Category Archives: Italian

Our oldest is pretty much obsessed with meatball subs and our youngest will eat just about anything with pasta sauce on it, so I knew this dish was probably going to be a hit. It was also a great way to use the rest of the baguette we had leftover from last night’s dinner.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoon seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 pound lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
10-12 slices French bread baguette (1/2 inch thick)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Dash pepper
2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the onion, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink; drain.

Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper; spread over bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese.

In a bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, water and garlic; add meatballs. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Did I change anything? The original recipe was way too small and would not have fed our family of four. I changed the original recipe and the changes are reflected in the above recipe.

What did the family think? This dish was a HUGE hit! HUGE.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Taste of Home

There are several lasagna recipes here on MommaCooks, but my hubby declared this recipe to be the best lasagna I’ve ever made. I am going to have to agree with him.

Ingredients:
5 Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, minced
20 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (divided)
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
4 cups of marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
Lasagna noodles (no boil)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage (casings removed), making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Once the meat is brown and the onion is tender, add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain any grease.

In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, spinach, basil, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese. Combine until mixed thoroughly.

Layer a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay however many lasagna noodles you need to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the noodles; add another layer of noodles; spread a bit more sauce on top of the noodles followed by the Italian sausage; add another layer of noodles then spread the last half of the ricotta on top. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a bit more dried oregano on top of the cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Did I change anything? I didn’t have any oregano so I used Italian seasoning instead.

What did the family think? Two thumbs up from everyone!

Where did this recipe come from? For the Love of Cooking

photo from For the Love of Cooking