Spinach Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce and Cheesy Garlic Bread

For supper tonight, the menu was Cheese and Spinach Ravioli with Cheesy Garlic Swirl Bread.

I bought the ravioli in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Low Fat Alfredo Sauce
2 tbsp margarine (I use I can't Believe its not Butter Light)
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 oz low fat cream cheese (I use neufchatel- 1/3 the fat of regular cream cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

1- Melt the margarine in the bottom of a saucepan, on medium.
2- Whisk in the flour. Combine until it becomes paste-like. Cook for a minute or two.
3- Whisk milk into the butter-flour combo. Whisk until the milk is fully combined with the butter & flour and no lumps remain.
4- Increase the heat to med-high, keep whisking so that the bottom does not burn. I ended up covering the pot for a minute or two to increase the temperature of the mixture, and bring it to a boil.
5- As soon as the mixture starts boiling, continuously stir until the sauce thickens and becomes thickness of gravy.
6- Once the sauce is thickened, return the stove temperature to low.
7- Add the cream cheese, in small hunks. Use a spoon to break down and melt the cream cheese. Once the hunks are small (smaller than peas) use the whisk again to completely combine the cream cheese into the milk sauce.
8- Once the cream cheese is fully incorporated into the sauce, add the salt & pepper, parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Looks good enough to me!- Jaq

The bread was so good. I adapted the recipe from one I found at Annie's Eats.

Garlic Herb Swirl Bread
Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups bread flour, divided
1 tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. active dry or quick-rising yeast
½ tsp. salt
1 cup very warm water (115-125°)
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened or melted

For the filling:
4 tbsp. butter, softened
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer combine 2 cups bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

2- Add in water and butter/margarine and mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minute. Add in remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is moist but not sticky.

3- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over to coat with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40-45 minutes.

5- Grease a 9×5” loaf pan. Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle no more than 9” wide.

6- Combine butter, garlic, italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

7- Spread the butter mixture over the surface of the dough rectangle.

8- Spread a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the butter mixture.

9- Tightly roll up the dough into a cylinder shape, pinching and tucking ends to form a tight seal. Place seam side down in prepared loaf pan.

10- Oil the surface of the loaf and cover loosely with a clean cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20-45 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with Parmesan cheese if desired.

11- Preheat the oven to 450°. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for about 30 minutes more.

12-To prevent over-browning, cover with foil toward the end of baking if necessary. Bake until crust is golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer from pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing.

My bread kind of smushed when I cut into it- I'm not sure if it was the addition of the cheese, or that I didn't completely let it cool before busting into it. I couldn't help myself!