Pastitsio

August 20, 2022 Amanda Plott

I’m just going to start this one out by saying that this recipe does take time. While it’s fairly easy to make, there are layering components that each take some time to put together. That being said, this dish is a great one. It tastes like all the time and effort that’s been put into it. So, what is Pastitsio anyway? It’s a Greek style of lasagna basically. The main difference between lasagna and Pastitsio is that Pastitsio is made with a different style of noodle and also with a béchamel sauce rather than ricotta. It’s layered a bit differently than lasagna too.

Now, I’ve never made a béchamel sauce, and even with this being my first time doing so I found it to be pretty easy to do and is very similar to any sort of roux based sauce. The béchamel gave this dish life. There’s so much flavor packed into the sauce that the béchamel is needed to sort of cut through that intense flavor…

Beef Stew Casserole

May 10, 2022 Amanda Plott

Like I’ve said, it’s the end of the school year and quick and easy meals are what I’m about. This Beef Stew Casserole is going to be a new family favorite that I think has to go into general rotation. It’s filling and savory and is so easily put together. So what is Beef Stew Casserole anyway? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like, beef stew in the form of a delicious casserole and doesn’t take hours on hours to make.

Everything you love about beef stew traditionally is here; beef, carrots, potatoes, celery, onion. All the goods. And to make this a casserole, it’s tossed together and baked with some tasty egg noodles! The noodles soak up a lot of the broth goodness as it bakes together and you end up with a delicious pasta dish that the whole family will love…

Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna

March 29, 2022 Amanda Plott

I don’t know about you, but we have just two months left until Summer break and I am digging deep to try and muster the energy to get us there. As we’re getting ready for Summer, I’m doing everything I can to make life a bit more easy and low maintenance. This Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna fits the bill for exactly what it says it is: lasagna on the lazy.

So if you’re feeling a hankering for lasagna, but don’t want to fuss with the layers and pots and pans that go along with it, this Instant Pot version is where it’s at! Plus, as usual, I made it just a little bit more healthified along the way too!…

Spinach & Ravioli Bake

January 16, 2022 Amanda Plott

It’s cold and windy outside and I just want to curl up and be lazy. So, we’re having a super easy and lazy dinner tonight. It really doesn’t get more simple than this Spinach & Ravioli Bake with just 4 ingredients and hardly any hands on time! All you need for this one pan dinner is spaghetti sauce, ravioli, spinach, and cheese.

This recipe is also easily doubled for a larger family or group of people. And guess what? Even when you double it - it’s the same amount of easy peasy cheesy!…

Halloween Antipasto

October 22, 2021 Amanda Plott

This Halloween Antipasto is basically a black and orange version of my original Skinny Antipasto Salad. I went with some red lentil and black squid ink pasta for the orange and black colors and also chose some colorful tomatoes that came in a pack with orange and dark ‘blood red’ ones. Black olives were a given. And to break up the colors there’s some fresh mozzarella and cauliflower.

It’s a very easy dish to make that I honestly use as a meal in itself since there’s all the pieces of a complete meal-in-a-bowl. Plus, it can be made ahead of time and also is great as a leftover! Of course, you could also use this in place of pasta salad as a side dish too!…

Caprese Pasta Salad

June 27, 2021 Amanda Plott

As it’s getting hotter and hotter outside I’m craving the cold stuff. The lighter stuff. The stuff I don’t have to turn my oven on to enjoy. This Caprese Pasta Salad is just that. Get it started in the morning when it’s cool out and then finish it off in the afternoon or evening as lunch, dinner, or a side for one of the two. The pasta dish itself is based off one of my all time favorites - caprese!

What’s a caprese? Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar in one form or another. I basically turned that into a light, easy to make salad that includes fresh baby spinach and some pasta to make it just a little more hearty…