Easy Pasta Bake

Serves 6-8 people

1 1b. dry pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
1 jar water
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1lb. ground meat, browned and drained

1. Heat oven to 425.
2. Spray a 9x13 inch glass casserole and pour in the dry pasta. Pour in the jar of sauce. Fill the jar with water and pour over pasta, stirring well.
3. Add the prepared meat at this time and stir through. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and remove foil. Stir well. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over top. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 more minutes. Let rest for several minutes before serving.

My dad's lasagna

Ingredients:
2 boxes lasagna noodles
3 8oz. containers parmesan cheese
Red Sauce- 1st set:
1/2 cup butter
2 large onion, minced
3 Tab. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tab. italian seasoning
1 large carrot, minced
Red Sauce- 2nd set:
4 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes
4 6oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 1/2 Tab. salt
White Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 qt. half and half

1. Combine the first set sof red sauce ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add second set of red sauce ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil for noodles and cook as directed on package. Strain and rinse in cold water. Lay out to dry.
4. White sauce: melt butter in another pan, add flour and whisk together for 1 minute. Whisk in half and half and cook on medium/low until thick, about 20 minutes. Stir often, careful not to let it burn.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Pour 1/2 cup red sauce in bottom of 13x9 pan to cover bottom. Layer with 3 noodles, 1 cup red sauce, 1 cup white sauce, 1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Repeat 3 times ending with parmesan on top.
6. Cook for about 30-60 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 box of Penne pasta
• 2 jars of pizza sauce
• 1/2 an onion (or more if you like onion)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder*
• 2 Tbs. season salt (more or less to taste)*
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese (or more if you love cheese)
• 1 pack of sliced pepperoni and/or any toppings you like on pizza. peppers, mushrooms, olives, etc.
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Prepare pasta according to directions, drain water and set aside. Mix pasta, sauces, hamburger and 1 cup of the pepperoni together and put into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

Put more pepperoni on top or just stir it all up in there.

Cover with cheese (as much as you like) and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Hearty Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. italian sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bellpepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 T. basil
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

Brown beef and sausage. Slowly, spoon off excess fat. Add onion and garlic. When onions are clear, add basil, salt, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, 45-50 min stirring occasionally.

Manicotti Shells

1 - 1 lb. box of large pasta shells or manicotti noodles

2 - jars or spaghetti sauce

2 - eggs

1 - 16oz container of cottage cheese

4 - cups shredded mozzarella

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan

2 - cups spinach (loosely packed)

1 - lb. sausage (ground beef or ground turkey)

Cook noodles for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cook sausage. Add spaghetti sauce. Let simmer. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, add cottage cheese or ricotta, 3 cups mozzeralla, 1 cup parmesan and finely chopped spinach. Mix well.

Stuff shells with a heaping tablespoon full of cheese mixture. Cover with sauce, remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

Cover with foil and bak at 350 for 60 minutes. Uncover and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Not your average Baked Ziti

1 lb. ziti noodles

1 28 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (remove and discard 1/4 cup juice)

2-3 cups red bell pepper finely sliced

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. shredded jack cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 cup half n' half

Boil noodles and rinse with cold water. Add bell peppers, cheddar cheese and jack cheese. Remove 1/4 cup of juice from the tomatoes and discard. Add the can of tomatoes and salt and pepper. Stir well.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Add ziti. Pour half n' half evenly over ziti. Cover with foil and bake for 20 -25 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with seasoned breadcrumbs in the last few minutes if desired.

April's Homemade Pizza

April made this for the group back in Feb and it was one of my favorites. Hope I can make it as well as she did!!

Recipe taken from the book: Girlfriends on the go, a busy Mom's guide to make-ahead meals

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pizza sauce
toppings

(double ingredients if wanting two medium sized pizzas)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a measuring cup; let stand until bubbly- about 10 minutes. Stir in olive oil and salt. Place flour in a mixing bowl and add yeast mixture. Mix all together until the dough forms a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double- about 1- 1 1/2 hours. When ready, roll out on pizza pan. Bake and 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Watch crust and check often.

Freezing directions: After rolling out, flash freeze crust. Remove from pan and wrap in plastic. Then cover with foil and freeze. You can freeze sauce and toppings separately or put on pizza first and freeze that way.

April's pizza sauce:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups (or one big can of crushed) pureed tomatoes
1 (6 0z) can tomato paste
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Heat oil in sauce pan. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Rolled Lasagna

This is from my friend Judy's daughter-in-law

Cooks the lasagna noodles, lays them out on paper towels
Put shredded cheese on them then roll them up and puts them in a tin foil pan
Browns hamburger, ground chicken or turkey and adds a bottle of pasta sauce
Pours sauce over the rolled up lasagna and add a little more cheese on top and it is ready for the freezer

To serve, thaw and then cook for 20-30 minutes (covered until the last 5-10 minutes) at about 350