Tater Tot Hot Dish. Uff Da.

If you're from Minnesota, chances are you both know what tater tot hot dish is and have eaten it. You may also have a family recipe, which is just a little different from your best friend's family recipe. If you're not from Minnesota, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Certain Minnesotans I know (*cough*myhusband*cough*) would probably argue you should stay blissfully ignorant.

I'm not going to let that happen. First, some explanation - hot dish is just what we call a casserole up here. Go to any church basement pot luck and you are likely to find not only at least 3 different varieties of tater tot hot dish, you're also likely to find a whole bunch of other questionable-looking  ground beef/potato or noodle/cream of __________ offerings. I advise you skip most of them.

This one, however, you should try. And while you're eating it, try to fit in as many "ya sures" and "you betchas" and "uff das" into the conversation as possible. A lot of us really do sound like Fargo up here (though we will deny it and be extremely offended if it's ever pointed out to us).

Tater Tot Hot Dish
family recipe
Serves 5-6
Prep Time - 5 min
Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb ground beef (ground turkey works well too)
1-2 TSP olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
1 can low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 can low-sodium cheese soup
Most of a 2 lb bag tater tots

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until they start to get soft. Add the ground beef to the pan and brown. Season with salt & pepper. When the beef is almost done, add a few cloves of garlic. Once the beef is browned, drain if necessary.

Add to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Meanwhile, while the beef is browning, mix together the cream of mushroom soup and the cheese soup in a small bowl. Do not add any other liquid, like milk or water, even though it'll be very thick and you will be tempted to.

Pour the soup mixture over the ground beef. Spread it around a little so all the ground beef is mostly evenly-covered.

Add tater tots to the top of the pan, sort of lining them up, using the picture above as a guide for how to do it. You should use somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of the bag. Cover the pan with tin foil.

Bake, covered for 25 minutes.

Remove the tin foil and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes to get the tots nice and crispy.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Ratatouille Pasta

My oldest two nephews love the movie Ratatouille. I doubt the yonger two have a preference, considering they're 6 months and 12 months, respectively, though I like to think if they could follow a plot line, they'd love the movie, too. We watched it at Thanksgiving (or more accurately, it was on while the adults were talking and drinking homemade Sangria). I'd forgotten how cute the movie actually is. It made me hungry for ratatouille. 

Fastforward 4 months. It feels like summer here. March is normally our snowiest month of the year, but I was sitting on my deck wearing a tank top and capri pants. Now, as much as I know this weather isn't normal and in all probability shouldn't be happening right now, I can't help but love it. It really puts me in the mood to make the things I normally make in the summer when I can get fresh, local produce (often from my back yard or the Farmer's Market at my office). 

This time I decided to take it one step further and make traditionally ratatouille even more delicious - add ravioli, top it with cheese, and bake it. It was a revelation. Now if only I could be guaranteed it won't drop below freezing for the rest of the year so I can get started planting my garden.

Ratatouille Pasta Bake

Serves 4ish

INGREDIENTS

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1 eggplant, peeled chopped (about 2 cups)

2 zucchini, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomato

1 (28 oz) can tomato puree 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

2 packages fresh ravioli (we like the 4-cheese kind from Trader Joe's)

1 cup Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit out for about an hour. You'll probably notice a lot of moisture on the eggplant. After about an hour, rinse the eggplant thoroughly, and then pat it dry. This process will help coax out the bitterness in the eggplant and help collapse the air pockets, so your eggplant doesn't absorb as much oil.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Let it get very hot, but not smoking. If your oil isn't hot enough, the eggplant will absorb it and it. Cook until the eggplant has begun to soften and is a little brown, stirring occasionally. It should take around 5. Add the zucchini and cook until it starts to soften, again about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and again cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced tomato, tomato puree, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley and simmer for about 20 minutes, again, stirring occasionally.

In a bit pot, bring some salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente. Set aside if the 20 minutes isn't up yet, or to the ratatouille, if it is. Stir to combine.

Add the ratatouille with ravioli to a casserole dish and cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Sloppy Lasagna

Growing up, my family's lasagna was always a jar of spaghetti sauce (usually Prego) mixed with ground beef and some mushrooms, layered with noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick. Then, I went to Italy and discovered that lasagna can have a white sauce, too. I was in heaven. It was like a whole new world opened for me.

My husband, on the other hand, prefers his lasagna to be white-sauce-less. This has become an incredibly minor point of contention.

