2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini

From Denny: Our local newspaper often runs some very easy recipes that are real crowd pleasers. They are great to have on hand for entertaining, gatherings for christenings, homecomings, reunions or funerals. Even though this is a big city people still rally together when there is a death in the family. When that happens neighbors always bring over a dish of food so the grieving family does not have the burden of cooking during a stressful time when friends and relatives gather.

Other times neighbors pull a dish out of their freezer, ready to go, when there is a new baby born or other special homecoming like a soldier returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Around here in south Louisiana people love to cook and love to share their simple food with everyone. It's just tradition to give of your food!

Both of these recipes can be made ahead and then reheated, often tasting better as the flavors have a chance to sit and have a long conversation of mingling. :)

The Mexican version of lasagna will please all your beef eaters in the family. Ground beef is cooked along with green bell peppers and taco seasoning spices and diced Ro-tel tomatoes (jalapenos and tomatoes). Then this ground beef mixture gets layered up with a cream cheese and sour cream combination, then layers of lasagna noodles, yummy cheese and olives.

Now Turkey Tetrazzini is one of those comfort food casseroles you like to make for someone when they are recovering from a cold or the flu. You can also make it with chicken or include bits of ham.

This recipe comes from the local newspaper food writer, Carol Anne Blitzer. She adapted this recipe from Mrs. Lenton Sartain’s Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from local but nationally popular cookbook, “River Road Recipes.” She doubles the recipe so she can freeze one casserole to have ready to go.





Another version of Mexican lasagna by moacirpdsp @ flickr


Mexican Lasagna

From: Lynette Nolan, "This makes a big dish so I always make this for company. It’s one of those dishes everyone likes, and all you need to go with it is a vegetable and a big green salad."

Makes: 12-15 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbls. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. lean ground meat
1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes and green chilies (original or mild)
2 tbls. chili powder
1 (1-oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 (8-ozs.) cans tomato sauce
8 ozs. lasagna noodles (either the precooked or the type you cook)
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese
with jalapeño peppers (or plain, if desired), shredded
1 (2.25-oz.) can sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives

Directions:

1. In skillet, heat oil and add onions, bell peppers, garlic and ground meat. Cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are beginning to soften. If any fat accumulates around edges, remove it with a spoon. Add Ro-tel tomatoes, chili powder, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Continue simmering for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 325 degrees and cook the noodles according to package directions. Some brands do not require cooking beforehand.

3. Blend sour cream and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir chopped green onions into cream cheese mixture and set aside.

4. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish or pan with nonstick coating. Layer bottom of dish with lasagna noodles. Spread half of the meat mixture over noodles. Add half of the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. The easiest way is to drop spoonfuls of the creamy mixture over surface and then spread. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.

5. Repeat layers but add olives before adding grated cheese: (noodles, meat, sour cream/cream cheese mixture, olives, then grated cheese). Cover with foil but tent it slightly so top will not stick to cheese.

6. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour or until bubbly and noodles are tender.








Another version of Turkey Tetrazzini by jasonlam @ flickr


Turkey Tetrazzini


From: Mrs. Lenton Sartain from “River Road Recipes” is adapted by Carol Anne Blitzer, food writer from 2theadvocate.


Fills 2 (9 x 11-inch) aluminum foil, deep-dish pans, each of which serves about 8.

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/4 lbs. spaghetti
1 stick butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 qt. whole milk
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, to taste
4 to 5 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 (8-oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 to 1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions to the al dente stage.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and blend in the flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring over low heat until mixture forms a medium white sauce. Add dry mustard, black pepper, lemon juice and Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

3. Mix in the turkey and the drained mushrooms.

4. Drain the spaghetti and add into the sauce mixture.

5. Divide into 2 casseroles. Top with cheese. At this point, Carol Anne Blitzer freezes the casserole(s) until needed. When ready to serve, thaw casserole in the refrigerator and reheat at 350 degrees until bubbly. Be careful to make a tent of a sheet of aluminum foil to place over the casserole as it bakes so that the cheese does not stick to the foil and the spaghetti doesn’t dry out.






*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini

From Denny: Our local newspaper often runs some very easy recipes that are real crowd pleasers. They are great to have on hand for entertaining, gatherings for christenings, homecomings, reunions or funerals. Even though this is a big city people still rally together when there is a death in the family. When that happens neighbors always bring over a dish of food so the grieving family does not have the burden of cooking during a stressful time when friends and relatives gather.

Other times neighbors pull a dish out of their freezer, ready to go, when there is a new baby born or other special homecoming like a soldier returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Around here in south Louisiana people love to cook and love to share their simple food with everyone. It's just tradition to give of your food!

Both of these recipes can be made ahead and then reheated, often tasting better as the flavors have a chance to sit and have a long conversation of mingling. :)

The Mexican version of lasagna will please all your beef eaters in the family. Ground beef is cooked along with green bell peppers and taco seasoning spices and diced Ro-tel tomatoes (jalapenos and tomatoes). Then this ground beef mixture gets layered up with a cream cheese and sour cream combination, then layers of lasagna noodles, yummy cheese and olives.

