Beef Lombardi

Yummy! I love this beef, spicy, cheesy casserole. It's a huge hit in my family and feeds us for two meals, which is always a bonus. This recipe originally came from Southern Living. It called for 6 ounces of egg noodles, but I always use a full pound. Six ounces of egg noodles made the casserole too saucy for my tastes.


Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 (16-ounce) package medium egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.
Stir in chopped tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and bay leaf, and simmer 30 minutes.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain.
Stir together cooked egg noodles and sour cream until blended.
Place noodle mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.
Bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover casserole, and bake 5 more minutes.

Ham Alfredo

We are huge pasta fans in my house and this one always gets rave reviews. Tonight, everyone ate two plates full of it and licked their plates clean.

Yum!!!

Ingredients:

1 pound ham (pre-cooked)
1 pound pasta of your choice (I use penne)
4 TBS butter
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup parmesan
3/4 cup mozzarella

1. Chop the ham into small chunks. Preheat your oven to 325.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and fry the ham and garlic over medium high heat.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt it. Reduce the heat to medium.
4. Add the flour to the ham and butter in the skillet and stir until the butter is all absorbed by the flour.
5. Add the milk to the skillet and stir slowly, keeping the heat on medium.
6. Add the cheeses and whisk until the cheeses are melted.

 

7. While the sauce is thickening, boil water for pasta. Cook the pasta according to box instructions, reducing the cooking time by one minute.

8. After the pasta has finished, drain it thoroughly and add to the sauce you just made. Stir together until the pasta is covered.

9. Sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and mozzarella, then bake at 325 for 10 minutes to melt the cheese. 

Serve and enjoy! You could add peas or asparagus to this for some vegetables.