Baked Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce

Hey guys! Gymnastics tonight, so I made an easy semi-homemade baked lasagna with a pork and beef Bolognese Sauce. So easy and delicious. Here is the simple recipe. Happy eating!

Baked Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
Your favorite jar of plain marinara
red wine- a couple of glugs
a handful of fresh herbs- I used basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and marjoram
lasagna noodles
cheese… see below

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Using a large saucepan, heat oil, saute’ onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent, about 4 minutes. Add your meat and lightly brown while occasionally stirring. Mix in your jar of marinara, wine, and fresh herbs. Simmer over medium heat. Let cook for 15-20 minutes.

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While your sauce cooks, boil a large pot of salted water and cook your lasagna noodles. Spray a oven safe casserole dish. Once pasta is drained and cooled, place alternating layers of your Bolognese Sauce, noodles, and mozzarella cheese. My husband hates ricotta, so I just used all mozzarella. BUT if this was just for me or cooking for a party, which it is sometimes, I would make a combo cheese mixture of mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan. About 3/4 cup of each, more if you deem necessary. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until your cheese brown and bubbly on the top.

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Stove Top Lasagna and Bruschetta

Last weekend, I was watching The Kitchen, a show that comes on the Food Network. It is kinda like The Chew, but only comes on Saturdays. Sunny Anderson is one of the TV chef personalities, and she was making this stove top lasagna. It looked so easy and delicious, I thought I would make it the next time lasagna was on the menu. I made this kind of from what I remember, so it is not exactly the same as hers. Here is the link to her original recipe. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sunnys-pan-sagna-one-pan-plan-lasagna.html
Here is how I made it…

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning and fresh herbs- next time I will add more
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 container of mushrooms
1 to 2 cups beef stock
8 par-cooked lasagna sheets, broken into shards- I also added the end of a box of penne.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
You need a large pan with a lid that is also oven safe. I used a circular dutch oven. Add the olive oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to swirl around in the pan a bit, add onions, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, a little salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Stir for a couple of minutes.

Add the beef to the pan. Cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the stock to cover the contents by almost an inch. Bring the pan to a boil then add the broken lasagna sheets. Make sure you cover the pasta with the liquid. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the lasagna noodles are al dente, about 8-10 minutes. I uncovered it and stirred it around every few minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
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Once it is done, stir in the Parmesan cheese. The spread the mozzarella all over the top. Turn the oven on low broil. Put the pot in the oven and keep the door a jar a bit. Keep an eye on it and take it out when the cheese is melty and brown. YUM!

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Of course I didn’t forget about the Bruchetta! Make this before you put your lasagna in the oven for a nice appetizer to munch on while you sip some wine and wait for dinner to be ready. Lots of different ways to make this- what kind of bread are you going to use; are you going to toast it first or toast the ingredients on it; what kind of toppings are you going to add etc.

I made mine pretty in a pretty basic way- Cut open some bread, minced some garlic and put it on the bread first, then add slices of a tomato, mozzarella, and top with some thinly sliced basil leaves. Put in the oven on low broil until cheese is melted. Perfect with a glass of Malbec!010

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Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta

Stuck in a lunchtime rut? This week I have had cheese and Triscuits almost everyday for lunch. So today I came up with this easy beauty. Bruschetta- pronounced bro͝oˈsketə/- or sometimes by Americans- bro͝oˈshetta is a toasted Italian bread drenched in olive oil and served typically with garlic or tomatoes. You can really top it with anything you like, but this garlic and tomatoes are the norm. We also make this sometimes with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. No matter how you say it or prepare it, these yummy toasts are quite satisfying for a snack, lunch, appetizer, or side dish for dinner. I served with mine with a side salad.

Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta

Turn oven on broil. Take some sliced baguettes, rub on some garlic. Drizzle on some olive oil. Top with sliced or chopped tomatoes that have been lightly dressed with some Balsamic Vinegar. Cook for just a few minutes. Keep your eye on these guys so they don’t burn. Add to a side of pasta, salad, or just enjoy as a snack!

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Bruschetta Chicken

I am one night behind on my meal plan. Life happens. Things come up. When you have the chance to go to a pizza pool party, you go! So instead of white wine chicken and lasagna with bruschetta, I made bruschetta chicken. Plus, I still have my freezer leftover lasagna meal for next week!

Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to the chicken in a Ziploc baggie, then squish it all together for a minute or so. Then, brown both sides of chicken in your cast iron skillet. Each side about 8-10 minutes. Put the pan in a 350 oven.

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Cut a tomato and some mozzarella. Thinly slice some basil. I roll mine up then chop it up. Place these on top of your chicken in the oven. When you start to see your cheese melt a bit, turn on the broil. Clean a couple of dishes. This will be helpful after dinner. While you do these, your chicken will be cooking in your over for a bit more. Pour yourself a glass of wine (or second) and take a few sips. Cook until all the cheese is melty and browned on top.

Enjoy! Mangia!
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