Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen tortellini (You could use fresh too if you are near a good market- either works. But this is a nice meal to make since you can have the frozen tortellini on hand anytime!)
5 cups of baby spinach spinach (sounds like a lot but trust me, it cooks down to nothing)
1 small, 8 oz. log of goat cheese
2 containers of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until translucent. Add butter until melted. Add mushrooms until tender and slightly browned. Add the spinach in handfuls, adding more to the pan as it begins to wilt and shrink.
2. While the spinach is wilting in the sauté pan, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions (mine only took 3 minutes hence making the pasta at the end instead of the beginning like most recipes).
3. Drain tortellini and add to the sauté pan with the spinach and mushrooms. Crumble up the whole log of goat cheese on top and toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper and Balsamic vinegar

Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta

Serves 2 to 4

Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
1 acorn squash (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
1 small head of garlic*
1/2 pound penne
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating garlic
1/2 pound pancetta, sliced 1/4-inch thick and diced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit.

Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half crosswise into long wedges, about 1/2-inch thick. Toss the wedges with the olive oil until coated, and spread on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the top off the garlic head so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the edge of the baking sheet with the squash.

Bake the squash and garlic for about 30 minutes, turning the squash once, until both are soft and slightly caramelized. (Depending on how big the head of garlic is, it may take longer. Leave it in the oven while you peel and chop the squash.)

Allow the squash to cool slightly. Then, peel each wedge of squash and cut into large chunks.
Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. In a large, wide saucepan (you'll add the pasta to this pan at the end) sauté the pancetta until most of the fat is rendered and the meat is crispy, about 15 minutes. About halfway through, cook the pasta, making sure to salt the water.
When the pancetta is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Stir in the rosemary and about four cloves of the roasted garlic, mashing them up in the liquid with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Add the chunks of squash and pancetta to the pan. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the squash/pancetta mixture. Toss everything to coat, then stir in the Parmesan. Add a bit of the pasta water if the mixture seems too dry.

Recipe Notes

• Our head of garlic was small (only about four large cloves). If you are roasting a regular-sized bulb, save the other cloves for another use. Or roast peeled cloves on their own,using this technique.

Eva's Notes:

Notes: 1.) I substituted butternut squash for acorn squash. 2.) Pancetta is Italian ham. You could use regular ham or substitute thick-sliced bacon. To achieve a more pancetta taste from the bacon, boil the bacon for two-three minutes, drain, then use as called for in the recipe. 3.) If you do use pancetta, I used a fresh pan for the final steps because I thought there was too much fat to include in the dish. Alternately, I could have just poured off some of the fat and continued to use that pan.

Easy Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

• 
• Easy Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese Recipe photo by Taste of Home
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine soup, milk, sour cream, butter and seasonings; cook and stir over medium-low heat until blended. Stir in cheeses until melted.
2. Drain macaroni; transfer to a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in cheese mixture. Cook, covered, on low 1-2 hours or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.

Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac

8 ounces dry elbow macaroni 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 can, (12 ounces)evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 Cup broken tortilla chips
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease two and a half quart casserole dish. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain. Return to pan. Add cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, evaporated milk, and black pepper to macaroni. Stir until combined. Pour into casserole dish. Combine remaining half cup pepper jack cheese, tortilla chips and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Sprinkle over top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake for additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned