Lasagna (courtesy of Patrice)

6 lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce (original or traditional)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
8 oz cottage cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook lasagna noodles per package directions. Put a little bit of olive oil in the water.
3. Chop onion. 
4. Brown hamburger and onion.
5. Add jar of spaghetti sauce, curry powder, and Italian seasoning.
6. Simmer until most of liquid is gone.

7. Layer:

    3 noodles, ½ meat sauce, ½ cottage cheese, ½ mozzarella cheese, ½ cheddar cheese.

    Repeat layers.

8. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes (the lasagna, not the baby.)

9. Prepare bread:

- Mix crushed red pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil, and parsley (about 1/2 TBSP of each)

- Brush 4 to 6 pieces of bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

- Sprinkle seasoning on bread

- Bake with lasagna the last 10 to 12 minutes.

Bangers and Mash

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 8 large baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 teaspoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup milk, or as needed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds beef sausage
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
• 1 cup water, or as needed

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, and mash with 1 teaspoon of butter, and enough milk to reach your desired creaminess. Continue mashing, or beat with an electric mixer, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until heated through. Remove from pan, and set aside. Add remaining teaspoon of butter to the skillet, and fry the onions over medium heat until tender. Mix gravy mix and water as directed on the package, and add to the skillet with the onions. Simmer, stirring constantly, to form a thick gravy.
3. Pour half of the gravy into a square casserole dish so that is coats the bottom. Place sausages in a layer over the gravy (you can butterfly the sausages if you wish). Pour remaining gravy over them, then top with mashed potatoes.
4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until potatoes are evenly brown.

Baked Spaghetti

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (26 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and seasoned salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
3. Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Carolyn's King Ranch Chicken Casserole

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and cut into bite size pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can rotel
1-2 cups cheddar cheese
1 bag of Doritos

Crush Doritos and line the bottom of a pan with the chips. Mix together the soups, rotel and chicken and pour on top. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 

Casi's Meatloaf

I don't have an exact recipe for my meatloaf because it generally depends on what's in the cupboard; however, it is a family favorite :-)

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. reduced fat ground sirloin

1 packet McCormick meatloaf seasoning

10 splashes Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs or 1/2 sleeve crushed Saltine crackers (you can use both if you're feeling sassy)

1/3 cup ketchup 

1/2 bell pepper, choppped

1 handful shredded carrots

1/2 medium onion, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in baking dish (I do two versions - one with bell pepper and onion, the other without for Tay) and cover the top with a thin layer of ketchup before placing in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Candy Brownies

1 family size box of brownie mix (make with 3 eggs instead of 2)

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Pour in half the brownie batter. Cover with chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts, if desired. Cover nuts with miniature Twix candy bars. Just line them up until the entire surface is covered. 

Pour the rest of the brownie batter on top of the Twix and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (DO NOT over bake). Let cool and cut into squares.

Frosting:

1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons of Light Karo Corn Syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl. Add in the corn syrup and coat the chips well. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe bowl. Heat it to almost boiling but be careful not to over boil. (Heat about 30 seconds and check it. Keep heating until it is hot.)

Pour the cream over the chips and let sit for about 1 minute before stirring. You should be able to easily stir at this point. Stir well; the frosting should be shiny and glossy. Pour over the brownies and refrigerate until ready to cut.

**For mint brownies, substitute Andes Mint Baking Chips for Twix bars and add 1/4 tsp. of mint extract to the frosting as the last step.