PW's Best Lasagna Ever

I forget how many lasagna recipes I have on my blog, but THIS one will be my go to for now on. I found it at The Pioneer Woman's blog and made one for the family and a smaller portion of their's gluten free for myself. I used a rotelle pasta and sort of layered it in a small baking dish. The flavors were so good and smoky and I liked the cottage cheese in it. That was something new to try for myself, I always use ricotta. It was great!


PW's Best Lasagna Ever
slightly adapted

1-1/2 pound 80/20 Ground Beef
1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage (Jimmy Dean)
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
3 cans (14 oz ea)Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
12 Ounces Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1/2 cup Grated (shaker can) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles (or gluten free pasta)

For directions, click here. I also drained all the grease from the meat.


Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,

Breakfast Casserole Cups

I needed something new for breakfast, something quick that will help settle my morning pills, cereal was getting old. These are perfect, just a couple will do me, I can reheat them as I want them too. Now, I did have to change the amounts, as I found it did not make enough potato nests, and since I added in more veggies and meat to my egg mixture it went further allowing me to make 16 cups. Take a look at her page if you don't want so many or less ingredients, I just added things I like to my breakfast. They came out great, I liked the crispy potatoes. Oh except they did stick to my tins, but my tins are old and lost it's nonstick. I did order new tins so I'll try it again and see if they stick. I hear those silicone muffin cups work good.


Breakfast Casserole Cups
adapted from Skinny Taste this recipe  below gave me 16 cups

non stick spray
1 Cup finely diced yellow onion
4 Cups frozen shredded potatoes, thawed (gluten free)
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

2 Cups beaten egg whites (6-8 xl eggs worth)
1/4 Cup diced green onions
1/4 Cup diced bell peppers
1/4 Cup diced mushrooms
1/4 Cup diced ham
4 breakfast sausage links, cooked, diced (gluten free)
1 Cup reduced fat shredded cheddar blend cheese
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375°. Liberally spray a regular size muffin tin with oil spray.

Combine potatoes, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Fill each muffin tin with 1/4 cup of potatoes and press along the side of the tin so that it forms a nest.
Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown and edges are crispy.

While nests are baking, combine the egg whites with remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. 

Remove nests from the oven when golden brown.
Fill each cup with about 3 tbsp of egg mixture (be sure there's enough egg whites in each). Return to the oven and bake an additional 17-20 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked. Enjoy now, or let cool and freeze and bag for later to reheat. (thaw over night in fridge, microwave when ready to eat, but note they will not be cripsy like Day 1)

Did you like this post? If so, please commet, share it or PIN it! =)

enjoy,

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

You know when you see someone in a TV show make something and you can't stop thinking about it? Well I was watching Khloe & Lamar (Oh shhh!) and she made a dish like this for her Father in Law and it was so simple and they loved it. Well I woke up thinking about it and had to find a recipe for it. A friend pointed this to me and of course I added my own little touch. I used gluten free sausage, broth and pasta. The bell peppers and onions were already sliced and ready to cook in a package my store sells for fajitas (Fresh & Easy stores).

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Peppers {Gluten Free}

adapted from allrecipes

1 pound gluten free Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
8 ounces gluten free penne pasta
3/4 cup gluten free beef broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

5 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/4 C. mozzarella, shredded

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and onions in large skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown and juices run clear. Set aside sausage mixture and add bell peppers to the pan, sautee for a few minutes until just tender, set aside. Pour in the broth, season with black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes, return the sausage and onions to the pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add peppers back to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with sausage sauce, sprinkle in cheeses and basil and serve.

ready to toss in pasta

 

 ~Be sure to follow my recipe blog so you can get all the latest goodies!~

enjoy,

Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

Here's another tried and try recipe we like. Again from the rceipe cards from long ago. I love the simple flavors of this, particularly the brightness of the tomato sauce. I had some issues with my noodles, most of the, broke while cooking. Luckily the recipe makes enough to fill 10 and I had 9 full tubes and the broken one, I just rolled closed. I was also having troubles stuffing the manicotti. I tried using a baggie, but the mixture just sort of ripped the noodle open more. Then I figured out that I could roll the mixture into a tube shape and stuff the manicotti that way.

Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

slightly adapted from Healthy Meals in Minutes recipe cards

1 package (8oz) manicotti shells (this recipes will use 10, prepare for torn shells)

14 oz reduced sodium tomato sauce (I used 24 oz)

6 oz hot or sweet (Italian) sausage, casings removed (I used Italian ground turkey)

15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 TBL chopped fresh parsley
Italian Seasoning grinder (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper


Preheat oven to 350'. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
Cook pasta according to package, but do not add salt. Drain pasts in a large colander.
To prepare filling, in a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring to crumble, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, sausage, egg, parsley, and pepper. Mix well. Add mixture to cooked manicotti. (TIP: this is how I did it: if the mixture isn't too wet, you can take a little and roll it into a cigar shape, then stuff each shell that way.)
Place stuffed manicotti in a single layer in prepared pan (I actually added a little tomato sauce & Italian seasoning to the bottom of the pan too). Spoon tomato sauce evenly over manicotti, sprinkle with mozzarella and more Italian seasonin. Bake covered until heated through, about 25 minutes, then uncover ans cook another 10 minutes.

