Lasagna

1 pkg. oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 lg. jar Prego pasta sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 16-oz. container ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 pkgs. Italian blend shredded cheese
additional seasonings, per your taste
(*I add onion flakes, Italian seasoning, and brown sugar.)

Remove sausage from casings and put into a large skillet with ground beef. Brown well and drain.

In large saucepan, heat pasta sauce, garlic, seasonings, mushrooms, and meat. Simmer 10-15 minutes.

In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In 9x13 baking dish, put a layer of sauce and a layer of pasta. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta, then top with shredded cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with cheese.

Cover with a double layer of foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5-10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve.

Serves 12.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick of butter, softened
2 eggs, separated
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. white sugar
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, butter, egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and evaporated milk. Mix well.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; add 1/4 c. sugar and fold into sweet potato mixture.

Pour into pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm.

*You can substitute 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for the ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

**This makes a thick custard-type pie that doesn't have quite the same texture as a typical sweet potato or pumpkin pie.

Chicken & Dumplings

3 large chicken breasts
3-4 quarts water
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
1 pkg. flour tortillas, cut into 2-inch squares (approximately)
season to taste (I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.)

Boil chicken in water. (Add celery and onion trimmings to create a more flavorful broth.)

Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Skim trimmings off broth. Stir in soup, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Season to taste.

Cut or tear chicken into bite-size pieces and add to broth. Add tortilla pieces, a few at a time, pushing under broth to keep from sticking together.

Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*This would be great with leftover turkey, too!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

1 box of angel food cake mix
1 20-oz. can of crushed pineapple, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour dry cake mix and pineapple, with juice, into mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Pour into ungreased 9x13 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let cool, then serve plain or with whipped topping.

*Another tasty option is to make it part of a low-fat sundae cake. Top individual slices with fresh sliced strawberries and bananas, chocolate chips, whipped cream, nuts, and maraschino cherries.

Yes, this cake is that easy - probably the easiest one you'll ever bake!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

1 can tomato soup
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic & oregano)
1/2 c. Half & Half

Pour soup and tomatoes into blender or food processor and blend until smooth; pour into saucepan. Add Half & Half, stirring well. Heat over medium heat until almost boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Thanks for the recipe, Tricia!

*I made a double recipe and had just enough left over for one small bowl of soup.