So one of the things I want to do on this blog is prove that it's possible to make delicious food...for less! We're still exploring the area around here trying to figure out where we'll do our shopping, but week 1 brought us to Market Basket. And one of the meals I was most excited to make? Lasagna! For some reason, I have in my head that lasagna was a meal that was tough and/or time consuming to make. Well this week, I proved myself wrong! Here's a quick and easy way to make lasagna...all you need:
- Two 11x13 glass pans
- Two jars of Barilla traditional sauce (on sale, each jar for $0.89)
- Parmesan cheese (we already had this)
- Ricotta cheese (this was Market Basket brand, $1.39)
- 1 egg
- 1 box of Oven Ready Lasagna ($1 for a box...we only used 12 noodles
- 2 lbs ground beef (not pictured, 1 lb for $3.98)
Brown the ground beef in a pan on medium-low until it's cooked almost all the way through...once you're at this point, add in your sauce.
Then pre-heat your oven to 350.
In a separate bowl, mix an entire package of ricotta with one egg, whisk, add about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
Even though these are oven ready lasagna noodles, I still boiled them for about 5 minutes. Once they're just a bit softer, place three noodles on the bottom of a pan, layer the ground beef on top. Then add the ricotta cheese blend, add more noodles and repeat. It's not necessary, but on top you can add any left over sauce and about a cup of shredded cheese to get a nice, cheesy and bubbly layer on top. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.
The above recipe makes enough for two trays of lasagna. If you're only making one, cut everything in half and I would recommend using a smaller egg.
Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy!
If you ever need a last minute app to bring to a party...this baby is your friend. Here's all you need:
- 1 can refried beans
- 16 oz sour cream
- Guacamole (homemade or premade...below i just used premade)
- 1 jar of salsa
- Lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Tomatoes
I've even replaced tomatoes with a sprinkling of onions before and that was pretty good, too. Usually I use a 9x12 baking dish, but decided to go a little smaller this time. So I used about half the amount of ingredients I normally would. And of course, I forgot to take some pictures before I dug into it so was stuck with an after picture. Some people see the refried beans and get scared away (I'll admit, it doesn't look all too appetizing right now) but i promise you it's well worth the 7 minutes it takes to put this together. Plus, no baking required! Just put the 7 layers together and you're good to go!
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I remember the first time I made quesadillas for E's parents. They were amazed at how good they are. And they're so easy! Always a crowd pleaser. All we used was a tortilla, grilled chicken, mozzarella & taco blend cheese and onions with some avocado and salsa on top. It takes all of 10 minutes to make a quesadilla for two meals. How can you beat that?!
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