ricotta

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

October 2, 2017

Turkey takes over for traditional pork, veal, and beef in this rich and delicious homemade bolognese sauce to create a short cut lasagna dinner that cuts the calories, without sacrificing flavor.

It’s raining. The leaves on the mountain outside my front window are in the most vibrant change of fall colors I’ve seen in ten years. We pulled the tomato plants this weekend and I’ve harvested all my basil to make pesto before frost does it for me. There are days when comfort food is absolutely called for. And that’s when a rich, delicious lasagna raises its hand and squeals, ” PICK ME!”

I love a good lasagna with a rich, delicious meaty sauce with loads of cheese layered throughout and then melted on top. I mean, is there anything better?

But the thing is, my skinny jeans don’t always agree. My solution? Put all that rich flavor in a healthier turkey bolognese sauce and instead of layering my lasagna, toss it together instead.

I borrowed this lasagna toss idea from my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup where the creamy ricotta mixture is added on at the end as an accent instead of playing equal parts to the noodle and sauce equation. I’m a cheese girl through and through, so that way, I meet my comfort food cravings but my jeans won’t revolt. continue to the recipe… about Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

November 7, 2016

No-boil lasagna noodles layered with a mix of cheeses, spinach and store-bought marinara make this one of the easiest dinners you’ll prepare all week.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

When Kroger asked me back in July to join them for a blogging event at Kroger HQ in Cincinnati, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. When they said we’d be celebrating Christmas in October, the lights in my eyes saw sparkles of red, green and white.

See, while most of you are thinking, “Why is Christmas stuff already up in the stores when the Halloween candy hasn’t even been doled out?”, I’m researching and plotting my Christmas gift giving list, secretly listening to my Christmas carol playlist, and praying for snow. Like NOW! BRING ME SNOW!

I’m the original Christmas girl.

So when Kroger broke out the ugly sweaters for each one of us, we all jumped on a bus en route to visit the largest Kroger in the U.S. of A., and broke out in mismatched caroling harmony to this Mariah classic. It totallyput me in my element, and a holiday state of mind.

Our goal for the day was to create a holiday recipe to share with our fellow bloggers at the Kroger Bloggers Banquet. I didn’t have to think too hard about what my dish would be, I just channeled my sweet Aunt Jill and her Christmas Lasagna, the dish we had every Christmas Eve and all the best Christmas Eve’s of my youth.continue to the recipe… about The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni

October 31, 2016

Sweet Italian sausage, roasted red bell peppers and thick layers of cheese make this easy baked rigatoni pasta recipe a family favorite.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

Crusty and melty. Officially these descriptions are opposites. But not when you’re talking baked pasta, because then they go hand in hand. If there’s one thing better than pasta and sausage it’s pasta and sausage with melty layers of cheese baked through and crisped and crusted on top.

Talk about the ultimate cheese pull.continue to the recipe… about Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni

Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Table For Two

January 13, 2016

This easy, cheesy vegetarian pasta dish puts traditional lasagna on its side with a smaller portion that won’t leave you with a whole pan of leftovers.

There are some food blogs you come to rely on — your go-to blogs when you’re having chef’s block trying to figure out what to cook! Julie Wampler’s blog Table For Two is one of those blogs for us. Time and time again, we know we can visit Julie’s site for some sound and easy inspiration in the kitchen.

Her recipes are healthy, fast and pretty darn delicious, and while her blog offers several savory recipes, Julie’s penchant for sweets means that her dessert section is really something to behold. Hellooooo Peanut Butter Cheesecake and Cookie Dough Brownies! The D.C.-based blogger is also a seasoned traveler, and we love living vicariously through her adventures around the globe.

continue to the recipe… about Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Table For Two

Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

March 9, 2015

This easy to make flatbread pizza features ribbons of sweet potato and a tangle of caramelized onions overtop a bed of ricotta cheese, and gets finished with fresh herbs and feta. Enjoy as an appetizer or a main meal.

