Mom 100 Easy Back to School #SundaySupper...Featuring Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Bake

For many of my readers, August means Back to School time for the kiddos...so the #SundaySupper theme for our final installment from Katie Workman's The Mom 100 Cookbook is Easy Back to School Dishes. Since there are no non-feline kids in residence at Casa Garcia, back-to-school isn't something normally on our radar. However, fall is the busiest time of year for me at work...which means that it's a good time for me to have some quick and tasty weeknight dinner recipes in my hip pocket. The last thing I want to do after a long day in the office is come home and cook a complicated dinner! Quick and tasty are my main goals during the workweek. The recipe I'm sharing today certainly qualifies: Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Bake is ready for the oven in about 20 minutes, then it does the rest of the work while you toss together a salad and set the table!

Katie provides a recipe for a simple homemade tomato sauce in her book. However, to save time, I opted to use my go-to jarred sauce: Rao's vodka sauce. It has a touch of cream that added a subtle richness to this dish. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights: simply add cooked pasta of your choice to the sauce -- I used penne, then add some diced fresh mozzarella and fresh basil before popping into the oven. Since Michael likes extra protein, I added some diced cooked chicken breast before the pasta went into the oven. After 20 minutes, you've got an ooey-gooey pasta dinner that will satisfy everyone at your dinner table. I've yet to meet a person who doesn't LOVE cheesy pasta! Add a simple salad and some crusty bread, and you've got a complete meal in less than an hour!

Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Bake

gently adapted from The Mom 100 Cookbook

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Cook a 16-ounce package of pasta in well-salted water until it's just shy of al dente -- about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and combine with a 24-ounce jar of pasta sauce. Add 1 cup fresh mozzarella that's been cut into cubes.

Step 2: Add 3/4 lb. cubed cooked chicken breast and stir until all ingredients are evenly combined. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or 13x9 pan. Chop 4-5 basil leaves and sprinkle on top of casserole.

Step 3: Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the top of the casserole is golden-brown. Let sit for five minutes before serving. Dish into serving bowls and top with more fresh basil and/or grated parmesan. 

This simple dish was SO tasty...zesty sauce, gooey melted mozzarella, and a touch of basil in the background! I would've been fine eating this dish without the chicken, but Michael was happy to have the extra bit of protein. This recipe is very versatile too: add in some sauteed mushrooms to keep it veg-friendly, or maybe add some sliced Italian sausages to make it more hearty. The basic framework is the perfect blueprint for improvisation, depending on what's in your kitchen on a given night!

For more advice and tips on Back to School dinner planning, I hope you'll take a moment to visit Katie's fabulous Mom 100 website and blog. You'll find tons of ideas for saving time in the kitchen...as well as tons of great family-friendly recipes. If you would like to add The Mom 100 Cookbook to your cookbook collection, you can purchase it via Amazon. It's a great cookbook, full of wonderful easy-to-make recipes that don't sacrifice flavor in the process. 

Be sure to join the #SundaySupper brunch for a live Twitter chat with author Katie Workman this evening at 700EST. She'll be sharing Back to School recipes during our chat. In the meantime, take a peek at the recipes my fellow #SundaySupper members are sharing this week:

Easy Breakfast ideas:

• Hawaiian Scrambled Eggs Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Scrambled Eggs with sausage and fresh herbs by Basic n Delicious
• Breakfast Wraps by Magnolia Days 
• Scrambled Eggs with Herb Croutons Comfy Cuisine 
• Scrambled Eggs for Preschoolers In the Kitchen with Audrey 

Lunchbox Wraps:

• Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap by Meal Planning Magic
• California Chicken Wraps by Momma’s Meals
• Chicken, Hummus, and sautéed Vegetable Wraps by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Grilled Roast Beef Wraps with Horseradish Mayo by Juanita’s Cocina
• Mesquite Turkey, Mango and Pepper Jack Wraps by Shockingly Delicious 
• Hummus, Cucumber, Roasted Pepper and Carrot Lunchbox Wrap by Mama’s Blissful Bites 
• Quick and Easy Mozzarella and Meatball Wrap by Mama Mommy Mom 
• Herbed Beef Wraps by Brie’s Bites 
• California Wraps by Daily Dish Recipes  

Easy Weekday Suppers:

•  Sautéed Corn, with Double Bacon, Scallions and Shrimp by The Meltaways 
• Garlic Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken by Supper for a Steal
• Kebab Chicken & Grilled Veggie Wraps with Tahini Sauce by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz  
• Choose Your Topping Grilled Pizza by In the Kitchen with KP
• Quesadillas Your Way by Mrs. Mama Hen
• BBQ & Cheddar Chicken Quesadillas by Big Bears Wife 
• Yum Yum Salmon Quesadillas by Family Foodie

After School Snacks:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares by  Girlichef
• Fudgy One-Pot Raspberry Cocoa Brownies by Chocolate Moosey
• Fudgy One-Pot Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pear Choco Walnut Coffee Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Peach Clafoutis by The Messy Baker Blog  

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