Versatile Lasagna

I've been making variations of this recipe for a few years.  I like to add LOTS of veggies to it.

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion, diced
4 cups pasta sauce (I sub part of this for shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, chopped spinach/kale, diced tomatoes, diced mushrooms, etc.)
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, to taste
2 cups mozzarella cheese- I usually get by with less than this
6 lasagna noodles

In a soup pot, brown meat, add diced onion.  Add sauce and veggies.
In a bowl, whisk ricotta, egg, and parmesan.  Season ricotta mixture with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, as desired.

In a 9x13 dish, cover bottom with sauce.  Top with 3 noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.  Cover with sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.  Top with sauce.  Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.

When ready to cook...
Bake at 375º for 45 minutes COVERED, then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered.  VERY IMPORTANT: let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving!

If you are baking the casserole frozen, add an additional 15 minutes to covered baking time and 10 minutes to uncovered baking time.

Bouf à l'ancienne

This recipe is from Pamela. I made it about 5 years ago and had lost the recipe, but I remember it being very yummy. I just got the recipe from her again and made it last night. Delicious.

2 lbs beef (I used stew beef), cut into smaller chunks, if needed

2 cups WHITE wine

2 tablespoons oil

3 shallots, peeled and cut in 2

6 carrots, cut in rounds

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 small can sliced mushrooms

The night before, combine everything but tomatoes and mushrooms in a large glass bowl. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Turn pieces several times.

The next day, place beef mixture in a Dutch oven, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and serve with diced steamed potatoes (steam the potatoes while the mushrooms are simmering).

Rosemary garlic strip steak

This was easy and turned out great.

Serves 4

1 1/2- 2 lbs strip steak

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

a few tablespoons white or red wine for deglazing, optional

In a shallow dish (I used a pie pan), combine the garlic, rosemary, and oil. Add the steaks and turn to coat. Let marinate, turning once for at least 30 minutes (or up to a day in the refrigerator)*.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes each side. Let rest at least 5 minutes.

Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat. Add the reserved marinade and cook, stirring occasionally until garlic is golden, 2-3 minutes. (I used a little wine to deglaze the pan, as well).

Slice steak, spoon sauce over, and serve.

*The marinade can be prepared and frozen with the steaks for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw the steaks overnight in the refrigerator, and follow recipe instructions, adding 1 tablespoon of olive to skillet when browning the garlic and rosemary.

Roast Beef and Cheddar roll-ups

This Real Simple recipe is perfect for a summer meal.

Roast Beef and Cheddar roll-ups

4 servings

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons horseradish

4 large flour tortillas

1 head romaine lettuce, tough ribs removed

8 oz thinly sliced deli roast beef

4 oz cheddar, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and horseradish. Spread on each tortilla.

Layer the tortillas with lettuce, roast beef, and cheddar, then roll up.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Pamela's Boef Bourguignon... which was delicious!

Boeuf Bourguinon

(serves 8)

1/2 lb bacon, cut up

1 3/4 lbs stew meat, cut up

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup beef bouillon

2 cups red wine

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

pepper

thyme

1 bay leaf

4 carrots, sliced

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon butter

10 oz frozen peas

egg noodles, rice, or steamed potatoes

Fry bacon, remove from pan. Brown meat, add onion, flour, bacon, bouillon, wine, garlic, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, carrots, and tomatoes. Simmer, covered for 2 hours. Add peas, simmer until peas are done al dente. Serve very hot over noodles/rice/potatoes.

***This recipe is best when served next day, so you could cook 1 hour, stop cooking, and cook 1 hour next day. Don't thicken sauce until last minute.

Cajun Meatloaf

We made this Bon Appetit recipe a few weeks ago and it was a very good alternative to our regular meatloaf. We made a few adjustments...

Cajun Meatloaf

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we only used about a 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

black pepper, to taste

1 lb lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten to blend

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs (we used dry oats instead)

1/2 cup ketchup, divided (we used tomato sauce instead)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add next 5 ingredients and saute until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper. Combine mat, egg, breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup ketchup in medium bowl, blend well. Mix in sauteed vegetables, Form mixture into loaf 1 3/4 inches high and 5 inches wide in a glass baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Spread top with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes longer.

Sesame beef and asparagus stir-fry

This Bon Appetit recipe serves 2. It is very good! I didn't have hoisin sauce, so I just used a tablespoon of soy sauce. I'm sure the hoisin would give it better flavor, but it still tasted delicious.

Sesame beef and asparagus stir-fry

rice (for serving)

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

10 oz top sirloin, thinly sliced across grain

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup sliced red onion

8 oz (about 2 cups) asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Prepare rice.

Spread sesame seeds on a large plate. Sprinkle beef slices with salt and pepper and then coat with sesame seeds.

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion and stir-fry 1 minute. Add asparagus, stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add beg and stir-fry until brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/3 cup water and hoisin sauce. Cook until sauce is bubbling and coats beef and vegetables, tossing often, about 2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over hot rice.

Beef Stuffed Peppers

Doug was skeptical, but these actually turned out really well. I assembled them ahead of time and froze them, thawed them for several days, and then baked.