Some people (meat loving carnivores) get hung up on the illusion there must be a meat protein in a meal to make it “real”. I’m looking at you, husband.

This pizza just bunked that notion.

It also bunked the notion that a pizza has to be round. Or that it needs a sauce. No, no, no, it doesn’t. Your taste buds can’t tell what free-form shape delivery system of food starts as and with so many layers of flavor you’ll never miss a messy sauce.

Shortcuts like store-bought naan and caramelized onions that are made before hand take the work out of cooking this meal.

Welcome to Monday pizza night ala Meatless Monday that comes together in a hurry. And greetings to loving every minute of it.continue to the recipe… about Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta

July 22, 2014

It’s mid-summer and I am soaking it in. Even my numbed-by-pain-killers-broken-wrist can’t dull the memories in my post-week-at-the-beach-where-did-the-humidity-go-summer-lovin-skin. It’s what summer’s all about and I have the tan to prove it.

With just 2 more weeks of July we’re narrowing down to the final 2 recipes for FoodieCrush Grilling Month. Break out the ticker tape because this week it’s a parade of a veggies on the grill.

So far this month we’ve sharpened our grilling skills with recipes for Grilled Pork Chops with Spicy Balsamic Grilled Peaches and headed to the sea for a bite of Grilled Swordfish with Smoked Paprika and Herbed Fruit Salsa. This week we’re circling back to dry land and the farmer’s market to take advantage of summer’s opulence.

Too often we get caught in our tried and true methods of steaming, baking and sautéeing when it comes to cooking veggies. But it’s summer, time to shake things up by biking rather than driving, wearing short shorts instead of maxi skirts and smiling extra sweetly at the cute barrista who always gets your name right…just because you know you can.

And when it comes to cooking, it’s time to break out of the expected because it’s summer and the grill is where the flavor. is. at.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

February 27, 2014

If you’re on Pinterest there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen the meaty version of this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Soup floating around. And there’s a perfectly good reason for that.

Because it’s so dang good!

I’m kind of into this whole food with a twist thing, and it seems like the masses are too. Where you take a traditional recipe and put it in an unexpectedly unique delivery system that makes people scratch their heads and say, “Hurmph. I never thought of that.”

Dessert in jars instead of a bowl, hand pies instead of slices, and chicken pot pie as a pizza? Heck to the yeah.

So when I once again stumbled across my friend Brenda’s meaty version of Lasagna Soup (recipe here) and who I’m pretty sure introduced the blogosphere to this Italian-style phenomenon—and FINALLY, gave us another reason to love lasagna noodles—I got all inspired to give Lasagna Soup a whirl.

But this time around, change was a coming.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese and Grilled Cheese Academy’s Recipe Showdown

April 5, 2013

If you hadn’t noticed, I sort of have a thing for cheese, especially grilled cheese. Yes, I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to the grilling of the cheese.

I think it stems from some of my first cooking experiences as a kid, when one of my standy-by lunchtime masterpieces was a melted cheese sandwich, forever inking the taste of melty cheddar cheese and white bread into my tastebud memory bank. And it’s now become a favorite of my Smudge too. How could it not?

Last year I celebrated Grilled Cheese month by creating a new grilled cheese recipe to share each week during the month of April. With so much melted goodness to be had they’re still some of my favorite posts.

[ 1 ] Turkey and White Cheddar with Caramelized Onion and Grape Grilled Cheese [ 2 ] Honey Smoked Ham with Fig Spread Grilled Cheese [ 3 ] Sweet Pear and Rosemary Honey with Havarti Grilled Cheese [ 4 ] Truffled Mushroom with Prosciutto and Tallegio Grilled Cheese

I hope you like them too because it’s time to break out the cheese grater and warm up the sandwich flipper because we’re doing it again this year. My mind just can’t quit thinking of some of my favorite ingredients to melt together.

And here’s a reason yours should get churning too.

My friends at Wisconsin Cheese and I are announcing Grilled Cheese Academy’s 2013 Recipe Showdown, where aspiring cheese heads can put their creative talents to the test to compete for the title to be crowned the queen—or king—of the grilled cheese sandwich for an entire year.

