Another busy night in the kitchen tonight, but this time I’m cooking for company. Not that my girlfriend Molly isn’t company enough on most of my cooking nights, but this time I’m cooking for a group – my small group Bible study.

But there’s another added challenge to tonight’s cooking. Instead of baking and eating at home, I’ll be preparing the meal at my apartment and then carting it to Minneapolis, where I’ll do all the finish work. I’m hoping I’ve picked a few recipes that lend themselves to this type of cooking. Here’s what I plan on eating tonight:

Pasta with roasted vegetables

• 1 pound of fresh mixed vegetables, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 pound of rigatoni, cooked
• 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange vegetables in a lightly greased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme; pour oil over all and toss. Roast vegetables in a 500-degree oven for 10 minutes or until browned. Drain vegetables, reserving juice; set aside. In a large serving bowl, toss pasta, vegetables, reserved juice and vinegar together. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; toss.

This recipe makes four servings.


Easy chicken divan

• Three chicken breasts or one cooked chicken, cut up
• Two packages of frozen broccoli, cooked 10 minutes
• Two cans of cream of chicken soup
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, buttered

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cheesy ranch potatoes

• 4-ounce package of dry buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 cup of sour cream
• Six to eight potatoes, boiled and chopped
• 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided

In a small mixing bowl, combine dressing mix with buttermilk and sour cream. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, 2 cups of cheese and dressing mixture. Pour mixture into an ungreased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

This recipe makes eight to 10 servings.

Herbed cheese spread

• One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
• 3 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons of cut fresh chives (1 inch)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
• Dash with coarse ground black pepper
• One small garlic clove
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped ripe olives

In a food processor bowl with a metal blade, combine all the ingredients except olives; process until well blended. Stir in the olives. Spoon the spread into serving bowl. Serve with assorted crackers.

This recipe makes 1-1/2 cups.