Lasagna Soup

It’s been a crazy weekend in the Doerfler house.  It was fun to bake cookies with the girls for our new neighbor and finish it off with lasagna soup.  The girls broke up all of the pieces of lasagna noodles!  It’s thick, like stew, for those of you that don’t like runny soup.  I have to thicken everything up for Jamie because he does not like runny soup. 🙂 When you want lasagna, but you don’t want the hour prep and the hour bake.. this is your fix!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. hamburger (or italian sausage – or a combo of both)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 box lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
• Cheese for topping?  I took sliced mozzarella and provolone and broke it into pieces.. It melted right in! Or do that ricotta cheese thing that some do (1 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt)
• Garnish with parsley if you so wish.

Directions

1. Brown hamburger with onion (I seasoned with my usual.. farm dust and garlic salt & pepper).  Drain grease – I even rinse it a little
2. Add olive oil to pan, mix with burger/onion
3. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil.
4. Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, and brown sugar.
5. Add bay leaves
6. Add lasagna noodles
7. Cook for 20-25 minutes

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Mom and I spent a day this past weekend preparing meals for the winter.  Since my evening supervision is heavy throughout the winter, the girls and Jamie tend not to eat very well.  We put away 20+ meals.  We left one of these out and made it that evening.  It was delicious!  I’m not a super big fan of meatloaf, but this is a must try!

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of bread
• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. Worcheshire sauce
• BBQ sauce of your choice (We love Doug McCains)
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Coat 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray.  Place 2 pieces of bread at the bottom (soaks up the excess grease).  If you have a meatloaf pan (where the grease drains, you can leave out the bread).
3. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.
4. Top with your favorite BBQ sauce.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 75 minutes, or until cooked through.

DELICIOUS!

Pork Fried Rice

What did I get my husband for Valentine’s Day?  Pork Fried Rice.. Yes, a delicious rice dish that our whole family enjoys.  He got me flowers.  I made him dinner. 🙂

The process is a little intense.  However, it’s worth the work.  Here is a picture of most of the seasonings, sauces, and ingredients.

The first thing I do is start the Traeger.  It’s freezing out, so I went with 375.  If it were of average temp outside, I would have gone with 350.  I used mock tenders (pork).  These are similar to a filet mignon, but are pork instead.  I rub them up with seasoning and throw them on.

While the pork is cooking, I start the rice.  I use jasmine rice.  I used 2 1/2 cups water and 2 cups rice.  I start this early because once it’s done I take the lid off and let it “dry” out a little.  It works better when the rice is dry for fried rice.

While the rice is cooking, I saute the carrots and onions in 4 tbsp of butter.

After the veggies have softened up a bit, I start the eggs.  I used 2 tbsp butter, 5 eggs, and some Ms. Patti’s seasoning.

Now is probably a good time to flip the pork.  I add the corn to the veggies and let that warm up a bit.  Then I add a big heaping tbsp of garlic.

While that continues to cook, I wait for the pork to be done.  Then, I chop it up into little pieces.

Once the pork, rice, scrambled eggs, and veggies are ready it’s time to mix it up.  I add the pork and eggs to the veggie mixture.  Then, I add the Chinese 5 spice, ginger, soy sauce, and Yoshida’s (you get this at Sam’s).  Once it is all mixed up, I add the rice.  This makes enough food for our family to eat at least twice.

Here’s the finished product.

Ingredients:

1. Pork medallions
2. Smoke rub (I used everything but the kitchen sink)
3. 6 tbsp. Butter, divided
4. Carrots (diced)
5. Onion (diced)
6. Corn (I used summer corn)
7. 1 heaping tbsp Garlic
8. 5 Eggs
9. Ginger, to taste
10. Chinese 5 spice, to taste
11. Soy sauce, to taste
12. Yoshida’s marinade, to taste (I’m sure you can find something similar – but this stuff is the bomb)
13. Jasmine rice (or whatever rice you want.  I don’t recommend instant)

Directions:

1. Season meat.  Cook on Traeger at 350 until done. (You could really use any meat.. cooked anyway you want).
2. Cook jasmine rice as direction (2 cups rice).
3. Dice carrots and onion.  Saute with 4 tbsp salted butter.
4. Scramble eggs with 2 tbsp butter.  Don’t forget to also spray with cooking spray and use seasoning of your choice (don’t use milk)
5. Add corn to veggies and cook until warm.
6. Add garlic to veggie mixture.
7. Cut up meat in small pieces
8. Add meat and eggs to veggies.
9. Add in ginger, Chinese 5 spice, soy sauce, and Yoshida’s.
10. Add rice, stir.
11. Add more soy sauce and Yoshida’s, to taste.

DELICOUS!

Hobo Casserole

Need something quick?  This one’s for you! Let me clarify.. Quick to prep.  It does take at least 1 hour to bake.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, browned (seasoned and drained)
• 1 small onion
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced
• 6-8 slices American Cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups French-friend onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Season, brown, and drain ground beef.  I actually cooked the onion with the beef.
3. Spray 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
4. Place the ground beef into the 8×8 pan.
5. If you didn’t cook the onion with the ground beef, add it here on top of the ground beef.
6. The next layer is the potato slices.
7. Mix the soup and milk together.  Pour over the potatoes.
8. Layer with cheese slices.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for approximately 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender (It took 75 minutes for us).
10. Remove foil and top with french fried onions and brown for about 5 minutes.

Cucumber Onion Salad

 l love my Pic Stich app!  

We went to the Farmer’s Market yesterday and I picked up some Cucumber and Sweet Onions.  I’ll be honest.. I don’t eat this, but it was always a big hit in my family’s house.  Jamie likes it too!  Very refreshing. 🙂

Ingredients

• 1 Med-Lrg Cucumber
• 1 Large Sweet Onion
• 2/3 cups vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• Seasoning (your favorite)  I used garlic and onion pepper.

Directions

• Get a large bowl with a lid.
• Peel and slice the cucumber
• Peel and slice the onion
• Add vinegar, sugar, water, and seasoning.
• Put on the lid and shake it up!
• Refrigerate – EAT!