Week Night Lasagna

The in-laws were coming to visit, and I really didn’t want to cook anything too elaborate.  I have to admit- we were in a rut.  Sure, there are literally thousands of recipes on Pinterest, all recipes, etc. but I just wasn’t in the mood to cook.  I had to grab some cheese sticks for the littles when inspiration struck in the refrigerated section of the grocery store!!  I saw the package of three cheese ravioli in the “family pack”, and I knew what was for dinner.

It only took a few minutes to assemble and was ready to pop in the oven as soon as it reached temperature.  A half an hour later, dinner was done.  And even better than that- dinner was GOOD!  There was just enough left over for my husband and I to take to work for lunch the next day.  Sweet!!

WEEKNIGHT LASAGNA

• 1 lb ground beef, turkey, or Italian sausage
• 20 to 24 oz. package refrigerated cheese ravioli
• 12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 24 oz. pasta sauce
• 2-3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
2. Brown and crumble meat in a skillet over medium high heat.  Drain well.  HINT: this can be done a day ahead.  Just put it in an airtight container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to cook!
3. Spray an 8″x8″ pan with cooking spray, then spread about 3 Tbsp sauce on the bottom.  Layer ingredients (ravioli, meat, sauce, cheese), and repeat layers.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top, if desired.
4. Bake in center rack of oven until cooked through.  Sauce should be bubbly, and cheese layer nicely browned at the edges, about 30 minutes.  Let stand about 5 minutes (10 is even better), then dig in!

Oven Baked Foil Dinners

I am all about easy these days.  Being 6 months pregnant and working full time means I am EXHAUSTED by the end of the day.  Though I love it, the last thing I want to do is cook.  Or go grocery shopping.  Or think about what we’re going to eat that week.  I just want to eat, take a bath, and go to bed!

This recipe is fairly easy.  It’s basically those foil dinners you make when camping, but baked in the oven instead of over the fire.  You can use any veggies you like, and pretty much any meat as well.  We had ground beef on hand, so that’s what I used.  I like to combine all the veggies, drizzle with a little oil and seasoning, and use that as the base.  I crumble the meat on top and fold it all up.  Then bake for a little bit and DINNER IS DONE!

Makes 4 Foil Dinners

• 1 large or 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1″ chunks (I used red potatoes)
• 6-8 cremini mushrooms, cut into 1″ chunks
• handfull of baby carrots, but into 1/2″ slices
• 1 small zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into 1″ slices
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb. ground beef (4% fat)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp steak seasoning (McCormick Montreal Steak is good)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• cooking spray
• HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil.

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. PREP THE VEGGIES:  Place potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave 4 minutes.  You want to get the cooking started, but not to cook them all the way.  Once potatoes are finished microwaving, combine with the rest of the vegetables in a medium bowl.  Toss with 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, salt and pepper.
3. PREP THE MEAT:  In a medium bowl, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, and olive oil.
4. ASSEMBLE THE PACKETS:  Spray 4 LARGE pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil with cooking spray.  Divide vegetables among the four pieces of foil.  Divide the meat into 4 sections, and crumble one section on top of each vegetable pile.
5. Fold foil to the middle, and crimp a few times to seal.  Roll up the sides to make a sealed foil packet.
6. Place foil packets on a baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes.  You know they are done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F or more.
7. Once they’re done, take them out of the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Cut a small hole in each corner and drain out any liquid.  Open the pouch and dump onto a plate.  Serve with ketchup, BBQ sauce, ranch– whatever you like!

VARIATIONS:

– You can use basically any kind of vegetable.  Mix it up!

– If using pork or chicken, cut into 1″ chunks, season as desired, and place on top of the veggies.  Cook as directed.