I belong to a community group that meets once a month. We have a potluck dinner prior to each meeting and everyone brings a “covered” dish.  Until I discovered the Reynolds Pan Carriers, I struggled with how to transport my dish to the meeting. The Reynolds’ pans make the whole process so much easier. You can reheat the food in the aluminum pan, cover it, place in the carrier and then into the car. So much easier to carry it into the meeting also because the pan has handles.

Carriers are available in Lasagna and 13 x 9 inch Cake Pan sizes. These carriers are made with the same sturdy paper board used to carry 6-packs of beverages. Plus, the colorful design on the disposable carrier makes it attractive to place on the table.

Below is a video from the Reynolds Company on how these disposable pans and carriers work. A bonus  recipe is included.

Below are some of the recipes that I have made for the potluck dinners and I have been asked to make again and again. Hope you like them.

Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

• One bunch broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (chili)
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, cut into one inch slices
• 1 lb orecchiette pasta
• Salt

Directions

Cut the broccoli rabe into one inch pieces and place in a large Dutch oven. Fill the pot with cold water and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook the broccoli rabe for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove the broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon or spider to a bowl. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the garlic and olive oil in a large deep skillet Add the sausage and cook until completely brown. Add the cooked broccoli rabe and red pepper. Heat thoroughly. Add the pasta cooking water and the cooked pasta. Stir and heat for a few minutes before serving.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients

• 15 mini fresh mozzarella balls
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ½ onion minced
• Small garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• Marinara Sauce

Directions

Place cheese balls in a plastic freezer container in a single layer and freeze at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375°F. Line 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons of pasta sauce. Stir in beef, onion, salt, oregano and egg. Shape mixture into 15 (2-inch) balls.

Press 1 cheese cube into the center of each ball, sealing it inside. Gently place on the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.

Place browned meatballs in an ovenproof casserole dish with a cover and pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Place the covered dish in the oven and heat the meatballs in the sauce, about 20 minutes.

Oven Baked Italian Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• One 3 lb chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• 1 pound package Italian pork or chicken sausage each link diagonally cut into fourths
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice from 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 medium baking potatoes, cut in fourths
• 2 green and 2 red bell peppers, cut into one inch strips
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into eighths

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with the olive oil. Place chicken in the pan, skin side down. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces and scatter the sausage pieces around the chicken.

Bake 15 minutes; turn chicken pieces over and bake 15 minutes.

Squeeze lemon over the chicken, place the lemon skins in the roasting dish with the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with the minced garlic and oregano.

Add the sliced potatoes, onions and peppers to the pan and sprinkle with salt.

Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Cover the pan with foil and bake 1 hour, turning the ingredients after 30 minutes.

Italian Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 lb chuck roast
• All-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 container crushed tomatoes (26-28 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped

Directions

Trim most of the fat from the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season the roast generously with the salt and pepper and lightly rub with all-purpose flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot,  but not smoking, add the roast and brown on all sides, 10-12 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrots, celery, mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir about 1 minute.

Add the wine and stir to incorporate the vegetables. Add the beef stock, the tomatoes, half the parsley, the sage, the bay leaf and the roast with any juices accumulated on the plate. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer on very low, turning and basting the meat every half hour or so, until the meat is very tender, about 4 hours.

(You can also put the pot into a 300°F oven and turn the roast every hour.)

Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board, covered loosely with aluminum foil to rest for 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust the sauce for seasoning, remove the bay leaf and stir in the remaining chopped parsley.

Cut the meat into thick slices and place in a deep serving dish. Spoon the hot sauce over the meat to serve.

Lasagna

Ingredients

Cheese Filling:

• 32 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Lasagna:

• 16 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
• 4 cups spaghetti sauce
• 16 lasagna noodles, parboiled

Directions

For the filling:

Mix all the filling ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the lasagna.

Completing the Lasagna:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Oil a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.

Spread about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish and place a layer of parboiled noodles on top.

Spread one-third of the sliced mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta and then one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture over the mozzarella; top with another 1 cup of sauce.

Repeat the layers twice, then top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the top layer of pasta.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beef, broccoli rabe, Casseroles, Cheese, Chicken, Dinner, Healthy Italian Cooking, lasagna, Marinara, Meatballs, orecchiette, Pasta, peppers, potatoes, Sausage Tags: recipes for a potluck dinner