Now Turkey Tetrazzini is one of those comfort food casseroles you like to make for someone when they are recovering from a cold or the flu. You can also make it with chicken or include bits of ham.

This recipe comes from the local newspaper food writer, Carol Anne Blitzer. She adapted this recipe from Mrs. Lenton Sartain’s Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from local but nationally popular cookbook, “River Road Recipes.” She doubles the recipe so she can freeze one casserole to have ready to go.





Another version of Mexican lasagna by moacirpdsp @ flickr


Mexican Lasagna

From: Lynette Nolan, "This makes a big dish so I always make this for company. It’s one of those dishes everyone likes, and all you need to go with it is a vegetable and a big green salad."

Makes: 12-15 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbls. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. lean ground meat
1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes and green chilies (original or mild)
2 tbls. chili powder
1 (1-oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 (8-ozs.) cans tomato sauce
8 ozs. lasagna noodles (either the precooked or the type you cook)
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese
with jalapeño peppers (or plain, if desired), shredded
1 (2.25-oz.) can sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives

Directions:

1. In skillet, heat oil and add onions, bell peppers, garlic and ground meat. Cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are beginning to soften. If any fat accumulates around edges, remove it with a spoon. Add Ro-tel tomatoes, chili powder, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Continue simmering for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 325 degrees and cook the noodles according to package directions. Some brands do not require cooking beforehand.

3. Blend sour cream and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir chopped green onions into cream cheese mixture and set aside.

4. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish or pan with nonstick coating. Layer bottom of dish with lasagna noodles. Spread half of the meat mixture over noodles. Add half of the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. The easiest way is to drop spoonfuls of the creamy mixture over surface and then spread. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.

5. Repeat layers but add olives before adding grated cheese: (noodles, meat, sour cream/cream cheese mixture, olives, then grated cheese). Cover with foil but tent it slightly so top will not stick to cheese.

6. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour or until bubbly and noodles are tender.








Another version of Turkey Tetrazzini by jasonlam @ flickr


Turkey Tetrazzini


From: Mrs. Lenton Sartain from “River Road Recipes” is adapted by Carol Anne Blitzer, food writer from 2theadvocate.


Fills 2 (9 x 11-inch) aluminum foil, deep-dish pans, each of which serves about 8.

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/4 lbs. spaghetti
1 stick butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 qt. whole milk
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, to taste
4 to 5 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 (8-oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 to 1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions to the al dente stage.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and blend in the flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring over low heat until mixture forms a medium white sauce. Add dry mustard, black pepper, lemon juice and Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

3. Mix in the turkey and the drained mushrooms.

4. Drain the spaghetti and add into the sauce mixture.

5. Divide into 2 casseroles. Top with cheese. At this point, Carol Anne Blitzer freezes the casserole(s) until needed. When ready to serve, thaw casserole in the refrigerator and reheat at 350 degrees until bubbly. Be careful to make a tent of a sheet of aluminum foil to place over the casserole as it bakes so that the cheese does not stick to the foil and the spaghetti doesn’t dry out.






*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Oozing with 3 Cheeses and Cheap: White Lasagna

From Denny: There is something about winter that just screams for pasta dishes and women, well, we love pasta as much as we love chocolate. Sigh, yet another unofficial "food group" added to the mounting categories. :)

What's so great about this decadent recipe is that it's so creamy with the many cheeses. Most people, adults and kids alike, are fans of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses as opposed to ricotta so this casserole is a wonderful alternative to the traditional lasagna. It's the onions, beef and pork that give so much flavor and substance to this dish. Parmesan cheese sprinkled onto the crust gives us the irresistible crunch we expect on a lasagna.

Also, feel free to substitute a favorite pasta noodle in place of these lasagna noodles if you want to make it more like a macaroni and cheese dish: elbow macaroni or ziti.


Author and former short-order cook Dawn Welch shows TODAY’s Natalie Morales and Ann Curry how to prepare big batches of sauce that can be used on more than just one meal:

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Three-cheese white lasagna

From: Dawn Welch 'Dollars to Donuts'

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup low-fat or whole milk
• 3 cups homemade Parmesan sauce or store-bought Alfredo sauce
• 9 no-boil egg lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Make meat mixture:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute longer Add the beef and pork and cook 2 to 4 minutes until the meat is browned. Pour off the extra fat from the pan.

For lasagna:

Stir together the milk and Parmesan sauce and evenly spread 1/2 cup over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Lay 3 lasagna noodles in the pan lengthwise.

Stir together the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in a medium bowl with the egg.

Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce over the noodles and top with 2 cups of the cheese-and-egg mixture. Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the cheese, and follow with 3 more noodles, the meat mixture, 3/4 cup of the sauce, 3 more noodles, the remaining 1 cup of the cheese mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan.

Cover the pan with foil and bake until the cheese is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.



Want to learn how to make your very own Alfredo sauce and cut some calories as an option? Read on!

