Hearty Family Dinner Recipes

White Bean Soup Yield: 4 servings

Sauté carrots, onion, and garlic in butter in large saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans, chicken broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and cook about 5 minutes or until cabbage is crisp-tender. To serve, ladle into individual serving bowls. Top with cheese. Garnish with tomatoes and parsley.

Vegetable Lasagna Yield: 12 servings

Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, for sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. For filling, combine vegetables and Italian seasoning; mix well. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Layer with half the noodles, vegetables, sauce and cheeses; repeat once. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, the sugar, salt and undissolved yeast in large mixer bowl. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until very warm. (Mixture should reach 120°F to 130°F.) Gradually add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg; beat 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in buttered bowl, turning dough to coat with butter. Cover; let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide in half. Divide each half into 16 equal pieces; shape each piece to form 7-inch rope. Loosely tie each in knot. Place 2 inches apart on buttered cookie sheets. Brush with melted butter. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter. Can freeze leftovers.

We recommend using this fine product in preparing your Hearty Family Dinner: Red Star® Yeast

Butter Makes Breads Better
Butter not only makes a marvelous spread for breads, it also adds rich flavor and contributes to a tender texture when used as an ingredient in homemade breads.

Butter-Baked Pears with Fruit and Nut Stuffing Yield: 4 servings

Combine apricots and pecans in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon butter; use a fork to combine. Set aside. Cut pears in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove core from each pear half, leaving a 1 1/2-inch diameter hole. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each to make a steady base. Place pears with narrow ends towards center in 9-inch square microwave-safe baking dish. Fill each pear with apricot mixture; set aside. Place maple syrup and remaining 3 tablespoons butter in 2-cup microwave-safe glass measure.
Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir to combine. Pour over pears; cover loosely with waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH about 6 minutes or until pears are tender, basting pears with sauce halfway through cooking time. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with yogurt.

Note: Recipe was tested in 625-watt microwave oven. If your microwave has a lower wattage, cooking times may need to be increased; if it has a higher wattage, cooking times may need to be decreased. Use the cooking times as a guideline and check for doneness before adding more time.

Place 1 scoop frozen yogurt, milk, chocolate milk mix and coffee granules in work bowl of food processor or blender. Process 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour into tall glass; top with remaining scoop of frozen yogurt.

*Note: If desired, coffee flavored frozen yogurt may be substituted; omit coffee granules.