Tuesday, September 4, 2012

It's Tuesday!

So here is the first of recipes for you to try at home and let me know how it goes.

One-Dish Lasagna

I really like to layer my lasagna because I am traditional and I like the pretty look of it, but when I need to get more done then just dinner, I like to exchange hands-on/ prep time for baking time. It will take 50 minutes for my lasagna to bake, but my oven will be busy, not me. 30 of those minutes would be spent waiting for water to boil and noodles to cook, if I didn't use oven-ready noodles. Not to mention the tedious task of getting them out without them sticking to each other or tearing. So, Let the oven do the work, right?  It doesn't look quite as pretty as the traditional way, but as my mom used to say, "It all goes down the same" and it tastes great!

These are the ingredients and recipe use, but be sure to scroll down and see some of the other options you might want to choose for your own lasagna. I've listed options for making your lasagna spicy, sweet, healthy, or just plain easy. 

My shopping list for this meal is as follows:

Non-sauce ingredients:
1 (9-12 oz) box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 (15oz) container of cottage or ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan
1 cup Colby-Jack (optional for extra topping)
2 eggs
1 lb. ground beef or turkey (see options below)
1 (15oz) jar sweet yellow & red roasted peppers 
1 small can sliced black olives
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6oz) tomato paste
1 yellow/white onion, diced (see options below
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. each of dried Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, & Oregano
1 Tsp. each of Sea salt and Black pepper
1/2 cup water

Tools you'll need: 
deep skillet, large bowl & spoon for mixing, baking or casserole dish, measuring cup, heavy duty foil

Preheat oven to 375
1. Brown the meat in skillet
2. Combine all ingredients, save a 1/2 cup each of your cheeses for topping, in your mixing bowl
3. Begin to layer your dish- ingredients first, then noodles. Repeat until you have about 3 layers finishing with ingredients. You want as much heat and steam in the dish while cooking as possible, so cover tightly with heavy duty foil.
4. Bake for 50 min. let rest for 10 min. Uncover and eat

What if I want it spicy or sweeter?

  • For a spicy taste, use Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, or Cajun seasoning
  • For a sweet taste, use the sweet peppers I listed above and 1/8 cup brown sugar
How can I make it healthier?


  • Use vegetables rather than meat. Eggplant, broccoli, squash, or mixed veggies. The taste is easily disguised. My children didn't even know they were eating spinach!
How can I make it even easier?
  • Use precooked, sliced chicken
  • Use veggies rather than meat.
  • Instead of chopping up an onion, go to your local grocery store and pick up a bottle of dried white/yellow onions in the Mexican/ International food isle. 2 tbsp = 1 med. onion. (This is what I use)



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