I watched Rachael Ray make this one day and decided I had to try it. You should too. It's pretty quick to put together despite the miles-long ingredient list and was really rich and comforting. I made quite a few changes to the original recipe, but and I think I would keep every single one of them.

Sloppy Lasagna
Recipe from Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves about 8
Prep Time - about 20 minutes
Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind)
salt & pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
pinch of cinnamon
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 jar marinara sauce
a few fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP flour
2 cups 2% milk
pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Break the lasagna noodles up into irregular-sized pieces. Cook to just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the meat and brown. Once the meat is almost browned, add the onion, carrot, garlic, and bay leaves. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Once the meat is browned, drain the meat, if necessary. Return the meat to the pan and add the cinnamon and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute before adding the stock. Continue cooking for about another minute before adding the marinara sauce. Reduce heat and add the basil.

While the sauce simmers, melt butter over medium heat in a medium pot. Whisk in the flour. Cook for about a minute and then whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Cook for a few minutes, to thicken, and then stir in half of the cheese. Turn off the heat.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the cottage cheese and stir together.

Add the pasta to the meat sauce and mix together (stop adding pasta when you have reached your desired level of sauce-y-ness). Put about 1/2 or 1/3 of this mixture into the bottom of a lasagna pan. Add 1/2 or 1/3 of the cottage cheese to the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pour 1/2 or 1/3 of the white sauce over all. Continue layering as such until you are out of all ingredients. Top with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Put in the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the broiler on and keep it under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.

Baked Ziti

I love baked ziti. In my opinion, it's basically the epitome of comfort food. I also love mascarpone cheese. So, as I was sitting at home watching the rain turn into snow and the wind steadily get stronger, I was inspired to make a baked ziti with mascarpone.

I think I struck gold with this one - it was absolutely delicious and I would make it again in a heartbeat - though, I probably would make a smaller batch because I ended up with enough food to feed an army. It's smooth and creamy, and the flavors combine wonderfully. In fact, we liked it so much that I have decided to submit it to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, sponsored by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast, and hosted this week by one of my favorite blogs, Ben at What's Cooking.

I hope you enjoy it!


Baked Ziti with Mascarpone Cheese
Serves 8-ish
Prep Time - 5-10 min
Cook Time - 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ziti pasta
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb Italian sausage
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup sour cream
1-2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef & Italian sausage with onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add marinara sauce to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Thin the sauce just a tad with about 1/8 cup water or chicken stock. Season the sauce with garlic & herbs, to taste.

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and cooked pasta.

Layer the pasta, sauce and cheese in a large greased casserole dish as follows:

• 1/2 pasta
• 1/2 sauce
• 1/2 cheese
• remaining pasta
• remaining sauce
• remaining cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Today is a cold, snowy day in Minnesota, so making a spicy enchilada casserole seemed perfect. If you have read my previous enchilada entries, you'll know that we're exceptionally partial to my original enchilada recipe. However, sometimes I like to change things up - a bit for variety, but mostly to affirm that I do, in fact, like my enchilada recipe the best.

This was great and I'd definitely make it again when I'm in the mood for something not quite as heavy as the aforementioned recipe. Feel free to experiment with quantities and ingredients - I made this one based on our tastes and what I had in the house. I didn't really measure, so my quantities listed are just estimates.



Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Serves 4
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook Time - 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups diced/cubed chicken (I used leftover rotisserie)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt
pepper
vegetable oil
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce
Tortillas (I used 4 burrito-sized)
2 cups shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add veggies. Season with salt & pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions start to soften. Add chicken and cumin. Stir, and saute for about another 3 minutes.

Place a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish or pan (I used one that fit one tortilla perfectly). Cover the bottom of the dish with tortillas. Add a layer of chicken & vegies. Add a layer of shredded cheese. Add about 1/3 of the remaining enchilada sauce. Repeat the layering process until the enchilada sauce is used up. Top with cheese, cover, and bake about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

(Non) Eggplant Timbale

I saw Giada make this on Everyday Italian probably about a month ago, and even though I don't like eggplant, I wanted to make it. Well, I wanted to make the filling, that is. It looked like everything I'd want to make on a rainy Friday night. Well, my plan was foiled a bit when I stepped out of my office at 6 p.m. to find blue skies and sunshine instead of the heavy wind and torrential downpour going on when I walked by a window an hour earlier. I decided to make it anyway. I liked it, but I would make some changes the next time I make it. Those will be noted at the bottom. I hope you enjoy it!

