Baked Ziti

1 lb. ziti, cooked al dente
1 lb. Italian sausage or hamburger (I use turkey sausage)
2 jars spaghetti sauce (you can make your own, but this makes it really quick)
1 lb. ricotta cheese
6 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 T parsley flakes
1 lb. shredded mozzarella

Brown meat, drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, Parmesan and parsley. In a greased large casserole or 9x13" pan, pour a small amount of sauce to cover the bottom. Layer half the noodles and half the ricotta mixture. Cover completely with sauce. Spread about half the mozzarella cheese over. Layer remaining noodles, ricotta and sauce. Cover completely with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and just begins to brown.

This also freezes well. Do not put on last layer of cheese before freezing. Take straight from the freezer and bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Add top layer of mozzarella during final 20 minutes of baking.

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

16 jumbo pasta shells
1lb ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup water
16 oz bottle of salsa
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
green onions (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Cook and drain pasta shells according to directions, set aside. Brown ground beef, rinse and drain. Add taco seasoning and water, cover and let simmer until moisture is absorbed (about 5 minutes). Mix ground beef, refried beans and 3/4 c. cheese. Stuff shells with meat mixture. Cover bottom of baking dish with 1/2 c. salsa then place shells upright. Spoon extra salsa over shells and then cover with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until heated through. Serve with green onions and sour cream.

*This recipe also freezes well. I usually make it in 2 small pans and we have 1 dinner and I freeze the other for another day.

Mega-Veggie Lasagna

For all you meat lovers, don't be turned away by the all the veggies in this lasagna. It is fantastic, very filling and every bit as good as a meat lasagna!

1 9oz pkg lasagna noodles, cooked according to package {I used multi grain noodles}
3 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 pound eggplant, skin on and cubed
1 large tomato chopped
1 1/2 cups firmly packed artichoke hearts, drained {I chopped my up}
1 T garlic powder {I used fresh, about 2 cloves}
4 cups marinara sauce {I used a jar of spaghetti sauce and left out most of the seasonings}
4 cups low-fat ricotta cheese {I mixed mine with 2 eggs}
4 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a nonstick 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the onions for about 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, tomato, artichoke hearts and cook for a couple minutes. Add the tomato sauce {or spaghetti sauce} and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes. Put a small amount of sauce in prepared pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Place about half the lasagna noodles over the bottom of the pan, overlapping the sheets as needed to fill all gaps. Spoon half the sauce/veggie mixture over the noodles and top with half the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella. Place the remaining lasagna noodles over the cheese and spoon and smooth on the remaining sauce. Top with remaining ricotta and cover with shredded mozzarella. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes {I find about 30 does the trick}, or until top layer of cheese melts and is bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve.

**Before baking, you can cover tightly and freeze. Just put it into the refrigerator the morning you want to eat it and heat as above.

**For you smaller families out there, you can make this in two 9" square pans {I like to use the disposable foil ones from the grocery store}, eat one now and freeze the second for use in about 1 month. If it is covered tightly {I use saran wrap and then foil} it should keep for about 6 weeks. Bonus: work once, eat two meals!