Simple and Meaty Skillet Lasagna

3 (14.5 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
salt
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, these do not add spice, just flavor!
1 TBSP dried basil
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef (I used 1 lb. beef, no pork)
12 curly edged lasagna noodles, broken unto 1 inch pieces
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (don't use fat-free!)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coursely ground and no large pieces remain.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2-4 minutes. Serve.

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Supper

This is my new favorite dinner. It was easy and tasted fantastic. Serves 6. You can always feed more by adding more pasta and water. From My Kitchen Cafe.

1 TBSP olive oil

1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I used mild pork sausage)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely

3 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine (I forgot to rinse, they tasted fine)

1/2 tsp salt

12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta

1 (6 oz) bag baby spinach

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I used toasted slivered almonds, the pine nuts are way too expensive!)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 tsp salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach a handful at a time, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Great leftovers!

Taco Mac n Cheese Casserole

This recipe was passed from person to person, but it came from my step-mom. I am not sure it has a name so I made up another one.

2 boxes Kraft Deluxe Mac and Cheese prepared as directed on package
1 pound ground beef (I am sure Turkey can be substituted)
1 package taco meat seasoning or 1/4 cup if you buy from Costco.
1 cup sour cream
salsa
Cheese
crumbled tortilla chips

Brown meat, drain and prepare taco meat according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350

Combine prepared mac and cheese with sour cream. Layer half the mac and cheese mixture, followed by all of the taco meat mixture. Top with remaining mac and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with a layer of salsa, then crushed up tortilla chips, topped with shredded cheese. The last three ingredients I didn't have measurements so I put enough salsa to cover, and then did the same with the chips and cheese.

Clan-erole

OK so maybe south of the border potato casserole is better but whatever...

• 3-4 chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite sized strips
• 3/4 cup diced bell peppers and onions
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese
• 3 green onions sliced
• 2 tomatoes seeded and finely diced
• 1 bag tater rounds (disk like tater tots)

Bake tater rounds as directed.

In a pan saute peppers and onion in 1 T butter until onions are slightly transparent. Add chicken cook for about 5 minutes. Add soup, sour cream, and spices stir.

Preheat oven to 350. Layer Tater rounds on bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top. Pour all of the chicken mixture on top, followed by the remaining tater rounds. then remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with green onions and tomatoes if desired.

Dessert Party

I had a dessert party and collected some recipes from various locations. I thought i would post them all here! All pictures were take from the website that the recipe came from, I lack presentation!

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies form Annie's Eats

Cupcake Bites from Bakerella

Shortbread Cookies from The Pioneer Woman

Frosty Orange Creme Dessert from Make it and Love it

Oreo Truffles from Recipe Queens

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats from Annie's Eats

The following didn't have pictures so you have to deal with my amateur photography skills.
Toffee Dip served with Fuji Apples from Recipe Queens
Fluffy Fruit Dip from Cooks.com I served this with Strawberries. Sorry I forgot to rotate and am now being lazy!

Veggie Bars from Recipe Queens I couldn't find Salad confetti so I just used iceberg lettuce, bell peppers and green onions. I forgot about the tomatoes and cucumbers, oops!

I also served punch that was made from:

1 liter of sprite
1 container of frozen raspberry lemonade
some raspberries thrown in.

This recipe I got from Hayley C. it was from memory and sounded good so hopefully I got it right!

New Food Website

Well this is probably not new but I just found it and I love all of the fresh new ideas. They even have some great restaurant copycat recipes under the budget section. Enjoy!
http://family.go.com/food/

Vampire Cookies

I know that the Cullen's don't have fangs ;) but I took these to a Twilight party anyways. They are actually kind of labor intensive, the dough is your typical sugar cookie recipe and hard to work with (for me, at least), and my recipe only made like 14 cookies. I would definitely double it. Or use your own sugar cookie recipe. But really, it is a novel idea, huh? I got this from Baking Bites.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

approx 1/2 cup red jam

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix them into the butter-sugar mixture at low speed until the dough is just combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 325.

Divide dough in half and keep the other portion in the fridge.

Roll out dough onto floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut 2 inch rounds.

Place rounds on baking sheet, put a tsp of jam on each of them and cover with another round of dough. Press edges down lightly clinching the edges down on the cookie sheet. Use a toothpick and poke two small holes, like a vampire bite, into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are set.

Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dip a toothpick in some extra jam and re-insert in the "bite" holes you made before baking to emphasize them, if not already red. Draw a blood trickle down from one of the bites with the jam.

Cookies are best the day they are made.

Makes 2 dozen.