Four Cheese Pasta Florentine

3 cups uncooked pasta
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup Cottage Cheese
2 eggs
1 pkg (8 oz) Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon salt

Oven at 375ºF.

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add cream cheese and salt; stir until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and eggs until well blended.

Drain pasta. Add to spinach mixture with mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into 8- or 9-inch square baking dish; top with Parmesan.

Bake 25 min. or until center is set.

Spinach, Veggie and Cheese Strata

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into strips (or any color besides green pepper)
1 cup sliced leeks
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 loaf (9 oz) ciabatta or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)**
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add spinach, bell peppers and leeks; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. In baking dish, spinach mixture, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the bread. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard and pepper with wire whisk until blended; pour over bread. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese. Cover with foil; refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Oven at 325°F. Bake loosely covered 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 30 minutes longer or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

**Note-In my family we save the bread ends in the freezer to use later for french toast. They also make a great substitution for the french bread loaf in this recipe.
**Note-You may also add several cups of chopped ham to the spinach mixture for a yummy addition.

Baked Spaghetti Florentine

1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons minced dried onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (16-ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1(10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Oven at 350*F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine egg, onion, garlic, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Add Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.
Add the spinach and cooked spaghetti and toss to combine well. Place mixture in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Bake for 15 minutes covered; remove cover and continue baking for additional 15 minutes.

**Note-this is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. It basically assembling everything and no cooking (you don't even have to cut onions or garlic!). I have made this during my kids' naps then after naps, we play outside, pausing only long enough for me to toss this in the oven. Perfect!

Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. (16 oz.) rotini pasta, cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Oven at 375. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

**Note-This is the simplest of simple recipes! It is quick, tasty, easy and uses ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now. What's for dinner tonight? This!

Spinach and Swiss Quiche with Potato Crust

1/2 pound (Depending on the size of potatoes, 2-4) Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded**
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, diced
1 10 oz package of frozen, chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish** with cooking spray. Toss potatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Press into an even layer in pie dish, up the sides like a crust. Bake until golden brown at the edges and dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Lower the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, garlic, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until any water from the spinach evaporates; 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Spread the spinach mixture in an even layer in the pie dish, and top with an even layer of the cheese. Carefully pour in egg mixture. Bake until firm around the edges and egg is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Let cool, and serve warm or at room temperature.

**Note-you can use whatever potatoes you like-I used regular baking potatoes (Russet) and they worked perfectly.
**Note-You can also use an 8x8 square baking dish.
**Note-although this recipe seems complicated, it is fairly simple and very very tasty. It is nice that the crust is made out of potatoes, which are a vegetable. So you are still getting a "carb" crust but it's a vegetable also!

Kids Twirly Whirly Pizza

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded Italian-mix cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

Oven at 400 degrees. Unroll dough from tube. Spread pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle with half of cheese and top with spinach leaves. Roll up, starting with short end. Cut into 8 pieces, then lay pieces flat in a greased pie tin. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

**Note-this is a perfect dish for kids to help out with. They can spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese and spinach. It is not the most sophisticated pizza but sometimes having fun with your family is more important.

Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss

2 cups Rotini pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, cook tomatoes and spinach 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add tomato and spinach mixture and cheeses; toss lightly.

Potato Hash and Cheddar Omlet

1 cup shredded potatoes
4 eggs. scrambled
2 cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mist a pan with cooking spray. Add potatoes and cook 5-10 minutes (until tender), turning once (do not stir so that the potatoes develop and "crust" like hash browns). Add eggs, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until egg is done and spinach wilted. Top with cheese. Serves 2.

Stuffed Shells

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 40 shells)
2 jars tomato sauce**

**If freezing half the recipe, only use one jar of tomato sauce.

For the stuffing
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and shredded
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups (16 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg

Oven at 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells, and partially cook 6 to 7 minutes — they should have started to become tender but will still be firm to the bite. Drain in a colander, Let cool. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring every now and then, until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add scallions during the final 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add spinach. Mix in ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg, and stir to combine.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of two** 9-x-13-inch baking dishes. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1-2 tablespoon per shell, and arrange the shells side by side in a single layer in the prepared dishes. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the filling is heated through 25 to 30 minutes. Last 5-10 minutes, take out and cover with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

**Note, this recipe makes enough for 2. I recommend making one of the pans a disposable foil pan. Spray it with non-stick spray and fill with shells. Cover with plastic wrap then foil. Carefully (so as not to tip the shells) transfer to the freezer. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Uncover foil and plastic wrap. Pour a jar of sauce over shells and recover with foil only. Bake as above.

Florentine-Scramble Breakfast Sandwich

1/2 tablespoon oil
2 cups baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
2 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
2 whole grain English muffin
2 slice cheese (Swiss suggested)

Sautee spinach and garlic for 1 minute, or until wilted. Add egg and scramble with spinach, garlic season with salt and pepper. Divide in 2 and serve on English muffins. Top with cheese. Serves 2.

Healthy Potato Skins

Serves 2

2 medium potatoes (baking or sweet-your choice)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bag baby spinach (or about one cup frozen, thawed and squeezed out)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Oven at 350 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and onto an oven rack. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. (You can also microwave them until they are tender. Whichever way you choose, make sure the potato is tender otherwise it will be very difficult to make the rest of the recipe.) Meanwhile, in a deep saute pan heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the entire bag of spinach and scallions, cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. When the potatoes are cooked, let them cool for 5 minutes. Carefully slice each one in half and scoop out inside of potato into a bowl. Add cream cheese, buttermilk, salt and pepper, and mash together until smooth. Mix the potato mash with the reserved, cooked veggies. Using a pastry brush, coat the outside of each potato skin with the vegetable oil. Fill each of the shells with the filling and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Transfer each skin back to the baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the skins are crispy.

**Note-this was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had. I couldn't believe how tasty it was! It is a bit of work, but the end result is so worth it. I recommend doubling the recipe so that you can have extras for later in the week.

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

1 1/2 cups pasta, uncooked
1 9oz package spinach leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Oven at 375. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, simmer sauce, tomatoes, and basil about 6 minutes. Add spinach to wilt. Once wilted, add cream cheese. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Mix in sauce mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes then sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake about 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
2 jars tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
**Note-you may add other veggies as desired such as zucchini, spinach, etc.

Cook noodles according to directions, set aside. Cook onions, peppers and other veggies in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sauce and spices. In a 2 quart greased baking dish, layer 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 the sauce mixture and 1/3 the cheeses. Repeat two times. Bake 30 minutes at 350 until heated and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Greek Isles Pasta Salad

3 cups pasta (uncooked)
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup canned chickpeas
1 cup feta (or desired) cheese
1/2 cup Greek style vinaigrette

Cook pasta. Add remaining ingredients to cooked, drained pasta. Refrigerate one hour to let flavors meld. Before serving, mix in feta cheese.