Mostaccioli and Easy Bread Sticks- Jeanne and Blake McNeil

This recipe is based on one my nieces produced. All of my kids love pasta. The recipe my nieces came up with would lead you into heart disease in a heartbeat. It is chock-full of cream, butter, cheese, etc. I am not very successfully, trying to diet this year, and I have adapted this favorite recipe to make it slightly more heart healthy.

1 c. half and half
1/2 stick butter
1 oz pkg. low fat cream cheese
1/2 c. fresh Parmesan cheese
garlic salt and pepper to taste
I add milk if it is too thick

Mix together in saucepan and cook on low heat until mixed together and cheese is melted.

Nieces' recipe:
1 pt. cream
2 sticks butter
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 T. cream cheese
garlic salt and pepper to taste
(my nieces don't add ground beef to their spaghetti sauce)

Brown 1 lb. ground beef. Add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce. (We prefer Western Family)

Cook one pkg. Mostaccioli noodles. You can also use penne pasta. I have been using whole-wheat pasta, because it is better for my diet. In things like this that my kids cannot see the color of the pasta, they don't know the difference.

Spray 10x13 baking dish. Start layering with the meat sauce, then noodles, then the cheese sauce. I usually use two layers of each. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Easy Bread Sticks:

Blake got this recipe from Jonelle Fitzgerald, who got it from Shirley Zane, for bread sticks. He loves to make them with this dish.

Blend:
1 T. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
Add:
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2-4 1/2 c. flour
Kneed well. Allow to rest for 10 minutes

Coat a sheet-cake pan with butter. Put dough in middle of pan and spread to outer edges. Spread Parmesan Topping over dough. Cut down middle and across (approx. 1"x 5".) Let rise almost double. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Parmesan Topping:
1/4 c. soft margarine
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. garlic salt