Once a Month Cooking Part 4--Lunch/Dinner Recipes!

These recipes are for my Once A Month Cooking blogs I have been posting about! I am going to be adding this sooo it may be reposted more than once on my facebook! :)


Brown Bag Burritos--These are a staple product in my house. We eat these CONSTANTLY! They are really good to have especially if you have a busy busy agenda!

2 lb. ground beef (I have used ground Turkey & Chicken....Its really your choice!)

1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce

2 cans refried beans (Fat Free or with Fat)

1/3 c. minced onion (I used dried. You can also use a fresh onion.)

1/2 c. water

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 cup  shredded cheese  

20 flour tortillas (Burrito-size is better. Homemade is EVEN better!)

Brown meat....DRAIN. Add the rest of the ingredients other than tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 minutes..stirring often.

To FREEZE: Allow burrito mix to cool to room temperature. This usually takes a few hours. After it has cooled, take a melon scooper or an ice cream scooper and scoop onto tortillas. Melon Scooper..usually about 4 scoops.. Ice Cream Scoop.. usually about 2. Roll burrito up.. .wrap in a SINGLE paper towel. Then wrap in foil. I reuse my foil. It keeps foil costs down. Plus the food never touches the foil..

To WARM: Take off foil..leave paper towel on..heat in microwave for 3 minutes or until warm. :) Serve with sour cream..salsa..guacamole! ENJOY! :) *You can freeze these up to about 2 and a half weeks!

This is a really good Lasagna Recipe! I have posted my recipe for the sauce.. however you can use canned sauce. I just think homemade sauce is 10 times better! Also, if you make the homemade sauce.. consider doubling or tripling the recipe! This sauce itself freezes really good! Its really good just for spaghetti! :) I got it from a book a while back. I don't know what the book was.. its been THAT long ago! :) I have it written down in my recipe files! DELICIOUS!

Lasagna Sauce Recipe

1 lb ground beef  (Turkey or Chicken if you prefer!)

1/4 lb Italian sausage (You can omit this and just use 1.5 pounds of ground beef!)

2 cloves garlic minced (You can also used the minced jarred garlic...2tsp)

8 oz thinly sliced mushroom

1 medium diced green bell pepper diced

1 diced onion

1 can tomato paste

32oz tomato sauce (4 small 8oz cans.)

1 cup pasta water

1 tbsp sugar

salt and paper to taste

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (You CAN use any cheese.. but PARM is the BEST!)

Brown meats over med. heat in heave stock pot. Stir in onions, pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until veggies are softened. Sitr in paste...Add tomato sauce..cheese and sugar. Taste..then add salt and pepper to your liking. Simmer for about 30 minutes on low.  Before applying to lasagna.. add one cup of pasta water to thin out.

Lasagna--This makes 2 8x8 or 1 13x9 pans of Lasagna! :)

1 lb lasagna noodles..cooked.

16 oz small curd cottage cheese (OR Riccotta)

2 eggs (You CAN use Mayo...1/2 cup mayonnaise. Its actually pretty good..)

2 tbsp fresh parsley...(You can used dried)

Sauce

1 lb mozzarella (You CAN substitute cheddar)

8 oz fresh spinach or 10 oz frozen spinach (Thaw and squeeze before hand..If find if you let sit in a strainer it gets the juice out better)

In a bowl, stir together Cottage (or Riccotta) cheese, Eggs (mayo), and Parsley. Assemble Lasagna. Bake 350 degrees in a 2  8x8 pans or 1 13x9 until done.. :)

To FREEZE: Allow sauce to cool to room temp. BEFORE assembling the lasagna. After it has cooled, Assemble the lasagna...  then cover with foil. FREEZE. This is actually good for up to a MONTH believe it or not! :)

To WARM: 350 for 2 hours--covered then uncovered for the last 10 minutes. Heat ALL the way through.