Black Eyed Pea Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 green bell pepper
1/2 of an onion
1 can black eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes (can use rotel or italian seasoned or plain)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup bisquick

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease baking dish.
2. Brown ground beef with chopped bell pepper and onion. Drain.
3. Add in peas(drain and rinse), tomatoes(whole can-don't drain), and spices. Mix. Simmer for 5 minutes or so.
4. While it is simmering, mix up milk, cornmeal and bisquick.
5. Pour beef/pea/tomato/spice mixture into pan. Top with milk/cornmeal/bisquick mixture.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until top is nice and brown.
7. Yum!

Aunt Edith's Lasagna Recipe

Better late than never? Sorry this took so long...

I know everyone has a favorite lasagna recipe, but this one is famous in my family. It’s not the quickest lasagna recipe, but oh so yummy. Aunt Edith is my Papaw’s youngest sister.

1 lb hamburger meat, browned
1 lb sausage, browned
1 large can tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp onion salt
10 oz wide lasagna noodles
16 oz cottage cheese
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella

Mix first 7 ingredients together and cook, uncovered, in a large pot or Dutch oven for 1 hour. Cook the noodles and drain. Mix cottage cheese, salt, eggs, cheddar, and parsley flakes in a medium bowl. In a large baking dish, layer 1) half of noodles; 2) half of cheese mixtures; 3) half of meat sauce; 4) layer of Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers and bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees.

This can also be frozen if you use all fresh ingredients. Just freeze after layering all ingredients, then thaw and bake when you're ready.

Simply Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey or venison)
2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzerella Cheese
1 container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1 egg lightly beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat.
2. Meanwhile, mix 1 1/4 cups of mozzerella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, the container of ricotta cheese, the parsley and the egg until well blended and set aside.
3. Drain meat, return to skilet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Fill jar with water and shake and add to sauce mixture.
4. Spread 1 cup meat/sauce mix into bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish.
5. Top with three lasagna noodles and then spread 1/3 of cheese mix over noodles and 1 cup of meat/sauce mix. Repeat this two times. (You have now used 9 noodles and all the cheese mix.)
6. Then top with the last three noodles and the rest of the meat/sauce mix.
7. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups of mozzerella cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
8. Cover tightly with greased foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes or until heated through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Feeds 12.

Last time I made this, I accidentally put all the cheese in the cheese mixture instead of saving the part for the end, so it was just really cheesy and not as saucy. I just added more cheese on the top later. So if you like it really cheesy, you can do it that way. This is a good meal to set up and then stick in the fridge and then the next day you can pull it out and cook it. I have done this twice to take to people who have just had babies. That way it is not so much prep all at once. And like if you make it Sunday afternoon, then Monday's dinner just has to be popped in the oven. I have heard that a lot of lasagnas are hard to make because you have to cook the noodles separately but in this recipe, since you add that extra jar of water, the noodles cook in it.