We are having an Italian food theme potluck at work and would love any recipes / ideas.?

Here is an easy one to make.


http://www.ehow.com/how_4661815_gourmet-…


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Italian Brunch Casserole


http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipe…


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Grandma's Butter Ball Italian Cookies Recipe


http://www.easyitalianrecipes.com/italia…


1 cup soft butter


1/2 cup sugar


1/2 tsp. salt


2 cups flour


1 tsp. vanilla extract


1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces


1 cup finely chopped pecans





Mix butter with sugar until fluffy.





Add salt, extract, flour, nuts, and chocolate.





Mix well.





Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.





Heat oven to 350.





Shape dough into 1/2'; balls.





Place on cookie sheet.





Bake 15 minutes until light brown.





Let cool.





Roll in confectionery sugar.


----We are having an Italian food theme potluck at work and would love any recipes / ideas.?
Spicy Cioppino


4 small red potatoes, quartered


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided


1 (5 ounce) fillet tilapia, diced


4 ounces dry bay scallops (see Note), patted dry


1 small sweet onion, sliced


2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend or poultry seasoning


1 teaspoon hot paprika


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


1 cup dry white wine


1/2 cup water


3 plum tomatoes, diced


2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)


2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)


1.Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.


2.Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tilapia and scallops; cook, stirring once or twice, until just opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.


3.Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, add Italian (or poultry) seasoning, paprika to taste, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, water and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the fish, scallops, potatoes and capers (if using), return to a simmer and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.


Yield: 2 servingsWe are having an Italian food theme potluck at work and would love any recipes / ideas.?
Cheeseburger Macaroni --





1 lb. ground beef


1/4 onion, minced


1 cloves garlic, minced


14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes


2 cups raw macaroni, (cook according to package directions and drain)


1 can Campbells Cheddar cheese soup


salt %26amp; pepper to taste





Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add the ground beef and brown. Add the diced tomatoes, including the liquid in the can. Simmer until the liquid is mostly reduced...5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the macaroni and Cheddar cheese soup. Heat through.





You can always add more cooked macaroni if you need to stretch the dish a bit.


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Spaghetti Pizza:


A Kid Favorite:


1 pound box spaghetti noodles


1/2 cup milk


1 large egg


1 Jar Marinara Sauce


1 pound lean ground beef


2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


13 x 9 glass baking dish





In a large stock pot boil water to cook spaghetti, follow package directions. Drain. Measure milk in large bowl, add egg, mix well, add spaghetti and mix well.





While spaghetti is cooking brown lean ground beef in large saute pan. Drain excess fat, return to pan and add the marinara sauce. Simmer on low.





Lightly grease a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Pour spaghetti into dish, top with meat mixture and spread cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes uncovered or until cheese has melted.





You could use a mild sausage or turkey sausage for a different twist.





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Italian Appetizer Bites





2 packages (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls


½ pound sliced deli salami


½ pound sliced deli ham


½ pound slide deli provolone cheese


7 eggs


1 cup parmesan cheese


2 jars (12 ounces each) roasted red peppers, drained





MAKES: 32 pieces. PREP: 15 minutes.


BAKE: at 350° for 60 minutes.





Heat oven to 350°. Coat 13x9x2” glass pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll 1 package of the crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan. Pinch seams together.





Cover rolls with half of the salami, provolone and ham. Lightly beat together 6 eggs and the parmesan cheese; pour half evenly over top. Top with half of the roasted red peppers. Repeat layering with remaining salami, cheese, ham, egg mixture %26amp; peppers. Top with remaining package of crescent rolls.





Lightly beat remaining egg and brush over top. Cover dish with foil; bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes. Cool for 1 hour; cut into 32 squares %26amp; serve.





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Upside Down Pizza





Ground beef, seasonings, pizza sauce, and a mixture of eggs, milk, salt, and flour (2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of flour, and 1 tsp. of salt) and 1/2 onion, chopped. Also get a couple (2-3) bags of your favorite shredded cheeses.





Cook the meat with onions (onions are optional) until browned. Drain the grease and mix with the pizza sauce. Add to bottom of a dish (casserole would be fine) and sprinkle your favorite shredded cheeses (eyeball how much you want to use). Meanwhile, mixing the dough mixture and pouring on top of the beef and cheese (make sure it spreads over all the beef and cheese). Sprinkle some more cheese, not too much, on top to give a nice cheesy ';crust';.





Pop into a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let the dough settle (there will be air bubbles) then cut into blocks and serve on a plate, while sprinkling a little more cheese on the top (parmesan, of course.)


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Spaghetti %26amp; Meatballs/Sausage





Spaghetti Sauce





1 small piece of pork or salt pork


3 28 oz cans of diced or whole tomatoes


2 6 oz cans of tomato paste


3-4 cloves of garlic


1 Tbsp parsley flakes


1 Tbsp basil


1 bay leaf


1 heaping Tbsp grated parmesan cheese


salt according to taste





Put all ingredients, except cheese into a large pot and cook slowly at a low simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When done, add 1 heaping Tbsp of grated parmesan cheese.





