Ratatouille with Chickpeas

Ratatouille with Chickpeas
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 large onion, sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 tomatoes, cored and diced
1 (13.5 ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 Japanese eggplants, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; stir onion and bell peppers into garlic. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Remove lid; cook and stir until all liquid has evaporated and onion begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir tomatoes into onion mixture; cover and simmer until tomatoes release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Stir tomato sauce, eggplant, zucchini, chickpeas, parsley, basil, and thyme into tomato mixture; season with salt and pepper.  Cover pot with a lid; cook until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove lid and simmer ratatouille, uncovered, until thick, about 5 minutes; adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Moody's American Lasagna

Moody's American Lasagna
1lb ground beef
2 cloved garlic
1 can tomato paste
2 1/2 cups tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 pkg lasagna noodles
8 oz mozzarella
12 oz cottage cheese
Brown ground beef and garlic in skillet.  Add tomato paste, tomatoes and spices, cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Half-cook noodles and drain.  Coat botton of 9x13 pan with thin layer of sauce.  In pan, alternate layers of cooked noodles with cheeses and meat sauce.  Bake 20-30 minutes at 350.

Meat and Potatoes Casserole

Meat and Potatoes Casserole
1 tablespoon butter, oil or bacon drippings
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup or equivalent homemade
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 medium unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an oblong, 11 by 7-inch or 2-1/2 quart baking dish. Heat fat in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add ground beef and cook through, mashing as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together mushroom soup, milk, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and parsley.  Layer half each in baking dish, in order, potatoes, ground beef, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake covered at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Disney's Ratatouille

Disney's Ratatouille
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup water
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 small eggplant, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Spread tomato paste into the bottom of a 10x10-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with onion and garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper.  Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper, starting at the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. Overlap the slices a little to display the colors. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.  Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with dollops of mascarpone cheese.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce
2 to 3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 oz cooked chicken, chopped (1/2 rotisserie chicken - or 2 chicken breasts)
1 pound pulled pork
Add all ingredients to a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
1 lb chicken tenders
1/2 cup salsa
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 packet fajita seasoning or homemade fajita seasoning (below)
tortillas
sour cream
cheese
additional salsa
Homemade Fajita Seasoning
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, whisk together homemade fajita seasoning ingredients.  In a large bowl. combine chicken, onion, pepper, salsa, mushrooms and fajita seasoning. Stir to coat.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan.  Bake 20 minutes. Serve chicken and vegetables on tortillas. Top with sour cream, cheese and additional salsa if desired.

King Cake Bubble Up

King Cake Bubble Up
2 (12.4-oz) cans refrigerated Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
purple, yellow, green sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.  Separate cinnamon rolls, save icing to use after the bubble up is baked. Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces. Place in bottom on prepared pan.  Using a hand held electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add milk and mix until combined. Pour over chopped cinnamon rolls.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Spread cinnamon roll icing over top of casserole. Sprinkle with colored sugar.