Lasagna

I'm back! Did ya miss me? ;) Like April said, we bought our first house 2.5 weeks ago, and things have been a bit crazy since then! But we're officially unpacked now, and once our %*&!@ couch finally arrives at the furniture store for us to pick up (it was supposed to be in on Saturday, but no), we'll be good to go.

I've had tons of fun in my new kitchen already. The inspiration for this recipe (I only changed a few things) was another one I found out of a cooking magazine I got recently, and it's extremely delicious. I made it for dinner one night, then we ate it for dinner again the next night, and I'm eating more leftovers for lunch today. My kids normally love lasagna at restaurants, but of course when *I* spend an hour slaving away in a hot kitchen to make them a fantastic lasagna from scratch, not one of them will touch it. Punks.

Making lasagna isn't quick. It's not difficult, by any means, but it's a process. It took me a good hour to do. But it's so worth it! It's definitely one of my ultimate comfort foods.

Ingredients:
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
12 ounces ground beef
1/2 pound bulk hot sausage
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 15 ounce container ricotta
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook sausage, beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. When meat is done, add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, basil and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine egg, ricotta, parsley and salt.

Drain noodles. Spread 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a greased (I used butter, but you can use cooking spray if you want) 9x13 baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, then 2 cups meat sauce, 2/3 cup ricotta mixture, 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat twice. (The ricotta won't spread extremely well without messing up the layer of meat sauce you already have down. So what I did is just "dot" the ricotta around evenly with my fingers, if that makes sense.)

Sprinkle any extra parsley on the very top.

Then cover and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the cheese gets a little golden brown tint to it. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I was tiiiiiired after standing in the kitchen for that long, so I served mine simply with some frozen Texas cheese toast. But if you're really motivated, serve it with these breadsticks and a green salad!

What's your favorite comfort food?

Cornbread Casserole

I'm finally back in the game! My new laptop cord finally arrived yesterday -- it shipped from Hong Kong, so it took for-e-ver (said like Squints from The Sandlot. Great movie. Watched that all the time as a kid.). Anyway.

This is a yummy dinner that fills you up fast, which is great for cheap cooking! It's kind of like a one-dish chili and cornbread. We made a pan of this last night, and it fed our family of 5 with plenty left over for several lunches throughout the week. This recipe is one that my husband takes responsibility for preparing, since it's his grandmother's recipe. So that means I get a night off when we make this, which definitely adds to its appeal! :)

You can change it up tons of different ways! Add kidney beans, green chilies, jalepenos, Monterrey Jack instead of cheddar, toss in some leftover veggies, etc. Spice it up with cumin or chili powder, make it more Italian by adding some oregano and basil.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package cornbread mix, or see our made-from-scratch recipe

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add onion, corn, tomatoes and bell peppers. Saute until veggies are soft. Meanwhile, prepare cornbread mix. When meat/veggie mixture is done, pour into a 9x13 casserole dish, top with cheese, and then spread cornbread mix on top. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until cornbread is done. **Insert a toothpick into the center to make sure cornbread is cooked all the way through before serving.** Top with sour cream, if desired.

Easy Cheesy Meat and Potatoes

Carrying on with the tater tot theme, our next meal is another yummy one. Sometimes I just don't feel like fighting with my kids to get them to eat something "gourmet", and this is a great go-to meal for those occasions. It's yummy enough to please the parents, too. And it's fast. And it's cheap. So there you go - all perfectly great reasons to make this.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound bag frozen tater tots
4 cups cheese, shredded
(1) 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
(1) 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven, and cook tater tots according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onions and garlic in a large skillet until meat is brown and onions are translucent.

Add soups, sour cream, Worcestershire, soy sauce and thyme to meat mixture. Mix well. Heat through.

When tater tots are finished baking, transfer them to a 9x13 casserole dish. Or you can transfer them to an 8x8 casserole dish and make 2 layers. Either way. Anyway, top tater tots with meat mixture. Then top meat mixture with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Then dish up a big scoop, just for yourself. Yummy, right?

Pizza Tot Casserole

I know what you must be thinking.... "What is she thinking?! Pizza and tater tots... together?" Yes, my friends, pizza and tater tots. This is a great quick recipe to throw together with just a few ingredients. And it's delicious too. This feeds my family of five with a little bit left over.

Ingredients:
¾ lb ground beef
Chopped onion
Green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomato soup
½ bag tater tots
1 ½ c. mozzarella cheese
Optional: a few slices of pepperoni and Canadian bacon

Brown beef with onion, garlic and peppers.

Mix in soup. Pour beef mixture into 11 x 7 baking dish.

If you use the pepperoni and Canadian bacon, sprinkle those on top of beef mixture.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Top with tater tots.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until tots are golden brown.