Lasagna...Thrown Together

I was interested in making a lasagna that could be frozen and used for later use...I threw in some stuff I had in the fridge for "secret ingredients" (which I am about to divulge), and it was honest-to-goodness the best lasagna we've ever had. I made 2 lasagna's out of the below ingredients, and my measurements are purely estimates, so take liberties where you see fit!

Lasagna (makes 2, 9x13 pans) - Make one for tonight, and freeze one for a friend!

about 17-18 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. pork sausage

1 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese

2 c. cottage cheese

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

28 oz. jar cabernet marinara (or your favorite spaghetti sauce)

2 cans diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 bag of fresh spinach leaves

1-2 cans mushrooms, drained

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

s&p to season

4 c. mozzarella - divided

2 c. fresh shredded parmesan

1 c. shredded or sliced muenster cheese

1 c. fresh shredded asiago cheese


In large sauce pan, brown sausage and ground beef with garlic and onion on medium. Meanwhile, in separate bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, s&p to taste, cottage cheese and cream cheese together until well blended, set aside. Once the meat is cooked, add spaghetti sauce, all 3 cans of tomatoes, Italian seasoning, spinach and mushrooms. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, continuing to stir until well incorporated. While that's simmering, mix all the rest of the shredded cheeses together.

In 2, 9x13 pans, pour enough sauce to thinly cover bottom of each pan. Cover that layer of sauce with the dry lasagna noodles (about 4 and a half, one will be broken to fit the short end of the pan). Pour a layer of sauce on top of this, then a layer of the wet cheese mixture, then a sprinkle of the dry cheese . To complete lasagna, place another layer of noodles, then cheese mixture, then sauce, then a whopping topping of the rest of the cheese for the top.

Set one of the fridge to get cool enough to put in freezer. Cover with foil. Freeze for later.

For the room temperature lasagna - Cover with foil, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

For the frozen lasagna - there are 2 ways to cook it. I write both on the foil and let the recipient decide. 1) From Frozen, leave foil on and bake at 375 for 1 hour, remove cover and bake for 30 additional minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. -or- 2) Thaw in fridge for 8 hours. Bake with foil for 1 hour, remove foil, bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Heather's Foccacia Bread

My friend Heather gave me this recipe, and we swear it is like the foccacia they give you at Macaroni Grill - perfect for dipping with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not too tough to make, either!

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 C. warm water

(mix and let sit until bubbly)

Add:

1 t. salt

2.5 C. flour

Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or put in food processor for 15 seconds so it's nice and mixed. Place in covered oiled bowl and sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down, let dough rest for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 flat rounded loaves, place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with 2 T. melted butter and 1 T. coarse dried salt and 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (totally optional). Let rise for about 45 min. or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown. Perfect w/ Spaghetti Bake.

Divine Deep Dish Pizza

I stole this recipe (and the pictures, thanks Krista) from one of my favorite food blogs. It is amazing - and better than any order-out pizza you can get! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


2 1/3 – 3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

In your mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine warm milk, sugar and olive oil. While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Let the machine knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put in a greased bowl and let rise. After dough has doubled in size put dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 7 inch circle. Place over your knuckles moving the dough around in a circle so that the middle is thinner than the sides. Place each dough ball into 2 separate cake pans that has 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or vegetable, whichever flavor your prefer) in the bottom. And press out to the sides of the pan, trying to avoid getting the oil on top of the dough. I probably only used about 1-2 Tbsp. You need enough so that it will fry the bottom of the dough. Let the dough rise 10 minutes. The put on your favorite toppings.

Bake on bottom rack of oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lasagna Style Baked Ziti by Guest Chef Amy

½ lb.dried ziti
16 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
3 cups spaghetti sauce
½ cup grated parmesan
Italian sausage (optional)
Sautéed vegetables (optional)

Cook ziti until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix cooked ziti with ricotta and ½ of the mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Grease a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ½ spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add ziti mixture and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes or until it bubbles on the edges.

***Serve with Guest Chef Amy's Quick Breadsticks

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni by Guest Chef Amy

4 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian bulk sausage, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup Kraft Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooed through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing. Toss sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
Makes 4 two cup servings.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Amy

4 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed
7 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked in chicken borth
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
¾ stick margarine
8 oz. sour cream
Combine all ingredients and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes.
(Breadsticks in picture will be posted next!)

