Friday, May 31, 2013

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients
8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until not quite tender, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.
  4. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
  5. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
  6. Add sausage; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes.
  7. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until it is cooked through, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  8. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
  9. Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
  10. To assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish.
  11. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary.
  12. Evenly dollop half the ricotta over the noodles.
  13. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella.
  14. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half the remaining tomatoes and half the remaining mozzarella.
  15. Top with a third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes.
  16. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
  17. Remove the foil; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
  18. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  19. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Broccoli, Rice, and Ham Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked ham
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen broccoli
1 cup cooked rice
1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
 Directions:
  1. Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs.
  2. In a 2- to 2 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish, combine ham, broccoli, cooked rice, soup, cheese, onion, and sour cream.
  3. Spread bread crumbs over top.
  4. Bake 55 to 65 minutes at 325°, or until browned and bubbly.
 
Serves 4.