Mom's Lasagna

Olive Garden has nothing on my momma! If you want a great lasagna recipe - give this one a try!

Lasagna

9 Lasagna Noodles
1 - 16 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 Small Can Tomato Paste
Small Jar Spaghetti Sauce (Prego is my fave!)
2 lbs. Hamburger
Large Onion - Chopped Finely
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Bay Leaf
1-2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 Small Container Cottage Cheese (I use lowfat/small curd)
2-4 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Sauce:
Brown hamburger and onion and drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, garlic, bay leaf, sugar and salt and pepper to pot. Stir well and let simmer for an hour. Remove and discard bay leaf once simmering time is over.

To make lasagna:
Cook lasagna noodles and set aside. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and layer in the following order 3 times:
Sauce / Noodles / Cottage Cheese / Parmesan Cheese / Mozzarella Cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

Here's another great crock-pot recipe! I found this on another blog (same one I found the previous recipe) and made it for the first time this week. It's simple and really good. Another one that the whole family loved, which is just great! I am trying to find more crock-pot meals because with a new baby, it is just easier to throw a good meal together if all I have to do in the evening is make a few sides and the biggest portion of the meal is already done. I know a lot of you work full-time and love using your crock-pot, too. This one uses just a couple ingredients and was really good with mashed potatoes. But since it's bbq, you could also make baked beans, baked potatoes, or any other side you like with bbq and it would be awesome!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

4-6 Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 Cans of Coca-Cola (I had a 2-liter and used about 16 oz.)
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Kraft BBQ sauce, original blend)

Put everything in crock-pot, stir to combine the soda and sauce. Cook on low all day or on high 4-5 hours.

Creamy Italian Chicken - Crock Pot Recipe

I found this recipe on another blog site recently and just had to try it out. I love crock pot recipes and am always looking for something new - especially on Sundays! It's nice to throw it in before church and then come home to a nice hot meal. All of us really liked this a lot. It's simple to throw together and is great served over rice! I also made some green beans and garlic toast to go with it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 pkg. Dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Place chicken in crock pot. Break cream cheese and butter into pieces and place all over top of chicken. Sprinkle Italian dressing packet over top and cook on low all day, or on high for 4 hours. Serve over rice.

Sandwich for a Crowd

I got this recipe from my sister years ago. It's a great sandwich to take to a party or luncheon, but it's also a favorite of my family just for a yummy lunch at home. It sounds so simple and it is, the spread is what makes it so great! I hope you try it out for your next get-together or just one day when you want something besides just a plain old turkey sandwich for lunch! Both of my kids love it - I hope yours will too!

Sandwich for a Crowd

2 loaves unsliced French Bread
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup chopped green onions
1/4 Cup Mayo
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. deli ham, sliced thin
1 lb. deli turkey, sliced thin
Sandwich sliced dill pickles

Cut bread in half length-wise and hollow out top and bottom leaving about 1/2" shell.
With hand mixer, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onions, mayo, and worcestershire sauce. Spread on both sides of French bread. Layer ham and turkey over spread and then top with pickles. Gently press both halves together and wrap in saran wrap. Chill for 2 hours, slice and serve.

If you are making this and don't need 2 full sandwiches, just make up the spread and use only what you need. Keep the spread in an airtight container and refrigerate for several days using it as needed. (I do this a lot, if we just want it for lunch, I make about a half a loaf at a time and use it over the course of a few days.) Also, if I'm just making this for a quick lunch, I don't worry about chilling it, I just put it together and we eat! It's still great!

Paula Deen's Beef Stroganoff

What's my deal?! No recipes for 3 months and now 2 in one week! I just realized that I haven't posted this recipe yet and I have no clue why. It's so good. It's Paula Deen's recipe, so really why would it be anything less than amazing. Fattening, yes. But, you can work it off later, so just get in your kitchen and whip out the real butter and sour cream (not light or low fat - that would just be wrong), and pretend it's good for you. A couple extra laps around the track and it'll all even itself out.

I make this with a veggie - usually corn or green beans and while I'm at it, I whip up some Jiffy Brand cornbread muffins and it all goes together wonderfully!

Beef Stroganoff by Paula Deen

1 1/2 lbs. Round Steak (sliced into thin strips, against the grain)
House Seasoning (see below for recipe)
Flour
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Medium Onion, Chopped fine
8 oz. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms (optional - I usually use them, but chop them very fine and I don't use nearly 8 oz. - I leave them out some, too)
1 Can Beef Broth
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup Sour Cream

Cooked Egg Noodles (I don't use a full bag of noodles - about 1/2 to 3/4 bag)

House Seasoning
1 Cup Salt
1/4 Cup Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Garlic Powder

Combine all and put in airtight container for up to 6 months

Season the steak strips well with House Seasoning, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, add olive oil and butter and quickly brown meat on both sides over medium to medium high heat. Remove steak from skillet and set aside. Add chopped onion and mushrooms to pan drippings and saute on medium for a few minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. flour. Add meat back to pan and pour in beef broth and soup, combine well. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasonings if necessary adding salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream just before serving. Toss in cooked noodles and combine with sauce.

(Don't be shy when seasoning steak with the House Seasoning - it will just make your meat and sauce that much more flavorful!)

Rhode's Pizza Bread

I am seriously the worst recipe blogger ever. How did the entire summer go by without one post? Not that you are all sitting around on pins and needles every day waiting for me to post a new recipe or anything, but good grief, I can do better than 1 every 3 months!

I made this recipe tonight as a quick and fun way to celebrate the first day of school. The girls love pizza - and this one is just fun! It's more like a calzone, I guess. And they love the idea of getting a slice and dipping it in the pizza sauce. It's different and really good! Plus - you can make it any way you like pizza. It's all up to you - I'll post the recipe and even a couple pictures of how I made it and you take the basic idea and create away!

Rhode's Pizza Bread

1 loaf frozen Rhode's bread dough
Shredded mozzarella cheese - about 2 cups
Pizza toppings of your choosing:
Ground beef, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc, etc!
1/2 Cup flour (for rolling out dough)
Drizzle of Olive oil

At least 7 hours prior to making, set out a loaf of frozen bread dough in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Cover lightly with plastic wrap (spray some Pam on the side of wrap that will face bread dough). Set on counter and allow dough to thaw and at least double in size.

When dough has risen, remove from pan and work into a 1/4" thick pizza crust on a floured surface. (I just put flour down on my counter and use my rolling pin to roll the dough out - it may take a little work as the dough likes to "shrink" up until you've worked it enough - just flip it over occasionally and keep rolling!) Set dough aside and prepare your toppings. I usually brown up ground beef with some onions, garlic and Italian seasonings, but you can put in anything you like. Sprinkle cheese over dough leaving about 1" to 1.5" around the edge - this way your toppings aren't falling out! Then add the rest of your toppings - whatever those might be! Roll up jelly roll style, rolling and turning ends in as you go. When you get to the end, place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over top of dough and rub all over top and sides. Bake for 20-25 minutes on 350. Heat up pizza sauce, slice bread into pieces and dip away!

Depending on the thickness of your dough, you may need to cut it open and see if it's done enough - if not, throw it back in for another 3-5 minutes. It's great with a quick salad! Here are some pics! :) I'm no photographer, so they aren't great - but you'll get the idea!

Oh Pioneer Woman, How I love thee!

Had I known about the Pioneer Woman's website a long time ago, my dinner making life would have been much easier. I have been feverishly searching her site since last weekend looking at as many recipes as I possibly can and have several that I'm going to try out. My sister tried this one in particular the other night and emailed me to tell me that it was a must make. Let's just say that she didn't lead me astray. This pasta tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant, not my little kitchen. You have to try it. I whipped it together in 30 minutes and although I did alter the recipe a little from the original (I used chicken instead of shrimp and chicken broth instead of wine), it was still great! If you want to try it in its original form, check out her website and search "Pasta a la Betsy". But, if you are looking for quick, easy, and kid friendly - go buy yourself a rotisserie chicken from Walmart or your grocery store (most found in the deli section), remove the skin from the white meat, cut in chunks and you are good to go! Hope you like it as much as we did. Thank you Pioneer Woman!

Pioneer Woman's Pasta a la Betsy (with a couple alterations)

2 Tbsp. Butter (not margarine)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil and Parsley (about 1 Tbsp. each, chopped)
Rotisserie Chicken - Skin and bones removed (I used white meat only and chopped into bite size pieces)
1 lb. Penne Pasta, Cooked to al dente

In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth and cook on medium for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce well and then add whipping cream. Stir until well combined and turn to a simmer. While simmering, chop chicken and fresh herbs. Add chicken to sauce mixture and stir in basil and parsley. Drain penne well and stir into sauce. (I used a little less than a full lb. of the pasta so that it didn't drink up all my sauce as she recommends). Serve with a salad and garlic bread and enjoy!!

(Again, I altered this for our family. If you would prefer it with shrimp, please go to her website and search this recipe to make it as she recommends. I didn't have access to fresh shrimp and it wasn't as kid friendly as the chicken.)