Lasagna Toss

1 pkg (12 oz)  large Shell-Roni macaroni, cooked
2 lbs ground beef (I usually use only 1 1/2 lbs.)
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 27 oz can spaghetti sauce (I usually make my own sauce, and make more than what one jar would equal.  I find it is dry without the extra sauce.  I make mine with a large can of tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce and Italian seasonings to taste.)2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions drain.

 Meanwhile in large skillet, brown grown beef with onions and garlic; drain off excess fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer  until heated through.

remove 1 cup sauce

Stir cooked pasta into meat sauce.

Place ½ pasta mixture in 2 quart casserole. Combine cottage cheese with parsley. Evenly spread on top of mixture in casserole.Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese; cover with remaining pasta mixture then the extra sauce and remaining mozzarella. (Sometimes I only put the Parmesan on top and put all the cheese on top of the cottage cheese.)

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover and bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

My Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken

Okay, so it probably isn't mine, although I have done something like this for years.

It's pretty basic and easy, but our sister Jacinda loves it.


Garlic-Lemon roasted Chicken

Cut up Chicken, whatever parts you prefer
Olive oil
Juice of at least three lemons, I use up to 6 or 7
Several cloves of Garlic, a few peeled and finely pressed or minced, and the other stays in the skins.
Minced fresh Rosemary

Drizzle your baking dish with olive oil. and Place chicken in the dish. You are going to marinate and back. Do this at least a hour ahead, but it is best if you can chill in the fridge for several ours before roasting. Salt and pepper to taste. slowly pour the Lemon juice over the chicken. If you take time to grate some of the peel over the chicken it adds more lovely flavor. spread the minced garlic evenly. Drop the garlic cloves ( at LEAST 20 of them but more is better!)beside the pieces of chicken. Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 and roast the chicken for 1 hour.

Yummy!

Michael's Enchilada's

2-3 tortillas (per person, light eaters might just want one.)
1 chicken boiled and deboned or slow cooked roast shredded or 2 lbs ground beef cooked.
2-3 cups shredded cheese
2-4 cups shredded lettuce
1-2 cups choppped onion (depending on personal preferences)
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can ripe olives, sliced
1 cup sour cream for toppings.


Sauce recipe

2 cans tomato soup
1 can tomato sauce or paste
2 tbsp chili powder to taste
3 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder or
2 fresh cloves garlic minced.

Mix together in a sauce pan and heat until hot.

Construction of enchilada's per plate.

each gets to choose how many tortillas they think they can eat-- experience or trial and error--(3 often too much for grown hungry man), pour a half a ladle of sauce for each layer, then meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and other toppings as desired. (taco toppings of any sort), put a little extra cheese on the last layer of enchiladas, before placing in the oven long enough to melt the cheese (broiler settings work great, be sure to use oven proof plates). if the plates are hot prepare table with hot pads. Enjoy a personal serving of a tasty dish.

(This recipe is adapted from a simpler version his grandmother made using just sauce and cheese for each enchilada's.)

Tanya's Cream Cheese Enchilada's

1 whole chickens, cut up.
1 bunch green onion chopped
2 cans mushrooms
1 8oz package cream cheese
16oz of sour cream
green enchilada sauce 19 oz
enough mexican blend shredded cheese to cover enchilada's. (I used 1 1/2 packages roughly)

Pat dry chicken pieces and brown in hot frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil as needed.
Place browned chicken in dutch oven to boil. Deglaze pan to get the benefit of drippings and add to water in dutch oven.
Cook chicken for 20-40 minutes until down. Let sit 10 minutes. Then debone the chicken.
Add to deboned meat onions, drained mushrooms, and cream cheese. Add about 3/4 cups of chicken broth and mix together until chicken shreds into fine pieces and cream cheese is completely blended in. Add salt and pepper to taste

For this amount I use two oblong cake pans.
Spread a dollop of sour cream on the bottom of the pan. This helps keep them moist and makes clean up easier.
On each tortilla I spread a dollop of sour cream, and a couple of tablespoons of chicken mixture. I'm not exact with this just fill them as you would like. I can get about 10 enchilada's in a pan 8 placed side by side and 2 in the open space on the edge.
Spread more sour cream on top, add 1/2 a can of enchilada sauce spreading evenly then add cheese on top.
Repeat on the 2 tray.
I usually get 2 trays out of this and sometimes some extra chicken for left overs.
bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yummy.