Shrimp Orzo Skillet

This dish comes from the Pampered Chef cookbook, 29 minutes to dinner. It was fast and easy, and my husband loved it- unfortunately, my boys refused to try it. Otherwise, a delicious, healthy, quick dinner!

Shrimp Orzo Skillet

Shrimp:

8 oz. large uncooked shrimp (21-25 count per pound)

1 Tbsp. fegetable oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. sugar (it brings out the sweetnes in the shrimp)

Orzo:

8 oz. orzo pasta

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup clam juice (I used chicken broth)

1 lemon

1 Tbsp thinkly sliced fresh mint (I left out and sprinkled in dry parsley with the orzo)

1 cup frozen peas

1 Tbsp butter

1. For shirmp, peel and devein shrimp. Add oil to large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until simmering. As skillet heats, comine salt, pepper and sugar in small batter bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat (I threw everything in a ziploc baggie and tossed it that way).

2. Arrange shrimp in a single layer over bottom of skillet and cook about 1 minute or until one side is browned and edges are pink. Remove skillet from heat and turn shrimp over; let stand an additional 30 seconds or until centers are opaque and shrimp is cooked through. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.

3. For orzo, in same skillet, combine orzo, pressed garlic, broth and clam juice. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-12 minutes or until orzo is cooked through (there will still be sauce in the pan).

4. As orzo cooks, zest lemon to measure 1 Tbsp. and juice lemon to measure 1 Tbsp juice. Thinkly slice mint.

5. Remove skillet from heat and stir in peas, butter and lemon juice. Arrange shrimp over orzo; cover and let stand 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with lemon zest and mint before serving.

Guiltless Alfredo sauce

My husband really likes Alfredo sauce, but it can be very heavy and loaded with fat. Which translates to a once in a long while type of dinner. I tried this version that utilizes low fat cream cheese for a lighter version, and it was delicious! Even the critics in our house who insist they hate cream cheese ate this up. Again, this recipe came from the Our Best Bites cookbook, and I'm telling you, those ladies really know what they are doing! Thanks Kate and Sara for another wonderful recipe!

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)

1/3 cup (3 oz.) low-fat cream cheese

2 Tbl flour

1 tsp kosher salt (I used regular salt)

1 Tbl butter

3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1/2 tsp garlic powder, but I'll go down to 1/4 tsp next time)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese***

In a blender, blend the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt until smooth and set aside.

In a large, nonstick pan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from sticking and burning.

Add the milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more or until the sauce thickens, about 6-7 minutes.

Once the sauce has started to thicken, remove from heat. Whisk the cheese into the sauce and immediately cover the pan.

Allow the sauce to stach for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for upt to 5 days. The sauce will become very thick once refrigerated. To use it, reheat the sauce and add a little milk until the desired consistency is reached.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

When I was growing up, I loved it when my mom would make tuna noodle casserole. Unfortunately, my dad isn't a huge fan of warm tuna, so it was very rare that we had it for dinner. So she taught me how to make it so I could satisfy my cravings. I remember everyone complaining about the tuna smell whenever I'd heat up the leftovers. Funny enought, my mom actually sent me a recipe recently for a tuna casserole that is a little more refined than what I used to whip up in high school and college. It doesn't use cream of soups, instead it's a white sauce base and the tuna smell and taste is very mild. This was a crowd pleaser at our house and we will definitely revisit it in the future!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1/2 cup butter, divided
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced (I used 1 can of sliced mushrooms)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree. Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery,and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mixin mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid hasevaporated.
4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth.Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth andslightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture,and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in asmall bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Since my husband was recently accepted into optometry school in Arizona, I've been trying to come up with ways to survive the heat. One of my solutions is to try and use the crockpot more in my cooking to cut down on the amount of heat coming from my oven. So I've been on the lookout for good crockpot recipes, and I am so glad I came across this one. Macaroni and Cheese is always big around my house, and this recipe makes quite a bit. I would say that you could feed around 5-6 adults with one recipe, and that's if you serve it with sides. We had it with peas and orange jello with madarin oranges in it. Adding a roll or biscuit or muffin of sometype would also allow you to stretch the amount if needed. Either way, thanks Lynn from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures for sharing this wonderful recipe! One last thing- if you are wondering about the egg, it just helps the whole dish set up so it isn't soupy.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
1/2 cup stick margarine, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted

1 cup milk

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker (the ingredients will only fill the crock between 1/2 and 2/3 of the way- so if your crockpot is a little bit smaller, it would probably work, too); add margarine. In a bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, soup, milk and 4 cups cheese. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. (this will vary by crockpot, Lynn's takes about 3 hours and mine took almost 4 hours.)

