creamy parmesan roast beef pasta.

This is a super easy dinner recipe reminiscent of beef stroganoff- just without the mushrooms. I get so tired of cooking chicken or browning and draining ground beef. Since the beef came from the deli, no meat-cooking was required! Win! 

This dinner pairs perfectly with a green salad or a dish of fresh green beans. Let me know if you try it- I hope you enjoy it!

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creamy parmesan roast beef pasta 

from back for seconds blog

Ingredients

• 10oz small pasta, i.e. shells or bowtie
• 1 lb deli roast beef, chopped
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta as directed on box. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot (enough to hold 4+ cups of liquid and other solid ingredients), saute onions and roast beef until onions are soft and beef is heated through. Take out onions and beef and place in separate plate or bowl.
3. In the same large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until thick paste is formed. Keep stirring for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly add in milk and other seasonings. Whisk until smooth for several minutes. 
5. Stir in beef stock and continue cooking and stirring until sauce bubbles and thickens. 
6. Add parmesan cheese and let sauce sit for a few more minutes to thicken more.
7. Add pasta, beef, and onions to creamy parmesan mixture. Stir to coat.

eggplant lasagna.

I just love lasagna but I don't love all the carbs that go along with it. Especially since eating it with garlic bread is mandatory- i.e. even more carbs. I was thrilled to find that eggplant makes for a great, healthy noodle substitute.  With this recipe, you still get the rich beefy, cheesy combination that lasagna offers plus healthy veggies too! Big thanks to my husband Grant for not complaining [too much] about this seemingly scary dinner!

Ingredients

Olive oil (I used my Misto sprayer)
1 eggplant, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/2-1 pound cooked and drained ground beef (optional)
1 large egg
7.5 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano, garlic, and basil
1-2 cups grated mozzarella 
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan 

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F.  Spray or pour olive oil on baking sheet. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the baking sheet and turn to coat in the oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake the eggplant, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until soft and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool. Reduce heat to 400° F.
3. Meanwhile, cook and drain ground beef and combine with marinara sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Arrange layer of sauce/beef, layer of eggplant, layer of egg/ricotta mixture, layer of mozzarella, and finally a layer of parmesan. 
5. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of sauce/beef. Sprinkle more oregano, garlic, and basil on top, if desired.
6. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Inspired by

Real Simple & my Grandma's lasagna

french dip sandwiches.

If you are looking for a tasty yet easy sandwich, this one is for you. It's warm and hearty which makes for a perfect fall meal.  

A few notes on the recipe- the au jus is totally worth making and hardly takes any time at all. The provolone is an excellent addition but it's not necessarily mandatory for the sandwich. Also I wouldn't recommend using regular hot dog buns; torpedo sandwich rolls or hoagie rolls/buns work great.  Give this recipe a shot and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 tablespoons chopped onion

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1-2 cups beef broth

1- 1 1/2 pounds deli sliced roast beef

6-8 deli style sub rolls 

6-8 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

In a large, shallow skillet over moderate heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion to butter and saute 2 minutes. Add flour to butter and onions and cook a minute longer. Whisk in beef broth in a slow stream. Bring sauce to a bubble and allow to simmer over low heat until ready to serve sandwiches.

To assemble sandwich, using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip meat into loose au jus sauce and pile into rolls. Put 1 1/2 slices of provolone on sandwich. Bake in oven safe dish for 4-5 minutes (or until cheese is melted and/or buns feel slightly toasty) at 350 degrees. Set small cups with extra dipping sauce along side the sandwiches. 

**Recipe adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/french-dip-sandwiches-recipe/index.html

Grandma's lasagna.

I am sharing my Grandma's lasagna recipe and it is one you'll definitely want to try! It's the best lasagna I've ever had! Actually it's just about the only lasagna I'll eat. It's a classic lasagna recipe bursting with tomato sauce, flavorful oregano, and lots of cheese. 

Ingredients:

1 jar spaghetti sauce (23-25 oz-ish)

1 lb lean ground beef- optional

8 oz lasagna noodles

8 oz shredded mozzarella

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 lb small curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook noodles according to package. Brown and drain ground beef.

3. Combine eggs and seasonings.

4. Add cottage cheese to egg mixture.

5. Combine spaghetti sauce and ground beef.

6. In a 9x13 baking dish, arrange layer of sauce/beef, layer of noodles, layer of egg/cottage cheese mixture, layer of mozzarella, and finally a layer of parmesan. 

7. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of sauce on top.

8. Bake for 1 hour. Cover with foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Let stand 15 minutes before serving (I usually can't wait this long though!).

meat lovers pizza casserole.

Who says you can't have pizza AND pasta?!

This is definitely the best of both worlds :)

Here's what you need:

8-oz small pasta (I used shells)
20 slices pepperoni
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1 lb ground beef

1/2 pepper (I used some green and some red), chopped1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz) can pizza sauce 
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Italian seasoning (divided)
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
8-oz mozzarella shredded cheese
5-oz fresh grated parmesan cheese

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 

2. Bring a covered 8 quart pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta. Cook according to package directions (approximately 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat when pasta is al dente. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

4. Heat precooked sausage and pepper in skillet. Slice and set aside.

5. In a blender combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Blend until smooth. (Blending is optional; I didn't blend them because I don't mind my tomatoes chunky but mostly because I was feeling lazy. I just mixed them with a spoon.)

6. Once pasta is drained, immediately add sauce, ¾ of both cheeses, ½ of the pepperoni, the sausage, and the ground beef to hot saucepan and stir with pasta until combined. 

7. Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 dish and cover top of pasta with remaining pepperoni. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

[adapted from http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/contributors/the-simple-kitchen/meat-lovers-pizza-pasta-bake.html]

taco pasta.

[adapted from http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/09/taco-pasta.html]

This is a super easy, delicious meal. This is the second time I've made this recipe since I found it in January. Grant loooves  Mexican and I love pasta so it's a perfect combo! It literally tastes like a taco.  We ate some of the less pasta-y bites with tortilla chips and that was also reallll good.  Enjoy, my friends!

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef 
8 ounce small dry pasta shapes 
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes) 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning (if you don't have this on hand, you can make your own! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/)
3 ounce cream cheese 
1/2 cup sour cream 
Salt and pepper
Shredded Cheese for topping

Note: I used less onion than this recipe calls for (probably just a few slices from a large onion).  I used 2 cloves of garlic because I looove garlic. Also, I used reduced fat sour cream and neufchâtel cream cheese (aka 1/3 less fat cream cheese).  

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain fat and mix in garlic.  Cook until fragnant, about 30 seconds.
3.  Mix in salsa and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and reserved pasta water. Continue to stir until cream cheese is melted. 
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I skipped this step).
6.  Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa, if desired.  Serve and enjoy!

copycat steak n shake frisco melts.

[adapted from http://www.jamhands.net/2011/01/steak-n-sheak-frisco-melts-copycat.html] 

Confession. Grant and I have become Steak n Shake junkies.  I'm not joking, it's where we went for our 1 month anniversary dinner. So when I found this recipe, I was PUMPED. It also turned out way better than I imagined.

But yes you heard me right. Frisco melts, just like Steak n Shake. These are the real deal. They are bursting with flavor and with melty cheesiness  and buttery goodness. 

Before I give you the ingredients and directions, you'll notice I didn't put any measurements.  The measurements really depend on how many sandwiches you are trying to make.  The original recipe calls for 1 pound ground beef, 2 slices american, and 1 slices swiss.  That is too much cheese for me so I just used 1 slice american and 1 slice swiss per sandwich. It also calls for sourdough bread but I used wheat bread and it was scrumptious!

Ingredients: 

For Sandwiches:
Ground beef 
Wheat bread
Spreadable butter
Swiss Cheese
American Cheese

Frisco Sauce:
Russian Dressing
Thousand Island Dressing

Directions:

1. Make the ground beef into patties. Ours were probably 1/4 lb each.
2. Cook the patties to your desired wellness.
3. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread.  
4. Place swiss cheese and american cheese on only one side of the bread.  It'll look like an open-faced sandwich. (Don't put the bread together like you would for grilled cheese.)
5. To allow the cheese to melt more easily, put the lid on top of the pan.  
6. Once the bread is browned to your liking, put on a plate and spread frisco sauce on the side that doesn't have the cheese. Or on both sides ;)
7.  Put your beef patty in between the slices of bread and enjoy!

To make the Frisco sauce, use the ratio of 1:2 (Russian to Thousand Island).  For example, we mixed 1 tablespoon Russian with 2 tablespoons Thousand Island.  

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