I would like to say that I make my own ravioli, but alas I do not. There is just a level of work that I have not stooped to yet. I am not sure that I am not ready to conquer that yet. There are adequate things out there that I can eat and that my family likes just fine. Since I do not serve it that often to begin with I am perfectly happy with spending the small amount of money for it.
I have found that my kids rather like the Grilled Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli from Sam’s Club. For about $10, I can feed the family with plenty of leftovers. It is quick and easy to cook. What I like best is that it freezes well. It is in two packages so I can actually use it in smaller portions if I need to. For example, if Ben is traveling I can still use it as a meal if he is out of town. The boys and I can eat just one package of it and still have some leftovers. For $10, however, I can essentially get two meals out of it. Remember that I typically cook twice the meal at dinners around here because I cook for everyone else and I cook for me.
To bump up the protein content and bulk up the contents in the pasta sauce, I like to add a little more. I have found a chicken sausage that I actually like and that my family likes too. I found these wonders at Target of all places. The thing I like most is that they do not have casings. The biggest problem with a lot of the chicken sausage products is that they still have pork casings on them. These have no casings at all. They have a good flavor over all.
I had originally bought the sausage to go in an Italian Sausage Lasagna Roll-ups recipe that I was going to modify. However, I had forgotten about how this sausage was a little more substantial and actually held together. You can actually cut it into pieces to cook it. This was two packages of the sausage, sliced in about half inch slices.
I had originally thought I was going to just mash it brown it like typical bulk “italian sausage.” Often if I cannot find the bulk sausage, I will just take it out of the casings and mash it to brown it. It works just like bulk sausage, it is just fussy getting it out of the casings without leaving any sausage behind. More of a hassle, but certainly a doable task.
Anyway, I am glad I ended up using it for the ravioli instead because I had forgotten about this aspect of the sausage. Now I am going to have to make my own “bulk italian chicken sausage.” Not a big deal. Not something I have done before, but something I can certainly do.
Here is the Grilled Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli with a tomato based sauce and the Spinach and Garlic Chicken Sausage. It works nicely with a tomato based sauce. I used a jarred spaghetti sauce. Use one of your liking. I added 1 tsp of Penzeys Spices Italian Seasoning and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese.
Here is the Grilled Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli with an Alfredo based sauce and the Spinach and Garlic Chicken Sausage. It works nicely with an Alfredo based sauce. I used a jarred Light Cheesy Alfredo Sauce. I added 1 tsp of Penzeys Spices Pasta Sprinkle Seasoning and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese.
The ravioli is universal and works with both sauces. I cook both packages in a large 5 quart pot, boiling per the directions. I end up cooking a little bit longer because I have a lot in the pot, but I am just too lazy to do it in two different batches. I prepare my two different batches of sauces on the stove and bring them to a simmer while the ravioli is boiling. It does not take long to cook the ravioli so you should do the sauce preparation first. Then I drain off the raviolis and divide them into the pans with the sauce. I just use a slotted spoon and spoon them one or two at a time. I am not dividing evenly though. I put probably two-thirds of them into the tomato based sauce because most of the eaters in the family will be consuming that batch. The rest go into my Alfredo based sauce. I mix the raviolis into the sauces and let simmer for a few minutes. Then they are ready to serve.
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