Homemade Pizza by Guest Chef Amy

Homemade Pizza
(makes 2 large thin pizzas)
1 ½ c hot tap water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups flour
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Pizza toppings (green pepper, onion, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, banana peppers, etc.)
Mix water, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, then add flour. Knead for 3 minutes (adding a bit more flour if too sticky). Cut dough in half to make two dough balls. (You can put one of the dough balls in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for future use if only making one pizza.) Roll out the dough ball into a circle on a well floured surface with a greased rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick and about 12 – 14 inches wide. Place on a greased cookie sheet. (You can roll in the edge of the crust ½ inch all the way around if desired.) Poke dough randomly with a fork. You can top right away, or let rise for 45 minutes for a fluffier crust. Top as desired. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

If you are feeling really ambitious, here’s a recipe to make your own pizza sauce. I sometimes make this in large batches ahead of time and freeze in 1 cup portions until ready to use. (1 cup of sauce should cover one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce (this is supposed to be similar to Papa John’s sauce)
1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato puree
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Combine ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Kim

8 OUNCES SPAGHETTI
8 OUNCES SLICED FRESH MUSHROOMS
4-6 SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS OR 8 BONELESS SKINLESS THIGHS (CUT IN BITE-SIZE PIECES)
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER
1 ½ TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
3-4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
6 TABLESPOONS FLOUR
½ TEASPOON PAPRIKA
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
¾ TEASPOON SALT
½ TEASPOON PEPPER
1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH (14 ½ OUNCES)
1 CUP SKIM MILK
¾ CUP PARMESAN CHEESE
SPRINKLE PAPRIKA

Cook and drain spaghetti. Stir fry the mushrooms and the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice until chicken is done, about 15-20 minutes. Toss with the cooked spaghetti. Set aside. Melt the 3-4 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour and spices. Add broth and stir until the sauce thickens, then add the milk. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti. Mix. Place mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika and back at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Stuffed Shells by Guest Chef Kim

1 PACKAGE (12-OUNCE) JUMBO SHELLS
4 CUPS RICOTTA CHEESE
8 OUNCES SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE
½ CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 EGGS
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cooking 9 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and arrange in single layer to fill. Meanwhile mix together cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fill cookie shells with cheese mixture.

Cover bottom of a 9x13 pan with some sauce. Arrange filled shells in single layer in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.

Authentic Juliano Italian Lasagne

Some friends invited us over for the yummiest dinner...His grandfather gave him this recipe and it was so delicious. There are no exact measurements, so add the amount you think you'd like.

Classico (Tomato & Sweet Basil) Pasta Sauce

Ricotta
Mozzarella (best if white and milky)
Parmesan
Romano

Sauce warm on side low heat.
Cook Italian Sausage in olive oil and garlic (cut into slices after cooking- we used ground)
Add the oil from sausage into tomato sauce.
Oven ready lasagna noodles already pre cooked (right into oven).
Layer of sauce in pan so nothing sticks bottom of pan.
Then noodles.
Then layer of sauce.
(1)For each pound of ricotta add a raw egg with cleaned up fresh parsley
Spread on Ricotta and chunks of mozzarella and some of sausage then some Romano & Parmesan cheese
Little bit of sauce
Noodles
Sauce
Repeat (1)
Top with shredded cheese.
For one of the layers - add some different Italian meats - like prosciutto or something like that.
Bake 300-315 degrees 30 minutes give or take.

Hot Pizza Dip by Guest Chef Jamie

1 brick cream cheese, softened
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 C. shredded mozzarella
1/4 C. shredded parmesan
1 can (8oz) pizza sauce
2 T. chopped green bell pepper
2 T. sliced green onion
Valtrompia bread slices

Preheat oven to 350. In 1 qt. batter bowl, combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning mix well. Spread in bottom of baking dish. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture over cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce over cheese. Top with remaining cheese, pepper and onions. Bake 15-18 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with Valtrompia bread slices, bread sticks or fresh vegetables. So YUMMY!

Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta by Guest Chef Nanette

1 pound asparagus
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth
4 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Heat a large pan of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat. Peel the asparagus stalks and trim the ends. Cut the stalks into 2-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water 3 minutes or until bright green and crisp-tender when tested with a small knife. With a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the label directions until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Blend in the flour with a whisk. add the broth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Blend in the goat cheese and the lemon peel.

Toss the spaghetti with the asparagus, sauce and half the Parmesan. Serve with the remaining Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.



Yield: Makes 4 first-course or 2 main-dish servings

Creamy Tomato Zucchini Sauce

I love creamy pasta sauce, and this one is a cinch.
3 TBS. butter
2-3 TBS. flour
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
pinch pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup half and half or cream (use milk if you want less fat, just add more flour to thicken)
1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
1 c. zucchini, grated into large shreds
1/2 c. shredded parmesan, divided

Melt butter in frying pan on med-high. Add flour, garlic salt, pepper and minced garlic, stir well into butter to create a roux (thick paste). Slowly add cream and continue to stir until incorporated, reduce heat if thickening too much. Add 1/2 can of petite diced tomatoes, zucchini shreds and 1/3 c. parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour over hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with crusty french bread and roasted chicken. mmmmmmmm.

