Lasagna Rolls

I am a lasagna purist, so it took me a long time to get on the lasagna roll bandwagon.  The concept has been around for a while, but since lasagna is one of my favorite foods, I thought my way was better.  Well... I might have been wrong.  These are so good!  And if you want to put them in multiple dishes to freeze, pass off to a friend etc, it is very convenient!

Meat Sauce:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 a 32 oz. jar of sauce (save the rest for the bottom and top)

Ricotta Filling:

• 2 cups ricotta cheese (or a 15 ounce container)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of pesto
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ( I only had dried)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded, about 2 cups (reserving 1/2 cup for topping)
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese finely grated, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups (reserving 1/4 cup for topping)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Noodles:

• 12 traditional lasagna noodles (I had enough filling for 15)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
2. Brown the ground beef and drain any excess grease.
3. Add half of the jar of sauce and simmer to combine the flavors.
4. While the sauce is simmering, boil the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles, rinse quickly under cold water and then lay the noodles flat in a single layer on waxed paper, towel, cutting board, whatever is handy.
5. Stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, parsley, mozzarella cheese (remember to set aside 1/2 cup of the mozzarella for topping later), Parmesan cheese (remember to set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan for later also), salt and pepper.
6. Spread a heaping spoonful of the ricotta filling down the center of each noodle. It doesn't have to cover the entire noodle, just press it into a somewhat even layer. The filling will be divided up evenly over all 12 noodle (I don't start rolling up the noodles until I've used up all the filling so I can add more to each noodle if need be). Spread a tablespoon or two of the meat sauce down the center of each noodle on top of the creamy filling. Again, it doesn't need to be perfectly even, just drizzle/spread it across the top.
7. Spread about one cup or so of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Working with one lasagna noodle at a time, roll the noodle and place seam-side down in the baking dish in four rows of three. Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle with the reserved cheeses and cover with aluminum foil  Bake, covered for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let the lasagna rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Kitchen of Reality Tips:

- I used a jarred sauce by Mid's called Meatless (Lowe's Foods) and it was the best sauce I have ever tasted!  It is quite expensive so I only bought it because it was on a great sale.  In the future, I will be sure to stock up because it was awesome!

- I got all my other ingredients at Aldi, so you can keep the price pretty low!

Caramel Apple Cobbler

Another recipe mom made while we were home… SO easy and delicious!  Be sure to serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

- 2 cans caramel apple pie filling

- 1 cake mix (white, yellow, butter recipe—your pick)

- 2 stick of melted butter OR a can of sprite

Directions:

1- Spray 8x11 casserole dish and spread apples into the bottom.

2- Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top of the apples.

3- Pour melted butter evenly over the top of the cake.

4- Bake until golden brown—45 to 5o minutes.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

1- We’ve made it with sprite and butter—both work and taste great.

2- You can use any flavor cake mix—but with the caramel apple pie filling, the spice cake mix is delicious!!

3- This recipe can be used for ANY type of fruit cobbler.

Cajun Shrimp, Spinach, and Grits

Mom made this for us the other night. So easy and so great—especially if you are a shrimp and grits fan.

Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking grits

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

2 teaspoons Cajun or blackening seasoning (no salt added)

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 bunch fresh spinach, thick stems discarded

Directions:

Cook the grits according to package directions

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet. Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the lime juice and toss to coat. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining Tbsp oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook until heated through.

Add the spinach and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve over the grits.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We like spice so we used more cajun! (3 teaspoons)

- I made cheese grits to serve with this instead of just plain grits. Cheese makes everything better.

- This recipe serves 4.

** Original Recipe from Woman’s Day.**

Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread

Great homemade cornbread recipe!! Trick the kids into eating some extra veggies.

Ingredients

• 2 (8.5-ounce) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) container cottage cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed but not drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients except 2 tablespoons Cheddar to create a batter in a bowl.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet melt butter. Saute onions and broccoli until soft. Pour batter over the vegetable mixture and sprinkle top evenly with remaining cheese. You can also place the ingredients in an 11 by 17-inch baking dish.

Bake in oven until golden, 30 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Add some jalapenos to this and it adds an extra kick.