Week of Oct 28, 2012

Sun - Mac n' Cheese
Mon - BLT (One Pot Pasta dish, Pampered Chef Recipe)
Tue - Baked Potato Soup
Wed - Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Roast (Foodnetwork)
Thur - Sausage and Peppers Over Pasta

The Pampered Chef ® Bacon, Linguine & Tomato Toss

12 slices bacon, divided   4 cups (1 L) chicken broth   2 cans (14.5 oz each)  Italian-style diced tomatoes (3½ cups/875 mL)   1 medium onion    4 garlic cloves, pressed   1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)   12 oz (350 g) uncooked linguine pasta   1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt   1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh parsley, divided   4 oz (125 g) cream cheese   1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated  Halved grape tomatoes (optional)

Slice bacon crosswise into 1/4-in. (6-mm) strips using Santoku Knife. Place into (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; cook over medium-high heat 8-9 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from Skillet; drain on paper towels. Drain Skillet, leaving 1 tbsp (15 mL) drippings in Skillet. Meanwhile, place broth and diced tomatoes in Large Micro-Cooker®. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 6-8 minutes or until hot; carefully remove from microwave. On clean Cutting Board, finely chop onion usingFood Chopper. Return Skillet to heat; add garlic pressed with Garlic Press and pepper flakes, if desired. Cook 10-20 seconds or until fragrant. Add onion; cook 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Carefully add broth mixture, pasta, half of the bacon and salt. Simmer, covered, 9-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally. Finely chop parsley using Chef's Knife; reserve 1 tbsp (15 mL) for garnish. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Grate Parmesan cheese using Rotary Grater. Cut grape tomatoes in half, if using. Remove Skillet from heat. Stir in remaining parsley, cream cheese and grape tomatoes, if desired. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining bacon, Parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 450, Total Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 49 g, Protein 18 g, Sodium 1500 mg, Fiber 3 g  Baked Potato Soup 3 tablespoons butter 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated 4 large baker potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup sour cream 3 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup minced chives grated Cheddar Cheese 1/2 lb bacon, cooked crispy and broken up to chunks Directions In a large saucepot, over high heat melt the butter and garlic. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon. DO NOT DRAIN potato water. When potatoes are ready, mash in water with a masher. Leaving some lumps depending on how chunky you like your soup. Stir in the milk, cream, sour cream, and 1/2 the chopped bacon. Heat through. Serve in bowls with chives, cheese, bacon pieces and extra sour cream if desired. Pork Loin: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/apple-stuffed-pork-loin-roast-recipe/index.html Sausage, Peppers over Pasta 1 lb Italian Sausage 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes 1/2 lb pasta In a large non-stick skillet, cook sausage and veggies together until sausage over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. When sausage is done, add in tomatoes with juice to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, if desired.