Lazy Lasagna

 

Today I wanted to share a really easy and quick casserole recipe that I’ve been playing with for a while now. It’s called Lazy Lasagna and with this recipe you can get dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. It has all the main parts of lasagna without all the fussy layering. Perfect for a busy day.

To start just boil some egg noodles then mix them with your favorite tomato based pasta sauce and some cheese. Put it all in a greased casserole dish top with more cheese and bake. It doesn’t get simpler than that.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Lazy Lasagna

2 cups dry egg noodles

1 cup tomato based pasta sauce

¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

½ cup cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook the noodles according to directions on package.

Meanwhile put the pasta sauce to a microwave safe bowl and heat just until warmed a bit.

Add the shredded Mozzarella cheese and the cottage cheese to the sauce.

When noodles are cooked drain well and add to the sauce mixture. Stir to combine.

 

Transfer noodle mixture to a well greased 4 cup casserole dish.

 

 

Top with the shredded Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until hot and beginning to bubble.

Cook the Cookbook Project- week 11

 

This week I decided it was going to be necessary to move ahead in the book to another chapter. I know I have barely done any recipes from the “Regional Meals” chapter but I have had too many menus in the chapter that I can’t get the things I need to cook them from my little neighborhood grocery store.

I looked at several of the menus and currently key components were not available. Some of them I know will come in as the year passes. For instance one menu is based on a corned beef, my store will have those next month or possibly in a couple of weeks but not now. Same with the ribs from another menu, in summer no problems, middle of winter not a rib to be found.

Then there are the menus that call for things I know I haven’t seen since I moved here. Those I will try to find at larger stores in the area or online. I will probably have to skip some of them though.

I am going to sit down with the book and the notebook I keep in my purse and make a list of all the things I want to track down so I can keep my eyes open for them.

Now onto today’s menu, this is the first menu in the chapter “Pennywise Dinners” and I was so happy to make it. I love a good meatloaf! There was actually a choice to make right off the bat they listed it as meatloaf or ham loaf. Both recipes were on the page and I might have to go back and make the other one some day. But this meatloaf resembled the ones I my mom used to make when I was growing up so I went with it. The big difference from the ones she made and this one was the meat mixture was equal parts ground beef and ground pork. She always used just ground beef, probably because we grew our own beef and that was what was always in the freezer. I other than the meat change it was pretty much what I remember her making. And it was excellent and brought back a lot of memories for me.

The second choice in the menu was either a baked potato or scalloped potatoes. I am very much a fan of a good baked potato so I went that way.

Also on the menu was creamed spinach, something I don’t think I even tasted until I was an adult and yes I do really like it. I haven’t made it in years but I really should.

The menu was missing the bread component of the most of the other menus I have made. However, it did have apple wedges and celery sticks on the menu along with everything else. I admit that confused me a bit, I mean why we already had the spinach for a veggie. Maybe because this chapter is all about saving money and those are/were cheaper than meat and would fill you up to make less food be more satisfying. I’m not sure but that is what I am assuming.

For the dessert I was super excited, I know it is just a jello dessert but it is a variation of one my mom made all the time. For this menu it was made with raspberry jello, vanilla ice cream and frozen raspberries. My mom made the same dish but with orange jello and canned mandarin oranges. I am surprised she didn’t make this one since she loved raspberries so much. I know she would have loved it.

This menu was so much a trip down memory lane in flavors, some of these dishes I do make on a fairly regular basis but I have my way of making them that I have evolved over many years of cooking. The versions that I made for this menu could have come out of my mom’s kitchen back in my childhood. It was a wonderful way to revisit a simpler time when things seemed to make a lot more sense than they do right now.

I peeked at the next page in the book and one of my all time favorite dishes is the star of the show, Macaroni and Cheese, but the again the way mom made it and not the way I make it. So I am excited to eat that one next week.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread

 

I do love a good flatbread and this one is one of my favorites. If you aren’t familiar with what a flatbread is I guess I would define it as a cousin of pizza in a way, at least the way I am using the term. The way I make my flat bread it is thin, somewhat crispy and topped with yummy stuff.

That being said I do love a good pizza (or heck even a mediocre pizza) and even then I do prefer a thinner crust. I guess I just feel more freedom to top a flatbread anyway I want and not conform to the stereotypical “pizza rules”

My preference one either a pizza or a flatbread is a white sauce rather than a tomato based red sauce. And this garlic cream sauce (more of a spread really) is super good.

