Monday, May 24, 2010

Quick n' Easy Recipes

Here are 2 recipes that I think are great to have on hand for a quick n' easy dinner and dessert. I like this lasagna recipe because you don't have to worry about cooking the noodles, or the step of adding cottage/ricotta cheese. The dessert recipe is from my friend Cherise. I'm not a big chocoholic, but LOVE the homemade chocolate frosting part and the combo of pudding and cream. In my opinion, this cake is BETTER than actual eclairs. E N J O Y !


Fake It Don't Make It Lasagna 
Ingredients:
1 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce
1 30 oz. bag of frozen large cheese pasta ravioli (un-thawed)
1 bag or half a container of fresh spinach
1 8 oz. bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Coat a 13x9 dish with 1/3 of sauce. Arrange ravioli on top and scatter spinach over them. Top with half of the cheese. Cover with another layer of ravioli, remaining sauce, (I add in the mushrooms here) and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 25 min. Uncover and bake 5-10 min. until bubbly. Serves: 6


Eclair Cake  
Ingredients:
Box of original graham crackers
about 8 cups of milk (in total)
18 oz. Cool Whip
2 small boxes of French Vanilla JELLO pudding mix
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. cocoa
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp milk


Filling: 2 boxes of pudding, 3 1/2 cups of milk, 18 oz. cool whip
Frosting: 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 5 Tbsp. cocoa, 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 Tbsp. milk.


Directions:
In a lg. bowl, make both boxes of JELLO pudding mix as instructed on the side of the box. Once completed, add in 18 oz. of Cool Whip and 3 1/2 cups of milk. This is your filling. Then make the frosting by stirring together all of the ingredients listed above as frosting.  Next line your 9x13 pan with graham crackers (break to fit base of pan). Then spread on a 1/2 layer of filling. One more layer of graham crackers, rest of filling, one more layer of graham crackers, then frost with chocolate (easiest by picking frosting each graham cracker individually, then doing a final layer across the top with what's leftover). Serves 12-15 (depending on how big you cut them!)

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