Don's Mushroom Lasagna

A very and decadent meatless meal here.   If you are a fan of mushrooms, you will love this delicious meal.

For mushrooms:
2 lbs. mixed mushrooms, chopped
2 oz. dried mushrooms, rinsed and then covered with 1 cup, cooked in the microwave for three minutes, then allowed to soak another 10 minutes  (optional)
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp. butter & 3 tbsp. olive oil


Drain the soaked mushrooms, reserving the broth and chop the mushrooms then adding to the raw ones.  In a large Dutch oven heat the oil and butter, add the mushrooms and onion and fry on medium heat until well browned, stirring often.  When slightly browned, add the garlic and keep cooking.   Remove from heat and remove mushrooms to a bowl.

Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
mushroom soaking liquid and enjoy milk to make 5 cups.   Heat the butter in the Dutch oven you fried the mushrooms in.   Add the flour and, stirring constantly, lightly brown the flour in the butter, slowly stir in the milk/broth mixture and continue stirring until it is thickened.  Simmer about 2 minutes.    Remove from heat and cool.

Assembling the lasagna:

4 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese, mixed with an egg and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
9 lasagna noodles,  cooked,  drained, rinsed and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease a 9x13 inch cake pan.   Spread a thin layer of of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Place three noodles in the bottom of the pan.  spread with some of the sauce, then sprinkle half the ricotta over the sauce, then half of the mushrooms and a thin layer of the grated cheeses.   Repeat.  Place the last three noodles over the top of the second layer.  Spread with the remainder of the sauce and then the remaining grated cheeses.   Bake in the preheated oven about 45 minutes or until bubbling and the top of the cheese is lightly browned.   Remove from the oven and allow to sit and cool about 15-20 minutes before serving.  

Hamburger Casserole

I love this dish and it has been a favorite of mine for a long time.   I don't remember what I was trying to recreate when I came up with it, but it turned out to be a real winner.   I make it kinda spicy, but feel free to adjust the seasonings according to your personal tastes.    It is also an easy and economical way to feed a lot of people, just double or triple the amounts.   And as always, ENJOY!

1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 14-oz cans of diced tomatoes
2-3 tsps. chili powder
1 1/2 tsps. garlic powder
3-4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. dry macaroni, cooked al dente

Heat a dutch oven and fry the onion and ground chuck.   If fatty, drain off the excess fat.   Add the tomatoes, the garlic powder and chili powder.   Add the cooked macaroni, then place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.   Cover with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes, until it is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.   Allow to cool briefly before serving.   With a steamed vegetable (buttered corn goes very well with this) and some crusty bread you have a good meal.

Variations:   core and chop a green pepper, saute it with the onion and ground beef.

for a warmer version, add some chopped jalepeno peppers or a tsp. of crushed red pepper.

Italian Meatballs

Aaron and I rarely eat pasta, but every so often we get a hunger for some.   Usually I make my bolognese sauce, but this weekend I was hungry for meatballs.   I did some research and came up with a recipe for meatballs that I thought I'd try.   I'm very happy I did, as they turned out fantastic.   Good enough that I wanted to share it with you.  Here goes!

Italian Meatballs

1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, your preference

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 tbsp. chopped parsley

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 tbsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.  Set aside.   Mix the panko bread crumbs with the buttermilk and set aside for about 10 minutes to soak, then mash to a smooth paste with a fork.   Add the remaining ingredients and mix well, but gently, with your hands.   Form into 2 inch balls and place on the greased baking sheet.   Roast uncovered for about 30 minutes, until nicely browned.   Simmer very gently in your favorite marinara sauce about 20-30 minutes, then eat with pasta or on a meatball sandwich.