Mini Lasagna Cups
08 Sep 2011 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, freezes well, hidden vegetables
When I spied these floating around Pinterest, I knew I had to try them!
Original here (lots o’ great recipes on this site!). I made a few small changes, noted here in the recipe.
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb sausage
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu Sweet Tomato and Basil)
1/2 – 3/4 cup pureed carrots (I didn’t do this, but I will next time…it will be undetectable)
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese (next time I’m using cottage cheese)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
24 wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used shredded Italian blend)
3 slices provolone cheese (optional – you can just use shredded on both layers, but I’m obsessed with provolone and always have it in the house, so I used some in the first layer)
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown the meat together in a pan and drain well. Mix in the jar of spaghetti sauce, and divide into 3 portions. Freeze 2 of the portions for dinner another night.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta or cottage cheese with the salt and pepper.
Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray (I like to use a Misto with olive oil), and arrange a wonton wrapper in each cup. Take half the ricotta mixture and divide it among the 12 cups. Top with half of the meat sauce, and a 1/4 of a slice of provolone cheese. Place another wonton wrapper over the cheese, and repeat the layers by adding the remaining ricotta cheese, meat sauce, and top with shredded cheese (because I used provolone on the first layer, I only used about 3/4 cup on the top of these).
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the wonton wrappers are golden. Cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 mini lasagnas.
The kids each ate one; surprisingly, Bennett, our best eater, wasn’t a big fan. Jack Henry did ok, and Luke devoured his but didn’t ask for more. And we still had 4 leftover, which will make a great lunch for Matt and me tomorrow! I really liked this. Much simpler than a pan of lasagna, and just kinda different and fun. We’ll be making them again!
Mom’s Lasagna
19 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, casserole, company's coming!, freezes well, hidden vegetables, Pasta
I just realized, much to my horror, that I did not include my mom’s lasagna recipe in the cookbooks I made for my family last year!
I put this together this afternoon for our dinner tonight. It was so easy because I had the sauce frozen and thawed it yesterday…that’s my best tip for this recipe. Because making the sauce is time-consuming, it’s a good idea to double the batch, and then freeze it in portions you’ll use. I freeze it in half-recipe portions because otherwise we’d be eating lasagna for several meals, and none of us does that well with leftovers. Then, on a day like today that’s going to be crazy because of Luke’s ballgame, I have a good meal ready to go in almost no time.
Here’s the recipe for one 9×13″ pan:
1 lb ground beef (I use the leanest possible)
garlic salt
1 T parsley flakes
1/2 T basil
14.5 oz can tomatoes (I use petite diced)
6 oz can tomato paste
(you can also add in finely chopped carrots or carrot puree and no one will be the wiser)
10 oz lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles)
24 oz low-fat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
pepper
2 T parsley (of course, you can use fresh, too!)
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 cups (or however much you want) mozzarella cheese – the original recipe calls for a pound of cheese, but I’ve never come close to using that much
Brown the meat; drain. Add the next 5 ingredients. Simmer uncovered, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally (this can be a little bit messy). Cook noodles for 8 minutes, rinse in cold water. Combine cottage cheese with next 4 ingredients. Place half of the noodles in a 13×9 pan, spread half the cottage cheese mixture and a cup of cheese over the top. Add half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.
Corn Bread Deep Dish Pizza
02 Mar 2010 5 Comments
in at least one kid ate it, casserole, hidden vegetables
Kelli sent this recipe to me, and I made it last night for dinner. Very rarely does something get eaten without a “how many bites do I have to have?” from Luke or Bennett, and they both gobbled up large portions! Matt and I loved it, too, and I’m honestly not dreading the leftovers for tonight’s dinner (I generally don’t like leftovers).
I’ll post it how I made it, since I made a few small changes.
1 (8 1/2-ounce) box Jiffy brand corn-muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker and it worked fine)
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
TOPPING:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I didn’t use b/c I didn’t have any onion)
1 large onion, chopped (omitted)
1 garlic clove, chopped (I used a Dorot frozen garlic cube)
1 (26-ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce (Ragu Traditional for us!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound sausage of your choice, cooked and crumbled or sliced
1/2 pound Monterey Jack, shredded (I used Colby Jack, but mozzarella or any Italian blend would be fine too)
I added:
1/2 cup carrot puree
several large, sliced mushrooms to half of the casserole
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13″ baking dish. Prepare the muffin mix using the egg and 1/2 cup of milk. (Note: this amount of milk is different from what’s called for in the package directions.) Add the Parmesan, then spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, then sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce, (pureed carrot), oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook the sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Arrange half of the cooked sausage (or sausage and mushrooms) on the cornmeal batter. Pour the sauce over the batter, spreading it evenly, then layer on the remaining sausage. Bake for 15 minutes, then top the mixture with cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Jalapeno Hummus
07 Jan 2010 4 Comments
in appetizers, hidden vegetables, sauces/dressings, snacks
Matt and I were fortunate enough to attend the Illini/Mizzou basketball game on December 23rd…actually, it was unfortunate because Illinois was AWFUL and we lost. BUT: Matt and I sat in a suite and I ate my weight in crostini and roasted red pepper hummus. Which made it all okay.
