Supreme Pizza Skillet Lasagna

You read that right.



Pizza and lasagna, match made in heaven.

We love love love supreme pizza in this house.  It's always a front-runner when we're in the mood for a pizza night (we usually opt for pepperoni pineapple when dining out. do it).  I dreamed up this idea one day (either at the bakery or in the shower- my two key places where inspiration tends to strike) while I was thinking of a way to use up half an onion and a red bell pepper that had been sitting in the fridge a tad too long, and were quickly reaching the end of their prime.  As a result, my brain got to churning, and this was the end result. 

As I prepared to make this meal, I made sure to include all of the essential characteristics necessary to building a supreme pizza- I sauteed up some yellow onion and red bell pepper, tossed in a handful of crumbled italian sausage, sliced up a few fresh mushrooms and black olives, and topped it all off with pepperoni and provolone.  It literally tastes like supreme pizza was dumped in a bowl with some noodles.  And it's nothing short of amazing.

Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4

4 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds (I used 4 noodles)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pre-cooked italian sausage crumbles (I used Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Sausage Crumbles)
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
3 large mushrooms, sliced thin
14 pepperoni slices
4 large slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In large pot, cook broken pasta noodles according to package directions.

Heat a large (mine was 10.25 inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil and butter, then toss in onions and bell peppers with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 6 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for another minute, then add in sausage crumbles, cook until warmed through.

When noodles have softened, remove with a slotted spoon or drain and set aside for a few minutes.  Once sausage is warmed, add in tomatoes and basil, tossing well to coat. Add in olives and mushrooms, gently folding mushrooms into the sauce mixture.  Cover with lid for about five minutes to allow the mushrooms to cook through.  Add in the broken noodles, using the spatula or spoon to fold the sauce over the noodles. Once noodles are evenly distributed and mostly under the sauce, top with pepperoni slices and provolone. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.

Adapted from my Skillet Lasagna which was adapted from here!

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Remember that righteous mac and cheese from January?



[see this video-- at 3:30]

Well Nathan happened to request it this weekend [and I responded a lot like Monica at 3:43], but I decided to kick it up mexican style in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  Lucky for us, this version didn't end in wicker shoes and the Psycho theme song.  Instead, we got cheesy shells with a fajita flare. 

Think noodles tossed with onions, bell pepper, chicken, green chiles, cumin, paprika, pepper jack, and sour cream.  If that doesn't scream the Fifth of May, I don't know what does.  So lose the tortilla and pull out a bowl because mac and cheese just got loco!

Comprende?

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

6 ounces pasta shapes, such as shells
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
3 ounces shredded (or finely diced) sharp cheddar cheese*
3 ounces shredded (or finely diced) pepper jack cheese*

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions just until al dente.  Drain well and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, red bell, and salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Mix in the garlic, and saute 1 minute more.  Stir in the cumin, paprika, and green chilies.  Toss to coat and heated through.  Remove from heat and add the chicken, sour cream, hot pasta, and cheeses.  Mix until well combined. 

Transfer to a lightly greased 7x11-inch baking dish (8x8 is good too! or I opted for four of my Le Creuset Soup Bowls).  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until slightly browned and bubbling.  Let cool briefly before serving.

*For the cheeses involved in the recipe I head to the grocery deli.  They will kindly slice you the ounce amount you need (in a quality brand nonetheless!), which means it's already measured come cooking time and no waste!!

Adapted from Annie's Eats.

Skillet Lasagna

I'm becoming my mother...

I like everything to be organized and put in it's place ("Everything has a home!").  I shake my head at the overuse of profanity in movies (Is it really necessary?).  I inhale loudly when taken by surprise.  I ask the waitress for a booth when she seats us at a table (booths are so much cozier).  I believe homemade pie crust takes more time than it's worth.  And lasagna.  (Hello frozen aisle!) The exception: unique variations such as the Mexican one I made in October.

But a traditional lasagna version without all the sauce, cheese, meat, repeat?  Yes, please!  And guess what?  It tastes exactly like lasagna, but it's even more fun to eat.  I think mom would approve.

Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4

4 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds (I used 5 noodles)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese for grating

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In large pot, cook broken pasta noodles according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, season ground beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat a large (mine was 10.25 inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil and butter, then toss in onions with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for another minute, then add in ground beef, baking it apart with a spatula or wooden spoon. Cook until just browned, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. If there is excess liquid in the pan, feel free to drain a bit.

When noodles have softened, remove with a slotted spoon or drain and set aside for a few minutes.  Once beef is browned, add in tomatoes and basil, tossing well to coat. Add in broken noodles, using the spatula or spoon to fold the beef and sauce over the noodles. Once noodles are evenly distributed and mostly under the sauce, sprinkle mozzarella on top and scoops of ricotta. Bake for 10 minutes.

Adapted from How Sweet It Is.

Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

I've been playing with my Christmas toys.

I'm not talking Barbie Dream Houses and American Girl dolls (oh memories).  I'm talking baking cookbooks, cast iron skillets, and shiny new knives.  And these little bowls.  A set of four Le Creuset soup bowls given to me by my favorite Aunt and Uncle and fellow blogging cousin over the holidays.  It was love at first sight.  And I didn't waste any time putting them to use.  Enter:  mac and cheese.

