment:

• 12 12- inch wood/bamboo skewers
• Outdoor bbq or grill pan

Instructions

Make the marinade and sauce:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, brown sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, and dry mustard until blended. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for basting and marinating.
• Place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup pineapple juice and heat over medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. As soon as it comes to a boil, whisk in cornstarch and water, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to serve.

Marinate the beef, if using:

• Place cut-up steak in a quart-size or larger zip bag. Pour 1/2 cup of marinade over the steak and seal well, swishing the meat and marinade to help ensure even coverage. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 12 hours).

Make the shish kabobs:

• Soak the skewers. Fill a long baking dish about 1/3 full with water and lay skewers in the water. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes. This helps prevent the skewers from burning once on the grill.
• Carefully thread veggies, pineapple, and Field Roast or meat onto skewers in whatever order you like. I like to use bell peppers on the ends because they help keep everything on.
• Heat your grill to about 350 - 375 degrees (medium direct heat). Place shish kabobs on grill. Baste with the reserved marinade (segregating portions for meat/non-meat kabobs if desired). Cook, turning occasionally to help ensure even cooking and continuing to baste occasionally, for about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through.
• Serve with rice (if desired) and teriyaki sauce for dipping/drizzling as desired.

Notes

Note: If you're using beef for the meat-eaters, it will need to marinate for at least two hours before you begin.

The post Hawaiian Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Two Ways (with Field Roast or Beef and Chicken Sausage) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

But you know what? My primary goal with this blog is to amass a gazillion (that’s an exact number) recipes and ideas especially for vegetarians and meat-eaters living together. A blog I would have loved to have discovered a few years back, myself. A blog with real-life ideas for real people who often only have just 10 minutes to throw together a decently-balanced dinner.

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I have a go-to spaghetti pie recipe that I’ll undoubtedly share here someday, but I decided to turn the idea upside down – literally – and share this one first: Spaghetti Pot Pies.

Yep. Spaghetti pot pie. Inside you’ll find Italian tomato sauce and spoonfuls of delicious, melty ricotta, mozzarella and spinach, set off with little grate of nutmeg. The sauce and the spinach-ricotta mixture are then topped with a slice of provolone cheese, which not only gives the pot pie a nice smoky note, it also helps when you compact the spaghetti “crust”.

Let’s talk about the spaghetti crust. You simply mix the pasta with a couple of eggs and grated Parmesan, then top each pot pie with a big spoonful of noodles. Then you press it down, creating something akin to the “crust” you get with traditional spaghetti pies. Except on top.

I add Parmesan panko breadcrumbs to the top to add to the crust effect. Or maybe that was just an excuse to add Parmesan breadcrumbs … I love them so.

I make these in individual ramekins; that way, I can mix browned ground beef into some of the sauce for the meat-eater in my family. But please note: this is one where if you don’t use different colored bakeware (and if you’re a bit of an airhead like yours truly), you might lose track of which have meat and which don’t. The last time I made these, I mixed some Italian seasoning into the breadcrumbs that topped the vegetarian versions. It worked perfectly as a little green telltale sign that those were meatless – and it tasted great, too.

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Spaghetti Pot Pies with Spinach, Ricotta & Optional Ground Beef

An upside-down spaghetti pie filled with Italian tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, provolone cheese, and ground beef for the meat-eaters.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 large pot pies or 4 medium

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 3 cups Italian tomato sauce or marinara sauce jarred or homemade both work great
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups about 12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or more to taste
• 4 ounces 4 - 6 slices Provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

If adding meat to half of the pot pies:

• 1 pound lean ground beef

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place four large (Approx. 12 ounces for one large serving per person) or six medium (10 ounces or so for one slightly more reasonable serving per person) ramekins on a baking sheet.
• Boil spaghetti noodles in a large pot until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Set aside to cool.
• Beat the eggs and add them to the noodles, along with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Toss until all the spaghetti is covered with the egg and cheese.
• Brown ground beef and drain any fat. Add 1 cup of the Italian tomato sauce or marinara and stir. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.
• In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 Parmesan cheese with a spoon.
• Divide the ingredients among the prepared ramekins. Start with the Italian tomato sauce or marinara with or without ground beef. Drop 3 - 4 tablespoonfuls of the ricotta mixture into each ramekin, adding an extra tablespoonful to the vegetarian versions if making both. Lay one slice of provolone over the top of each, then divide the spaghetti noodle mixture evenly between each ramekin. Using clean hands, gather and press the noodles firmly into the ramekin, taking care not to squeeze out any of the contents. Spoon the breadcrumbs over the top of each pot pie.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until bubbling and the spaghetti topping is golden brown around the edges.
• Let cool for 5 - 10 minutes until the ramekins have cooled a bit. Serve.

The post Spaghetti Pot Pies with Spinach, Ricotta, & Optional Ground Beef appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

When I started thinking of spaghetti squash as, well, squash, my relationship with the vegetable took a turn for the better. In fact, now I love the stuff. My favorite way to enjoy spaghetti squash is cooked up simply (either roasted with a little olive oil and kosher salt or via the microwave express), then scraped into a bowl and tossed with coarse salt, fresh-ground black pepper and a good amount of parmesan.

This, however – a version of baked spaghetti with half of the noodles replaced with spaghetti squash – is pretty darn delicious, too.
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The post Baked Spaghetti & Spaghetti Squash with Optional Ground Beef appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

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Some dinners lack a little, shall I say, class… but more than make up for it in tasty, dig-innable, comforting pure deliciousness.

I think we can all be pretty clear on which side we’ll find Crock Pot Easy Cheesy Chili Mac. Elegant it’s not. Yummy? Oooooh yes. It’s comfort food at its best, perfect for a blustery rainy night after a long, long day. If you’re feeding others, I can almost guarantee there will be happy mid-bite groans and proclamations of your amazing kitchen talent; and then lots of happy full-bellied cuddling on the couch after dinner. Actually, this will also happen when you’re by yourself. It’s practically involuntary.
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The post Slow Cooker Vegetarian Cheesy Chili Mac with Optional Ground Beef appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This version brings together ground beef with a little gravy, some onions, carrots, peas, and corn for the carnivores. Vegetarians get their own delectable version with diced crimini mushrooms and lentils in place of the ground beef. Both are topped with cheesy mashed potatoes then sprinkled with more cheese and breadcrumbs, then baked so the potatoes form a nice golden crust.
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The post Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef or Lentils and Crimini Mushrooms appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Welcome to the inaugural post on Kitchen Treaty! My aim is to show that vegetarians and meat-eaters can live together – and happily, too. Over the years, I’ve developed an arsenal of easy recipes that please meat-eaters and veggies alike. I’m looking forward to sharing them here!

French Onion Soup. My first “gotcha” dish when I became a vegetarian some 12 years ago. It’s onion soup! A veggie! No meat! Silly me. Traditional french onion soup is made with beef broth. This one isn’t (unless you add some to the meat side), but you don’t miss it.

Instead, after cooking a huge amount of onions down into wonderful brown caramelized goodness, you add rich vegetable stock and, of course, a few other ingredients. Simmer for a good long while, then take some of the good stuff and add it to a new pot. This is where you’ll add the meatballs for yourself or your loving (and appreciative) carnivore. (more…)

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