See the meatballs and sausage recipe.








Meatballs %26amp; Sausage





2 lbs. ground beef (15% fat or less)


3 eggs


1 cup Italian spiced bread crumbs


2 heaping Tbsp. of grated parmesan cheese


2 Tbsp. basil


2 Tbsp. parsley flakes


1 tsp. garlic powder (or) 2 cloves mashed


2 tsp. salt





Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Do not over-mix or the meatballs will turn out like rocks. Shape the meatballs into 1.5 inch diameter balls and place onto a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the meatballs until browned. When done, add them to the spaghetti sauce.





Sausage





2 lbs. mild Italian sausage





Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large covered saucepan. Pierce the sausage several times throughout it's length with a fork. Carefully place the sausage into the boiling water and boil covered, for 15 minutes. Drain the water away and allow to brown in the saucepan. Once browned, cut sausage into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the spaghetti sauce.
Stuffed cabbage rolls or stuffed bell peppers


1 green or Savoy cabbage


1/2 pound ground beef


1/2 pound hot or mild bulk sausage


1 small onion, finely chopped


1 clove garlic, minced


2 eggs, beaten


1/4 cup catsup


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon dried whole oregano


1/4 teaspoon pepper


1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs


2 cans of Campbells tomato soup


Remove 10 large outer leaves of cabbage; reserve remaining cabbage for other uses.


Blanch (boil 2 or 3 minutes and set aside.


Combine next 11 ingredients; mix well, and set aside.


Pare down the outside of thick ribs of cabbage leaves until thin.


Arrange 4 or 5 cabbage leaves in a lightly greased 2-quart ovenproof bowl, placing leaf tips toward center with rib ends extending beyond edge of bowl.


(The leaves should overlap.) Spoon one-third of meat mixture into bowl, and spread evenly over cabbage.


Cover with 2 to 3 cabbage leaves and press gently; repeat.


Spread with remaining meat mixture, and fold over cabbage ends.


Top with the remaining cabbage leaves, and press down.


Bring broth to a boil; slowly pour over cabbage mixture, easing a knife between leaves and inside of bowl so liquid will flow down. Pour soup over the rolls


Cover and bake at 350°, 1 hour. unvoer and bake an additional 1/2 hour.


Tilt bowl carefully, and drain off liquid; let stand 5 minutes, and drain again.


Invert onto a serving plate; cut into wedges.





Stuffed red %26amp; green bell peppers


8 large firm bell peppers (green or red)


3 cups cooked rice


1 egg, well beaten


1 lb ground lean pork


1/2 lb ground beef


3 cloves garlic, pressed


1 large onion, finely chopped or grated


1/2 cup cracker or bread crumbs


2 teaspoons salt


1/2 teaspoon black pepper


dash of cayenne pepper


dash of Tabasco (optional)


2 cans Campbells tomato soup


4 slices bacon


Brown the sausage and beef drain fat.


Mix rice, egg, cooked ground meat, crumbs, garlic which has been put through a garlic press or pureed, salt, pepper and cayenne.


Wash the peppers. Boil 2 or 3 minutes, Using a paring knife, cut in half, so that the pepper can be filled with stuffing.


Scrape out the core and seeds and discard.


Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and place in a buttered casserole dish with a tiny dash of Tabasco sauce on top, if desired.


Using a kitchen scissors, cut each slice of bacon into 2 long strips, then cut each strip into half (you will have 16 bacon pieces). Drape 2 cut bacon strips over each pepper.


Pour the tomato soup around the bottom of the peppers.


Bake, covered loosely with aluminum foil for 15 minutes at 400°F. Remove the foil and reduce heat to 325°F; continue to bake until peppers are tender and browned (about 1 hour).


Serve peppers with a few spoons of tomato soup over the top and a few spoonfuls around the base.


Makes 16 (1/2 peppers) servings. Serve some right away and save the rest for the next day (even better reheated!)
• Baked Zitti


•


• pound dry ziti pasta


• 1 onion, chopped


• 1 pound lean ground beef


• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce


• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced


• 1 1/2 cups sour cream


• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded


• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS


1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.


2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.


3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.


4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.








Parmesan Bread Sticks


1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed


1 cup freshly grated Parmesan


1 teaspoon dried basil


1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


1/4 cup butter, melted


Directions


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.


On a lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 13 strips, about 3/4 by 10-inches apiece.


In a shallow dish, combine cheese, basil, and garlic. Brush pastry sticks with melted butter. Roll pastry in cheese mixture, lightly coating each side. Gently twist pastry sticks, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
antipasti pasta salad


4 cups cooked pasta I like tri color rotini


1 small can chopped black olives drained


1 med onion finely diced


1 med bell pepper finely diced


1 med tomato diced into wedges and then halved


1 small jar marinated mushrooms


1 bottle vinegar and oil style salad dressing


stir all together and chill for 3 hours or over night


you can also add chopped salami or pepperoni as well
slice of mozzarella cheese, slice of tomato, some basil leaves and drizzle olive oil on top. Yummy.
Take cannolis for dessert. Chocolate dipped are even better. Your co- workers will LOVE you.