Penne Timbale

Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, originally Eggplant Timbale
Serves 4-6
Cook & Prep Time - about 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 pound ground beef
1/3 pound Italian sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I omitted)
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Fill a casserole dish with the pasta mixture and bake the timbale about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 5 minutes to set.

* I think I would add ricotta or mascarpone cheese next time. The flavor was good, but it was missing a certain creaminess. I think mixing ricotta or mascarpone cheese with mozzarella would create that needed texture

** This needs a chunkier tomato sauce. I used a smooth marinara and found it to be a bit lacking.

***I'm not sure what the ground beef added, except to dull down the Italian sausage spice. I think I'd try it with just Italian sausage.

Cheesy Hashbrowns

I was just looking through my blog posts and was shocked to discover I'd never posted about this recipe. My family makes this at pretty much every holiday/family gathering and I never get sick of it.

Apparently this recipe reveals my true Minnesotan, but I prefer to think it just reveals my wonderful culinary sense. As a bonus, it reheats really well.

Cheesy Hashbrowns

True source unknown - from my dad
Serves about 8

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs frozen hashbrown potatoes (use the chunky ones, not the shredded potatoes)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint (16 oz) sour cream
2 TBSP melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients. I find it helps to add the potatoes last.

Place in casserole dish or 9x13 pan, cover, and bake 45-50 min.

** My family tops this with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and melted butter. I don't like it that way, but if you do, knock yourself out.

Penne in a Creamy, Spicy Cheese Sauce

It's been a terribly long, stressful week. Most days I felt like I barely had time to eat, let alone cook anything. When Friday arrived and I got to leave work early, I decided it was time to whip up some creamy, gooey comfort food. If you like cheese, you must make this recipe.


Penne with Chicken in a Creamy Brie Sauce
From What's in My Kitchen, adapted
Serves 4
Prep Time - 7 min
Cook Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz pasta (I used penne)
2 Tbsp butter
1 green bell pepper, sliced (I omitted)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup half and half
4 oz Brie, rind cut off, cut as small as possible (I used Raclette, another semi-soft French cheese - I'm sure any softer cheese would be delicious)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook pasta, drain and move to a large bowl.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Cook chicken completely and cut into cubes. Set aside. (I did this step on the George Foreman grill)

Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet and add garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. If you're using green pepper, add that at the same time. Stir in the red pepper and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute. Add the chicken stock and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for a minute or two.

Add half & half and stir constantly until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese and continue stirring. When the cheese is melted and the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat and stir for another minute.

Add pasta and chicken to the skillet and stir until coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes. You may need to stir a bit before you put it in the oven - my cheese sauce poured out more quickly than the pasta so it wasn't very even.

Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

If you haven't figured it out yet, we love Italian food. Really love it. I personally think it's one of the best cuisines available. I think I could eat spaghetti with marinara sauce pretty much every day, and my husband thinks the same about pizza. I made up this recipe after looking at a bunch of recipes on CookingLight and FoodNetwork and playing around with them. The end result was great. I loved the combination of spicy Italian sausage with tomatoes and cheese. It worked a lot better than ground beef does. I even think I'm going to submit this over to Ruth for Presto Pasta Nights. I hope you enjoy it, too.

My husband thought the casserole dish looked cool. And because it's just that good, here's another photo of it.

Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS
2/3 lb Rigatoni Noodles
1/3 lb bulk hot Italian sausage
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 can petite diced tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen Organic)
2 cubes Trader Joe’s frozen fresh basil (about 1 ½ TBSP fresh chopped)
~1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded Asiago Cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Brown sausage in medium skillet. When about halfway done, add onions and garlic and finish cooking. When sausage is browned, add tomato paste, salt, & pepper. Add tomatoes and basil and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, combine sausage mixture with pasta. Toss to coat. Place half the mixture in a large casserole dish. Top with half the Mozzarella cheese, half the Asiago, and half the Parmesan. Repeat.

Bake for approximately 25 min or until the cheese is bubbly.

*I recommend serving this with garlic bread and a side salad. Have you figured out yet how much I like garlic bread?

Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina

I've been debating with myself whether to post this recipe. It's somewhat similar to the Fusilli alla Caprese I posted a while ago. In the end, I decided it's different enough (and tasty enough) that it warrants it's own blog post. I like it because it's nice and light, but yet comforting.