And lucky me, I will be one of the contest judges stuffing my face with amazing creations. Is there a crown? Possibly. A sash? I’ll make you one. But I do know there will definitely be prizes ($5,000 in value to the grand prize winner plus more!) bragging rights and some serious cheese cred.

All you have to do is create and enter your best grilled cheese sensation. Oh, TWIST MY ARM! Oh wait, I can’t enter since I’m a judge. Well then people, don’t let me down and please cook me a sandwich to make me and your mama proud.

Now about those prizes…

continue to the recipe… about Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese and Grilled Cheese Academy’s Recipe Showdown

Sausage and Ricotta Lasagna

January 31, 2013

Lately I’ve been a whirling dervish in my choices of what I’m craving to eat. Cravings all over the place, and most of them leaning toward the ethnic side of food. Thai one night, Korean the next, Middle Eastern and as always one of my faves: rich sausag-ey Italian pasta. Lasagna, that’s what I need.

I’ll chalk it up to the fact that ever since I came home from Mexico I can’t quite get the flavors of other countries out of my system. I think its a sign that I just want to travel. It’s true! The night we got home I was on the internet stalking new travel adventures for me, my Smudge and my man, new places to create new memories.

This past week definitely resulted in a trove of memories I’ll be happy to reflect back upon. Converting online relationships to real life with talented foodie bloggers who traveled to Salt Lake City to attend Alt Summit was the highlight.continue to the recipe… about Sausage and Ricotta Lasagna

7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

August 7, 2012

We all know the drill, the harvest mantra: “What am I going to do with all this zucchini?”

Well, here’s what you do with it. You cook with it, you bake with it, you think about tanning it for the newest trend in vegan alternative leather.

Hey, we may have something there.

I have to share this photo of what happened in my garden 3 years ago. It was stunning.

We had just moved into our latest house and it was my first time gardening in the plot the previous owner had prepared for his veggies. I’d heard from the neighbors that he was quite the gardener—resulting in us removing about 40 trees and countless shrubs. But the guy knew how to cae for his soil, and the spot he tilled for his veggies, was bar-none, top notch soil.

I was by no means prepared for the bounty of this harvest.continue to the recipe… about 7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

Pickled Strawberry with Roasted Beet Salad and a Recipe Contest

August 1, 2012

I mean seriously. This salad is sweet. Seriously sweet.

But, really, how sweet is this girl?

How much can we possibly love our little babes, especially in those unscripted moments of pure, sweet bliss, savoring the moment and creating our earliest memories of where food comes from.continue to the recipe… about Pickled Strawberry with Roasted Beet Salad and a Recipe Contest

Spring Greens Asparagus and Ricotta Pasta

April 19, 2012

Just like last spring, I nearly fell off the curb when I saw them poking their pointy little heads out of the yet to be toiled soil.

Given they had the fortitude to break through the thatch of leftover fall leaves with such superhero force was a sure sign these slender lovelies were destined for greatness. Greatness like in a great pasta.

Asparagus. In MY garden.

I discovered these perennial pretties the first spring we lived in our new home—a complete surprise. I learned later that asparagus are perennials which meant while I had been digging about my beds adding soil for my nine hundred and forty seven plus twenty two tomato plants, I had actually been unearthing their little crowns and tossing any chance of future heirs to join our pasta party.continue to the recipe… about Spring Greens Asparagus and Ricotta Pasta

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Shiitake Mushrooms Plus 7 Lasagna Recipes

January 17, 2012

Finally! After 2 months of snow dances, dismay and downright worry, snow has lit upon the bare tree branches and is gracing us with its presence. What happened Mr. Snow Mizer? Did you get too much of us last year with your record snowfall last year? Huh? Huh?

Well, we’re happy you’re here. And so I’m throwing a party in your honor and serving up some gooey, homey delicious love.

Say it with me. Laaaa-saaaannnnyyyaaa. Gooey.

