All American

It's All American Night!

Janice:

Main Dish: All American Lasagna

Time: 1 hour 45 mintues

Source: Taste of Home, Comfort Food Cookbook

Comments:  I have never even attempted to make anything like this before.  Fortunately, I had picked a very easy lasagna recipe.  When I started looking I couldn't believe how many different variations there were.  I was also concerned with the number of calories (which some were very very high in).  The recipe called for ground beef and I substituted ground turkey.  I really liked this recipe.  It was not heavy but very light and had much less calories due to using cottage cheese and mozarrella cheese.  I will try this again and it was a simple recipe to make.  I just takes a while to cook (about 1-1/2 hours).

Comments from Melissa: I don't usually eat lasagna - not quite sure why, maybe it's because everyone in the world loves it and I just have to be different, haha.  But I saw the ingredients Mom was using and I was a little worried that it called for cottage cheese LOL - I kept asking her if she read the recipe right =)  But it turned out yummy! I ate my whole slice that night and another slice the next day.  Good job Mom  - but I probably wont eat it next time if you cook it - 1st time's a charm ;)

Comments from Tammy:  Ok, don't let Mom fool you.  She used ground turkey, because she kind of had too.  I don't eat red meat.  I know Mom thinks that I am a little difficult to cook for because of that, but look at what a great substitute ground turkey is for ground beef.  I really liked this recipe. It looked pretty easy, definitely easier than traditional lasagna.  I would definitely make this for my family.  I think this is one that even the kids will enjoy.  Go Mom, Go Mom!!!!

Tammy
Side Dish: All American Corn Bread
Source: GroupRecipes.com
Time: 30 minutes

Comments:  I have to admit that this recepie was too easy for one of our cooking nights.  But, my justification is that I have never made a cornbread before.  Therefore I am going to let my self off the hook on this one :)  As far as the recipe and how it turned out?  Well, it couldn't have been any easier and it was so yummy!  Let me tell you, I have had a lot of dry cornbread in my day..... but not here. Not even close!  It was so moist and fluffy and I impressed Lissa with this one.  If I can impress Lissa then the recipe is definitely a keeper.   :)

Comments from Janice:  Our theme as you can tell was All American due to the 4th being so close to our cooking date.  The cornbread was yummy.  It was a very sweet cornbread as there are so many different kinds of cornbread.  The other difference was that this called for full kernals of corn.  The bread was sooo moist and soft and it is good hot with butter or very cold just out of the refrigerator or room temperature.

Comments from Melissa: I looooved this cornbread!  It was sooo tasty all warm and fresh from the oven - a perfect compliment to any meal and looked super easy =)  Great job Sis!  I even had a piece the next day, cold without butter and it was yuuuumy!



Melissa
Dessert: All American Apple Pie
Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes


Comments: Woo Hoo!!! Go me! =) I can't believe I actually made an apple pie from scratch! I think it's something that every cook should know how to throw together (and I'm sure most of you do) but I had never attempted anything like this, especially not the crust too, and it turned out sooo tasty.  I poured just a little bit of carmel on top and served it warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream mmm mmm!  This is a definite winner!  Especially if I perfected it haha

Comments from Janice:  Yeh, Lissa.  This pie was yummy.  I will say that I am not a pie person, but I LOVED this one.  It was very sweet and tasty.  The only thing that might make it even better is to cut the apple slices even smaller, because they were a little crunchy.  Even so, great job.

Comments from Tammy:  My baby sister, who, this time last year, could not boil noodles, is making apple pie.    WHAT???????  I am very proud of you Sista!    This was a really yummy recipe and very doable.  I have made some pies with complicated crust recipes, but this crust was fairly easy.  It didn't quite stretch far enough so that Lissa could crimp the edges, but that didn't matter.  It was pretty and very delicious.  Good Job Lis!   Are you turning into a cook?  Could that be?  You go girl!

Recipes

American Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 3/4 cups water

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups (16 oz) fat free cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato paste, and spaghetti mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a small bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spread 2 cups meat sauce in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, half of cottage cheese mixture and half of reamining meat sauce. Repeat layers.

3. cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Cornbread:

Ingredients:

2 cups biscuit baking mix

1 cup butter

1 cup half and half

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs fork beaten

1, 11 oz can of sweet corn kernals, drained

Directions:

1. Warm half and half with butter to melt butter and when warm, add to remaining combined ingredients (except eggs and corn).

2. Blend well then stir in eggs and corn.

3. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or tested done and golden.

4. Let cool then serve.

All American Apple Pie:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cold milk

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 fuji apples, cored and sliced

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. To make crust: In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, oil, milk 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, spreading dough evenly over the bottom and up sides. Crimp edges of the dough around perimeter.

3. To make filling: Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly into unbaked pie shell.

4. To make topping; Using a pastry cutter, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.

5. Put pie in the oven on a cookie sheet to catch the juices that may spill over. Bake 45 minutes.