🤢Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Bake with Egg - **Do NOT try this at home!**

Finally managed to make something really gross. It sounded sus and to be honest the entire process had me questioning ChatGPT, but I went along with it in the name of science :-)

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Jump to recipe

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I haven't gone grocery shopping for a while now. So second day in a row I reached out to ChatGPT to help me with finding something to cook.

I have tomatoes, mini carrots, flour, yeast, pasta, mozzarella cheese, rice, celery, apples, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, spices, sugar, eggs, cooked chickpeas, bell peppers. Is there anything at all that I can make out of some of these ingredients that would work for picky eaters? Give me a list of foods and if I find something I like I will ask you for the recipe.

It gave me a few ideas, none sounded great-

Give me some other ideas. I only need the names of the dishes

Better. I can work with that.

Give me the recipe for 1, 3 and 8

The pasta bake sounded like the easiest to make with the most potential so I asked it for some adjustments (full disclosure these were actually 4 different prompts but the differences are so minor that it's not worth separating)-

I'll go with the pasta bake. i also have onions . Do I need to peel the tomatoes? My picky eaters don't like small pieces of veggies can you please add a step to grind the veggies after they've been on the pan using a stick blender. Can egg help with the texture or not?

However, I started making the dish and the veggies were so watery (pics at the bottom of the page).

The veggie mixture feels wet. Should I cook it some more with an open lid?

Lastly, I wanted the full recipe end to end (for this blog LOL):

Can you rewrite the recipe with the reduction step, leaving the rest as it was?

Sure! Here's the updated recipe with the reduction step included:

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Servings: ~6

Preparation and baking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Calories per serving (according to ChatGPT): 400 calories

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Bake with Egg

Ingredients:

• Pasta (any kind you prefer, 12 oz)

• Tomatoes (4-5, diced, or 1 can of diced tomatoes)

• Mozzarella cheese (2 cups, shredded)

• Bell peppers (1-2, diced)

• Mini carrots (1 cup, sliced)

• Onion (1, diced)

• Garlic (2 cloves, minced, optional)

• Olive oil (2 tbsp)

• Spices (salt, pepper, oregano, basil)

• Sugar (1 tsp, optional)

• Egg (1 large, beaten)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

• Add diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

• Add minced garlic if using, and sauté for an additional 1 minute.

• Add diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and mini carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

• Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and a teaspoon of sugar if desired.

1. Blend the vegetables:

• Use a stick blender to blend the cooked vegetables into a smooth sauce. Be careful as the mixture will be hot.

1. Reduce the sauce:

• Return the blended vegetable mixture to the skillet or pot.

• Cook over medium heat with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes.

1. Combine:

• In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta with the thickened vegetable sauce.

• Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the beaten egg until well combined.

1. Assemble:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

• In a baking dish, layer the pasta and vegetable sauce mixture.

• Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on top.

1. Bake:

• Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

1. Serve:

• Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy your delicious and perfectly textured pasta bake!

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Bonus- My disappointed shared into the void-

I made it and it was kind of gross. It came out super sour and my kids spat it out after being forced to try. Even the middle kid, who would eat her own cat if she was hungry.

So it created an updated recipe but I'm not trying it. You may if you are feeling adventurous, and I would love to hear how it came out :)

I'm sorry to hear that the dish didn't turn out as expected! The sourness might have come from the tomatoes. Here are a few suggestions to improve the flavor next time and make it more appealing to picky eaters:

Adjusted Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

• Pasta (any kind you prefer, 12 oz)

• Tomatoes (4-5, diced, or 1 can of diced tomatoes)

• Mozzarella cheese (2 cups, shredded)

• Bell peppers (1-2, diced)

• Mini carrots (1 cup, sliced)

• Onion (1, diced)

• Garlic (2 cloves, minced, optional)

• Olive oil (2 tbsp)

• Spices (salt, pepper, oregano, basil)

• Sugar (2 tsp, or more to taste)

• Egg (1 large, beaten)

• Tomato paste (2 tbsp, optional, to add depth and sweetness)

• Heavy cream or milk (1/4 cup, optional, to mellow the acidity)

• Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup, optional, for extra flavor)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

• Add diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

• Add minced garlic if using, and sauté for an additional 1 minute.

• Add diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and mini carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

• Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. If using, add the tomato paste to deepen the flavor and balance the acidity. Taste and adjust the sugar if needed to reduce sourness.

1. Blend the vegetables:

• Use a stick blender to blend the cooked vegetables into a smooth sauce. Be careful as the mixture will be hot.

1. Reduce the sauce:

• Return the blended vegetable mixture to the skillet or pot.

• Cook over medium heat with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes. If the sauce still seems too acidic, stir in the heavy cream or milk to mellow the flavor.

1. Combine:

• In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta with the thickened vegetable sauce.

• Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the beaten egg until well combined.

• If using, mix in the Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

1. Assemble:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

• In a baking dish, layer the pasta and vegetable sauce mixture.

• Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on top.

1. Bake:

• Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

1. Serve:

• Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tips:

• Taste the sauce before combining it with the pasta and adjust seasoning as needed.

• Using a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes can help balance flavors.

• If tomatoes are very acidic, a pinch of baking soda can help neutralize the acidity (start with a small amount and taste).

I hope these adjustments make the dish more enjoyable for your family!