Lasagna Soup & Cheesy Garlic Bread

It's a nasty day at home. The weather can only be described as gross. It's misty raining and foggy. We are snuggled up on the couch and enjoying a super simple (but super delicious!) meal, created by things we had already in our pantry. I had seen some Lasagna Soup recipes on Pinterest while pretending I didn't need to clean the house on my afternoon off, so I decided to give it a try! And yes, I actually cooked tonight!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 lb ground beef
Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
3 cloves minced garlic
4 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 (14.5 oz) Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) Can Crushed Tomatoes
2.5 Tbsp tomato paste
1 3/4 tsp basil
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sugar
1.5 Tbsp parsley (plus more for garnish)
8 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 oz ricotta cheese

Directions:
1. Measure out basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel seeds, thyme, sugar, and parsley. Put together in a ramekin and set to the side.
2. Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil into a pan and warm on medium high heat. Crumble and brown beef. Add 2-3 large pinches black pepper and several pinches (to taste) of red pepper flakes. Once browned, pour beef out onto paper-towel lined serving platter or large bowl.
3. Add another 1 Tbsp olive oil into the pan. Toss in minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
4. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get the delicious flavor from the beef off the bottom!
5. Pour in the pre-measured spices and ground beef. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Allow soup to simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
6. Cook broken up lasagna noodles according to package.
7. Drain pasta once cooked and add into the soup mixture.
8. Mix together Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheese.
9. Serve up soup and place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle extra parsley on top! Enjoy with cheesy garlic bread (recipe below!)

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
Block/Wedge of Asiago Cheese
Sub Roll bread/French Bread/Any loaf bread you have at home
Garlic Powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Shred a large amount of Asiago cheese (We had a wedge and I shredded the entire wedge).
3. Take a heaping Tablespoon of garlic powder and mix well with the cheese.
4. Slice bread in half lengthwise.
5. Lay bread out on baking sheet. Put 1/4 of cheesy garlic mix onto each slice.
6. Cook at 375 for 10-12 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

GiGi's Baked Beans

There's nothing quite as comforting as family recipes. It takes me back to my childhood, fills my belly, and warms and comforts my soul. J loves to cook family recipes. He apparently likes the pressure of trying to measure up to my mom's (grandma's, Mimi's, or aunts') cooking. I'm not complaining. It means that I get all the comforts of my childhood home in my own home. My mom's baked beans recipe are definitely a go-to recipe anytime we have to take a side dish to a potluck or need a quick, easy side for dinner (like a Labor Day BBQ!). We have put our own (very slight) twist on the recipe to make it a bit more hearty, but there's still nothing like the original. T calls my mom "GiGi," so we have renamed this recipe "GiGi's baked beans" at my house. These also heat up nicely on a cold day and make an amazing hand/heart/soul/belly warming dish!

What You'll Need:
1 Tbsp Butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
3 Tbsp Ketchup
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce (just a few dashes)
2 pounds of beans (fresh, homemade or canned is fine, as well!)
4 strips of bacon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a Dutch Oven, melt one Tbsp of butter over medium low heat and allow the minced garlic to simmer in the butter for a few minutes.
3. Add ground beef and cook until browned.

4. Once beef is browned, add the remaining liquid ingredients and stir together.

5. Take 2 of the strips of bacon and cut into 1/4 inch wide slices. Stir into bean mixture.

6. Top with the 2 remaining slices of bacon. Place lid on Dutch Oven and cook for 25-30 minutes. If you don't have a Dutch Oven, a regular 3 qt. baking dish will work!

7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy my mom's baked beans as much as we do! Take it to the next potluck you're invited to. I promise you, they'll be a crowd pleaser!