Colin's Last Place Lasagna

Colin makes THE BEST lasagna.  The title is a joke because our church in New England had a lasagna making contest every year and it took Colin about 6 years to win it.  It was too spicy for most New Englanders, so Colin started calling it his last place lasagna.  I assure you, this lasagna is delicious.  Neither one of us like ricotta cheese, so Colin uses cream cheese in place of that.

Meat Mixture:
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 lb mild italian sausage
1 package sliced mini pepperoni
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped (Colin blends it for me)
2-6 cloves of garlic-minced (depends on how much you like garlic, we really like it)
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded italian cheese blend
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute' onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Put in mixing bowl with softened cream cheese.

Brown sausage and toss in mini pepperoni.  Once the sausage is browned drain and add to the cooked onion/garlic mix.  Mix in cheeses.  Set aside.

Sauce:  (Colin makes his own but you could also buy 2 jars of your favorite and use that if you are pressed for time)  If you make your own sauce, make it first so it has time to simmer.
1 32 oz can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 4oz can tomato paste
2 TBS olive oil
Dried or fresh basil to taste
Dried or fresh oregano to taste
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2-4 cloves garlic minced
1 small sweet onion finely chopped (or blended if you are making it for Heidi) :)

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, saute' onion, garlic, and pepper flakes in olive oil until translucent.  Once onions are translucent, add remainder of sauce ingredients, mix well and simmer for about 1 hour.  Remove bay leaf before you layer.

Once the sauce and the filling is ready it's time to build the lasagna.  Coat a casserole dish with non stick spray.  Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, place a layer of no boil noodles and then coat the noodles with sauce.  Add a layer of the meat mixture then mozzarella and sprinkle with italian cheese.  Add sauce to the top of the cheese and then start layering all over again starting with the noodles.  Continue to layer finishing with mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  We place the lasagna on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil in case it boils over.

Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake

This cake is delicious and is my father in laws favorite.  He has requested it for his birthday cake this year.  It's the perfect dessert on a spring day.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

4 eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1 tsp flour

Lemon Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1-2 tsp milk

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp melted butter

Combine all ingredients of the glaze and mix until thick.  Set aside until cake is done.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 10 inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients minus the raspberry jam, raspberries, and flour.  Beat for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed.  Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Swirl in the raspberry jam in small thin swirls.  Make sure that you aren't dropping the jam as large clumps.  Toss the raspberries with the flour.  Place the raspberries on top of the raspberry jam swirl.  Top with remaining batter.  Bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Drizzle with lemon glaze.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

After I made the Cranberry Christmas Cake and realized that I liked cranberries, I went searching for other cranberry recipes.  Pinterest didn't let me down.  These muffins are the best!

Topping
1/4 cup sugar
grated zest of 1/2 an orange

Muffins
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 TBS unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
grated zest of 1/2 and orange
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, divided

For the Topping:
Stir the sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl until combined and fragrant; set aside.

For the Muffins:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.  Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.  In a separate medium bowl whisk together the sugar and eggs until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined.  Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract and orange zest.  Pour wet ingredients into dry along with 1 1/4 cups of the cranberries.  Fold together until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Fill muffin cups full with batter (I use an ice cream scoop).  Press the remaining 1/4 cup of cranberries into the top of the muffins and sprinkle with the orange sugar topping.  Bake for 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.

Cranberry Christmas Cake

I was in search of a new Christmas treat and came across this recipe on Pinterest.  I have never really liked cranberries but decided to give this a try.  It was delicious!  I took it into work and more than one co worker had 3 or 4 pieces.  It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart.  The best part is that it's super easy to make!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
12 oz fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With a mixer, beat the eggs with sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes.  The mixture should almost double in size.  The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step.  The mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.  Ad the butter and vanilla and mix two more minutes.  Stir in the flour until just combined and fold in cranberries until mixed throughout.  Spread in a buttered 9x13 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sweet Cornbread

Cornbread is one of my favorite things- when it's sweet.  I grew up eating the sweet stuff and anything else just won't do.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's my go to for great cornbread!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 TBS melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 TBS honey (optional but I always put it in)

1.  In a large mixing bowl stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2.  In a medium bowl whisk together vegetable oil, butter, eggs, milk and honey.

3.  Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and pour in your wet ingredients.  Stir just until all moistened.

4.  Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until top is golden and toothpick in the center comes out clean.  I bake mine in a Pampered Chef brownie pan in individual servings and in that pan they bake for 18 minutes.