Classic Lasagna

So we needed to add some pasta to the menu this week - so I figured I would make up some lasagna since that is the BEST leftover meal out there :)  I have to say - this might be my new favorite recipe for lasagna!  I literally licked the cheese mixture from the bowl I had mixed it in ....soooo good!!!  I listed another "old school" recipe I have from my Grandma.  That one is also really good - but has cottage cheese instead of ricotta, so try it out and let me know which one you like better!!!

Serves 8 - Bride and Groom Cookbook

Ingredients
8 oz ground beef
8 oz Italian sausage links, removed from casings and crumbled
salt and pepper
6 cups Marinara sauce (2 jars - 26oz each)
8 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz cream cheese (at room temp)
1 cup (2oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (8oz:12 sheets) no boil lasagna noodles
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with veggie oil cooking spray.  Combine the beef and sausage in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the meat is lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl.  Add the marinara sauce to the meat and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Mix the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.  Season with pepper - set aside.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1 cup meat sauce.  Arrange a single layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (3 sheets) on top of the sauce.  Spread 1.5 cups of the meat sauce evenly on top.  Add half of the cheese mixture by spoonfuls evenly over the meat sauce, then scatter half of the basil leaves on top.  Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, 1.5 cups of meat sauce, remaining cheese mixture, and remaining basil leaves.  Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, 1.5 cups of meal sauce, and a final layer of lasagna noodles.  Spread remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil - and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 10-15 minutes more.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Lasagna - from Grandma Green

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1lb beef
1/2 cup onion
Large can tomato sauce
Small can tomato paste
Basil
Oregano
Garlic
12 lasagna noodles
Cottage cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Slices mozzarella cheese

Brown hamburger - add 1/2 cup chopped onion.  Cook till tender.  Add large can tomato sauce, small can tomato paste, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic.  Cover and simmer 1.5 hours.

Cook about 12 lasagna noodles.  Line a 9x9 pan - spoon sauce on top.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoon cottage cheese, then 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, 2 slices mozzarella cheese.  Repeat until last layer - omit mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.

Panzanella

So this was SUPER good....I thought it was funny cause I made this for lunch - and I smelt like it ALL day....so either make sure you have no where to go (or good gum..) - or you will smell like red onion all day!!  And I swear those are mozzarella cubes - not tofu, Ross :)  Super quick and totally worth it for either a side dish or a nice lunch meal!!  One suggestion would be to put grilled chicken or fish to make it more fitting for a whole meal too...

Makes 10-12 side dish / and 6-10 servings main dish - OBB

Ingredients:
French bread - cut into 1 inch cubes (8 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
5 large tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup EVOO
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss the bread cubes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Combine the cucumber, yellow pepper, tomatoes, onion, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Seal the jar and shake vigorously until combined.  Pour over veggies and add bread cubes.  Combine well.  Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before serving, stirring periodically.

Broccoli Salad

So this salad totally reminds me of St. Hubert potlucks....I hated broccoli as a kid, but whenever I saw this salad at the potluck - I always took it and loved it....so appar I didn't hate broccoli (hehe).  Anyways - I was thinking about that when I made up the grocery list, so decided to rely on my memory and make up my own version of that salad.  It was pretty tasty - but feel free to play around with the amounts.  ahhh I'm excited already to eat this for lunch tomorrow!!

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli
5 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup raisins (or craisins)
1/4 red onion, chopped
6oz shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Pork Chops in a Creamy Veggie Sauce

So I'm husband less for the next 3 weeks - as Rossy is working the night shift....but I still need to eat - and he needs dinner when he comes home at 7am :)  So I'm still going to cook!!  This was pretty good - but it wasn't my favorite pork dish of all time....I think it would be really good with chicken or something too.  I would make it again - I just can't say it was "amazing" or anything!

