Gluten Free Asparagus Ham Casserole

Ingredients

3-3/4 c uncooked gluten free pasta (your choice, I used Fusilli)

2-1/2 c asparagus, sliced

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 c milk

1 c gluten free chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

1 c onion, chopped

1-1/2 c gluten free ham, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 c parsley, chopped

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

2 c cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling water until almost done. Add asparagus and continue to boil for 1 minute; drain and set aside. Place cornstarch, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and add milk and broth stirring until well blended. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened. Add milk mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine pasta & asparagus, milk mixture, ham, parsley and cheddar cheese; gently mix together. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

Recipe courtesy - Lisa B of Tennessee

Roasted Chicken and Veggies

I just love how my version of roasted chicken turned out. It was tasty and moist. The vegetables were also very good roasted. They all tasted good but we really loved the asparagus and carrots.

Ingredients
1 roasting chicken - can be whole or cut-up
3 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 potatoes
5-6 carrots, cut into chunks
3-4 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 bunch of asparagus
1 onion, quartered
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Remove chicken from packaging. On the day I made this, I used a whole chicken that was already cut-up because it was on sale. You can use also use a whole chicken. Pat chicken dry. Place chicken on a rack in a foil-lined, shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle lemon juice all over chicken. Rub garlic all over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices. In a large bowl, toss all vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place vegetables around and on top of chicken. Bake for an additional hour. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Garden Penne

I was inspired to create this recipe from a pasta box. As you can tell from the picture it was delicious. And what is really fun is you can add whatever veggies you like.

Ingredients

1 box whole grain Penne

2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp minced garlic

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 large zucchini, diced

1 medium squash, diced

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2-3 c baby spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 fresh basil leaves, torn

Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Add onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add bell pepper, squash, zucchini and asparagus. Saute until heated but not completely cooked. Add tomatoes and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for an additional 2 minutes. Drain pasta and toss with vegetables and basil. Serve and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.