Family Dinners: 2 Great Ideas

Home-cooked meals can bring families together. While reviewing the many recipes submitted to American Profile, these two stood out as perfect for a family dinner in the fall. They can even be baked in the same oven if you maintain a temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.

Baked zita pasta with Italian sausage, a recipe submitted by Carrie Lee of Tahlequah, Okla., is a delicious entrée that will please most any palette. “I was tired of trying ziti recipes that didn’t taste good, so I made up my own,” Lee says. “My family loves it. My dad says it is his favorite.”

Zucchini with cheese and mushroom stuffing is a super side dish and ideal accompaniment to Lee’s baked ziti pasta. “This recipe is a delicious alternative to the breads and cakes I usually prepare with zucchini,” writes reader Toni Monton of Custer, Mich.

Add toasted garlic bread and you’ve got a homemade meal that’s tasty, nutritious, and will give your family a great reason to sit down for dinner together.

Baked Ziti Pasta - Carrie Lee, Tahlequah, Okla.

Recipe

• 12 ounces ziti pasta, cooked
• 12 ounces spaghetti sauce
• 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked
• 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Ricotta cheese mixture:
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, dried oregano, parsley flakes, ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Combine ricotta cheese mixture ingredients together in a bowl. Layer sauce, pasta, Italian sausage, ricotta cheese mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Serve with bread sticks and salad. Serves 5 to 7.

Tips from our test kitchen: Fresh herbs and fresh garlic are good in the dish when available.

Stuffed Zucchini - Toni Monton, Custer, Mich.

Recipe

• 3 medium-size zucchini
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 ounces chopped mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons each flour, sour cream, Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off ends of zucchini and cut them in half, length-wise. Cook zucchini in 1-inch deep salted boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, until crisp, yet tender. Drain. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4 inch shell. Chop enough pulp to make about 3/4 cup. Saute onion in butter. Combine with remaining ingredients, including pulp. Spoon evenly into zucchini shells. Place shells into greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Tips from our test kitchen: This dish is especially delicious when served with garlic bread.

Stuart Englert is American Profile’s senior editor.

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