Pasta E Fagioli

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 lb Ground beef
1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 large Carrot, grated
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
1 16 oz. can Dark Red Kidney beans
1 16 oz. can Light Red Kidney beans
46 ozs. Beef Broth
1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp. Parsley; (fresh chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 26oz. can Spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Traditional)
8 ounces dry pasta (small noodles like shells or Ditalini)

Directions:
Sauté onions and garlic in a large pot for 1-2 minutes. Add beef and cook until almost brown. Add carrots, celery and red pepper flakes and continue browning. Drain. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, hot sauce, spaghetti sauce, and parsley. Simmer for one to two hours. Add uncooked pasta and simmer for one more hour.

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Sauce:
5-6 Cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion finely chopped
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1. lb. Italian Sausage
Salt & Pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
4-5 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp. Crushed red pepper
3. tbsp. Parsley
1 ½ tbsp. Basil

1 box Lasagna noodles

1 large container Ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Note: This makes enough sauce for 2 lasagnas, so I freeze half of it, but you can cut it in half.

Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain and return to pot. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Simmer on low for 3-6 hours stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook lasagna noodles about ¾ of the way done (they will finish cooking in the oven)

Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Place a layer of noodles. Then layer ricotta cheese, sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat until all noodles are gone. Top with lots of mozzarella cheese and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Butter Cream Icing

Butter Cream Icing

2 boxes confectioners sugar, sifted
¾ cup Crisco
1 tsp. Meringue Powder or Cream of Tarter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract or ½ tsp. lemon extract plus 1 ½ vanilla extract
½ cup Sprite
½ tsp. salt

Add all ingredients to mixer and beat on high for 2 minutes.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz pasta cooked (I use Cavatappi, they are twisted tube shaped pasta)
1 large can evaporated milk
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs beaten
4 cups grated cheese (I use more than 4 cups and use a combo of Colby Jack and Cheddar) (I have also found that the pre-shredded cheese does not melt so well so I always grate my own. Its much creamier that way)

Mix all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 2.5-3.5 hours stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese about 30 minutes before serving.