When the Christmas festivities settled down, I had to find a suitable recipe, and decided to go with a Jalapeno version for my first try. This is great as a dip for vegetables or chips or pretzels of any kind, a spread for sandwiches, or spread on a bit of crostini or any crusty bakery bread. It is spicy, though! But it’s healthy and relatively low in fat, so a great alternative to dairy-based dips. I’ll post more hummus recipes as we try and like them!
I did buy some really good Roasted Red Pepper from Trader Joe’s and had the kids try it, and none of them liked it (Jack Henry wouldn’t even touch it, which is no surprise). However, I will try again with milder flavors because I think there’s a chance this could work!
1 cup garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas)
3 Tbl tahini
2 Tbl lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/3 cup canned/jarred jalapenos plus a little juice (NOTE: I would recommend starting out with about a 1/4 cup and adding more if you want it spicier…it’s pretty hot)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
salt to taste
Put everything in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You might need a few drops of water or some of the juice from the jalapenos (if you want it hotter) to make it smooth enough.
Spaghetti Sauce
17 Nov 2009 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, freezes well, hidden vegetables, Pasta, sauces/dressings
I once commented to my friend, Heather, after making homemade spaghetti sauce for the first time that it wasn’t worth all the effort, and I was returning to bottle sauce. She replied that I needed her recipe!
And she was right!
This sauce is loaded with vegetables, and while it is a bit time-consuming to make, it is not at all difficult and it makes a lot, so you’ll have an extra meal or two to put away in the freezer. My kids eat this without a complaint, and I often don’t serve an additional vegetable with this because I just want them to eat the sauce!
Here is Heather’s recipe, with the couple of additions I’ve made to it:
1 lb lean ground beef (if you don’t eat beef, ground chicken or turkey will work fine in this)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely or crushed
a handful of baby carrots, chopped finely (I think Heather uses whole carrots and shreds them)
1/2-1 zucchini, shredded (I use a whole zucchini or close to it)
OPTIONAL: fresh mushrooms, as many as you like, chopped finely (I know that Heather uses canned mushrooms, but I have a serious aversion to those, so I use fresh)
OPTIONAL: yellow, red or green pepper shredded (I don’t usually use this, but I think it would be good!)
Put all of this in a stock pot and cook until the beef is browned (chop the beef up while cooking so it’s in really small pieces). Drain well.
Add to the pot:
28 oz diced tomatoes (1 large or 2 regular-sized cans) – I run these through the food processor to take away the chunks, as my kids wouldn’t eat this if it was chunky
8 oz tomato sauce
12 oz tomato paste
1 cube beef boullion dissolved in 1/2 cup water or red wine (Heather uses a full cup in hers)
2 T fresh parsley (1 T should do if using dried)
1/2 T brown sugar (Heather uses a whole T; we prefers ours a little less sweet)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
After you’ve added all the ingredients, simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the lid on because it may pop!
I freeze this into portions that our family will eat for dinner, and this time I also kept out a larger portion (probably 3-3.5 cups) and made lasagne with it and it was delicious!
Freezer Pizza Sauce
22 Sep 2009 2 Comments
in at least one kid ate it, freezes well, hidden vegetables, sauces/dressings
First of all, I loved the name of this. Freezer. I thought, if it has freezer in the name it sure must freeze well! 
You all may have a recipe for pizza sauce that you use already, cause I’ve tried lots. But, this is my favorite! I love this one. I found this on recipezaar.com
2 tbspns olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced (again, I used the jar kind – already minced!)
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 3/4 tsp ground oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until just soft, not browning. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes, or until sauce is desired consistency. Use a stick blender or food processor if you prefer a smooth consistency. ( I used my magic bullet here as I knew a smooth consistency would be better for the kids to eat it. Otherwise, they may have refused.)
My additions!…..I added baby food sweet potatoes and squash for some hidden veggies! Now, I only used the baby food because I have some leftover that Kenzie wouldn’t eat anymore. When those run out, I will definitely cook those veggies and through them in. You can definitely double this recipe to have more in the freezer. We actually used some from the freezer the other night for dinner and it tasted like I just made it that night! I waited to post until I knew it did well in the freezer
Beef Enchiladas
12 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, casserole, freezes well, hidden vegetables, Mexican
After I read and started using the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, this was the first recipe I doctored up myself and successfully served to the family without anyone detecting that I’d messed with their food. Luke will actually ask when we’re having this again.
1 lb. lean ground beef
2/3 cup very finely chopped carrots*
1 packet of taco seasoning
½ cup black beans, pureed
6-8 flour tortillas
1 can La Victoria mild red enchilada sauce – I’m partial to this brand!