Cheesy Baked Pasta Casserole

This was really easy to throw together and used things I keep on hand--perfect for a last-minute meal option. It's originally from Woman's Day magazine.

Ingredients:
12 oz. bowtie pasta
1 bag (12 oz.) broccoli florets

1 T. butter
2 shallots, chopped (I used green onions)
1 pkg. (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
4 c. whole milk (I used 2% and it came out fine)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
ground pepper
salt
1 bag (5 oz.) baby spinach (I just threw in two or three big handfuls since I don't buy 5 oz. bags)
1 1/4 c. grated white cheese of your choice
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425* F. Grease a 3-qt. baking dish.
2. Cook pasta according to package. Add broccoli the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to pot.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in large deep skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute until tender (about 5 minutes).
4. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes); stir in spinach. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of white cheese and the Parmesan.
5. Pour sauce into pasta and broccoli. Toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Bake until the cheese melts and is beginning to brown (about 10 minutes).

Note: As is typical with casseroles, this was better the second day. WD gives these instructions for making it ahead: 
1. After completing step 5, let casserole cool for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
2. On the night you plan to serve it, remove casserole from refrigerator and replace plastic wrap with nonstick aluminum foil. Bake at 425* F. oven for 30 minutes; uncover and bake until beginning to brown (about 10 minutes). 

Farmstyle Spaghetti and Meatballs

This tasted great and seemed to be a family pleaser. We will be revisiting this recipe again. Thanks mom for the great meal idea!

Farmstyle Spaghetti and Meatballs

Note from the original recipe: "The sauce on this dish is not a thick and chunky sauce like many of you might be used to. It is a light, “soupy” sauce, which complements the seasoned meatballs and pasta perfectly, in my opinion!"



For the meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs and omitted the aditional Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning


Using your hands, combine all the ingredients until well blended. Pinch off pieces of the meat mixture and shape into meatballs. Place in a large stock pot or dutch oven, then follow remaining instructions.


For the sauce:
1, 29 oz. can Tomato Sauce
1/2 of tomato sauce can of water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 pinch ground cloves (don’t skip this… it is the “secret” ingredient)


In a large bowl, stir together sauce ingredients. Add to the stock pot with the meatballs and stir. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low, place the lid on the pot, and cook until meatballs are cooked through. Depending on the size of your meatballs, this will be 30-45 minutes. (You can simmer this over low heat on your stove for a longer period of time, just remember to occasionally stir.).
Serve over 1 lb. thick spaghetti. Make sure to reserve a small amount of your pasta water and toss with your spaghetti after draining. This will help the sauce to stick to the pasta. Now, tuck your napkin in your shirt and enjoy! (I did notice that the sauce seemed really runny at first, but after I let it sit for a couple of minutes, the pasta soaked some of it up so it wasn't too bad)

Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

Lately we've been on a mushroom kick around my house. I used to almost never cook with mushrooms, and in the last couple of months, I've bought fresh mushrooms several times for use in different dishes. Here's the latest dish. I found the original recipe on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen (posted by doubledippedlife), but I changed the cooking method as well as some of the ingredients. So what you see here, is what I did. You could substitute frozen chopped spinach for the fresh spinach, just remember to thaw and drain the excess liquid before adding it in. I actually prefer fresh spinach to frozen because I find it has a less earthy flavor, but either will work.

Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

1, 28 oz. jar of marinara sauce (or for a homemade version, try this recipe)

2 Tbl olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (I used a garlic press)

10 oz. weight Fresh Spinach, chopped

8 oz. fresh button mushrooms, chopped

2 whole eggs, beaten

16 oz. weight ricotta or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

8 oz. weight manicotti shells

2-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (I used the stuff from a can)

Cook the manicotti shells according to the directions on the box, but subtract one minute on the cooking time (this will under cook the pasta by just a little, but they will be easier to fill and they will finish cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta, and set out (separately) on a wax paper for them to cool.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and mushrooms, stirring until mushrooms are cooked and spinach is wilted (the spinach should still be green, not brown). Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 340* F while you assemble the filling and fill the shells. For the filling, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add ricotta/cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 cup mozerella cheese. Stir to combine. Add in the spinach and mushroom mixture and stir.

Spread some marinara sauce (probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup) on the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan. Fill the manicotti shells with the filling (I just used a small spoon and made sure that the shells were stuffed, but becareful to not break the shells). Arrange the shells in the baking pan. Top with remaining marinara sauce and top with the remaining mozerella cheese and the parmesan cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Pasta with Beef, Broccoli, and Tomatoes

This recipe came from the Betty Crocker Sunday Dinner Cookbook, and it was yummy! It was fun to incorporate beef steak and everyone seemed to like the flavor of the dish. My only complaint was that the sauce didn't thicken as much as I wanted it to, so next time I think I will add 3 or 4 tablespoons of cornstarch instead of just the 2. And the instructions didn't originally state to season with salt and pepper to taste at the end of cooking, but it's a must!