Beef Stuffed Peppers

2 large bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, seeds discarded
1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups cooked rice
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
8 tablespoons honey

Place pepper halves in a greased baking dish. Cook beef in skillet, add diced onion and pepper. Cook until beef is crumbled and no longer pink and onion and pepper are tender. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, cooked beef/pepper/onion, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and honey. Spoon into the pepper halves and (freeze if you want) bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Roasted Garlic Beef Stew

My sweet friend Anna Rose got me a Bon Appétit magazine daily calendar for Christmas... last night I made one of the recipes and it turned out great! I made a few variations...

Roasted Garlic Beef Stew

(4 servings)

15 garlic cloves (unpeeled)

6 tablespoons butter, divided

2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1/3-1/2 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 1" pieces

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour, divided

2 beef bouillon cubes stirred into 2 cups hot water

1 cup red wine

Herbes de Provence

Preheat oven to 350. Place garlic in a small baking dish and top with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (butter melts, garlic is tender and beginning to brown). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, peel and dice vegetables and set aside. Next, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper and dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Add beef to pot and saute until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Transfer beef to a bowl. Add vegetables, broth, wine, and herbes de Provence to pot. Peel garlic and add to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 25 minutes. Return beef and juices to pot. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl. Whisk flour paste into stew. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Chevre Burgers

Recipe from Pamela... yum!

Chevre Burgers

5 ounces soft goat cheese

3 tablespoons green onions, white part only, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

3/4 lb ground beef

Mix goat cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Make 8 patties out of the ground beef. Place a dollop of the herbed goat cheese on 4 patties (you will have extra cheese left over- use it to spread on bread, etc.) Place remaining 4 patties on top of dollops and press around edges to seal. Broil 3" from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. Serves 4

serve with roasted potatoes, crusty baguette, and green salad

Roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

We had this for supper tonight- it was very good... light but filling

Roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

2 small heads Boston lettuce, torn into pieces

12 oz sliced deli roast beef

1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into wedges

1/2 red onion, sliced

4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Divide lettuce, roast beef, tomato, onion, and goat cheese among 4 plates or bowls. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad.

Healthy Meatloaf

Miss Daisy is a local celebrity in Tennessee... famous for her traditional Southern recipes, she has also put out a cookbook with healthy versions of the classic dishes... we often make her recipe in mini-muffin tins... it makes for quicker cooking, easy serving, and leftover loaves can be stored easily for transporting to work for lunch the next day.

Miss Daisy’s Healthy Meatloaf

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup uncooked oats

½ cup minced onion

½ cup minced green bell pepper

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup tomato sauce, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, oats, onion, bell pepper, egg whites, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and ½ cup tomato sauce. Shape into large loaf or 2 mini loaves* and place in loaf pans. Spread remaining ¼ cup tomato sauce over loaves. Bake 40-45 minutes. * Mini meatloaves: heat oven to 375 degrees, press meat into 12 muffin cups or 24 mini muffin cups and cook 30 minutes for muffin cups and 15 minutes mini muffin cups.

Pot Roast

Incredible Pot Roast

Recipe from Pamela Hendrix in Lyon… people consistently tell us that this is the best pot roast they have ever had!

2-4 lbs chuck roast (depending on how many you are cooking for)

1 cup water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 package onion soup mix

8 small carrots peeled and cut into 1” chunks (or, you can buy a small bag of baby carrots)

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium onions quartered

paprika

salt and pepper

parsley

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large saucepan. Place meat in pan and turn until each side is browned. Place the meat in bottom of slow cooker. Spread mushroom soup on meat and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Layer vegetables on and around meat and sprinkle with paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook on low heat 6-8 hours.

Sausage (or Beef) Florentine Bake

We made this at our last freezer meal cooking night and it is delicious!! You could substitute beef it you prefer.

Sausage (or Beef) Florentine Bake

¾ lbs bulk Italian sausage
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
½ bay leaf
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon granulated pure cane sugar
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 oz extra wide noodles, cooked and drained
2 green onions, sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, garlic, sugar, bail, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine eggs, 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese and nutmeg; mix well. Stir in spinach, noodles, and onions. Discard bay leaf from sausage mixture.
Grease 9” square baking pan, layer a fourth of the noodles and a fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers. Top with remaining Parmesan.
Cover and freeze. To cook, thaw in the refrigerator and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Easy Tamale Casserole

Easy Tamale Casserole

based on this Whole Foods recipe

(to prepare the recipe ahead of time, wait to make the cornbread topping until just before cooking... cooking time will be longer if the casserole is still cold)

1 lb ground beef

1 15oz can Ranchero Beans

1 jar Medium salasa

1 box Jiffy Corn Bread mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, prepare corn bread mix according to package directions; set bowl aside. In a large sauté pan, brown meat, breaking up large pieces. Drain well and return to stove. Add beans and salsa, stir to combine and simmer over medium heat 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly and spoon into a 9x13 casserole dish (you can freeze the dish at this point to serve later). Spoon the cornbread batter over the beef mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cornbread is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

Chunky Chili

This recipe is a good starting point... add more tomatoes, pepper, onions, or beans as you prefer. Eliminate beef and add more beans for a vegetarian meal.

Chunky Chili

1 lb lean ground beef (or omit for a veggie meal)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

2 16oz cans diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup salsa

Toppings:

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup diced onions

4 teaspoons sliced black olives

sour cream

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add beef, onion, and pepper; cook until beef is browned. Drain fat. Place beef mixture, chili powder, tomatoes, beans, and salsa in slow cooker; stir. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until flavors are blended and chili is bubbly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese, onions, olives, and sour cream. OR, let chili cool and place in freezer bags for later!