Nif's Easy Lasagna (no boiling necessary)

You will need:

1 lb ground beef

3 cups (30-oz jar or can) spaghetti sauce

1-1/2 cups water

2 cups mozzarella cheese 

     (use 1 cup in Cheese Mixture (below), use 1 cup to top off lasagna)

1 8-oz package lasagna

Cheese Mixture:

15-oz container ricotta or cottage cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees

In large saucepan, brown meat; drain. 

Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together ingredients for Cheese Mixture.

Pour about 1-1/3 C sauce o the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. 

Arrange 3 UNCOOKED lasagna noodles lengthwise over sauce. 

Cover with about 1-1/3 sauce. 

Spread one-half Cheese Mixture over sauce. 

Repeat with layer of lasagna, sauce, and Cheese Mixture.

Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce. 

Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Easy Pasta Recipe

Today we had a beautiful day in Birmingham! Check out these temperatures!

My girls played volleyball in Huntsville this weekend, and I stayed in town to attend TEDxBirmingham yesterday. This morning I went for a run (in a short-sleeved t-shirt), then I've been cleaning and cooking to get ready for the week. 

I baked a chicken casserole, made Easy Pasta Salad, cooked lasagna (recipe posted tomorrow) and healthy chicken enchiladas, and baked 3-ingredient chocolate muffins.

I want to share the Easy Pasta Salad with you, because it IS so easy, and it can serve as a base for other salads. This basic recipe is the one my oldest daughter loves to take to school for lunch, so I don't usually add much to it.

I use

1 carton of grape or cherry tomatoes

1 container of crumbled feta cheese

1 box bowtie pasta

Italian dressing (approximately 1/4 - 1/2 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

While the pasta is cooking (directions on box), I cut the tomatoes in half and add them and the feta to a large bowl. Once the pasta is done, I pour the pasta into a colander and run cold water over the pasta to cool it. Then I add the pasta to the bowl, pour on Italian dressing, add salt and pepper and mix together.

Easy peasy.

Here are some ways you can take it from the girl next door to a beauty pageant queen:

• Add sliced pepperoni and shredded mozzarella
• Add chopped, cooked chicken and sweet peas
• Add baby spinach leaves, artichoke hearts, and chopped red bell pepper
• Add a can of corn, chopped, cooked chicken, and swap the Italian dressing for Ranch dressing

How about you? How would you personalize your pasta salad?