Makes 6 servings - Pampered Chef Cookbook - 193 calories / serving

Ingredients:
nonstick spraying coating
6 pork ribs (cut 1/2 inch thick and  trimmed of fat)
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium green or red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
3 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

Spray an unheated 12-inch skillet with nonstick coating.  Preheat over medium heat.  Add pork chops; cook for 6 minutes.  Turn chops; add mushrooms and pepper.  Cook about 6 more minutes - or until the pork is slightly pink in the center and juices run clear.  Remove chops and veggies.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small mixing bowl - stir together soup, sour cream, milk, and paprika.  Stir mixture into skillet; heat to boiling.

Return chops and veggies to skillet.  Cook, covered, for 5 minutes.  Add tomato.  Cook for 1-2 min more or until heated through.  If desired, serve with noodles or rice.

Juicy Lucy's

So even though it's rainy and cold out - this girl is ready for GRILL SEASON!!!  :)  So yeah, we made burgers tonight.  I won't claim that they taste as good as 5-8 club or Matt's....but on the Sodahl grill, they were pretty tasty!!  How can you go wrong with a burger full of CHEESE!!!  We made this with the Oven Baked Steak Fries and Fry Sauce ....yum!!

Ingredients:
Ground Beef
1 egg (per patty)

Cheddar cheese (cut into 1 inch cubes -- see picture for perfect amount of cheese awesomeness!)
Lawry's
Garlic salt
Hamburger Buns
Onion

Mix egg into the beef (it makes it sticky and hard to form a patty - but don't worry...it helps hold it together in the end!)  Make into thin patties (2 patties per "Lucy")

Put cubes on top of a patty - see picture for how much we used.  Then grab another patty and put on top.  Pinch edges together and season with Lawry's and garlic salt.

Then grill until meat is done - and top with onion / lettuce (if desired).

Oven Baked Steak Fries and Fry Sauce

So I'm on this "fry" kick - and these were um - amazing!!  It was seriously something like you get in the restaurant, only I MADE THEM!!  hehe  They still are potatoes BUT at least they are baked and not fried - so a little more healthy.  Yeah the fry sauce uses real mayo - but hey, it's all about "dipping moderation" :)  This goes good with any dish that teams with fries....we made this with Juicy Lucy's!

Serves 4-6 - Our Best Bites Cookbook

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium russet potatoes, washed

**or another variation of spices - substitute 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 2 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1/4 teaspoon parsley for the spices listed above**

Fry Sauce:
1/4 cup real mayo (no miracle whip!)
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 teaspoons dill pickle relish

Preheat oven to 400.  Mix spices in a medium bowl.  Add olive oil and combine well.

Cut the potatoes into 8 wedges each.  Add potato wedge to seasonings and toss to coat.

Lightly crumble some foil and place it on a baking sheet.  Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and then arrange potato wedges on foil.  This makes clean up easy because your potatoes won't stick, and it also ensures that they're cooked evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes.  Then whisk fry sauce ingredients together and serve with fries.

Bundt Coffee Cake

So we hosted Easter at our casa this year - and it was a success!!  We had 2 egg bakes, 2 quiches (one with meat / one without), mini sausages, fruit, and this bundt cake.  Perfect amount of food - and it fed about 20 of us!  My mom was nice enough to make the coffee cake, but I had to post it :)  And the festive picks totally add to the flavor!! 

From my Grandma Green

Ingredients:
1 package yellow or white cake mix
1 package instant pudding mix
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts

In a large bowl, put cake mix, pudding mix, oil, and water.  Add 4 eggs (one at a time - beat well).  Then in another bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.

Grease bundt pan well.  Put 1 layer batter - 1 layer cinnamon mixture - continue.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Icing should be dribbles on top - 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

OR another tradition in our family is to have a "BUNNY CAKE" for our Easter Vigil party -- check out how cutie this is :)

Whooo and we also had a lovely Bloody Mary Bar - hmmmm!!  We had olives, beef and cheese sticks, pickles, and SIR Bartender Ross throwing in other concoctions!!