Lasagna Soup

While THIS and THIS lasagna soup is equally delicious, this new one is ready in a flash!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef or half Italian sausage
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
• 8-10 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 14 oz. can can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried oregano, salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 10 uncooked lasagna noodles broken into approx. 1-2 inch pieces*
• 1/2 cup heavy cream,optional**

Cheese Garnish

• shredded mozzarella cheese
• freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Heat large Dutch oven/large soup pot over medium high heat. Add beef (or beef/sausage combo) and onion and cook, stirring occasionally until beef is browned. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Drain off any excess fat.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, 6 cups chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, spices, and broken lasagna noodles. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until lasagna noodles are tender, stirring occasionally (approximately 20-30 minutes).
3. Discard bay leaf, stir in heavy cream (optional), add and 2-4 cups chicken broth to reach desired consistency. Garnish individual servings with desired amount of cheeses.

Notes:

*You can also replace the noodles with 2 1/2 cups uncooked small shells if desired and simmer for less time.
**If you want to omit the heavy cream but still would like a thicker soup, I suggest whisking 2 teaspoons cornstarch with some of the chicken broth and adding to the soup to simmer and thicken.

*www.carlsbadcravings.com

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Make ahead of time, cover and refrigerate, then bake when ready to serve!

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 1 lb. jumbo shells (I used about 15 shells.)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 cups enchilada sauce (I use this homemade recipe, but only 3T of chili powder as opposed to 4.)
• 1 4½ oz can green chiles, drained
• 2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 c. Mexican shredded cheese, divided
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, plus more for serving

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350º.  If desired, prepare homemade enchilada sauce and set aside.  
2. 2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
3. 3. In a large sauce pan or large high-sided skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
4. 4. Add enchilada sauce and DRAINED green chiles to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a bubble and let thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. 5. To the chicken, add 1 cup of the prepared sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
6. 6. Spoon a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Stuff chicken mixture into shells and arrange stuffed shells on top of sauce, side by side. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. 6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the rest is warmed through. Cool slightly, top with cilantro and serve.  (I had sour cream and avocados on hand, too!)

*www.delish.com