Lasagna

This is a very easy recipe and there will leftovers for all week.  The history of lasagna is a confusing and much debated one. There are a few theories as to its origins. Some believe that the word ‘lasagna’ comes from the Greek word ‘lasagnum’ which is the word for the dish that is pasta based.


More history on Lasagna

How to aassemble lasagna video

Lasagna


Cook ground beef with onions, I cut up fresh spinach but you can skip that if you don't like spinach, and green peppers

Put sauce in the bottom of a pan.  Cover bottom with uncooked Lasagna  noodles. I know but you don't have to cook the noodles which makes it an easy recipe.

Next layer ground beef mixture, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese.

Next layer is mozzarella cheese and more noodles.

Sauce and more ground beef, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

Mozzarella and more sauce.

Noodles and sauce on top.  Put about 1 cup of water around the outside of the lasagna next to the pan so the noodles can cook.

Cheese on the top and cover.  Bake 350º for 45 miminutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

Enjoy




Neelys Lasagna Recipe

Glazzed carrots

This is a wonderful holiday side dish.  It is very healthy and the kids will love the glazed carrots.


Health benefits of eating carrots



Glazzed Carrots

I start by cutting up carrots and putting them in an oven safe dish or crock pot.  Add 1/2 stick of butter and some brown sugar.  Salt and pepper them and put them in the oven for about an hour or so on 350º or until cooked tender.

 Make sure to taste them to see if more seasoning is needed or if they are not as sweet as you would like. Add more of any ingredient to the mix and heat some more.

Enjoy





More Carrot Recipes

Sangria

Sangria is a wonderful drink for the holiday season.  It has lots of fruit and is very festive tasting.  It can be made so many ways so I will give you some ideas.

Sangria

This makes about 2 quarts so if you need to make more just add more ingredients as needed.  I start with some juice and fruit.  I will put a cup of pineapple, orange or cranberry juice.  I then add a bunch of fresh and frozen fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, grapes, oranges, lemons and pineapple are a few.  If you want you can add a little sugar to sweeten it up I will blend all above ingredients in a blender.

Add a bottle of wine.  Sweet red or white are usually best.  1 cup of tropical rum or vodka (more if my day involves relatives) will give it some flavor.  I will sometimes add some sprite or 7up to give it some fizz.  You can add more or less of all the above ingredients to suit your taste.  This can be made with sugar free items as well.  Remember to sample often while preparing so you know it is sweet enough. 

Enjoy

More Sangria Recipes

Meatloaf

This is a famous Sunday meal at my house when my kids were little.  It is so comforting especially when paired with the loaded mashed potatoes which can be found in the comfort food pages.  This will leave enough to have that wonderful leftover meatloaf sandwich which is good hot or cold.

Meatloaf

I start with a pound of ground hamburger and a pound of ground pork.  You can use whatever you have or like.  Some options are ground turkey and chicken or any combination of those.

you can use any or all of the ingredients below.  I will add a couple of eggs, peppers, onions, jalapenos, mushrooms, seasoning of any kind and a fair amount of it, you can add a package of ranch or Italian dressing if you like.  A package of onion soup mix will add lots of flavor to any meatloaf.   I will season with Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic, paprika, or anything else that sounds good.   You can use all no salt options if you want.  Then you will need some type of crumbs like crackers, bread crumbs, crushed up chips or pretzels. 

Mix well and put into a loaf pan.  I then mixed together some ketchup, mustard, and some hot sause and spread it over the meatloaf.  You can use whatever sounds good to you.   Bake on 350º for about an hour or until it is 160º internally.

 

Let sit a few minutes and serve.

Enjoy

Loaded Mashed Potatoe Recipe

 More meatloaf recipes

Spicy Cornbread

I love to start with some pre made box items and make a home cooked meal out of it.  We are all very busy and I don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen but still want to prepare and eat great food.  I paired this with chilli recipe to follow.  

Spicy Cornbread

I pour on box of cornbread mix in a bowl.  I will follow the box instructions but to that I will add any or all of the following items: chopped green chilies, jalapenos, peppers of any color, onion, black beans, cheese of any kind and any other Mexican item you want to add.  Now you can add about 1/3 of a cup of each item above.  You could add some seasoning now and anything you like is fine.  I added some Tai Pepper powder.  If it seems too wet when you are done adding extra things you can add a little flour. 

Mix ingredients and put into a nonstick sprayed pan. I used a 9 x 9 for mine.

 Bake on 350 for about 40 to 60 minutes or until it is not tacky when poked in the center with a toothpick.

This spice cornbread is great when served with Chili.  That recipe is to follow.

Enjoy

Another cornbread recipe

Everything Crispy Bars

Everything Crispy Bars

This is like a Rice Crispy bar but made with everything but the cereal.   I don’t always have all the ingredients in the house for a meal or dessert so I always make due.   This is one of those times.

Everything  Crispy Bars

You will need to measure a few things because this is a dessert.  They require a little more attention and accuracy. 

