Me; Organized

So, as a working woman, I rarely feel the need to cook dinner despite the fact that I am completley ravenous by the time I get home. My solution is to make a weekly menu and then freeze meals ahead of time. I have lots of rubbermaid baking dishes with lids, so I assemble all the ingredients together, tape the recipe to the top, and freeze! Since it is just the two of us, I often split recipes in half by making the casserole's in 8 x 8 in. pans instead of 9 x 13. This way, I have two meals with no leftovers! This is working so well for me, I love it, and I actually feel organized when I do it. I am going to post one of my favorite recipes for your review.....

Macaroni Grill's Penne Pasta

Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8x8 and two 9x13 casserole dishes