Pasta with Beef, Broccoli and Tomatoes

3/4 lb boneless sirloin beef steak

3 cups (9 oz.) uncooked radiatore pasta (I couldn't find it at the store so I used rotini)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 pkg (16 oz.) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained (I used Italian diced tomatoes)

1 (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth (or about 2 cups beef broth)

2 Tbl cornstarch

2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper, to taste

Trim the fat from the steak and cut it into 1/4 inch strips.

Cook and drain the pasta according to package instructions. Spray a 12-inch skillet with cooking spray and heat ofer medium-high heat. Add beef to skillet. Sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until brown.

Stir in broccoli, tomatoes and broth. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally, until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Mix cornstarch and worcestershire sauce. Stir into the beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Toss beef mixture and pasta.

Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce

This was a delicious dinner when I made it! I got it out of The All New Better Housekeeping Cook Book that I checked out of the library (which is an excellent place to go when you need meal ideas! And I mean both the cookbook and the library!) While it is similar to spaghetti, it is different enough that even if you had spaghetti the night before you'd still enjoy this dish. You could make it even heartier by adding cooked ground beef, chicken or even ham. We will definitely make this fast, easy, and delectable meal again!

Penne with Tomato Cream

1 Tbl Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (I used 2 Tbl dehydrated chopped onion)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (I used my garlic press)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I just added a pinch)
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes in puree, coarsely chopped (the closest I could find was S&W crushed tomatoes in a rich sauce)
3 Tbl vodka (optional; I left it out)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 package (16 oz) penne or rotini
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I just sprinkled in some dry basil into my sauce, probably about 2 tsp)

1. In a nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes (If using dehydrated onion, add with the garlic). Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook until garlic is golden brown, about 30 seconds longer. Stir in tomatoes with their puree, vodka if using, and salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in cream and peas; heat to boiling.

2. Meanwhile, in large saucepot, cook pasta as label directs. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce and sprinkle with basil. Makes 4 main-dish servings (It made enough for 4 adults and some leftovers when I made it, but I also served it with fruit and dinner muffins).

Italian Pasta Salad

I took this dish to a dinner we were invited to, and everyone seemed to like it. The recipe is mostly to taste and is completely versatile as it is easy to adjust it to your family's preferences. (Sorry the picture is a little blurry!)

Italian Pasta Salad

16 oz. small pasta (you could use elbow macaroni, rotini, pinwheels, etc.)
Chopped veggies of your choice (cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, etc.)
Pepperoni (either use the small pepperoni pieces, or cut larger slices into fourths)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (we used about 1-1/2 cups)
Italian dressing (bottled or homemade is fine; we used about 1-1/2 cups)


Cook pasta according to directions on package. Allow to cool in refrigerator (if you coat the pasta with a little bit of either olive oil or the dressing, it will help it not stick together).
Once pasta is cooled, combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. Serve salad chilled.

Homemade "Hamburger Helper"

This recipe comes from Erin at $5 Dinners, however, her recipe lists ideas for making this dish dairy free and gluten free. If you are interested in these versions, check out her post here. This dish was really easy to make and we loved it! Yum!!!

Homemade "Hamburger Helper"

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped (I used 2 Tbl dehydrated chopped onion)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (I used about 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
3 Tbl butter or margarine
3 Tbl flour
3 cups milk (I used 3 cups water plus 3/4 cup powdered milk)
1 cup water
2 cups pasta (I used elbow macaroni, but any bite-sized pasta would work)
Salt & pepper, to taste
***I also added 1-1/2 cups shredded, cheddar cheese

In large skillet, brown ground beef with chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves. Season with pepper. Once fully cooked, drain and rinse ground beef. Do not return beef to the skillet. Yet.

In same skillet, add margarine or butter. Once melted, whisk in flour to form a paste. Quickly whisk in milk until no clumps remain. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, until sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Once sauce starts to thicken, add 1 cup of water and 2 cups of pasta. Stir through. Add 1 lb. of meat and mix together. Cover and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until pasta shells have cooked through. Stir often. (This is the point that I added the cheese. Just stir well to distribute and melt the cheese.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken slightly after removing from heat.

Variations (as notated by Erin on her website):
You could change this up a number of ways. Add cheese if you like. Or add taco seasoning with the water. Or both. Toss in some frozen vegetables while it’s cooking. This is really a basic meal that can be modified in many ways!