For the roasted veggie flatbread you can either make your own flatbread base or purchase on already made. I am including the recipe I use along with my directions for it. So there will be 2 download links in the middle of this post. One for the flatbread base and one with the toppings and directions for the roasted veggie flatbread recipe.

If you want to skip making your own base you can use what ever you wish as a base. Most grocery stores carry some type of flatbread and pretty much any of them will work. You could also use the small pre-baked pizza crusts although they will be thicker.

So for my flatbread base I have this recipe that I have been using for about 5 or 6 years now. I love that it makes 4 bases, and most of my flatbread recipes need 2. Since this dough freezes really well for up to a couple of months that means I only make the bases every other time I want to have flatbread. I’ll talk more about that in minute.

The dough for the flatbread base is a really simple dough and goes to together quickly.

 

 

Simply bloom the yeast in the water with the sugar, salt, and oil for a few minutes.

 

 

Then add the flour and 

 

 

 

 

stir until you get a shaggy dough. 

 

 

 

 

Dump the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

You really only need to knead until the dough becomes smooth.

 

 

 

Then transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 

 

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. 

 

 

 

If you are only using 2 of them today then wrap the other 2 in a layer of plastic wrap 

 

 

 

and then a layer of aluminum foil. Put in a labeled freezer bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. When you ready to use those take them out of the freezer early in the day and put in the fridge to thaw. Let sit on the counter at room temperature for an hour or so just before baking so they are at or close to room temperature. Then follow the directions for baking.

 

Roll the flatbread dough out into a thin rectangular shape.

 

 

Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes just until starting to brown.

You can top them or store in the fridge up to 3 days.

To make the roasted veggie topping heat oven to 450°F.

Slice a zucchini lengthwise then into slices about ½” thick. Slice mushrooms about the same thickness.

Toss the sliced zucchini and mushrooms with olive oil, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper.

 

 

 

 

Then place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile slice the tomatoes in halves and toss with more olive oil, salt and pepper and let stand while veggies roast.

 

 

 

 

 

Slice green onions, keeping white and green parts separate.

 

 

 

 

When the veggies are almost finished melt butter in skillet and add the white parts of the onions, cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

 

 

 

 

Add the flour, garlic powder, and remaining Italian Herb seasoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook and stir for 30 seconds then stir in water and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taste and season as desired with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

When the veggies are roasted transfer to a bowl add the tomatoes and stir to combine.

 

 

 

At this point I want to explain that while I am cooking both servings of the roasted veggie flatbread I am only making one flatbread the night I took the photos. I ate the other one a few nights later and assembled it then.

Place the flatbread bases on a rimmed baking sheet (I find cleanup much easier if I put these on a sheet of parchment paper)

 

 

Spread the garlic cream sauce over both flatbread crusts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with the roasted veggies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with shredded cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

Bake at 450°F for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

 Cut as desired and top with reserved sliced green onion tops.

Enjoy.

Since I normally cook every other night and eat leftovers on the other nights I thought I would mention that for this recipe I have found the best way to do that with this dish is to put the combined veggies in a container, the sauce in another container and refrigerate theme along with the flatbread base and cheese separately. Then assemble and bake when I want to eat it. It is much fresher and a better texture than reheating an assembled flatbread.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of the Flatbread Base recipe here.

You  can find a downloadable/printable version of the Roasted Veggie Flatbread  recipe here.

Flatbread Base

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

 

Stir together the yeast, water, salt, sugar and oil together and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the yeast to start working.

Add the flour and stir together with a spoon to form a shaggy dough.

Dump onto a floured work-surface and knead for about 5 minutes. You are really only looking for this to become a smooth dough.

Place in a greased bowl cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts.

To bake right away-

Roll on a floured surface to form a rectangle about 5” by 7” and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, just until starting to brown.

You can either add the toppings now or wrap these and fill up to 3 days later.

To freeze the dough for later- wrap in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil.

Then place in a labeled freezer bag and freeze up to a couple of months.

To use thaw in the refrigerator then allow to come to room temperature. Then use the directions above to roll out and bake.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread

1 zucchini

4 ounces button mushrooms

4 ounces grape (or cherry) tomatoes

olive oil

1 Tablespoon Italian herb seasoning (divided)

1 Tablespoon butter

2 green onions

1 clove garlic, minced or grated

1 Tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup water

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 flatbread bases

½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise then into ½” slices. Slice the mushrooms about the same thickness.

