Chicken Lasagna Alfredo

10 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 jar (16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

3 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, pressed

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook noodles according to package directions, using shortest cook time; drain. In a small bowl, combine Alfredo sauce, milk, and oregano. Whisk until blended; set aside.

Place bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, and chicken in a large bowl. Press garlic over bowl and add mozzarella cheese; mix well.

To assemble lasagna, spread 2/3 cup of the Alfredo sauce mixture over bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with half of the noodles, overlapping to fit. Layer half of the spinach leaves over noodles; top with half of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers, starting with half of the remaining sauce. After layering, pour remaining sauce over top of lasagna.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes. Carefully remove foil. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes fro easier serving. Cut into squares.

 

Prepare lasagna as recipe directs up to 1 day in advance. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator while preheating oven. Increase covered baking time to 55 minutes. Continue as recipe directs.

Pasta Sauce with Meat

1 lb ground turkey

2 Tbsp olive oil

6 oz tomato paste

6 oz water

24 oz tomato puree

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp sugar

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of garlic powder

Pinch of onion powder

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot saute garlic until soft and fragrant in 2 Tbsp olive oil, about 2 minutes.

Throw your meat in with the garlic and brown until meat has been thoroughly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the tomato paste, tomato puree, water, water, and seasoning, including the fresh basil.

Let the mixture simmer uncovered for a minimum 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

 

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100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

2 Tbsp dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk or milk

4 1/2 - 5 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a glass measure. Set aside.

Cream the butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs and mix, scraping the sides. Add the milk and yeast mixture.

Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and the salt, mixing until combined. Change to dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes only, just until no longer tack, adding a tablespoon or two of flour, if needed.

Let sit in bowl, covered, to rise for one hour. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a couple of times, then let rest 3 minutes.

Divide into 24 equal pieces, shaping each into a ball and placing in a buttered 9x13 baking dish with the pieces touching.

Let rise, covered for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

 

You can freeze the unbaked dough after the first rise and shaping the dough into balls.

 

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Chicken Parm Meatballs

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was the amount of meat. It called for 1.25 pounds, but I can only find ground chicken packaged in 1 pound increments. I almost skipped the lemon zest because it sounded odd but I am glad I didn't!

 

1 lb ground chicken

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp chopped onion

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 cup Parmesan

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 egg, whisked

zest of half a lemon

marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

Preheat oven to 400°, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together the first 11 ingredients. Shape into large golf ball sized balls and place a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush a little marinara on each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with sliced or shredded cheese. Broil another 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.

Serve meatballs with spaghetti and additional sauce or on a roll.

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Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with Grilled Sesame Pineapple

A fun take on a turkey burger I found on Pinterest. I made up the patties and then froze them. I keep some pineapple rings in the pantry and we usually have buns on hand. So I can pull a couple out and have a quick dinner when needed.

 

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tsp grated fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp sesame oil, divided

2 Tbsp Montreal steak seasoning

2 lbs ground turkey

8 pineapple rings

teriyaki basting and glazing sauce

Whole grain hamburger buns

Lettuce leaves

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or two. Remove skillet from heat and add the teriyaki sauce, ginger root, and 1 tsp of the sesame oil. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, crumble ground turkey. Season with Montreal steak seasoning. Add in the sauteed vegetables and combine thoroughly but do not over mix to avoid tough burgers. Divide meat into eight patties ad either grill on greased grill or pan fry in a little olive oil. Brush burgers with the basting and glazing sauce during the last minute of grilling.

Meanwhile, brush the pineapple rings with remaining sesame oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill for a few minutes on each side until nicely caramelized and grill marks appear.

Assemble with the lettuce on bottom topped with the turkey burger, teriyaki sauce if desired, and then the pineapple ring.

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