Italian

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

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Lasagna is something that everyone seems to love. It’s ooey and gooey and saucy and full of flavor. Plus it feeds a lot of people! Don’t worry, I won’t be mad if you don’t like lasagna. Everyone has their own preferences. With that said, let’s be real…it would be rare that you have someone over for dinner and they are disappointed when lasagna shows up on the table. Seriously.

This recipe came from Travis’ family. It’s slightly adapted but it’s more or less the same as when I got it. Delicious as always! The main difference is that I typically use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Both add a good flavor. Plus with the sausage in there I honestly can’t tell the difference between ground beef and turkey. So use what you like or what you have!

Lasagna is a little bit of a process but in the end it is definitely worth it! One wonderful thing about lasagna is that you can easily freeze and thaw it before baking it so if you make it, you might as well make a lot of it so that you can have it more than once! Or, if you have company coming this is a great make-ahead dish so that all you have to do is pop it in the oven. Easy peasy.

Travis and I have been making homemade pasta for awhile now so we made homemade lasagna noodles for this. So. gosh. darn. good. Don’t get me wrong, this lasagna is scrumptious with or without the fresh noodles. BUT, lasagna with fresh pasta is like eating pillows of noodles covered in gooey cheese and meaty tomato sauce. Yeah. Just stop and think about that for a minute…pillows of pasta. gooey cheese. meaty sauce. Enough said.

Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Serves 8
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Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr 40 min
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr 40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
  2. 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
  3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounces)
  5. 1 can tomato paste (12 ounces)
  6. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
  7. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  8. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  9. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  10. 2 cups cottage cheese
  11. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + 1/2 cup for topping
  12. 16 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
  13. 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
Instructions
  1. Brown ground turkey and sausage in a large pan over medium heat. Drain any excess fat and add the garlic to the pan. Sauté 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Slightly break apart the tomatoes as you stir. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. In a bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and grated mozzarella cheese.
  4. In an ungreased 9 x 13" pan, alternate layers of sauce, noodles, and cheese, starting with a little sauce on the bottom. End with a layer of sauce and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese on top.
  5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Notes
  1. This recipe can easily be frozen after assembly then thawed and baked as directed!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
 

Turkey Meatballs

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Turkey MeatballsThese meatballs are unofficially titled, “mama’s meatballs” in my house because my mama makes these meatballs…That probably didn’t need an explanation but you got one anyways. Not only are these easy and delicious, but they also remind me of home! How perfect is that??

Turkey MeatballsConsidering pasta was a staple in my house growing up, we had meatballs often. I’m pretty sure my dad could eat about a pound of pasta by himself given the chance. That tidbit is not a proven fact. Just a hypothesis. Dad, if you have eaten a pound of pasta solo let me know….

Anyways, these meatballs are definitely the finishing touch to an awesome spaghetti dinner. Great thing is, I make a LOT at once and freeze them. Then they’re ready to eat should a spaghetti night come around!

Turkey MeatballsWhen I started making these at home they were made with ground beef (which is actually very delicious in this recipe as well). At some point, I “accidentally” used ground turkey instead and “accidentally” didn’t tell my husband and he didn’t notice. So then I “accidentally” used ground turkey more often. When he found out he grumbled a bit about it but not to much effect because I already knew that he couldn’t really taste the difference.

Whether you use ground turkey or ground beef, just know that these will be simple, delicious, and worth the little time and effort they take!
Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs
Yields 35
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound ground turkey
  2. 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
  3. 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. pinch of salt and pepper
  7. 2 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mix all ingredients together except the water until everything is just incorporated. You do not want to over mix. If the mixture is not easily able to be formed into balls, add a splash of water to loosen it.
  3. Form into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt and they are cooked through.
Notes
  1. These meatballs can be served immediately or frozen once cooked. To defrost, I place them in my pasta sauce to reheat for about 10 minutes. Works great! You can use ground beef with these as well and they turn out delicious (I originally made them with ground beef)!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
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