Shortcut Lasagna

     This recipe for Shortcut Lasagna goes all the way back to my college days, it was one of the first casseroles I ever made.  It is a great recipe for a beginning cook and definitely qualifies as an everyday quick and easy dinner.  I was trying to decide if I should make it with no boil lasagna noodles when I came across a recipe from Sara Moulton that uses wonton wrappers in place of the sheets of lasagna.  How convenient and the perfect way to fit a layer of square pasta into a round oven.  Kudos to the the brilliant person who came up with this ingenious idea.  The wrappers bake into thin and delicate layers adding a real lightness to the dish.  I made this in my 8 inch oven but you could easily double it to feed a crowd.  This baked with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and 14 on top.  After 25 minutes or when the sauce is at a steady simmer, top it off with a handful of Mozzarella and let it cook until the cheese has melted and browned.  Of course you can switch up this recipe, adding herbs or substituting vegetables in place of the meat.  Even if you have your own family favorite lasagna, give the wonton wrappers a try, if you're camping or at home they make your job that much easier and are certainly delicious.

Shortcut Lasagna
12 oz. bulk Italian sausage
18 fresh wonton wrappers
1 beaten egg
1 cup cream style cottage cheese
8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1 lb. 8 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

     Lightly oil or spray well an 8 inch dutch oven.
     Brown sausage over a full compliment of coals or on stovetop in skillet.  Drain well.
     Combine egg, cottage cheese, Parmesan and browned sausage.
     Cover bottom of dutch oven with a layer of sauce.
     Place 6 Wonton wrappers in a layer over sauce.
     Spoon half of sausage mixture over wrappers.  Cover evenly with sauce and half of Mozzarella cheese.
     Repeat layers ending with a layer of wrappers covered with sauce.
     Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.  When sauce is bubbling cover top layer with a handful of Mozzarella.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until cheese is brown and melted.
     Let sit for 20 minutes in dutch oven.  Makes 4 servings.



Overlap wonton wrappers to form layer of pasta

Top with sausage mixture

Continue with sauce then Mozzarella cheese

Repeat layers and finish with wonton skins and spaghetti sauce

Add a handful of cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking time

Light and easy, use sweet or hot sausage to give it a zing

Enchilada-Zagna

      Be sure to put this creamy, rich enchilada lasagna from the Nestle company on your list of recipes to try, it is one of my favorite dutch oven meals.  It's quick, easy and if there are any leftovers it gets better the longer it sits in your refrigerator.  I used 3 cups of store bought rotisserie chicken.  You can use a spicier enchilada sauce if you want to raise the heat level.   Add black beans, roasted vegetables or even use ground beef in place of the chicken if you so desire.  One 19 oz can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce made plenty of sauce.  I used my 12 inch oven, overlapping 5 small corn tortillas for each layer.  It baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 18-20 on the lid.  Sprinkle a handful of extra cheese over the top before baking.  Let it rest a bit before serving so all those luscious sauces can soak into the tortillas. 

Enchilada-Zagna
2 to 3 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small pieces (about 3 cups), divided
1 can (28 oz.) or 2 cans (15 oz. each) mild red enchilada sauce
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated Milk
2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded cheddar cheese plus more for topping
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies, undrained
1 pkg. (12 tortillas) 7-inch corn tortillas

     Lightly spray or oil a 12 inch dutch oven.
     Combine enchilada sauce and sour cream in medium bowl. 
     Combine evaporated milk, cheese, and chiles in medium saucepan or smaller dutch oven.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat.
     Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture on bottom of oven.  Layer with 5 tortillas, 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, 1 1/2 cups chicken, 1 cup cheese sauce; repeat layers one more time, starting with tortillas.  Top with remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce mixture and cheese sauce.  Finish with a handful of extra cheese.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
     Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle top with extra cheese before baking

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Let sit a while before serving

So good, you've got to try it

Chicken Lasagna

     This is a very easy and delicious lasagna recipe.  It is an interesting combination of Italian and Southwestern flavors but somehow it all comes together.  The celery adds a surprising crunch and the filling is very creamy.  It was a bit salty for my taste, next time I will use the low salt version of chicken bouillon.  I used one and a half 8 oz. packages of cream cheese and 12 sheets of the Barilla no boil lasagna, broken to fit in each layer.  It baked for 40 minutes in a 12 inch oven with 10 coals on the bottom and 20 on top.  I rotated every 15  minutes and added more coals during the last 10 minutes of cooking time to brown the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses I added for the topping.  Definitely let this sit for a good 30 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to be absorbed.  This is one dish that improves with age, the leftovers were almost better than the first day I made it.  I found this recipe at the Real Food for Real People website.

Chicken Lasagna
1 pkg. Lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (1 lb)
1 cup Chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp. Margarine or Butter
2 cans/jars Spaghetti Sauce, any flavor (26 oz)
1/2 cup Water
1 can  Chopped Green Chilies, drained (4 oz)
1 tsp.  Ground Cumin
1 pkg.  Cream Cheese, softened (8 oz)
2 tsp. Chicken Flavor Instant Bouillon
3 cups Chopped Cooked Chicken
4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3/4 cup Chopped Celery

     In first Dutch oven, or on stove, over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in margarine until tender. Stir in pasta sauce, water, chilies and cumin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
     In bowl, beat cream cheese with bouillon until fluffy. Stir in chicken, 1 cup mozzarella and celery. Generously grease second Dutch oven and in bottom, spread 3/4 cup sauce. Top with half each of the lasagna, chicken mixture, sauce and 1-1/2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layering, ending with pasta layer then sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Uncover. Top with remaining 1-1/2 cups mozzarella. Let sit for five minutes before serving.



Chicken and cheese layer

Ready for the coals

Hot and bubbly