Homemade Gnocchi

My cousin Brooke gave me this recipe, courtesy of Mario Batali on the Food Network. I modified it quite a bit to suit my liking and it was delicious, especially with Creamy Tomato Zucchini sauce which I will post next. If you've never tried gnocchi, but like pasta, you should try these, they are a delicacy, and pretty easy to make.
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 12 medium) at least 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, extra large
1-2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola oil

Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft (about 45 minutes). While still warm, peel and mash well (don't leave any lumps).
Set 6 quarts of water to boil in a large spaghetti pot. Set up ice bath with 6 cups ice and 6 cups water near boiling water.

Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, adding more flour as necessary until dough is still wet but heavy and thick. Place egg and salt in center of well and using a fork, stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces (I used a pizza cutter to do this part). Flick pieces off of fork or concave side of cheese grater until dowel is finished. Drop these pieces into boiling water and cook until they float (about 1 minute). Meanwhile, continue with remaining dough, forming dowels, cutting into 1-inch pieces and flicking off of fork. As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them to ice bath. Continue until all have been cooled off. Let sit several minutes in bath and drain from ice and water. Toss with 1/4 cup canola oil and store covered in refrigerator up to 48 hours until ready to serve. I like to warm mine up and serve them with Creamy Tomato Zucchini Sauce.

This made a ton! You could easily cut the recipe in half if you are feeding 4 or less.

Spaghetti Bake - It's Ta Die For!

12 oz. spaghetti - broken in half and cooked al dente
8 oz. mozzarella mixed with 8 oz. colby jack cheese (or more if you're a cheesaholic)
1.5 lbs. ground beef, cooked with 1 c. chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, and 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms, then add:
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt (or more)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil leaves
Let sauce and meat simmer on low for 20-25 minutes.

Layer noodles, cheese, then sauce two times in a 9x13 pan. Top with 1/2 c. shredded parmesan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Fast N Easy Chicken Parmicheeeeezy

1.5 c. plain bread crumbs
3 frozen chicken breasts
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. cheddar/colby cheese mix (shredded)
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

Thaw frozen chicken until chicken is pink (not white with ice). Cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Wet each piece of chicken in water. Coat each chicken piece with bread crumbs while chicken is wet, so it sticks. Sprinkle garlic salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning over chicken (in glass 8x8 pan). Cover with can of tomato sauce. Top with cheddar mix, then with parmesan until covered well. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, or until juice runs clear and chicken center is no longer pink.

Healthy Chicken Garlic Pizza

Crust:

2 T. active dry yeast

2 1/4 C. warm water

2 T. sugar

2 T. shortening

1 T. sugar

4 C. wheat flour

2 C. white flour

Mix yeast and warm water until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, knead, and press into large cookie sheet. Let rise for 30 min - 1 hour.

Sauce:

3 TBS. butter or margarine

1/8 c. flour

1 c. skim milk

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves minced

Mix flour and butter in sauce pan on medium-high heat to create paste. Add milk and remaining ingredients. Stir well to create an alfredo-type sauce. If needed, add more milk to create desired consistency. Spread over risen pizza crust.

Toppings:

Shredded Chicken

Fresh cut tomatoes

mushrooms (optional)

green onions

3 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. DELICIOUS!

Shrimp & Avocado Fettucine

***I've had LOTS of requests for this easy and better-than-restaurant quality pasta dish***
½ pound dried fettuccine (boiled until al dente)

In large sauce pan stir until mixed, and shrimp is warmed:
3 Tbls olive oil

1 lb. Shrimp peeled and de-veined (I use frozen cocktail shrimp)

3 Tbls chopped fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ red or green jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)

¼ cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 avocados, halved pitted and diced

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (fresh)

4 Tbls. fresh cilantro chopped

1to 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mix sauce with pasta and serve warm with garlic bread.

Easy Pasta Bake

1 bag wide egg curly noodles (or whatever type you like) - boiled in salt water for 7 minutes (no longer - you don't want them to get mushy).
2-3 c. cut up veggies (I used zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and onions)
3-4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 can spaghetti sauce (any flavor)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. italian seasoning
2 c. mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook all ingredients (except noodles and cheese) in a pot until it's well combined and comes to a boil (about 10 minutes on medium-high). Pour over cooked noodles in casserole dish, sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Stir to mix well. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

Quick Fix Calzones

9 Rhodes Rolls, thawed, but still cold
1/4 c. chopped ham
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. mushrooms, diced
1/4 c. diced pineapple chunks
1 c. heated pizza sauce

Mix ham, cheese, mushrooms and pineapple in bowl. Set aside

Preheat oven to 350. Flatten each roll, and roll out to 8" circles. Place 1/4 c. filling onto half of roll. Fold roll in half, seal edges with fork. Place on greased cookie sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with pizza dipping sauce. Don't add the sauce inside the calzone, it makes the roll not cook correctly. You can substitute any toppings you want. We made the ham & pineapple ones, and also did a vegetarian one with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and cheese.