Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients 
3-4 lb chuck roast

2 soup bones

1 medium onion

8 c water

1 T beef Better than Boullion or more to taste

1 15oz can diced or crushed tomatoes

1 c diced potatoes

1 c chopped celery

1.5 c diced carrots

1.5 c green beans

1.5 c peas

1/4 c ABC pasta

Instructions

1. Simmer first 5 ingredients in large for 2 hours and then remove chuck roast and soup bone. 

2. Add vegetables and simmer for another hour.  Add pasta when there is about 20 min left.

3. Shred about half of the meat and add back into pot while the vegetables are cooking.  The leftover meat can be used for beef salad, sandwiches or frozen for future use.

4. Best if made the day before serving, place in fridge overnight.  This also allows you to remove any addition fat that will harden on the top.

Notes:

-       If you already have beef broth made you can use that and skip the first step, just add some meat as desired.

-       1.5 c is about equal to a 15 oz can, so you can use canned, fresh or even frozen vegetables easily.

-       Leftovers freeze well, or it can just be made ahead of time and frozen for later.

Spinach & Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients 

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles, I usually use Cremette

2 T olive oil

2 medium zucchini, about 1/4 in cubed

1/2 package frozen spinach, cooked

2  28 oz jars pasta sauce

1 15 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/2 c parmesan

4 c shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 t garlic powder

Garlic salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Toss zucchini with olive oil and place on lines baking sheet, sprinkle with garlic salt.  Roast about 10 min in oven.

3. Turn town oven to 400.

4. In a bowl combine spinach, ricotta, eggs, parmesan, garlic powder and 2c mozzarella.

5. Spread about 1 c of sauce in bottom of pan and place 3 sheets of lasagna side by side.

6. Spread 1/3 of ricotta mixture over noodles and top with 1/2 zucchini, sprinkle top with mozzarella and about 1 c sauce.  Top with 3 more pasta sheets.  Follow up with 1 layer with just ricotta mixture and then repeat layer with zucchini. Add one more cheese layer if there is enough remaining.

7. After the final layer of pasta add remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

8. Cover with foil and bake 35 min.  Remove foil and bake uncovered 5-10 min.  Let rest 5 min before serving.

Makes (1) 9X13 pan, usually cut into 12 or 16 pieces.

Notes:

-       Can easily be made ahead of time and kept in fridge or frozen, baking times for refrigerated lasagna (or frozen and thawed) is 45-60 min and frozen lasagna for 1 hour 35 min. These times can very based on your oven.

Meat Lasagna

Ingredients 

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles, I usually use Cremette

1 lb ground beef, browned

2  28 oz jars pasta sauce

1 15 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/2 c parmesan

4 c shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 t garlic powder

2 T parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a bowl combine ricotta, eggs, parmesan, garlic powder, parsley and 2c mozzarella.

3. Spread about 1 c of sauce in bottom of pan and place 3 sheets of lasagna side by side.

4. Spread 1/3 of ricotta mixture over noodles and top with 1/3 meat, sprinkle top with mozzarella and about 1 c sauce.  Top with 3 more pasta sheets.  Repeat for 2 more layers or 3 if you have enough.

5. After the final layer of pasta add remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

6. Cover with foil and bake 35 min.  Remove foil and bake uncovered 5-10 min.  Let rest 5 min before serving.

Makes (1) 9X13 pan, usually cut into 12 or 16 pieces.

Notes:

-       Can easily be made ahead of time and kept in fridge or frozen, baking times for refrigerated lasagna (or frozen and thawed) is 45-60 min and frozen lasagna for 1 hour 35 min. These times can very based on your oven.