What's for Dinner?

Lasagna is my husband's favorite meal so I'm always looking for new and better recipes to try. This one was so easy to make and my 3 year old loved helping to make the layers. The only change I made was substituting ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese. The best part is that it turned out great! Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
32 ounces cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup water

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef. Drain the grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, half of the grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, salt and ground black pepper.
To assemble, in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish evenly spread 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with 3 noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup water to the edges of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F(175 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I made this for an annual chili cook off I go to. It has a lot of ingredients but they really develop a great flavor. I browned the meat first and then just threw everything in the crock pot. I didn't win this year but everyone that sampled it seemed to really love it. Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

I wanted to try this because it was different. I wasn't disappointed because it was delicious. The whole family loved it! Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces macaroni
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
2 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
In a large skillet, cook and stir ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat until brown. Mix in tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix. Stir in pasta.
Spoon beef mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle crumbled taco chips and grated cheese on top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with chopped green onions and sour cream, if desired.

This is a simple recipe that doesn't take much effort to make. I did kinda squish the whole tomatoes to add a little more juice so you might want to add something if you like yours more saucy. Serve this over egg noodles and you're good to go! Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound chicken meat, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add chicken, then stir in tomatoes, beans and oregano.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve hot.

These are so easy to make and remind me of the ones my great-grandmother used to make when I was little. I thought I might miss the graham cracker crust but the vanilla wafers make a nice change. Makes 48 mini cheesecakes.

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins (tassie pans) with miniature paper liners.
Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.

This recipe was a really nice change from the typical pasta casseroles I usually make. The noodles took on a nice smoky flavor from the kielbasa. Overall, it was really yummy! Makes 1 9x13 dish.

Ingredients

16 ounces dry ziti pasta
1 pound Polish sausage, sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage in oil until browned on both sides, 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine ziti, sausage, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, parsley and pepper. Mix well. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with shredded cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until top is golden.

Shepherd's Pie is one of my favorite meals and this was my first time making it. It turned out great! Making the mashed potatoes for the top was a little time consuming but it was well worth it. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

9 potatoes - peeled and cubed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans green beans, drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the potatoes and water to cover in a large pot over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat; drain excess fat.
To the ground beef, add the tomato sauce, parsley, Worcestershire sauce to taste, salt, ground black pepper and green beans. In a separate small bowl, mix the flour with the 3 tablespoons water and stir into the beef mixture.
Stir all together well. Drain the potatoes, mash and spread over the beef mixture Place 2 to 3 vent holes through the mashed potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Brush the milk over the potatoes for the last 5 minutes of baking.