San Giorgio Lasagna

I’ve been making lasagna the same way my mother did for years, without a recipe, which is why I haven’t shared lasagna with you in the 14+ years I’ve been writing this blog. But I recently sampled lasagna at a relative’s home that was very tasty. When I asked about it, I learned it was made following a recipe found on the back of the box. It reminded me not to overlook those back-of-the-box recipe. They’re usually pretty good.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• meat chopper tool https://amzn.to/3OaRCf5

• lasagna noodles https://amzn.to/44KRIRJ

• 9x13 deep lasagna pan https://amzn.to/47bU4Lk

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/44N7Yli

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San Giorgio Lasagna

makes 8-12 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 pound ground beef

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

• sprig of fresh basil (stem with 6-8 leaves)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Additional Ingredients:

• 16 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked

• 32 ounces (4 cups) ricotta cheese

• 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

• shredded mozzarella for sprinkling on top of lasagna

Directions

To Make the Meat Sauce:

1. In a large skillet, saute onions in olive oil, stirring frequently, until caramelized; add garlic and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds.

2. Add the ground beef and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until meat is brown and crumbled; drain excess fat if needed.

3. Add crushed tomatoes and basil; reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

4. Remove basil sprig and taste; add salt and pepper if needed.

To Make the Cheese Filling:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, and parsley; mix until thoroughly combined.

To Make the Lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in the lower center position.

2. Butter or spray a deep 9x13-inch lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray (this is my favorite lasagna pan).

3. Line the bottom of the lasagna pan with 1/2 cup of meat sauce.

4. Top with a single layer of 3 or 4 lasagna noodles (trimming to fit the pan, if needed).

5. Next spread 1/3 of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles, followed by 1 cup of the meat sauce.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 two more times.

7. Finish with one more layer of lasagna noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

8. Cover dish tightly with nonstick foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

9. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until bubbly and the temperature in the center of the lasagna reaches 160F.

10. Remove foil and turn on broiler to brown the cheesy top layer (this should happen quickly so don’t leave the lasagna unsupervised); remove from oven and rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

• After boiling the lasagna noodles, I like to cool them in a bowl of cold water before placing them between layers of clean kitchen towels where they’ll rest until I need them. They’ll keep this way for several hours. You can also roll the towels up and place them in a large plastic bag to store in the fridge overnight. To cook the noodles 2 or 3 days ahead of time, cook, cool, and dry them before coating them with a little oil, then roll them individually and place in a large zip-top bag in the fridge.

• This recipe can be assembled and refrigerated up to 5 days ahead of time. To cook, place the cold casserole dish in the center of a cold oven. Turn oven on and increase overall cooking time by 10-20 minutes.

• If you don’t have nonstick foil, you can use regular foil - just spray the side that touches the cheese with nonstick cooking spray.

• The original recipe calls for uncooked lasagna noodles and 4 large eggs. I haven’t tested this version, but I thought I’d mention it for those who might be interested in the convenience of uncooked lasagna noodles.

adapted from San Giorgio

Loaded Corn Chowder

When fresh corn is in season, we enjoy it all kinds of ways… cold in Fiesta Corn Salad, charred in Cast Iron Skillet Corn, and of course, added to a big pot of Low Country Boil. Oh, and did I mention I use the cobs to make Corn Stock? Yep, nothing goes to waste in this kitchen… I remove the corn kernels from the cobs, use the cobs to make a flavorful stock, then use the stock to make this amazing Loaded Corn Chowder.

*The corn stock has to be made a head of time. Follow the directions below so you can have it ready before making this recipe.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• corn stripper https://amzn.to/3q4QMsp

• knorr chicken bouillon cubes https://amzn.to/3Yaa8Jb

• vacuum sealer https://amzn.to/3DvEJHO

• vacuum sealer bags https://amzn.to/3Osm99J

• zip-top freezer bags https://amzn.to/3QdRL41

Loaded Corn Chowder

makes 8-12 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Corn Stock:

• 8 corn cobs, kernels removed

• 3 quarts water

• pinch of salt

For the Chowder:

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small strips

• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 1 cup diced celery

• 3 knorr chicken bouillon cubes

• 5-6 cups corn kernels (from 8 ears of corn)

• 2 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (fresh or dried)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (fresh or dried)

Directions

To Make the Corn Stock:

1. In a 8-quart or larger stock pot, place naked corn cobs, salt, and 3 quarts of water.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

3. Remove corn cobs from stock; discard cobs.

4. Bring corn stock to a boil and continue boiling until it reduced down to 4 cups of liquid. Use right away or chill for up to 5 days before proceeding to the chowder recipe.

To Make the Chowder:

1. In a 6-quart or larger stock pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy; remove cooked bacon from pan drippings and set aside until needed.

2. In the same stock pot, cook onions, carrots, and celery in the rendered bacon for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the reduced corn stock, diced potatoes, corn kernels, bouillon cubes, milk, cream, salt, black pepper, and ground cayenne (if using); heat until just under a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

4. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, chives, and reserved bacon; stir well.

5. Taste and add more salt if needed. Allow leftovers to cool, then chill in airtight airtight container for up to 5 days. See notes below before you consider freezing.

Notes

• Alternate corn stock directions using an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker can be found HERE. Whichever way you choose, reduce the finished corn stock down until it measures 4 cups - use the concentrated stock to make this chowder recipe.

• Chowders containing potatoes and dairy don’t freeze well, but you can freeze blanched corn on the cob so you can make this recipe any time of the year. Alternatively, you can cut the corn kernels off the cob and make corn stock with the cobs, then freeze the corn kernels and stock separately until needed. For that matter, you could freeze this chowder before adding the potatoes, milk, or heavy cream (just add them on the day you want to serve the chowder, allowing enough time for the potatoes to simmer long enough to become tender).

  • To blanch corn on the cob, remove husks and silks. Boil cobs for 7-11 minutes (see suggested times below), then chill in iced water for the same length of time. Place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 year. Personally, I feel vacuum sealed bags offer a bit more protection than zip-top freezer bags.

    • small cobs - boil for 7 minutes; cool in ice water for 7 minutes.

    • medium cobs - boil for 9 minutes; cool in ice water for 9 minutes.

    • large cobs - boil for 11 minutes; cool in ice water for 11 minutes.

recipe adapted from Natasha’s kitchen