These recipes require very little preparation time, and minimal “chef” skills.  After each recipe, there will be a link to print out a pdf. I make no claims about the nutritional benefits of these, just their simplicity.

Auntie’s Super Simple Lasagna

Non Food items:

• 9×11 casserole dish
• Frying pan
• Aluminum Foil
• Large wooden spoon
• Can Opener

Food Items:

• Lasagna Noodles
• Pasta Sauce (Usually use whichever Prego I feel like at the moment)
• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• Large container of Cottage Cheese
• One bag pre-shredded yellow cheese (I use cheddar)
• One bag pre-shredded white cheese (I usually get Monterey jack)

Note: If you buy the brick of cheese and shred them yourself, it actually tastes better that way

Optional:

• Sliced Olives
• Mushrooms
• Other Veggies to add in to mix

1. Preheat Oven to 375
2. Brown the ground beef in the frying pan – this means fry it up on medium high heat until there is no pink showing.
3. Drain grease
4. Add almost all of the pasta sauce to the ground beef (leave one or two spoonsful)
5. Add sliced olives or any other options to this mix also
6. Take the extra spoonsful of sauce and put them on the bottom of the casserole dish.
7. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with lasagna noodles
8. Pour the meat mixture over this, spreading with the spoon so it is even
9. Cover this with the cottage cheese, spread as evenly as you can
10. Cover this with most of the cheese, leaving a little bit for the top of the dish
11. Cover this with another layer of noodles
12. Cover this with the rest of the cheese
13. Cover the whole thing tightly with aluminum foil
14. Bake at 375 for 45 min.
15. Carefully remove the foil. (Foil does not transfer heat, but the rest of the dish certainly will)
16. Back in the oven for another 15 min.
17. Remove from oven and let set for a few moments to “settle” everything.
18. Dig in!

Lasagna Recipe

Super Simple Chicken Dinner

Non Food items:

• Aluminum Foil
• Cookie Sheet
• Sauce pan
• Microwave

Food items:

• Chicken breast (however many you wish to cook)
• Lemon/Pepper Spice mix
• Rice
• Chicken Broth
• Bag of “Steam in” frozen Veggies

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Put a sheet of foil down on the cookie sheet.
3. Tear off another sheet of foil for later
4. Spray the foil sheet with non-stick cooking spray
5. Put the chicken breasts down on the foil
6. Sprinkle a healthy bit of the lemon/pepper spice mix over the top of the chicken
7. Create a “tent” with the extra bit of foil (by folding it in half) and tent the chicken. This will keep the chicken from drying out while they bake.
8. Put the chicken in and set the timer for 10 min.
9. When the timer goes off, do NOT take the chicken out. Start the rice.
10. Instead of using water, use chicken broth and cook the rice the way the bag says to. (2 cups of liquid – bring to boiling, 1 cup rice, simmer for 20 min. remove from heat)
11. When the rice begins to simmer, set the timer for 20 min.
12. When the timer goes off, remove the rice from heat and fluff
13. Turn off the oven (leave the chicken in for a few moments)
14. Microwave your steam in bag veggies.
15. Plate and enjoy!

Note: on boiling and simmering. To boil the liquid for the rice, turn heat up to high. When you have added the rice to the boiling liquid, turn head down to one click above low or off. This is simmer.

Super Simple Chicken Dinner

Basic 3 Bean Salad

Non-Food items:

• Large bowl
• Cling wrap
• Spoons

Food items:

• Three cans of beans – your choice. I prefer Kidney, Garbanzo and a random.
• Italian dressing
• Sliced Olives
• Red Onion – you can buy these pre chopped for an even easier dish
• Spice: Dill & Celery Seed & Salt

1. In a large bowl, combine the beans, the olives, the red onion and mix well
2. Add in two pinches each of the Dill spice, Salt, and Celery Seed spice
3. Mix well
4. Add in 1 cup of Italian dressing
5. Mix well
6. Cover tightly and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let all the flavors mix with each other.
7. Enjoy!

Basic 3 Bean Salad