Serving This Week 3-15 to 3-19-2021

Serving This Week 3-15 to 3-19-2021

Come and see what I will be cooking up on Marilyns Treats this week!

This is what I served this week 3-15 to 3-19-2021 on my blog. Tuesday was Butternut Asiago Tortellaci. Wednesday was Butternut Squash Ravioli. Thursday was Brownie Rice Krispie Surprise. Friday was Caesar salad. Enjoy!

If you missed what I served up last week please click Serving This Week 3-8 to 3-12-2021

BUTTERNUT ASIAGO TORTELLACI

Tortellaci is just a very large tortellini, about 5 square inches and 1mm thick.

I preferred to make this recipe from as many premade ingredients I could.

I used pre-made tortellaci from the grocery store. If you want to make your own from scratch follow the recipe from Chef David.

You will find the Macaroni Grill recipes to make the tortellaci and the sauce in the recipe card below.

This Demi Glace is not as good as the homemade stock, but a good quality canned beef consommé can be used as a shortcut substitution. Reduce by half in the same way.

In a real pinch 2 teaspoons beef base can be dissolved in 2 tablespoons red wine as a substitute for demi-glace.

Macaroni Grill plates the sauce first, and then tortellaci, then all the ingredients, and tops with a streak of demi glace, and some parmesan cheese.

I also used my grandmothers recipe to make the Alfredo. It is a bit stronger. I just increased the amount of garlic and reduced a bit of butter.

If you choose to veer off from the recipe just make your changes according to your own taste.

Garlic is one of those ingredients that everyone has their own opinion on how strong to make the dish.

Go ahead and experiment adding or reducing ingredients based on your and your guests tastes. Prepared as written, this tortellaci is not real strong in garlic or butter.

I really tried to keep the spirit of the dish as well as making it easy to prepare.

No everyone likes to make their own pasta. I find it tedious, but my daughter-in-law finds it calming. (?)

When using premade pasta the prep time is much shorter.

We really loved the way the dish tasted with our changes.

My husband didn’t think there was any differences in taste from Macaroni Grill.

I did not ask the opinion of my son. He will eat ANYTHING, at any time, hot or cold.

I love having him around because he keeps my refrigerator cleared out of any leftovers we may have.

Do you have someone like that in your home?

Please go ahead and use the shortcuts I did, or make the entire dish from scratch.

I had a few readers email me with stories of adding more alfredo sauce, and adding leftover butternut squash on the side.

This recipe is different than most I post.

There are so many possibilities that I know you will find the exact one to suit your own family.

I found there was no one spot to get all the pieces of this dish.

I have used the most reliable sources I could find.

Please let me know what you think!!

Disclaimer: A Macaroni Grill knockoff, I put this recipe together using my Grandma’s recipes and the help of The Food Network, Chef David, a former Macaroni Grill Chef and other internet searches.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Butternut squash has a naturally rich, creamy texture and sweet flavor.

Paired with crunchy almonds and earthy sage and parmesan, it makes an unforgettable filling for the ravioli.

It is a great dish for this time of year as it is warm and healthy and butternut squash is a nice addition when you are planning your garden.

Warm bread or rolls, especially homemade, and butter goes well with this dish. A nice garden salad is a great addition to make this a satisfying meal.

Add a glass of wine for an after dinner cozy hour.

You can also save time and hassle using a store bought squash ravioli. You can find it at your larger grocery stores or order it online!

Buy 2 3/4 lbs. peeled chunks of butternut squash instead of a whole squash. Buy semolina in the baking aisle of well-stocked markets. Instead of making pasta, buy about 2 lbs. fresh ravioli or lasagna sheets from a well-stocked grocery store or Italian deli.You may need to cut the ravioli in slightly different dimensions to make at least 24, and you may have leftover filling.

Make filling (through step 2) and chill overnight. Fill ravioli (through step 4) and chill them as long as 1 day, or freeze on pans until firm, transfer to bags, and freeze up to 3 weeks.

Total time is 1 3/4 hours if following the shortcuts.

Brownie Rice Krispie Surprise

I recently went to a graduation party for a cousin I haven’t seen in a while.

It wasn’t long before we all stopped for some punch and sweets on the dessert table.

I grabbed a couple of wonderful delicious looking decadent treats.

There was a choice of Cupcakes with little Graduation Caps on top.

There was also a cake huge enough for a wedding and other treats made to eat in your hand.

I chose a few of the latter.

And in the mix were these Brownies with a topping of chocolate and rice krispies.

Or so I thought!

When I brought them back to my table I was asked to fill up a plate for the other people sitting there.

Because once they had tasted these Brownie Rice Krispie Squares they were hooked.

And so was I.

Melted into the topping was peanut butter and caramel.

Oh yeah. I was in heaven.

The combination of brownie, crunchy Rice Krispies and peanut butter with chocolate and soft caramel was grenius!

The textures complimented each other perfectly.

And the flavors did not compete with each other.

No ingredient was masked with the others and you could taste each one in every bite.

All of these ingredients are easily found in your local grocery store.

And they are so easy to make!

Use your favorite brownie recipe.

Then just melt the ingredients according to this recipe, cook and cut!!

This recipe is so easy the kids will love to help you mix and pour.

What can be better than making memories and then having a Brownie Rice Krispie with a Surprise to enjoy!

I can’t remember when I had a dessert that hit so many of my favorite flavors.

Let me just say, this recipe is about to go viral.

As you can expect I HAD to make this for our next get together.

Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad a great alternative when serving a large crowd.

No need to put numerous salad dressing bottles on an already crowded buffet.

I like to use a nice romaine or spinach but you can use anything leafy greens you prefer.

I stay away from iceberg as it allows too much moisture in the salad, it browns quickly and the texture doesn’t allow the dressing to marinate in the salad.

Croutons, grated parmesan cheese and your homemade dressing show the love you have for family.

I love this salad either as a meal or as a side.

Usually I serve with Italian food dishes such as Parmesan, Spaghetti, Fettuccine.

It will compliment most meat diashes as well.

Caesar Salad is quick to make and allows many ingredient substitutions you may need to satisfy your family.

I frequently take salads to family gatherings.

My sister loves to make the main meals and sides tied directly to those dishes.

This includes turkey, gravy, stuffing, etc. the dishes you add to other sides.

So I bring the rest of the meal. Many casseroles, special veggie recipes, the bread right out of my oven.

I usually bring many desserts of all types. We don’t want to make enemies for the guests that have their own favorites.

I have found the benefits of bringing stock dishes, such as some type of lettuce salad to my family gatherings isn’t as appreciated as much as a macaroni salad.

But I bring them anyway. They are getting enough sugar and starch with my desserts and other sides.

Someone beside my vegetarian daughter-in-law needs to put a check on healthy additions.

Then if the rest of the family doesn’t bring a dish or beverage we are sure to have all of the feast on the table.

You may prefer to make your own salad dressings.

This recipe does include a simple dressing added into the greens.

I don’t like how messy the buffet table becomes with 5-6 dressing bottles around the salads.

This Caesar Salad doesn’t need much other than the spices and oils.

I do keep the crouton traditions, but keep them in a dish on the side as many in my family have dietary restritions.

I don’t make my own croutons.

I would rather just spend my times an energy on more important dishes. (Wink)

Want To learn all about Meal Planning? Find out What to Know, How to Succeed, and What to Skip. Click to read my article, Meal Plan 101 And Why You Need To Do It.

.