Score One for The Lasagna!!!

I am by no means an awesome cook but I can put something fairly good on the table to eat (at least Harley Man and the girls have said so)!  I found a lasagna recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website and decided to try it.  Instead of breakfast sausage, I used hot Italian Sausage in with my ground beef and omitted the salt in this recipe because we don't do that much salt! If I do say so it was quite good.  No not gourmet but worthy of adding to my recipe collection because it was easy and yummy!!  Do you make an awesome lasagna?  If so, please share the recipe with me...in the meantime I'll continue to use this one.


The Best Lasagna Ever
Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• 1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• ½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
• (add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for lasagna noodles.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.
In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside.
Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:
Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.
Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.
Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

It's Food Friday...Got Chicken???

Here are two fairly easy chicken casserole recipes I found over at Pioneer Woman's website!!  You can't go wrong using one of her recipes....so delicious!!!

Chicken Spaghetti



Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Chicken (I used 4 skinless chicken breasts)
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot or Canned Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions:

Cook 1 cut up fryer or skinless chicken breasts and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken (I used 4 skinless chicken breasts)
• 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
• 16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced
• ¼ cups Dry White Wine
• Kosher Salt And Pepper
• ¼ cups Flour
• 2 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
• 1-½ cup Whole Milk
• ¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Preparation Instructions:

Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.
Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.
Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.
Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.
Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Gearing Up!!

Do you realize the first day of autumn is just around the corner??  Yep, it's next Friday!!  I love autumn...the changing of the leaves, the cool crispness in the air, orange pumpkins springing up in church lawns, juicy apples ready to be baked into luscious pies, county fairs for the young at heart...doesn't get any better than that!!

Bman and I decided with fall just around the corner, it would be a great time to cook a delicious beef stew for the coming fall days.  So yesterday, we made Beer Beef Stew together. Since Bman works long hours, this one can be cooked and then placed in the freezer to await those cool, crisp autumn days!

It is a fabulous stew full of juicy beef, tons of potatoes and carrots swimming in an awesome broth.  The recipe is one of Pioneer Woman's and we think it's perfect for the coming fall weather.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!


Beer Beef Stew

Ingredients:                                                                                           

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• ½ teaspoons Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-½ teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
• 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
• Minced Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.
Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.
Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve in bowls next to crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired.