Quick and Easy Lasagna

I know that most people hate the no-boil lasagna noodles. But I have found out that if you cook them long enough, they are quite good, and you cannot tell the difference. While homemade lasagna noodles are wonderful, this is by far my favorite recipe. Try it and you'll see!

You Will Need:

1 Box Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles (the crimped looking ones, not the straight ones)

2 Quarts Sauce (homemade meat sauce with a lot of carrots and zucchini in it is the best, but if you must do store-bought, use 1 with chunky vegetables and 1 with meat, combined. Add some water to thin it out as well. It wont be as good as homemade, but it should work.)

3/4 Pound of Lean Ground Beef

1/2 Pound Sweet Italian Sausage, Ground or Sliced, Cooked

1 Pound Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

2 Eggs

1 (6 oz.) Bag Organic Shredded Mozzarella

Grated or Fresh Parmesan

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

Garlic Salt

Oregano

Directions:


Brown the ground beef.
Drain.
Combine beef, sausage, garlic, oregano, and garlic salt in large heavy frying pan.
Add 2 large spoons of the sauce to flavor.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile..
Put Ricotta, eggs, 2 spoons of sauce, a pinch of both cheeses, and more garlic salt and oregano in large bowl.
Mix well.
* This is very important. The trick to a truly good lasagna is to flavor the ricotta the right way. Putting the sauce in it helps to "marry" the flavors throughout the dish. It makes a big difference.*
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat the bottom of your lasagna pan in sauce, as pictured.
Lay down 4 noodles, slightly overlapping.

Cover in a layer of the ricotta, then a layer of the meat.

 Add another layer of four noodles, then the remainder of the ricotta.

Cover in a layer of the mozzarella.

Cover in a layer of sauce.

Add the last 4 noodles.

Cover in sauce, rest of mozzarella, and some parmesan.

Cover pan with a good, thick foil. Poke fork holes in 2 diagonal ends. (Do not go crazy with these. We want to allow some steam out, not dry out our dinner. 

Bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 7 minutes more.

    Enjoy!! <3

Chicken Rolls and Chicken Parm Pasta

Tonight you get a double header! I kind of went nuts in the kitchen tonight, making 2 new recipes. They turned out delicious, so now you get to enjoy them as well! They go well together, or you can make them 2 totally separate meals. Or you could make both, and eat for two nights, which is great during the school year! Your possibilities, while they may not be endless, are many!

You Will Need:

1 can (14.5 ounces) Organic Diced Tomatoes
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
Oregano
1 (6 oz.) Package Organic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Organic Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Pound Organic Pizza Dough
1 Pound Organic Pasta (I used Rigatoni)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.
Coat with Oregano and Garlic Salt.
Bake for 39 minutes on the center shelf.
When chicken is cooled, use scissors to cut into small strips/chunks.
Spray a large, heavy frying pan with cooking spray.
Put the chicken, the tomatoes, and a little more oregano and garlic salt in the pan.
Mix well.
Cover.
Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
While that is cooking, cut the pizza dough into fourths, and roll them out (not too thin).
Cook the organic pasta al dente. Drain. Set aside.

When done, scoop the chicken mix onto dough. Place it off to one side, as in the picture. Cover the chicken with shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Roll end over and sides in, and press closed. (Don't worry about how it looks. It will look rustic.)
Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, add some more garlic salt and oregano.
 Bake on 350 degrees for 28 minutes. (If it smells and looks done earlier, pull it out. Don't let it burn. You want some browning, not a black hockey puck.) 

As for the pasta, pour the remaining chicken mix in, add some grated parmesan, oregano, and garlic salt as needed.
Enjoy!! <3

Seasoned Pizza Dough

So I have finally come up with what I feel is the perfect pizza dough! Bellie and I made this today, and we used part of it for garlic balls and part of it for make your own pizzas for her birthday! It's pretty easy when you use the KitchenAid, and it is full of flavor!

You Will Need:

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yeast (2 packets that are .25 oz.)
2 cups warm water
7 1/2 cups flour (have some extra on hand also!)
1/2 teaspoon salt (table salt)
1 heaping Tablespoon ground oregano
2 heaping Tablespoons dried ground basil
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

- Put water and yeast in a bowl. Whisk quickly, then allow to sit for 10 minutes.

- Put flour, salt, oregano, basil, and shortening in mixer and mix on low until it looks like the consistency of a crumb cake topping.
- Add yeast water, and mix on 2 until it is one big wad of dough. (This is where you will probably need to add more flour to make it less sticky.)
- Mix for like 6 more minutes.

- Spray cooking spray into a large plastic bowl, put the dough in, cover with a damp tea towel, and allow to sit in a warm area for 1 hour.  THE DOUGH WILL RISE A LOT.

For pizza:
- Flatten dough out into crusts on pizza pans or stones.
- Spread sauce over dough.
- Top with shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and whatever toppings you desire.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-20 minutes, or until crust is light brown.