Yes sir, lasagne. And in keeping with my NYR (new years resolution) I’m going meatless on Mondays, so this week I made a fave, go-to veggie option.

I used to make this dish every Christmas when I was the hostess for the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served veggie. Hello, we’re an animal RESCUE, not eatery. So did anyone miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this recipe is delicious! Oh, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt much.

The secret? Well, Giada blends almond amaretti cookies with the butternut squash to lend a balanced sweetness and then adds fresh basil to the bechamel sauce. I didn’t get to my favorite specialty store so I used almond flavored biscotti and it turned out just as well.

My twist on Giada’s tastiness is to load up on the cheese and goo factor by adding ricotta to the mozzarella and parm mix and then heft it up by adding a few layers of sautéed shiitake mushrooms. Giving my man something to girth on besides meat, right?

I usually double the recipe so it stacks up real high, and because I have a lovely, deep baking dish.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

0 from 0 votes

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Shiitake Mushrooms

I serve this vegetarian lasagna every year for Christmas parties and everyone always asks me for the recipe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup water
4 amaretti cookies or almond flavored biscotti crumbled
1 pound shiitake mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
4-5 good grates of fresh nutmeg
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat to 375 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, toss with oil, season with salt and pepper and then pour the water into the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender about 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti or biscotti cookies and blend until smooth.
Heat another large skillet over medium heat and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Remove from pan and set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly about 5 minutes. Add in grated nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender and add the basil. Mixture will be hot so place a towel or cloth over top of blender so mixture doesn’t explode. Blend until smooth then return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly butter a 13 X 9 X 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles then 1/3 of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup ricotta cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times, ending with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil sprayed with Pam or other cooking spray and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes or until the top is golden. Remove from oven and let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

adapted from Giada DeLaurentis

And now for more homey Italian comfort love.

photo > Foodjimoto

Curly noodles, ground turkey and mixed beans and ricotta make up Foodjimoto’s Lasagna Soup, a healthier version of the soupy, highly slurpable, spoon-lovin’ recipe of Farmgirl’s Dabbles Lasagna Soup.

photo > Simply Delicious

Like I’ve said before, I’m a fan of anything in a cup like my Baked Apple Cuplettes and Ham & Cheese Baked Egg Cups. Ally adds to my obsession thanks to her creation of a simple bechamel sauce with creme fraiche and marscarpone to make Simply Delicious’ Lasagna Cups an easy weeknight dinner. I can see the kids going NUTS over these little devils.

photo > Whipped the Blog

No-cook noodles and a garlic flavored bechamel flavor Caroline’s elegant enough for entertaining White Vegetarian Lasagna http://whippedtheblog.com/2010/01/25/white-vegetarian-lasagna/ from Whipped the Blog.

photo > FatFree Vegan

I had to include a recipe with the ‘it-girl’ Mila Kunis ‘it-ingredient’ of the moment equivalent:—KALE—by including FatFree Vegan’s Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale. Hey lookie there, Susan made lasagna healthy!

photo > I Breathe…I’m Hungry

Mellissa’s tenacity is a gluten-free lasagna lover’s savior! Subbing sometimes lame gluten free pasta for garbanzo bean crepes, layer up your faves like classic bolognese, marinara and gooey cheeses to create I Breathe…I’m Hungry’s Gluten-Free Lasagna with Garbanzo Bean Crepes .

photo > Delishhh

We all need a classic, and this one might be it: the bomb-daddy, the go-to Lasagne Bolognese thanks to Eva at Delishhh .

And to continue loving our meatless meals goals for the year, we’re going to help make yours a little easier by announcing the winner of the Pam Anderson/Three Many Cooks giveaway.

And thanks to Random.org, the winner is: Stacie from the blog Foodie Two Shoes. Congrats Stacie, thank you Pam for the book and swag and cheers to all for a year of healthy eating.

Thanks for reading. Keep in touch, please subscribe to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and check out FoodieCrush magazine

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

October 3, 2011

I’ve been feeling a bit DIY these days. And I blame it all on fall.

