Lasagna

I always thought lasagna required waaaay too much effort with all those layers! I gave this recipe a try while at a friend's house for the weekend. I was surprised how easy it was and incredibly tasty.

Lasagna

1 lb ground beef

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 package uncooked lasagna

4 cups (2 lbs) ricotta cheese

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzerella cheese

1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

4 eggs

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Brown meat in a 3 qt saucepan; drain. Add sauce and simmer 10 minutes

2. Cook pasta according to package.

3. Combine cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour about 1/2 cup meat sauce on bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan arrange 4 pieces of pasta lengthwise over sauce, overlapping the edges. Spread 1/3 cheese mixture over pasta and cover with about 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, cheese, and meat sauce twice. Top with a layer of pasta and remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with additional parmesean cheese, if desired

4. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F about 30 minutes or until hot & bubbly. Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting for easier handling.

Red Lobster Biscuits

These biscuits taste just like Red Lobster's!

Red Lobster Biscuits

Source: Good Eats-n-Sweet Treats

2 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley1/4 cup butter - melted

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Combine first 3 ingredients until moist. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden.
While the biscuits are baking, mix melted butter, parsley and garlic.
Pour over hot biscuits and serve.

Mrs. Field's Brownies

Have you ever tasted heaven? I'm not really a brownie fan but after trying these brownies I may be converted. They turn out very fudgey and moist, not crumbley like other brownies.

Be warned: Overcooking will result in chocolate rocks.

Mrs. Field's Brownies

Source: Unknown

6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup salted butter, softened

3 large eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Combine unsweetened baking chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat and stir until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs until light yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and blend on low until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla and melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture. Blend on low speed until smooth. Add the flour and mix thoroughly by hand.

4. Pour batter into greased pan. Smooth surface with a spatula and sprinkle uniformly with walnuts. Bake on the center rack of oven for 30 to 35 minutes. The batter should be set and a toothpick inserted in center should come out with sticky brownie batter . Do not over bake. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cut and serve chilled.

Margherita Pizza

For some reason, I started craving margherita pizza out of the blue. I've never made homemade pizza before but I decided to give it a shot and it was incredibly easy! I found a recipe online and made some adjustments and my, my, my was it good! My husband was very impressed as well.

Margherita Pizza
Source: Simple, but Delicious.

Ingredients-
1 package Pilsbury Pizza Dough
2 T extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves
3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
Italian seasoning
Parsley
6 leaves Basil
6 oz. shredded mozzerella cheese
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions-
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Roll out pizza dough onto a baking stone. Press to desire thickness. Roll up outside 1 time to create crust.
3. Mix olive oil and garlic. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds to season oil. Spread half of mixture over the crust.
4. In remaining oil mix tomatoes and salt to coat tomatoes. Place tomatoes over top of crust. Cover with mozzerella. Top with italian seasoning, parsley, and basil. Sprinkle any remaining olive oil on top of pizza.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Top with parmesan cheese and cool for 2-3 minutes.

Balsamic Chicken

I received this recipe through an email chain but I'm not sure of the original source. When I told my husband I was making balsamic chicken, he wrinkled his nose thinking he wouldn't like it. Well, wasn't he wrong! He loved it. I used an inexpensive balsamic vinegar found at the grocery store and the honey and garlic really complimented it. The balsamic sauce soaks into the chicken and gives it tons of flavor.

Balsamic Chicken

Source: Unknown

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

5 garlic cloves

chopped parsley (optional)

1. Combine broth, vinegar, and honey.

2. Pound chicken to 1/4-1/2 inch thick and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess flour. Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Add garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken. 4. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia

This, by far, is the greatest recipe I've ever come across. I will preface by saying I hate fish. Tilapia is a very mild fish but the topping really camoflages any fishy flavors. I've made this dish for friends and family and everyone loves it! My friend's husband ordered a similar dish in a restaurant and said mine was better! The best part is that it takes less than 10 minutes to prep and cook.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients-

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions-

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes.

4. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Note: I remove the center vein in the tilapia by cutting the filet down the center. I've found it decreases any fishy flavors.

Garlic Chicken

I found this recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and it had great reviews so I decided to give it a try. It literally took five minutes to prep and it tasted great! The only moderation I made was using a bit more garlic than it called for. I'll definitely add this dish to my dinner rotation.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients-

2 teaspoons crushed garlic ( I used 6 cloves)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Getting Started

I started this blog because I'm always looking for simple recipes that taste great. I hate having to run to the grocery store for tons of ingredients for a new dish. I hope that you enjoy some of the simple recipes I've collected over the years!