Spray a 9x9 or 9x12 pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

 

You will need 9 Cups of something.  I used pretzels, peanut butter cereal, high fiber cereal, a few broken up rice cakes, chocolate chips, candy corn M & M’s in mine.  You could add popcorn, nuts, chocolate cereal of some sort and anything else you think might work.  This does need to equal 9 cups.  Put it in a large bowl and mix it together.

Take 3 Cups of marshmallows and melt them in a pan on the stove add 3 pads of butter and a little vanilla extract (if you don’t have any omit the extract). Let the marshmallows melt and stir continuously.   When the marshmallows are melted I put in a scoop of peanut butter which you can add or not.   I melted the peanut butter good and poured it over the dry ingredients.   I mixed until it is all coated.  

Pour the gooey mixture in the pan and press down. Take chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips and melt them in the microwave.  Pour them over the bars and let them cool so the chocolate hardens.    Let sit a little bit and eat.  It will be fine on the counter for a week covered.

The easiest crispy bars in the world.

More Dessert cookie bar recipes

Meatballs

Meatballs

 

 

This recipe is so easy and tasty you will never buy pre made meatballs again. They can be kept for a week in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer.






Put any amount of ground beef in a bowl to make the meatballs. I used 3 pounds because I will separate the beef to cover a few meals. If I am going to cook one meal I will usually cook 2 or 3 other things at the same time. This saves me time during the week of preparing other dinners.

Next I add everything from veggies to seasoning. I put in mine a bag of onion soup mix, some garlic, ½ cup per pound of any mixture of diced onion, green and yellow pepper, a jalapeno, some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix these ingredients well with your hands yes I said your hands. Take off your bling and get your fingers in there and mix everything up good. It can be very liberating. Just remember to wash your hands good before you touch anything else.

At this point I made 4 hamburger patties and wrapped them until later in the week and I fried up a little less than a pound for another meal that week.

 

With the remainder of ground beef I added 2 eggs and some type of crumbs. I took Friday nights toasted baguettes and put them in the oven to toast them even more. When they were done I put them in my food processor to make my own bread crumbs. You can use crackers, chips, pretzels, oatmeal or whatever you have in the cupboard. Just grind them up into small crumbs.

I then will roll my meatballs. They can be as big or small you would like. Unless I am making cocktail meatballs I will make them big. Cook them on 350 degrees for 10 minutes then I will flip them or they will burn and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 or above. If they are small meatballs they may not take as long to cook. Keep an eye on them to not overcook them.

I feel a meat thermometer is a must because you don’t want to over or under cook you meat products.

You can make as many as you want for future meals because they freeze really well. If you freeze them put them on a plate or baking sheet in freezer until they are frozen then put them in a freezer bag. That way they won’t stick together and you can just use one or two meatballs at a time. They are good 6 months to a 1 year.

 

Some will stay in the refrigerator after being cooked until Spaghetti night then I will just add them to some sauce. That recipe is to follow. Don't forget the infamous meatball sub.

Enjoy


More Meatball Recipes

Saltine chocolate toffee

This is an easy recipe to make and you probably have most of the ingredients in you cupboard.





Saltine chocolate toffee

I didn't make a full batch so the pictures are for only half the recipe.  

 Lay 40 saltine crackers in a pan lines with tin foil.  Over medium heat melt 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup brown sugar.  Cook for 1-2 minutes or until thick.  Pour over crackers and bake on 350° for 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle 2cups of chocolate chips over baked crackers.  Allow chips to melt then spread evenly.  Sprinkle with toffee bits.

Refrigerate about 1 hour.  Break apart and store in airtight container.










 Easy Christmas dessert for family and friends.


Enjoy





More Christmas cookie recipes

Sausage Jambalaya

This is a wonderful dinner for those cold nights.  It is easy to make and I usually start with a box of Jambalaya mix and add a few other ingredients.  Only takes about 30 minutes to be table ready.

Sausage Jambalaya

I start with the box mix because it is easier than trying to season to get it spicy so I let them do the hard work.  I pour in the mix with a couple cups of water and let that start boiling.  I will cut up the sausage into bit size pieces and put it into the mix.  You can use any combination of sausage or sea food you would like.  I will usually pick precooked sausage or cook it before I add it to the pot.  I then add a can of diced tomatoes, green chilies, black beans and some diced peppers.  If this sounds too spicy leave out the green chilies or if it needs more add some jalapenos. 

After it comes to a boil you need to simmer it for about 15 minutes or until the rice is done.  

Serve with corn bread or crackers.

Enjoy




Great Cajun Jambalaya Recipe

Tuna Noodle Salad

This is a Flashback dinner recipe.  A wonderful cold salad that reminds me of my childhood.  It is easy to make and delicious to eat.  You can experiment with both the ingredients and seasonings.

Tuna Noodle Salad

I start with putting a pot of water on to boil in order to cook the noodles.  You can use any kind of noodles you have I did macaroni but any small noodle with work.    