Homemade pizza dough, fresh baked bread from MY oven and even making tofu from scratch (a blog post is coming soon, I promise you won’t want to miss it!)

So after trolling through several recipes for homemade ricotta, I pulled up my bootstraps, dashed to the store for a new aka un-cracked candy thermometer and gave it a whirl.

May I just say, in my best Giada voice with a trill of the ‘R’, “REEE-COOOAAA-TA!” Seriously? Making ricotta is THIS EASY? And THIS QUICK? It takes me more time to put on my makeup in the morning. Why have I never tried becoming a cheesemaker before?

Next time I’ll experiment with the amount of time I let the cheese drain in the colander—similar to the tofu pressing process—and see what sort of variety I get in the cheese’s texture. Maybe a bit creamier, maybe a bit firmer. Either which way, I know I’m going to love it.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

0 from 0 votes

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

Fresh and easy appetizer for any occasion.

Ingredients

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

from Donna Hay magazine
makes 1 1/4 cups
6 cups 48 fl oz full cream milk
2 T white vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
In a saucepan adjust a candy thermometer to side and cook milk over medium heat to 176 degrees F. Remove from heat, add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes until curds form. Line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, Carefully transfer curds to the colander and allow to drain for 5 minutes. Spoon ricotta into a glass or ceramic dish, cover and store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

inspired by Donna Hay magazine
serves 4-6 as an appetizer
for peppered ricotta crostini
1 1/4 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic pressed
kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 slices french or sourdough baguette
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon ricotta into 2 large ramekins or other bake-to-serve vessel (6 oz) and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden. While ricotta is baking, lightly oil baguette slices and toast. To plate, serve baguette slices topped with baked ricotta mixture, roasted tomatoes* and sprinking of fresh thyme leaves. Serve additional ricotta on the side for extra dipping opportunities.
*for roasted tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a bowl toss tomatoes with a few drizzles of olive oil, just enough to coat. Cut tomatoes in half and place seed side up on a foil-covered cookie sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt and roast in oven for 2- 2/12 hours, depending on size of tomatoes. Remove when edges are crisped but tomatoes still have some plump. Store in olive oil for up to one week.

And now, for a little more cheesey appetizer goodness.

photo > Dishing Up Delights

With just a 5 ingredients, making sure they’re at optimal freshness is the secret to Dishing Up Delights’ come-together-in-five-minutes Figs with Fresh Ricotta and Pistachios appetizer. For a creamier cheese texture, next time give marscarpone a try.

photo > Bell’alimento

Bite size poppers from the homemade ricotta queen herself, Paula shares Bell’alimento’s Fried Olives Stuffed with Cheeses and Herbs of which she has annointed “the incredibly addictive app”. I’m puckering already.

photo > Five and Spice

When Amy described her Zucchini and Ricotta Fritters as “sizzling little guys practically grow legs as they come off the griddle and go leaping right into your mouth” it was a no-brainer that this recipe from Five and Spice was going to put my zucchini garden straight out of business.

This Wednesday will be our Family Food Flashback with a round-up of childhood faves. If you have a fave you’d like to submit to the Flashback, e-mail me by Tuesday, Oct.4 by 3 p.m. with a link to your post or link to your post on Twitter with the hashtag #familyfoodflash.

We’re ramping up for debut issue of FoodieCrush magazine. When will November 15 get here already? If you’re interested in advertising and partnership opportunities, contact me at heidi at foodiecrush dot com.

Thanks for reading. If you liked this post, please subscribe to foodiecrush and follow me on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest

ricotta

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni

Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Table For Two

Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese and Grilled Cheese Academy’s Recipe Showdown

Sausage and Ricotta Lasagna

7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

Pickled Strawberry with Roasted Beet Salad and a Recipe Contest

Spring Greens Asparagus and Ricotta Pasta

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Shiitake Mushrooms Plus 7 Lasagna Recipes

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes

Follow @foodiecrush on Instagram

5 Quick and Healthy No-Sweat Simple Meals