Microwave Lasagna

This is my mom's recipe that has morphed out of other recipes she has used over the years. It was one of my favorite meals growing up and has found a prevalent home in our repertoire of meals lately.

Ingredients:
8 oz of lasagna noodles (My mom is particular about the kind she uses (American Beauty) - but they should at least be the traditional kind, not the oven-ready kind)
2 lb Ground Beef
26.5 oz Spaghetti Sauce (Again, my mom is specific - she uses the Hunt's Traditional flavor)
16 oz Cottage Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
16 oz Mozzarella Cheese

This is a dish that you prepare all the elements, throw them together, then let them cook.
Cook the noodles as directed. Cook the ground beef seasoning it to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder/cloves as desired. Add the entire can of spaghetti sauce to the beef. Open the cottage cheese container and pour Parmesan cheese into it (this will look like a big mountain peak of Parmesan cheese sitting on the cottage cheese - the measurement is not precise, but use as much as you think you can stir into the cottage cheese without making a HUGE mess) stir together. Shred all 16 oz of Mozzarella Cheese.

At this point you are ready to assemble the lasagna. Spray a 9 x 13 pan. Layer 1/2 of the noodles, followed by 1/2 of the meat, then 1/2 of the cottage/Parmesan mixture (this you want to do by dotting it around on the meat and trying to spread it, recognizing that it will not form one solid layer), top with 1/2 of the grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers in the same order.

Now it is time to throw it in the microwave. Cook at regular power. My mom used to cook it 20 minutes in our old microwave, but finds that each microwave is different - we do about 17 minutes in our microwave. After that time is up, it's ready to serve! It only takes about 30 minutes from start to the table!

German Chocolate Brownies

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
3/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup evaporated milk
Mix first three ingredients together, put 2/3 batter in 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes.

1 16 ounce package of caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Unwrap caramels and melt with evaporated milk in microwave until runny. Stop frequently to stir. Drizzle caramel over cake mix. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips and chopped walnuts if desired over top. Drop remaining 1/3 cake mixture over top. Bake at 350 for 17 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Sloppy Joes

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown hamburger with chopped onion & green pepper, drain grease/ Combine water, ketchup, sugar mustard and Worcestershire. Add to meat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until consistency is thick. Serve on hamburger buns.

Catalina Chicken

1 package dry onion soup mix
1 bottle Catalina dressing
4-5 Tbsp Apricot Jam
6 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in pan, sprinkle soup mix over chicken breasts. Pour l bottle Catalina dressing over all. Place 2-3 teaspoons apricot jam on each chicken breast. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes basting occasionally. Serve over rice. My boys love fresh pineapple with this dish.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Soup
4 Chicken breasts
1 large onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 Tbsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 1/2 quarts Water
4 cubes chicken bullion

Noodles
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
1Cup Flour
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Simmer chicken with water, onion, celery, carrots, salt & pepper for 1 hour. Strain broth and cut chicken into bite size pieces.
To make noodles beat egg, water, salt 7 pepper, gradually add flour. Roll out and cut in to thin strips. ( I double the noodles) Add to soup, boil for 15 minutes. Serve and Eat.

White Bread

1/2 Cup Warm Water
4 1/2 Teaspoons Yeast (or two packets yeast)
(Set these in a cup, stir lightly and let dissolve)

2 Cups Hot Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/3 Cup Oil
3 Cup Flour
Mix these ingredients together then add the dissolved yeast mixture
3 Additional Cups Flour (add these)
Mix and put a towel over (leave the wooden spoon in the bowl)
Set timer for 10 minutes 5 times just stir at the 10 minute intervals then cover and leave the wooden spoon in. (I don't know why but that is what the recipe says)
Divide the dough in half and place on jelly roll pan. ( My neighbor braids hers maybe next time I will try that)
Let rise for 20-60 minutes.
Beat one egg and brush on top
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on if you like the outside soft or a little crusty. Either way the inside is fabulous.

ENJOY!!!!

German Pancakes

This is an easy breakfast or dinner solution. It's prep time is less than 5 minutes, and then you have a 20 minute bake time, and it's done. it's light and yet satisfying because of the protein. We use to eat these growing up a lot. We love them.

1/2 C. Margarine or Butter
1 C. Milk
6 Eggs
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Flour

Put Margarine in a 9x13 pan and place it in a preheated oven at 425 degrees. While butter melts, mix milk, eggs and salt in a blender. Then add flour and blend just enough to mix in the flour.

when the butter in the pan is bubbling, pour the batter out of the blender and into the pan, return it to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove pan and immediately cut and serve with your choice of toppings, we like jam, powdered sugar, syrup, or fresh fruit.

Corn Bread

This is great with Chilli or just about anything. My Husband loves it!

1 C. milk
1 egg
1/3 C. shortening
1 tsp. Salt
4 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp. baking Powder
1 C. Flour
1 C. Corn Meal

Mix all ingredients and place in a greased 8" baking pan. Double the recipe for a 9x13 pan. Cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

German Cabbage Soup

This is a recipe my mom got from a German woman who lives by her. I love it, it's light and so delicious. The flavors are amazing!

1 pound of Ground Sausage
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 C. Chopped Cabbage
1 Medium Onion Chopped
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
6 C. Water
1 Pint Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can Black beans
3 Cubes Chicken Bullion

Cook Sausage in a frying pan, when done cook cabbage and onion is sausage pan with olive oil is needed to keep from sticking. Once done add all ingredients either to a crock pot or soup pot and simmer together until ready to serve.

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

This is a quick meal that kids love! It helps them to get their veggies at meal time and what mom doesn't love that?

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
3 chicken breasts
1-2 packages of frozen Broccoli
10 oz. Grated Cheese
1 C. Mayonaise
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 C. Milk
Parmesan Cheese
Cooked Rice or Pasta

Cube raw chicken into edible pieces. In the bottom of a large pot add some oil and pan fry chicken until golden brown. At that point mix chicken soup, grated cheese, mayonnaise, cumin, lemon juice, and milk. Place frozen broccoli into pot with chicken to cook broccoli. Then add Sauce to large pot.
At this point you can either spread mixture into a 9x13 pan mixed with your choice of rice or pasts and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or you can cook in the large pot for awhile longer until the broccoli is cooked then serve over rice or pasta.