Toss the sliced veggies with olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

Put the sliced veggie on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until they start to soften and are starting to brown.

Meanwhile slice the tomatoes in half and add another drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and allow to marinate while veggies roast.

Slice the green onions keeping the green parts separate form the white parts.

When the veggies are almost done roasting melt the butter in skillet and add the sliced green onion whites. Cook until starting to become tender. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.

Add the flour, remaining Italian herb seasoning, and garlic powder, cook stirring for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water and cook stirring until bubbly.

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and combined.

Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the veggies are cooked combine them with the tomatoes in a bowl.

Lace the flatbread bases on a baking sheet (I suggest putting them on parchment paper to make it easier to clean up)

Spread the garlic cream sauce over the bases evenly.

Add the roasted veggie/tomato mixture dividing between the two bases.

Top with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 450°F for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Cut as desired.

Sprinkle reserved sliced green onion tops over finished flatbread.

Cook the Cookbook Project- week 10

 

After being basically stuck at home for a couple of weeks due to extremely cold weather I finally got to work on my Cook the Cookbook Project again this week.

So this week I decided to cook one of the winter menus from the Seasonal Specials chapter. I did get very lucky because I had already decided I was going to do one of the winter recipes, both are roast based, and it just happened that pork loin roasts were on sale at my grocery store when I could finally venture down there to get some supplies. I was lucky enough to pick up one big enough to divide so I have another roast in my freezer for later too. I really love roasts of all types and pork is one of my favorites.

So I would definitely call this menu a “Sunday Supper” since that would have been the day of the week my mom would have cooked something similar.

Roasts of all kinds were on our table often when I was growing up and I loved them then almost as much as now.

One thing about his menu I can say was it was labor intensive for sure. I actually ended up having to run my dishwasher 3 times the day I made this. I normally can get by with just once a day and on the rare occasions I run it twice its usually not packed. This day it was packed all three times!

So let’s talk about the menu items and what I thought about them.

Like I said already the star of the show this week was a pork roast. And although the seasonings were very basic (just salt and pepper) it was marvelous. I am looking forward to using all the leftovers in the weeks to come. I do need to get busy and get some of them into the freezer so I can use them for a while.

The same browned potatoes that were on the menu a while back made a repeat appearance. I do love them and my mom made them a lot when I was a kid.

This week the menu called for making a gravy from the drippings from the roast.

As a vegetable the menu called for a simple buttered cauliflower. I know a lot of people don’t care for cauliflower but I have always loved it although I normally eat it raw the last few years. I really need to think to cook it more often. The cookbook just called for adding some butter, salt, and pepper to it.

Of course there was a bread on the menu, this time a batch of batter buns. Now this is possibly only the second time I have ever made batter buns. I am not a huge fan of the texture of them so I rarely make them. At least they are relatively quick as yeast rolls go.

The item on the menu that I was most curious about was the salad dressing this week. On the menu it says “lettuce with Lorenzo Dressing” I was not familiar with this dressing so I was intrigued. It is pretty simple, you make a basic oil & vinegar dressing and add some chili sauce to it. I have to admit it was not my favorite part of the menu but it wasn’t bad. I think I am going to use some of it mixed with mayo to make a fry dipping sauce. I that will be excellent. It was really fun to run into a recipe I had never heard of before though.

For dessert the menu calls for applesauce and Chocolate Cream Drops. This was a cookie recipe I know I had never made before. I was surprised though at how familiar how they taste. I thinking that my mom must have made them from time to time. They were a fairly basic chocolate drop cookie with a chocolate frosting on them. They did contain sour cream as one of the ingredients and this is a bit different giving both a tangy flavor and an interesting texture. They were supposed to have nuts in them and I thought that I had some in the cabinet but when I went to get them to make the cookies there weren’t any. So whatever. They were still good cookies.

So what did I think of the menu this week? I have to say it’s one of my favorites so far. It did conjure up memories of all the roast dinners we ate while I was growing up. And the basics of meat and potatoes with bread almost always on the plate does take me back to childhood.

Other that the fact that I normally don’t do bread with dinner as often as in the menus in the book the thing that really stood out this week was the cooking time for the pork roast. They really did cook meat, especially pork a lot longer back in the day.