Lasagna!

Feel special! I am about to reveal my most prized recipe. :) For Chad's birthday, I made his absolute favorite meal that I've ever made him... lasagna.

A few years ago, the first time I watched Ina Garten ("The Barefoot Contessa") in fact, I saw her make lasagna. And it was life changing. :) She added in a very unique ingredient.... goat cheese. Being a new cook, I thought, what the heck? And gave it a try.

The result? PERFECTION. The best lasagna I've ever had. My husband and Kent agree. It's so creamy and savory and scrumptious! It's now my go-to recipe for special occasions and company. And here's the recipe for you!

Megan's Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
no-boil lasagna noodles
1 jar your favorite pasta sauce {I use Whole Foods 'Four Cheese'}
1 can tomato sauce
1 lb turkey sausage
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided into two equal portions
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 egg
1 container ricotta

DIRECTIONS:
[1] In a skillet, pour olive oil to coat the pan. Add garlic and saute till fragrant. Add sausage. Cook until browned.
[2] Add in sauces, and mix well. Stir in italian seasoning. Simmer for 20-ish minutes.
[3] Meanwhile, mix 1 cup of the mozzarella, goat cheese, ricotta, and egg.
[4] In a 13x9 pan, layer: sausage mixture (the "sauce"), noodles, cheese mixture. Keep repeating until you run out of ingredients. :) Make sure the last layer is topped off with all remaining sauce. Then top that with remaining mozzarella.
[5] Bake at 375 covered with foil for 35 minutes. ENJOY!

Taco Mac & Cheese!

This was one of the first dishes I made for my hubby when we got married, and it still is one of his faves. Did you know Kraft now makes a macaroni and cheese that has a full serving of veggies? Makes you feel a LITTLE better about eating that comfort food ;) Anyway, this is spicy, yummy, and delish! Kent loved it too. :)

Taco Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS:
1 box macaroni & cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa

DIRECTIONS:
[1] Prepare macaroni according to box.
[2] Meanwhile, brown beef in skillet, then mix in taco seasoning.
[3] Mix mac and cheese with ground beef and cheese in a 13x9 pan.
[4] Bake until cheese is melted and yummy. Top with salsa if desired! YUM!

slow cooker lasagna

Meet my new friend:

The Crockpot. AKA Slow Cooker. AKA AMAZING.

I love love love being able to throw a meal in there in the morning, go out, and come home to a fully cooked dinner [or lunch!]

This recipe cooks for a short amount of time for a slow cooker - 3-4 hours, so it's a great one to put in before running errands. Today I put it in before heading to the gym, and came home to this amazing yummy lunch:

slow cooker lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
no-boil lasagna noodles, amount will vary depending on size of your slow cooker
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce, your favorite
1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (I buy Jimmy Dean's pre-cooked bags for this!)
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning


DIRECTIONS:

[1] Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. {I also like to line mine with the slow cooker liners}.

[2] Break noodles and place them on the bottom to fit your slow cooker.

[3] Layer: half the meat, half the sauce, half the ricotta, half the mozzarella, seasonings, and repeat starting with the noodles again!

[4] Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. {During the last hour, I add a little shredded mozzarella to the top}.

chicken & spinach pasta bake

This pasta dish was SO easy, and another hit with Kent, {cut into bite size pieces, of course!} I just have to share it:

INGREDIENTS
8 oz rigatoni pasta, cooked & drained
8 oz chive & onion cream cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
[1] Mix cream cheese, spinach, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella well. Stir in pasta and pour into a large baking dish.

[2] Top with remaining mozzarella.

[3] Bake at 350, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes.


[4] Enjoy! Kent sure did. :)


P.S.... My big boy looks HUGE in that high chair! He is growing too fast!