Now this is supposed to be a copycat version of the Panera Bread Co. recipe; however, I couldn't say, as I've never tried it, but it hasn't gone unnoticed.  As a (formerly) frequent viewer of the Panera menu I have their offerings down pat and recall the cheesy pasta advertised on display boards near the register (Nathan and I ate our fair share of lunches there during our years in college, but down where we live now the locations are few and far between.  Tear. Side note: Panera will always hold a special place in my heart- it's where we ate the night we officially decided to be a couple.  Oh come on people, you remember this kind of stuff too!).  But after stumbling upon this recipe and receiving my pretty new bowls...well...let's just say I put two and two together: mac and cheese it was. 

Super creamy, super cheesy, and rather fun to make.  It takes a little bit more time than the Kraft version but whoa will you taste a difference (don't get me wrong, I love the fun shapes and powdered cheese stuff too!).  This just takes that mac to a whole new, sophisticated level.

Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

8 ounces shell pasta or other small pasta shapes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half (I used 2% milk)
2 ounces white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces*
4 ounces extra sharp white cheddar, shredded*
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well.

While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.

Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more.  Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce.  Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. 

*We currently have about seven different kinds of cheese in the house and none of them were the two I needed for this recipe.  My solution: the grocery deli.  They will kindly slice you the ounce amount you need, which means it's already measured come cooking time and no waste!!

Adapted from Smells Like Home.



 

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Mmmmmm noodle soup....

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup, that is.

Eating out, I have had a few too many bowls of chicken noodle soup that are "eh, whatever...this is boring", but I occasionally come across a bowl that is worthy of declaring "I must recreate this at home!"  For example, has anyone had Panera's?  They decided to change their chicken noodle soup a year or two ago and the new version just doesn't cut it for me.  I loved  their old one.  It was a "recreate at home" bowl, but their new one?  Ugh.  Don't fix it if it ain't broke, Panera.  Bad move.

Anywho, I recreated.  And this soup is gooood.  Warm and salty with thick noodles and tender veggies.  I like to let my noodles boil for quite a while so they get extra soft and extra thick (I know, any well-seasoned chef would frown at this as I let them go well past the al dente point).  In addition, you can make it as brothy or as...unbrothy? as you'd like (some places like to basically just give you a bowl of broth containing a few noodles and about three pieces of carrot sprinkled in with a single chunk of chicken for good measure.  Again, not gonna cut it.  I didn't order some hibachi soup people!)  But at home, I was able to up the ante and make it more to my liking. Oh, and since I'm on a roll of giving out my chicken noodle two cents worth, here's one more:  make it, eat it, and freeze the leftovers for a quick and easy meal in the future!  Genius.

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 8 cups worth, depending on how much broth you choose to add

2 cups egg noodles, uncooked

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4-6 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon herbs de provence (italian seasoning would work too)

1 cup cooked, roasted chicken, shredded or chopped

Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove.  Add noodles and cook until soft.

In separate, larger stockpot or Dutch oven, heat 4 cups broth.  Once it comes to a slight boil, add onion and celery and simmer for 8-10 minutes.  Add carrots and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta, pepper, herbs, and chicken.  Cook until heated through adding more broth if necessary.

Adapted from my friend, Maria.

Mexican Lasagna

I'm a list maker.



Like a REALLY big list maker.  I have lists for everything:  things I need from the grocery store, things I need to do today, things I need to do this week, meals/treats I plan to make/bake this week, meals/treats I plan to make/bake this season, meals/treats I plan to make/bake next season etc., things I need to look up on the internet, things I need to return, things I need to buy, things I plan to buy others for birthday/Christmas, things I need to bring/do/get next time I visit my family, I think you get the picture. 

It's sad, I know- it's the nerd in me.  Lists are coming out of my ears.  What can I say...I'm an organizer.  And I lovelovelove crossing stuff off my list.  Sometimes (don't judge me here, you know you've done it too!), but sometimes I will even write something on my list after I've already done it for the mere satisfaction of crossing it off.  Ahhhhh best feeling in the world.  Well, actually, the best feeling in the world was probably the moment Nathan proposed to me- completely out of the blue in the middle of a ski slope- let me tell you girls...if you've not yet been proposed to it's the most incredible situation in the world.  The movies don't do it justice.  They just don't captivate what goes on inside a girls body and mind when her boyfriend finally gets down on one knee.  Never have I shook my head yes and no at the same time (no this can't be happening, yes I will marry you!) while simultaneously laughing and crying.  Ok, I'm officially rambling,

So, yeah.  Lists.  Lasagna was on one of my lists- my kitchen bucket list- and now I can cross that sucker off.  Well, kinda.  You see, while this one was fun to make and had that kicked up mexican flare, I do still intend to make a traditional italian version soon.  But in the meantime, this will definitely suffice.

Mexican Lasagna

Makes one 9x9-inch pan (I actually halved the recipe and made in a loaf pan)

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
4-5 green onions, chopped
Scant 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
Hot sauce (I used Chalula)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Have a 9x9-inch baking dish ready.  In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and salt.  Spread a thin layer of tomatoes over the bottom of the baking dish (approximately one fifth of the total amount).  Layer with a 3-4 lasagna noodles, breaking them as needed to fit the pan.  On top of the layer of noodles, spread about one third of the bean mixture.  Layer evenly with about one quarter of the remaining tomatoes and drizzle lightly with hot sauce. Sprinkle with one quarter of the cheese.

Repeat the layering process two times more (noodles, beans, tomatoes, cheese, noodles, beans, tomatoes, cheese).  The last layer will be noodles, tomatoes, and cheese.  Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until noodles are tender and cooked through.  Remove the foil from the top and bake 5 minutes more, until the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Annie's Eats.