I then take a large mixing bowl and finely chop any or all of the following.  Celery, onions, green peppers, and red peppers.  I added a few hard boiled eggs but that can be omitted without changing the flavor and of course a can or two of Tuna.  You can subsitute chicken or shrimp instead of tuna if you like.
 

I will drain noodles when they are done cooking and rinse with some cold water.  When they have cooled add them to the bowl.  I will add some miracle whip or mayo, sour cream, buttermilk and a little mustard.  About a cup or two total should be fine but if it seems dry just add more until it is creamy.  I also added some frozen peas and cheddar cheese.  You can add whatever you like and leave out what you don’t. 

Mix it together and season.  You can use anything you like.  This is where experimenting can be fun.  I put a few shakes of salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic herb seasoning, parsley, and Italian seasoning.  If there is a season you like then go ahead and add it. 

Cover and refrigerate this wonderful tuna noodle salad until ready to serve.  Before you serve taste it to see if it needs anything else.  It might be a little dry so adding more miracle whip or mayo will be a must or some more seasoning.  Please leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.

Enjoy.

 Here are other Tuna Pasta Salads

Turkey Tacos

This is a great way to again use up all that extra turkey from Thanksgiving.   It is super easy and only takes about 15 minutes to put dinner on the table. 

Turkey Tacos

I start by stir frying some peppers, jalapenos and onions.  When those are tender I will add some sliced fresh mushrooms.  I then add some turkey, black and green olives.  You can add chicken or beef if you like, then black beans, rice or corn if you like.  I didn’t this time but it is your taco so add anything you like.   I will season with a package of taco seasoning, some salsa or hot sauce.  I will use all leftover things to make up tacos when I need to clean out the refrigerator.  You can season with anything you like.  I like mine very spicy.  Heat up you taco shells either by oven, on the stove or in the microwave.  I will sometimes fry them in a little oil so they are crispy.  

To load up the tacos I take a shell and put the turkey mixture on it with some lettuce, cheese and sour cream.  At this point you can add some salsa or hot sauce.  I like to crush up some regular or flavored tortilla chips to put in the turkey taco.  You can eat them now or return them to oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.    

Enjoy these wonderful easy turkey tacos.

Best Taco Recipes

Super Sweet - Sweet Potatoes

Here is a wonderful super sweet potato recipe.  It is a wonderful way to get your kids to eat their vegetables.  Only a few ingredients to this super sweet simple recipe.


Super Sweet - Sweet Potatoes

I will use canned sweet potatoes for this recipe.  It will taste the same whether you use canned or fresh.

Pour 1 or 2 cans of sweet potatoes in an oven safe dish.  To that I add a stick of butter sliced into tabs.  I will then add some brown sugar, any amount you want works, walnuts, and some marshmallows on top.

Bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes (depending on your oven)until hot and bubbling.  Cool this super sweet sweet potato recipe.


Enjoy.



Many Sweet potato-recipes

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Up These Mashed Potatoes loaded with all kind of goodness.  They can be made with any or all of the ingredients below.  You can pick which ones you like best.


Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Start with cooking potatoes by boiling them in salted water until tender. I used baby red potatoes and left the skins on but you can prepare them for boiling any way you want.  Once they are cooked so that you can poke a fork in them without resistance you can rinse the water off them.  I mash them and add 1 to 2 sticks of butter, one 8 once package of cream cheese, some fresh garlic (garlic seasoning will work too),and 1 or 2 big scoops of sour cream any flavor you like ( I used onion and chive sour cream).



Once it is all mixed and mashed up then add some salt, pepper, chives,parsley, Italian seasonings.  This is where you can add any other seasoning you like. Make sure to taste and add more of anything above it it seems to plain.

Serve hot.

Enjoy these wonderful Mashed Potatoes



Here are many other Mashed Potatoe Recipes

Turkey Pot Pie

This is a wonderful way to use up all those leftovers from Thanksgiving.  Turkey Pot pie makes a wonderful comfort food for cold Sundays. Remember where ever Turkey is used you can substitute Chicken to make the famous Chicken Pot Pie



Turkey Pot Pie

I started by sautéing onion and jalapeno. Then cut up leftover Turkey into bite size pieces. In a large bowl I mixed turkey, onions, jalapeno, green beans, corn, carrots, peas, and broccoli or any other vegetable you would like to add.

Then add some cream soup of your liking. (I used broccoli potato cheese soup and cream of mushroom).  If you use condensed soup do not add any water or milk.  A couple of cans should be enough. I will add some shredded cheese whatever flavor you like. Then pour the mixture in a pie plate, sprinkle 2 tbs of four or cornstarch, and I will put a layer shredded cheese on the top of ingredients under the crust. cover with crescent rolls, biscuits, or a pie crust. Slit some holes for steam to escape if you use pie crust.

Bake for 40 minutes on 350 degrees or until the crescent rolls, biscuits or pie crust is lightly golden brown and heating through.

Enjoy this great Turkey Pot Pie



Other Turkey Recipes to try