Last week was chaotic but fun! (I think it will continue to get quicker when I choose easier recipes and use an upgraded Zoom account!) But I have truly enjoyed having meals this week and those two meals got me until Thursday without having to cook for myself which is amazing.
This Sunday we are going to do one of my tried and true quick favorites which is my skillet lasagna. This recipe is actually quick and is comfort food you will want to eat. The second recipe is a whole roast chicken with roasted vegetables which you will able to use for lots of different meals (sandwiches, salads, wraps, etc.)
Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients:
2 large bottles of pasta sauce (like Rao's or other tomato sauce with no added sugar)
1 large bag of shredded mozzarella
1.5 cups of cottage cheese
1 box of lasagna sheets (any type that does not need you to cook it before using) I love the yellow lentil lasagna sheets from Wegman's.
Roasted vegetables
1/4 cup parsley
1 egg
Pre heat the oven to 350 F
In a mixing bowl combine the cottage cheese, egg, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
To bake lasagna use a cast iron skillet or lasagna/casserole dish. Start by adding a thin layer of tomato sauce to your pan.
Top with lasagna sheets. (Feel free to break these up so it fully covers the bottom of your pan).
Add a layer of shredded mozzarella, and then a layer of lasagna sheets.
Add a layer of tomato sauce and roasted vegetables.
Add all of the cottage cheese mixture in an even layer.
Add another layer of lasagna sheets.
Continue to add layers if you have remaining (sauce, shredded cheese, lasagna sheets, ending with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese).
Bake for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then bake for additional 5-10 minutes uncovered.
Whole Roast Chicken (recipe from Mark Bittman)
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, ~3 to 4 pounds.
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put a cast-iron skillet on a low rack in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Rub the chicken all over with the oil and sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.
When the oven and skillet are hot, carefully put the chicken in the skillet, breast side up. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Continue to roast until the bird is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh reads 155 to 165 degrees.
Tip the pan to let the juices flow from the chicken’s cavity into the pan. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Carve and serve.
Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables (Feel free to use any mix of vegetables here)
4 zucchini, peeled and chopped
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
2 red onions, sliced
3 bell peppers, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
Preheat oven to 350 F
In a large bowl mix the zucchini, tomatoes, onions and peppers with oil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
On a large roasting pan, roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have split and the edges of some of the vegetables are starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and stir before returning to the oven for another 20 minutes. At this time reduce heat to 200 degrees F and continue cooking until vegetables are tender.