Sausage & Spinach Strata

The first time I had this recipe was at my friend Erin's Wedding Shower....I pregnant with the Twins and I could not eat enough of this. It is soooo good. We eat this regularly for breakfast on the weekend with a fruit plate.....I have adapted Mrs. Larsen's recipe to our family's tastes by adding in spinach....I try to sneak veggies in when I can with the girls.....This recipe is always a big hit at brunches....You have to plan for this one since it needs to rest in the fridge overnight before being slow baked in the AM....

Makes: 13x9 pan

8-10 slices of White bread, cubed
2 C Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1 1/2-2 lbs of Sausage Links (Could use Ground Sausage)
1 10oz box frz Spinach, thawed & squeezed dry (or fresh spinach leaves if you have them)
4 Eggs
2 1/2 C Milk

Topping: (do the morning of baking)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 C Milk
3/4 T Dry Onion Soup Mix

Spray a 13x9 inch pan with non stick spray. Brown Sausage links in a skillet until cooked through. Slice into bite sized pieces. Place cubed bread in the bottom of the baking dish and top with the grated cheese, spinach, and sausage pieces. Beat the eggs with the 2 1/2 C of milk and pour over bread, cheese, spinach, sausage mixture. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning preheat the over to 300 degrees. Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the top of the bread mixture. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Enjoy!

Poor Man's Mac & Cheese Bake

So my brother actually taught me this recipe while I was in college.....eventhough we LOVE Homemade Macaroni Cheese this recipe has become a pantry staple at our house.....Especially now that we have kids.....its super easy and tastes pretty good too.....Its versatile so feel free to create.....I suppose you could add some cheese on top or mix in a veggie......endless possibilities I tell you....

Serves 4-5

2 Boxes Mac n Cheese, prepared (the way you like, I use 2 T butter & 1/4 C Milk per box)

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 lb Ground Beef

Onion Powder, to taste

Garlic Salt, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mac n cheese to your liking. Meanwhile season and brown ground beef, with Onion Powder, Garlic Salt and Salt/Pepper. Drain the fat. Combine prepared Mac n Cheese, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Ground Beef. Mix Well. Pour into a casserole dish and bake in oven for 25-30 min, or until hot throughout. Enjoy!

Naples Style Lasagna

I grew up with this basic recipe and over the years of making it I have found this version to be my favorite....I am a crazy cook and I like all my red sauces to taste different.....my spaghetti sauce can not taste like my marinara and my lasagna sauce can not taste like my spaghetti sauce.....on so on....The sauce for this is really simple and that's probably why I like it.....quick and easy....I also like using a combo of cottage cheese and ricotta...you could use one or the other.......its also best to make a day ahead and let set up in the fridge too....I only do that when I have time....can also freeze to eat at a later date too.....anyway this is becoming one of Mikiah's favorite dishes....she loves it.....Enjoy!

Makes: 9x13

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 Med Onion, finely chopped

1-1 1/2 C Mushrooms, quartered

Salt & Pepper

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2-3/4 C Dry Red Wine

1 10.75 oz can of Tomato Puree

1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes, Italian Style or Plain

1 Bay Leaf

1-2 tsp dried Basil

1/2-1 tsp of Italian Seasonings

1/2 box or 10 Lasagna Noodles

3 beaten eggs

1 1/2 C Ricotta

1 1/2 C Cottage Cheese

3/4 C Grated Parmesan

1/4 C Italian Parsley, chopped

8oz-16oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced use as much or as little as you want (I buy a two pack of fresh Mozzarella at Costco and use one of them, but I have seen them in grocery stores and you can use regular mozzarella too, we just prefer fresh)

Cook Noodles in salted boiling water for 8 min and drain well.

For Sauce:

In a pot add beef, sausage, onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook until meat is browned. Drain off fat, return to heat and add in the garlic cook for 1-2 min. Add in the wine and stir. Then add in crushed tomatoes/puree, bay leaf, basil, and Italian seasoning. Re season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thick stirring occasionally, I usually let it simmer for 40 min or so. Discard bay leaf.

For Filling:

Combine beaten eggs, ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan and fresh parsley.

Arrange 1/2 the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a greased (I just spray with non stick spray) 13x9x2. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 of the meat sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with noodles, then the rest of ricotta mixture and the rest of the meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for about 45min to 1 hour until hot and bubbly. Uncover and add the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for another 15 min or until lasagna is hot through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 min before serving. Serve with bread and extra Parm cheese if you like....

Blanco Chicken Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods....there are so many variations you can do, red sauce, white sauce, pink sauce....This recipe is a good way to use up some cooked chicken, shoot you could even use leftover turkey.......This recipe even allows you to use the infamous "Poultry Seasoning" which I seem to only use around Thanksgiving and usually end up buying fresh every year.....Anyway its easy to double and a recipe I like to make and take to new parents when they come home from the hospital....

Makes: 9x13 Pan

8oz Lasagna Noodles
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
3/4 C Chicken Broth
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Poultry Seasoning
8oz Package Cream Cheese, softened
1 C Cottage Cheese
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1/3 C Onion, finely chopped
1/3 C Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
3 C Cooked Chicken, shredded or chopped
Buttered Bread Crumbs

Cook Noodles according to package (8-9 Min). Rinse in Cold Water and set aside. Mix chicken soup, broth, salt and poultry seasoning in a sauce pan and heat over med-low heat (watch the soup it can stick to the bottom of the pan). In a bowl beat softened cream cheese and the cottage cheese together, add in the sour cream and mayo. Then stir in the onion, green pepper and parsley. Butter or spray a 9x13 pan and then layer 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the Cottage Cheese mixture, 1/2 the Chicken and then pour 1/2 the soup mixture. Repeat layers and top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 min, until bubbly and hot.....

Chicken Divan

This is a family favorite that was given to me from my aunt, but as with every recipe I have edited it to create a recipe that fits with my families taste. It is a good recipe to use up leftover cooked chicken and rice. We eat this fairly often in the fall and winter. I always have everything for this recipe.....as I like call it "My Fall Back Recipe".

9x13 Pan

2-3 C Cooked Chicken (or 3-4 Chicken Breast seasoned/cooked/chopped)

4-5 C Cooked Rice

1 160z bag Frozen Broccoli

1 10 3/4oz Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1-2 Lemons, juiced

1 tsp Curry Powder

2 C Cheddar Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Layer cooked rice on the bottom, then Chicken and then frozen broccoli in a 9x13 pan, set aside. In a medium bowl mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry powder and 1/2 c of the Cheddar cheese, pour over the casserole. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake in the oven for 30-35min until cheese is melted and hot throughout.