Photo from FoodNetwork -
Mine was... not so photogenic

Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina

Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 4
Total Cook & Prep Time - about 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry pastina pasta (or any small pasta) (I used shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes) (I used about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

I've been on a search lately for yummy-sounding recipes that can be made quickly. Unfortunately, this has lead me to Rachael Ray for inspiration. Say what you will about her, but I do appreciate her concept of the 30-minute meal. So, I'm determined to use any recipe I find of hers as concept-only and will do my own take on it.

I came across her recipe for "Mexican Lasagna" and decided to experiment with it. Below is the original recipe, with my changes noted.

Mexican Lasagna
Recipe by Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case (I used cubed chicken breast)
2 tablespoons chili powder (I omitted and used a pack of Taco seasoning)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (also omitted in lieu of Taco seasoning
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained (I used about 1/2 of a can)
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes with chiles, drained)
1 cup frozen corn kernels (I omitted)
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste (I kept these separate and just made taco meat - I put the beans and tomatoes in little bowls to the side).

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. (I layered tortilla, taco meat, tomatoes, beans, onion, & cheese). Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

Foodies, I need your help

A couple nights ago, I made a dish called "Chicken Romanoff." It was decent, but missing something. I can't for the life of me figure out what that something might be. This is where you come in. Any suggestions how to improve this recipe will be greatly appreciated.

5 cups medium egg noodles

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon onion flakes (I used finely diced onion)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I used some minced garlic)

1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Cook noodles in boiling salted water in large uncovered saucepan or Dutch oven for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Drain. Return to same saucepan.

Add next 9 ingredients. Stir. Transfer to greased 3 quart casserole.

Sprinkle with second amount of Cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through.

I'm back... with Ziti

I've been on blogging hiatus lately. Beating Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo Wii became a priority over the past couple weeks. Fortunately for me (and my cooking skills), we've successfully collected all 120 stars, beaten Bowser twice, and unlocked Luigi to make him playable.

A few days ago, I made a really great baked ziti, and I thought I'd share it with you all. It's a Robin Miller recipe. I'm torn on her. I really like her concept, but most recipes I've tried have just been so-so. This one was great, though. It got a big thumbs up from both of us. This recipe is HUGE, though, so I highly suggest making a 1/2 batch, unless you have a family of 20 or so.

Photo from www.foodnetwork.com

Baked Ziti with Sweet Turkey Sausage
Recipe by Robin Miller
Serves 8-12
Total Cook Time - 1 hr

1 pound ziti noodles
1 pound sweet turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with seasonings (garlic and oregano)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (I omitted both Thyme & Rosemary in favor of Italian Seasoning)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
(I also added some minced garlic)
1 (15-ounce) container regular or part-skim ricotta cheese
4 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, reserve 1 cup, for topping (I also added a handful of a shredded cheese blend).
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a hot skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Add tomatoes, thyme and rosemary and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and garlic powder and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish. Top with half of the cooked ziti. Top with half of the cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Repeat layers (remaining ziti and remaining cheese mixture). Top with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Lasagnas

I've been making quite a bit of lasagna lately. I like making lasagna. I find the assembly somewhat tedious, but I enjoy it. I like seeing the progress as the layers are put together. I think my homemade recipe book has about 6 or 7 lasagna recipes I want to try some day, and I swear, I'll make them all one day. I made the following recipe for the previously-mentioned dinner with the in-laws and it was a big hit. I know I might be biased because I made it, but I do think it's the best lasagna I've had outside of Italy.

Photo from www.foodnetwork.com

The Lady and Sons Lasagna
Recipe by Paula Deen
*Serves 8-10*
Prep Time - 25 min Cook Time - 2 hrs, 20 min

For the sauce:
2 cups canned, diced tomatoes, with juice (I use petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
1 lb ground beef

For the Lasagna:
6 to 8 long strips lasagna noodles (I think I used about 10)
12 oz cottage cheese, mixed with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

For the sauce:
Combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. If sauce is too watery, thicken it up by mixing 1 TBSP of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water.

Brown ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains and drain off any excess fat. Add ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Par cook noodles. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the lasagna:
Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place a very thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the pan. Layer as follows:

1/2 noodles
1/2 cottage cheese mixture
1/2 Gruyere cheese
1/2 Swiss cheese
1/2 cheddar cheese
1/2 cream cheese - pinch off small pieces and dot over the other cheeses
1/2 meat sauce

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the sauce.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.


