Vampires Be Warned... Lasagna, Garlic Bread, and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Oh My.

It's a week into my challenge and I'm cheating a bit tonight... only one recipe is new and it was helped along substantially be starting out as a box mix.  Oh well, at least it was a tasty cheat and the recipes are yours to try if you so desire. AND, it's a great precursor to Halloween as the amount of garlic we consumed tonight would ward off most anything, especially your spouse if they didn't eat it as well. (Sorry Jeff!)

Four Layer No Boil Lasagna

1 box (9 oz.) Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles, uncooked

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) container of Ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

4 c. (16 oz.) shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

1 lb. ground beef (cook, crumble, drain)

2 jars (26 oz. each) marinara sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can of tomato sauce (optional, but makes a slightly saucier lasagna)

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9"x13"x3" deep pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ricotta, 2 c. of mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheese. Layer lasagna by slightly overlapping lasagna noodles towards the center of the pan. Lasagna will expand to the edges during cooking. Spread fillings to edges to seal in and cook the lasagna while baking. Layer in the following order:

1. Spread 1½ cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the baking pan.
2. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1½ c. of meat sauce, and 1 c. mozzarella.
3. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and 1½ c. of meat sauce.
4. Layer 4 uncooked noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, and 1½ c. of meat sauce.
5. Layer 4 uncooked noodles and remaining meat sauce.

Bake, covered with foil until bubbly, 50-60 minutes. Uncover. Add remaining 1 c. of mozzarella and bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. (Otherwise, it will come out super messy.)

Source: Adapted slightly from a Barilla's recipe

Ina's Garlic Bread

This makes a very garlicy garlic bread. You've been warned. Below is the recipe we made tonight, but if you would like to see the original from Ina Garten's Back to Basics Cookbook (which I ♥), you can check it out here: Ina Garten's Garlic Bread Recipe. Here was tonight's interpretation: 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the Italian bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

King Arthur Flour's Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Tonight's new item, but alas, with no recipe to provide. But I can provide you with the site to purchase the kit to make these yummy cookies in your home. Check out King Arthur's Flour site for this or other mixes.