Creamy Parmesan sauce

From: Dawn Welch 'Dollars to Donuts'

Three 2-cup portions, each serving 6

I'm glad to see Dawn had the same impression of boring bottled Alfredo sauces and overwhelming-pricey-and-swimming-in-fat restaurant dishes that I did. While this sauce can be made with full fat it is also possible to achieve the same great bursting with garlic and cheese flavor at a reduced fat level. Dawn says it tastes best made with heavy cream or half-and-half yet she often makes it with whole or 2% milk for a lighter sauce. That lighter sauce would probably be wonderful in the spring and summer seasons for lighter fare.

Serve up this creamy Parmesan sauce simply tossed with your favorite pasta, pan-seared shrimp and steamed veggies like broccoli. Then you can use this sauce for stuffing large pasta shells like a spinach and portobello mushroom version.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 quart (4 cups) cream, half-and-halt whole milk, or low-fat milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend or 1/2 cup each of Parmesan and Romano
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt


DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add the garlic, pepper, and cream or milk, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a simmer (watch the pot — it can boil over in a split second) while stirring often.

Stir in the Parmesan-Romano mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer, stirring often, until the garlic has mellowed, about 12 minutes.

Stir in the mozzarella and continue to cook until the cheese is melted.

Turn off the heat and whisk the sauce until it is smooth (a blender or immersion blender works great). Stir in the salt.

TIPS

Divide and store

Cool the sauce to room temperature and then divide it between 2 quart-size resealable freezer bags. Refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. (After defrosting it overnight in the refrigerator, rewarm the sauce gently over medium-low heat, being careful not to let the sauce boil — boiling it will cause it to separate. If it separates, use a whisk, blender, or immersion blender to smooth it out.)



Creamy broccoli gratin

From: Dawn Welch 'Dollars to Donuts'

Most kids and adult picky eaters will take to frozen veggies or fresh broccoli, cauliflower, corn or green beans when combined with a wonderful creamy cheesy sauce! Dawn reminds us "Frozen vegetables are a great bargain, especially when time is of the essence and you need to throw something together quickly. You'll save 30 cents a pound when you choose already-cut frozen broccoli instead of precut fresh broccoli crowns at the market."

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 pounds frozen broccoli (or fresh broccoli cut into bite-size pieces)
• 3 cups homemade Parmesan sauce or store-bought Alfredo sauce
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (or 1/2 cup panko or fresh bread crumbs seasoned with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Rub, page 118)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 375°F. Mix the cheeses together in a small bowl.

Mix together the broccoli, Parmesan sauce, scallions, and salt in a large bowl.

Transfer the broccoli mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and top with an even layer of the cheese, followed by the bread crumbs.

Bake until the center of the casserole is bubbling and the top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
TIPS

Buying fresh vegetables trimmed and prepped saves you time, but always costs you money (and cuts down significantly on their shelf life as well). To save both time and money, trim and cut up a whole head of broccoli or cauliflower, or a pound of mushrooms, beans, etc. Use half right away, and the rest later in the week.

(Recipes from “Dollars to Donuts” book by Dawn Welch, copyright 2009)

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Recipe: Worlds Easiest Homemade Lasagna

From Denny: Found yet another great recipe for lasagna that is simple. This one has pesto in it, a real favorite of mine. This is also kid friendly and convenience oriented. Who said fast food had to be boring? Not this gem of a tasty recipe! Besides, we love Italian dishes at our house so you can never have too many versions of lasagna recipes (or chocolate ones either).

From Atlanta Journal-Consititution: To streamline the cleanup, we've devised this recipe using mostly ingredients that come in pre-measured containers that can be tossed away once emptied.

Hands on time:
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 10

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto
2 (28-ounce) jars (about 6 cups) pasta sauce
1 (8-ounce) box (12 pieces) no-boil lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine the ricotta and pesto. In a 13-by-9-inch microwavable casserole dish, spread about 1 1/4 cups pasta sauce. Top with 3 pieces uncooked noodles in a single layer. Noodles shouldn't touch each other or touch the sides of the pan since they will expand as they cook.

Dot with 2/3 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture and spread evenly with back of the spoon. Spread another 1 1/4 cups of the pasta sauce evenly over ricotta, covering noodles completely. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

Lay 3 more pieces of noodles on cheese, spread with another 2/3 cup ricotta, another 1 1/4 cups sauce and 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Add another 3 pieces noodles, remaining ricotta, 1 1/4 cups sauce and 3/4 cup cheese. Reserve remaining shredded cheese. Top with last 3 noodles and cover with remaining sauce.

Cover with microwavable plastic wrap and microwave on high for 13 to 15 minutes, turning twice.

Remove from microwave, carefully remove plastic wrap and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Replace plastic wrap, return to microwave and cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Remove plastic and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes:

When layering the ingredients, there's no need to be a stickler for measuring; so long as you can eyeball the approximate amounts given, you can save yourself from washing a single measuring cup.

If you can't fit a 13-by-9-inch pan in your microwave, an 11 1/2-by-8-inch pan should work. Just don't overfill the pan when you get to the top layers and break the noodles to fit. Barilla makes no-cook lasagna noodles that work well in this recipe.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 333 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 18 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 20 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 64 milligrams cholesterol, 267 milligrams sodium.