Cheesy Rigatoni Bake

1 (16 ounce) rigatoni noodles

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1/4 cup water

4 eggs, beaten

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce (I used a jar of marinara)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  In a saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour and salt until smooth, gradually add milk and water.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl.  Add beaten eggs to pasta and mix.  Spoon into a greased 9x13 pan.  Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Spoon white sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes.

To freeze, slightly under cook pasta.  Cover pan with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and label. 

Creamy Ham Casserole

 An easy and quick way to use leftover Easter Ham!

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups coarsely chopped ham

2 cups tri color rotini pasta, cooked and drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 green or red pepper, chopped

1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots

Seasoned bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 of cheese and crumbs in large bowl

Spoon into casserole dish

Sprinkle with remaining cheese 

Cover with bread crumbs

Bake for 30 minutes or until light brown.

Oreo Cookie Lollipops

OREO COOKIE LOLLIPOPS

I make these now and then for fun treats - they make cute simple gifts.  

I seriously love cute and simple!

So we came up with these, too bad I got instructions on HOW to do them after I started, but it turned out to be pretty easy and they looked CUTE if I say so myself!

First you will need Double Stuff Oreos, white chocolate chips, lollipop sticks, cellophane treat bags, sprinkles, tags and ribbons (if gifting them.) I bought everything in one quick trip to Wal-Mart.

HINT! I did this backwards!! Melt your chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds till completely melted. Dab a tip of your lollipop stick into the chocolate before sticking it into the Oreo ever so slowly and gently! The chocolate on the tip acts as a glue to keep the cookie on the stick!

Re-heat your chocolate if necessary for a few seconds. Dip cookie thoroughly in chocolate coating both sides. I used a spoon to help pour extra where the stick meets the cookie. Place to harden on wax or parchment lined cookie sheet. I would do 3-4 cookies, then sprinkle!

To make sure everyone knows I'm a novice baker, here are a few of my rejects before my happy helpers Graham and Greg ate them in the name of "taste testing." Quality assurance working at its best!

Letting the chocolate harden and cool. Took about 30 minutes till I felt I was safe to wrap them.

Ta-DAA!!! I didn't get a shot of the ones we gave L. I had a larger treat bag, stacked 4 (2 sets of 2 side by side) and wrapped multiple ribbons with a tag. 

They really turned out darling!