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, optional
Preheat oven to 350°. Add a very small amount of oil to a skillet, and cook carrots over medium heat for 3 minutes; add beef, and cook until beef is browned and carrots are soft; drain well. Mix in taco seasoning (adding the water the package calls for) and beans, and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray, and pour a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan, just enough to coat it with a thin layer. Divide meat mixture among the tortillas, stuffing as full as you’d like. Roll up and lay seam-side down in pan. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and cover with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges. Uncover and bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with sour cream, if desired.
*If you keep purees on hand, you can substitute 1/2 cup of puree for the chopped carrot; just wait to mix it in until after the meat has been cooked and drained.
Deceptively Delicious: Chicken Enchilada Skillet
02 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, chicken, hidden vegetables, Mexican
Last night I doctored up a skillet chicken enchilada recipe to include carrot puree…it went over well! This is kind of a bland recipe but the boys like it, so I’ll post it here with my suggestions to improve it. I had planned to cook up some chopped onion with the chicken when I made this, but I had such a rough day with sick Jack Henry that I didn’t have the time or energy to do so. Here’s the recipe in case you all want to try it.
Chicken Enchilada Skillet
1 T olive oil (you can get by with less since it’s a non-stick skillet you’re using)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
some finely chopped onion (like I said, I didn’t do this but I think it would be good…maybe some green pepper too)
1 (14.5 oz) can of reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup light Ranch dressing
1/2 cup carrot puree
2 T flour
6 flour tortillas, cut into small pieces (roughly 1×1″ or so)…I prefer La Banderita tortillas…if anyone has a REALLY good whole grain tortilla that they like, please let me know…this is one area that I have not been able to switch to whole grain because they always feel and taste like cardboard.
1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack or Mexican blend cheese
salsa – if you’re in the St. Louis area, get Hacienda salsa. It’s the best!
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken (and vegetables, if you choose) and cook about 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Mix broth, dressing, puree, and flour and gradually add to the skillet, stirring constantly. Add tortillas and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and simmer 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with salsa (the kids don’t eat it this way).
**NOTE: because I thought this was tasting a bit bland sans onions/peppers, I decided to stir in a little enchilada sauce (since it was already tinted orange from the carrots). This was fine, too! However, I used the last can I had of the worst red enchilada sauce ever made, Old El Paso. It’s so bad compared to my favorite, La Victoria.
Homemade Pizza Rolls
02 Mar 2009 3 Comments
in appetizers, at least one kid ate it, beef, hidden vegetables
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a couple of weeks now, and tonight I finally tried it. It was a meal that was suggested for the recent meal swap that I participated in, and no one made it but I thought it looked really good.
It’s Holly Clegg’s Italian Pizza Rolls.
They were easy and even kind of fun to make (I’d never used egg roll wrappers before!), and I also loved that the recipe included chopped carrot. And, I thought they were delicious! The boys actually liked them, too. They still asked me how many bites they had to eat, because I swear they always do, even if they like something. But, there was no gagging. This one gets a thumbs-up!
What I did differently than the recipe:
1. Because the recipe calls for a half a pound of ground sirloin, and I have lean ground beef frozen in one-pound packages, I decided to double this recipe (seriously…who has a half a pound of meat?). It’s very little extra work, and you’re creating another meal that can go in the freezer. Freezing them was simple; after they’re rolled up, you freeze them on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to a bag or container when frozen. EDITED TO ADD: These don’t bake up nearly as well after they’ve been frozen. Still edible, but they don’t stay together very well.
2. Instead of the separate spices it called for, I just an Italian Herb Blend.
3. I didn’t use near the amount of green pepper it called for; I’m not crazy about the taste of green pepper, and the kids prefer their food without “green stuff.” I just bought several slices from the salad bar at the grocery store today.
4. It says to put 2 Tbl. of the meat mixture in each wrapper; that seemed like not enough to me. Instead of using 18 wrappers like I would have needed per her instructions, I used 14. I made a couple of them a little smaller for the boys, which was definitely a good idea. The bigger ones were much messier, but Matt and I didn’t mind using a fork when necessary.
5. I used butter to grease the cookie sheet, and boy am I glad I did. They stick very easily; non-stick spray, at that high a temperature, would have just gotten the pan all sticky.
Here’s what I will do differently next time:
1. I might consider making these with sausage and ground beef mixed together; it would just punch up the taste a bit.
2. If I was making these as appetizers (as Matt suggested), I would definitely use a smaller amount of the mixture in each to make them easier to hold and eat.
3. I’d say that you could even increase the amount of chopped carrot and it will not interfere with the taste.
4. I might turn the heat down just a touch and rotate them more than twice while baking, which would make them crispier all over (and make them taste more like they were fried).
I’ll definitely be making these again!
UPDATE: I made these again, and the boys were less thrilled this time with them. Ugh. I can’t win.