~Be sure to follow my recipe blog so you can get all the latest goodies!~

enjoy,

Zuppa Toscana

Let's warm up a bit...it's cold and wintry weather out there! This may help. It tastes very very close to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. For my Birthday we went to the Olive Garden and I had to try this soup, since it was talk on Facebook the night before, plus I had already looked this recipe up and I wanted to see what it was about. Deliciousness, that's what! However, I think I'm the only one who liked it the most, I'm telling you, it's the "green stuff" that turned my family away. lol

Zuppa Toscana Knock Off

1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 large Yukon Gold Potatoes sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large Onion, chopped
6 bacon strips
2 cloves garlic minced
2 C. Kale chopped
2 cans Chicken Broth
1 qt. Water
1 C. half and half

Cook sausage and bacon, brown, crumble and drain. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat, add kale and half and half. Heat through and serve.

Sharing a bowl at


~Follow my new recipe url so you can get all the latest goodies!~

enjoy,

Slow Cooker BBQ Beans and Polish Sausage {Gluten Free}

This reminds me of a grown up version of beenie weenie casserole. I used 2 rings of sausage for us, and even with 2 cans of each kind of bean, it makes a lot! The beans reminded me of baked beans and Mr. loved them. The juices from the sausage will make a nice bubbly liquid along with the BBQ sauce for it to simmer in. I was thinking this might be a great potluck dish to bring, just slice up the sausages before you go and add a little extra BBQ sauce. I served this up with corn bread muffins.
*I have edited to add my Gluten Free version.

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans and Polish Sausage

slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce (Our fave homemade version here, it is GF)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce {Lea & Perrins is Gluten Free}
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 rings (1 to 1 1/4 lb) fully cooked smoked Polish sausage {Gluten Free}

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except sausage in cooker. Place sausage ring on bean mixture.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

Follow my new recipe url so you can get all the latest goodies!

enjoy,

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup with Breadsticks really hits the spot

This is one of my favorite soups. I've had it for many years but only started making it 3 1/2 years ago, it's from a Betty Crocker booklet. It's super super simple and fast to make. I'm not a big fan of Italian sausage, but I love it in this soup, and the kids love the cheese tortellini! I made these breadsticks again, love them!

I'm sharing it again with you so it can be part of my new recipe URL.  =)

Tortellini & Sausage Soup

adapted from Betty Crocker

1 pound Sweet Italian link sausages (casings removed)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed tomato soup
3-5 Cups water (may need to add up to 5 C if you use more Tortellini)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Cup chopped carrots
1 medium zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced
8 oz frozen cheese tortellini
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook & stir sausage & onion in 4 qt dutch oven until sausage is light brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables and tortellini are tender. Serve with cheese.


Quick and Easy Breadsticks
from Jamie Cooks it up!

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
3 1/4-3 1/2 C flour
1/4 C butter
3/4 C grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (I used McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder + garlic, onion powder + parsley)

1. Mix the water, sugar and yeast in the bottom of your mixer until the yeast is dissolved. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and the flour, one cup at a time, until it is well incorporated. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Melt the butter and pour half of it into a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet).
4. Place the dough in the center of the pan. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Letting the dough rest makes it MUCH easier to shape.
5. Spread the dough out flat onto the pan until it reaches all of the edges. Doing all of the spreading and cutting of these bread sticks, in the pan makes cleaning up your counter so much easier!
6. Pour the other half of the butter onto the dough. Spread it around with your hands. Sprinkle the Johnnys Garlic Seasoning all over the dough, and then the Parmesan cheese (maybe next time I'll add the Parm in the last few minutes, so it doesn't turn so dark and crunchy).
7. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into three rows lengthwise, and then into about 12 little height wise rows. Did that even make sense? I hope so, wish I had a picture!
8. Put the pan into a 170 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes. The breadsticks should rise about 1 inch. (mine took 20 mins)
9. Turn your oven up to 350 and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

enjoy,
Rachelle

Penne with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Also, Chicken Tacos with Charred Salsa

These are the recipes from my Light & Delish bookazine review, the directions and nutrional values are different online, but the ingredients are listed the same. Anyways, we all liked both these dishes and I wanted to share them with you!

Penne with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
from Good Housekeeping

1 bunch(es) (1 pound) broccoli rabe (I used broccoli)
12 ounce(s) penne pasta
1 (4 ounce) link sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch-thick-slices
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
Salt and pepper
 
CLICK HERE for directions!
 
 

Chicken Tacos with Charred Salsa
from Redbook (NOTE: Prep ahead!)

Charred Salsa:
1 pound(s) tomatillos, husks removed and washed
1 pound(s) plum tomatoes
2 jalapeño chiles
1 small yellow onion, cut into 4 slices
1/4 cup(s) chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1 tablespoon(s) lime juice

Tacos:
12 whole-grain yellow corn tortillas
3 cup(s) shredded cooked chicken

Accompaniments:
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Shredded white Cheddar cheese or jack cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole
 
CLICK HERE for directions!
 

 
enjoy,



*please note all product reviews and giveaways are posted here now http://ldylvbgr.blogspot.com/
Follow my new recipe url so you can get all the latest goodies!