Kristian's New CD! Recipe Challenge

Everyone go to iTunes and buy Kristian Stanfill's new CD, Mountains Move! It's amazing and you'll be worshipping before you know it!

I've joined with some gal pals to do a Recipe Challenge for the year of 2011. One new recipe per month from an already owned cookbook that's been waiting to be opened since the mayhem of the internet.

With all this snow and ice, we've not ventured out on the streets so supper is making use of what we have here! Last night consisted of leftover venison tenderloin (that Tay made on Friday) with black eyed peas and baked potatoes - turned out to be a lovely meal!

Tonight I really got excited when I discovered I had all the ingredients necessary for lasagna! Who would have thought?

With Tay killing a dear this fall, we're stocked for anything that calls for ground beef since we have an ample supply of ground venison to last us for months! And, I've grown to like it more than ground beef - especially after watching FOOD INC (you need to rent it)!

There is not a leaner meat! I think it's delicious!

So, it also just so happened that I was able to make a recipe from a cookbook using these ingredients I had on hand. The one adjustment was using onion from a spice jar rather than a fresh onion.

It is from a cookbook that I actually do love and use quite often! Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

12 oz bulk italian or pork sausage or ground beef (or in my case, ground venison)

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14& 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 T dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (optional) (I did not do this)

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 dried lasagna noodles

1 beaten egg

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese or 2 cups cream-style cottage cheese, drained (I did and prefer ricotta)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. For sauce, in a large saucepan cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.

3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if desired), and pepper into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, cook noodles for 10-12 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.

5. For filling, combine egg, ricotta, and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

6. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish, trimming or overlapping as necessary to fit.

7. Spread with half of the filling. Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.

8. Repeat layers.

9. If desired, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.

10. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Finished Product

Bukes bought me flowers for our date night on Friday when he cooked :)

(if you can't tell, I'm enjoying using my camera since I have it now - and also, maybe it's a snow day so I've got nothing better to do than to take lots of pictures of lasagna!)

Rating

8

I have to admit that we are lasagna lovers (like we love pizza) and our favorite lasagna recipe we've found thus far is simply from the Publix brand lasagna noodle box!

But this one turned out pretty well for a what-you've-got-in-your-pantry/fridge-snow-day type of recipe :)

Now go buy Kristian's CD MOUNTAINS MOVE!

Official Countdown until Baby Bukes arrives:

86 Days!