Two political opponents were having a debate. “There are many ways of making money,” said the first, “but there is only one honest way.”

“And what is that?” asked the second.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t know,” said the first.

And that, my friends, is as deep as I Sing In The Kitchen wants to ever get into politics! Such insanity.

Bring on the food and music.

There is no way that combining bacon and tortellini in a creamy, cheesy sauce is not going to knock dinner out of the park. Add some broccoli for color, crunch and token veggie and you have a family friendly meal in about 30 minutes.

Bacon Tortellini Bake

Ingredients:

20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
3 cups small fresh broccoli florets
1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding broccoli during the last 2 minutes. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic to drippings in pan. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.

5. Stir in flour, Italian seasoning, and pepper until blended. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Add tortellini mixture and bacon then toss to combine.

7. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.

8. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until heated through and broccoli is tender.

Note: To freeze, sprinkle remaining cheeses over unbaked casserole. Cover and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through.

Serves 6

Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine

So often we do short and sweet songs that long and lovely would be a perfect change up.

This new song by Melbourne-based musician Hayden Calnin packs mesmerizing vocals over delicate piano. It’s all at once eerie and gorgeous.

Check out Hayden Calnin on his Website. You can buy the music here.

Cheers!