Chicken Lasagna

The original recipe came from Lynn and Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. But if you've noticed anything about how I cook, I never really follow a recipe to a "T". However, this was really good, and I'm sure Lynn's original version is just as delicious! I liked that I was able to sneak some veggies into the casserole, since my husband always promises to take some with his seconds, but always ends up too full! The only problem I came across is that I used oven ready lasagna noodles and my top layer of noodles didn't cook right. I'm sure this is because I didn't use enough sauce on top of the noodles, so if you are making this, make sure you cover the top of your lasagna with lots of sauce so the noodles cook right.

Chicken Lasagna

4 cups of cooked chicken (I used 3 cans of chicken from my food storage and seasoned it with a little bit of pepper)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese; this recipe calls for the stuff in the green can not the real stuff (I didn't have this, so it was left out :( )

1 can olives, 4 ½ ounce, chopped (left these out due to my husband's preference, but I did use about 1 to 1-1/2 cup of chopped broccoli to layer in the casserole)

½ tsp garlic salt

Mix all together and set aside.

You also need:

4 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles, 10 ounces, cooked (I used oven ready and didn't cook them ahead of time)

In a 9×13 pan spread about ½ cup of chicken/cheese sauce. Then spread a layer of noodles and a layer or cheese and then sauce again (don't forget the broccoli or other vegetable if you are using it). Continue until you have three layers of noodles. Make sure to end with sauce and cheese on top.

Bake at 350 covered for 40 minutes then uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

I am never disappointed when I visit My Kitchen Cafe. There is always something yummy posted on Melanie's blog. This dish was no exception. It appealed to me because my family loves homemade macaroni, but the version I make requires making a sauce and then combining the sauce with the noodles and then baking it. Which of course takes a ton of time and creates a lot of heat in my kitchen. So I gave this a whirl. It was great! I added frozen peas and carrots and ham (sorry I didn't take a picture- I was running late for taking my husband his lunch at work but if you really need to see one click the link above). I think you could easily add any cooked meat with any complimentary veggie to make a more complete meal, or you could easily just serve the macaroni plain. Also, when I made this dish, I cut down on the amount of cheese I used. Not only does this cut down on the calories, it also cuts down on the cost- but I promise, you won't miss the extra cheese! I'm sure it's even more delicious with all of the cheese, but what I'm saying is it is ok to cut down on the amount. So if you're looking for a last minute dinner idea, give this a try!

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese
adapted by My Kitchen Cafe from The Best Skillet Recipes

3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk (I used reconstituted powdered milk. For instructions go here.)
12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (I left this out)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I also left this out)
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.

Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I didn't need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Ham and Pea Variation
Follow the recipe, adding 4 ounces deli-style baked ham, diced medium, and 1/2 cup frozen peas to the skillet with the cornstarch mixture in step 2.

Broccoli with Pasta

This is a great, quick and easy, but cheap meal. Plus it makes plenty of leftovers for my small family to eat for lunch later in the week.

Broccoli and Pasta

Adapted from the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis's Farfalle with Broccoli

1 pound pasta
2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (or use frozen broccoli)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used my garlic press, or use 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
a couple of squeezes of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (the canned stuff works great!)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. A couple of minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir. Drain pasta and broccoli when finished cooking, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add the reserved pasta water to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

*** You can also add any type of cooked, chopped meat into this dish as well, although I'd probably keep my recommendations to chicken and tuna (or another type of fish)***

Lovely Lasagna

Lasagna takes some prep work, but really, it's the easiest thing in the world to make. And it's SO GOOD!

This makes 1 9-by-13 pan of thick lasagna.

Boil water in a medium to large pot. Cook 9 lasagna noodles until still slightly firm.

In a separate pan, cook 1 lb. ground beef until brown. Add whatever kind of sauce you'll be using until there is plenty of sauce to cover the meat. (I usually just use tomato sauce, but technically you could do any kind of pasta sauce.)

(I'm putting measurements on this next part, but really I just eye it until it's the right consistency. Besides, the first couple times I made this, I ended up needing to make a little more part way through. You'll just have to adapt it to how much filling you like.)

1 or 2 eggs

1 pint (15 oz) Ricotta cheese

dash of salt

parmesan cheese

Italian dressing

Mix this in a bowl until it's a medium thickness. I like to use quite a bit of Italian dressing, and it also is an easy way to thin it out a little if you need to.

In a 9-by-13 inch casserole pan put a little bit of non-meat filled sauce on the bottom, this will act like grease, so you don't need to spray the pan. Layer three noodles, and don't worry about them touching some, that's a good thing. Then put a layer of cheese mixture followed by a layer of meat sauce. If you're putting anything else like olives, artichokes, peppers, whatever, this is a good place to put them. Continue the pattern until you're out, and cover the top with some sauce (even plain is fine) and parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Let sit for at least five minutes before eating.

Of course, you can also make vegetarian lasagna, which is also very good.