Below is the lasagna recipe I grew up with. I don't like it as well as the lasagna recipe above, but it is significantly simpler and is even easy to throw together on a week night. Today, I made one to give away to a friend that's going through a rough time.

Short Cut Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 (32 oz) jar spaghetti sauce (I don't like to use homemade for this)
1/2 jar water
1/2 onion, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
12 oz lasagna noodles, uncooked
Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef with onions, garlic, salt, & pepper. Mix with spaghetti sauce & water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer as follows:

1/3 meat sauce
1/2 lasagna noodles
1/2 cottage cheese
1/2 Mozzarella cheese
1/3 meat sauce
remaining lasagna noodles
remaning cottage cheese
remaining Mozzarella cheese
remaining meat sauce

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 1 hour.

Mac & Cheese, with a twist

I know I've said before that I really like Rachael Ray's concept of the "30-Minute Meal," but usually don't like her actual recipes. I found this one a while back and thought it looked interesting. My husband picked it out for dinner on Friday. We both thought it was great.


Italian Mac & Cheese
Recipe by Rachael Ray (my changes noted)
Prep Time - 10 minutes, Cook Time - 20 minutes

1 pound ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi (I used shells - It was what we had on hand)
1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage (I used hot)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted)
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
12 crimini mushrooms, sliced (I omitted)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 (10-ounce) sack, 2 1/2 cups, shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), optional
1/2 cup Parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden. (Because I omitted the mushrooms, I added the garlic to the sausage about 1/2 way through the browning).

Preheat broiler to high.

To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. (Since I omitted the mushrooms, I added the stock first and whisked in the flour, then added the cream). Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to baking dish, casserole or oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler. (This only took about 2 minutes)

Three Cheese Pasta

This week was really cold. So, it was time to try some of the heavier, baked pastas. I printed off this recipe from www.allrecipes.com a while ago and it reminded me of a baked ziti I made a while ago - but we both liked this recipe better.

Three Cheese Baked Pasta
Recipe from www.allrecipes.com (my changes noted)
Prep Time - 20 min -Cook Time 30 min
Serves 12

INGREDIENTS
1 pound uncooked pasta (I used about 2/3 lb of rotini)
1 pound ground beef (I used 1/2 lb)
1 onion, chopped (I used about 1/4 of a really big onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce (I used my homemade - about 4 cups)
6 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used about 1 cup)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (I didn't measure)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I didn't measure)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground meat, garlic, and onion in a skillet over medium heat until meat is browned. Stir in pasta sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. (I think I did about 10)
   
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer the ingredients in the prepared baking dish as follows: (thin layer tomato sauce), half of the cooked pasta, all the provolone cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

*I served this with a garlic bread made from Texas Toast*

Chicken With Rice

Last night I really wanted some comfort food. I also needed something pretty quick. So, I searched through my freezer and pantry and decided to try a little twist on my regular Chicken & Rice casserole recipe. It turned out pretty well.

*Note - this recipe calls for Cream of Chicken soup, so if you have an aversion, please stop reading*

Chicken with Wild Rice Casserole
12 oz uncooked wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's Fastcook - no seasonings)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the low-fat, low-sodium variety)
1 packet dry onion soup mix
water

Cook rice according to directions and place in the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan.

Place chicken breasts on top of the rice (For convenience and quickness, I grilled these first on the George Foreman grill).

Spoon cream of chicken soup over the top and sprinkle all with the onion soup mix.

If using fastcook rice, top with about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of water (It should form a very thinlayer at the top).

Bake for about 15 min.

Heat Wave

It's been super hot around here lately. I know what you're thinking... it's Minnesota - how hot can it be? Well, very. I think it's been close to 100 degrees for almost 2 weeks straight. So, what does a girl make when it's so hot outside? Apparently, casseroles. I decided on Sunday to do a bunch of "make-ahead" meals. I made up one I found in an old cookbook called "Marzetti." I seemed to remember my grandma, or mom, or aunt or someone making something similar when I was young so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm not the hugest casserole fan (Given I'm from Minnesota, I know that's about as shocking as the fact that I've never cooked anything in a crockpot), but this one was really good.

I knew there wasn't any reason for it to be bad, but I was surprised at just how much we liked it. We both agreed it's definitely a keeper.

Marzetti

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef (I actually used about 3/4 lb)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente and drained (I used a little less)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Brown ground beef, onion and green pepper; drain off fat. Stir in next nine ingredients. Spoon into a greased 3-qt. casserole; top with cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.