Recipe: Broccoli Au Gratin

Broccoli Au Gratin

2 (10 oz.) pkg. fresh broccoli
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese (cut up)
3/4 stick butter (melted)
35 Ritz crackers (crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the stems of the broccoli and parboil the broccoli for 2-5 minutes in salted water. In a greased casserole dish, arrange the broccoli and fill in with cheese; pour half of the melted butter on top. Top with crushed crackers and drizzle on the remaining butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Spring is buzzing in the air. With temperatures expected to reach 63 today, the District is buzzing with smiles, kinder people on the Metro (*Translation: the library) and a reason to go out and eat lunch. Ironically, we are still in the mood for the heavier winter foods and figured before it gets completely warm, we need to cook all the dishes that need heavy heat now. During the spring and summer, we are notorious for our pasta and seafood salads...they keep things cool. Until then, we are still working on those batches of soups and of course, casserole dishes. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1 cup carrots (*cut into bite size pieces)
1 cup frozen peas
3 cup mashed potatoes
1 pinch dried thyme
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. flour

In a medium size roasting pan, roast the beef at 300 degrees F for 6-8 hours. Remove the meat from the pan, transfer the drippings to a sauce pan, and heat to boiling over medium high heat then whisk in the flour allowing it to cook for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the stock and adding the thyme. Bring the mixture to the boil for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Into a medium casserole dish shred beef then add the carrots and peas. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetable mixture and top it with the mashed potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 25- 30 minutes.

*Serves 4

*If your snowed in and don't happen to have a chuck roast in the fridge you can use a pound and a half of ground beef in its place. Just brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat, remove the meat when no pink is remaining and use the drippings to make the gravy.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe came in right on time from Chef Zan Dial of Nova Personal Chef. He writes in his email " 28" of snow on the ground and you want something hot, filling, and of course Cheap and Easy." Yup, that's just what we were thinking and these ingredients are typically in our kitchen so we don't have to go on much of a scavenger hunt @ our local grocery store. Stay warm and cook something good...it might help with all this cabin fever...

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Recipe: Crustless New York Cheesecake

Crustless New York Cheesecake*

4 eggs
2 pkg. 7 1/2 oz. each farmers cheese (cubed)
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese (cubed)
2 cups sour cream
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (*We learned this is what is called a "cold oven"). Blend together all ingredients in two batches in a blender or food processor, using half of each ingredient amount per batch, until smooth. Pour both batches into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven for 2 hours. Chill thoroughly for 2-3 hours. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Easy bake oven forreal. We don't like baking or shall we say, we're just not good at it. This is probably because we don't really like sweets and bread is not something we consume on the regular (*You would think we have a killer body?! But No. Smh.). While perusing the Food Section, however, of the Chicago Tribune (*We know, random.) we changed our minds about this baking thing. It doesn't have to be so hard or fussy with recipes like this. Just add a few things to our Kitchen Genie (*Translation: The Kitchen Aid mixer) and there you have it: a crustless cheesecake. We welcome these new days of baking...even if it will cost us 356 calories per serving...

*Recipe Source

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Recipe: Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

5 large portabello mushrooms
8 oz. fresh crab meat
6-8 green onions (chopped)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. mustard
1 egg
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (*save for end)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the crab meat, green onions, thyme, oregano, pepper and mustard. Add in the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mayo, bread crumbs and egg; fold in to combine all ingredients. Wipe off the mushrooms with a damp towel and spoon out the gills and the base of the mushroom; discard the gills and stems. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

*Johnna's tip: Pure experiment...that turned out good. Cravings always make us throw a few things together and see what comes out, which is what happened here. We had a craving for mushrooms that were stuffed with something. Crab meat and mushrooms are the best couple and make a family when paired with Parmesan cheese and green onions. We used ingredients from a few recipes we liked for crab stuffed mushrooms and twisted our own taste buds in the final recipe. Adjust measurements as you see fit, remember we did this recipe without much help from measurements and are only guesstimating (*Translation: Estimate; guess) what you should include to get the same tasty bite. Serve as an appetizer and Enjoy!

Recipe: Raspberry-Apple Danish Spread

Raspberry-Apple Danish Spread

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese (softened)
1 apple (chopped)
2 tbsp. seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup granola
Ritz Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cheese onto the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Combine the apples and jam and spread over the cheese. Top with the granola. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with crackers.

*Johnna's tip: The vacation is over. A very cold vacation but a vacation nonetheless. With the New Year we are glad to see new treats: Ritz Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crackers. We received these little bundles of joy about a week ago and have almost eaten the whole box. Now for those who read JKGF regularly, you know we are not sweet or snack people, but we might convert after trying these crackers. They are sweet but not too sweet and they taste exactly like their name suggests: cinnamon sugar. They make great bases for a breakfast appetizer such as the recipe posted above. Try just topping with plain cream cheese or eating them by their lonesome, Enjoy!

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Recipe: Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. plum Roma tomatoes (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12" uncooked dough crust
6 oz. freshly sliced mozzarella cheese
8 fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil


Preheat oven to 500 degrees (F). Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt in bowl; let sit while preparing the dough. Brush dough crust lightly with olive oil. Top with cheese and then add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake pizza stone for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and top with basil. Allow to cool for 2−3 minutes before cutting. Cut and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Idle time allows us to play around a bit. After attending the soft opening of the soon-to-be the new District hot spot, Recess, recovery was in order. Recovery for us equals greasy and cheesy hence we thought it was time to make our way over to RedRocks for one of their brick oven pizzas. Good idea. Since our stomach was not in the mood for anything off the beaten path, we decided it would be best to keep it simple and the simplest way to go in pizza world is the Margherita.

At first we were disappointed to find only a little bit of buffalo mozzarella on top of the crispy dough, in the end we realized they saved us from stomach problems that arise from too much cheese (*We say more cheese is better! Well not for our health, but...) Tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil and sea salt made us happy for the price of $10.95 and alongside a glass of simple Cabernet we were in recovery bliss (*We know, we know we were supposed to be recovering from the alcohol and we go and order some red wine?? To this, we honestly do not have a reply...) Try this recipe at home with some buffalo mozzarella, the taste adds a needed twist to the Margherita.

Recipe: Easy Candied Yams w/ Marshmallows

Easy Candied Yams w/ Marshmallows

1 (29 ounce) can sweet potatoes (drained)
1/4 cup butter (sliced into pieces)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. imitation vanilla
1 dash of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the sweet potatoes to a medium baking dish. Distribute butter pieces evenly over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; slightly mix to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes; top with marshmallows and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and marshmallows are melted and just browning. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: The holidays are not over! Thanksgiving ushered in all the good sweet potato, pumpkin and turkey recipes but there are still more to come. Now until the end of December, let's see how creative we all can get, send JKGF all of your winter recipes so we can post them (johnnaknowsgoodfood@gmail.com). We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and shared this recipe with our family, who are probably our top critics...they gave this a thumbs up so it might be worth a try. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Baked Stuffy Shrimp

Baked Stuffy Shrimp

1 lb. large shrimp (peeled)
8 oz. lump crab meat
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. chopped onion
2 medium garlic cloves (crushed)
4 tbsp. bread crumbs
1 tsp. fresh parsley
1 lemon
1 egg
1 tbsp. capers
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butterfly shrimp and place in a baking dish with the tails up. Saute the garlic and onion in butter. Combine with the remaining ingredients, except 1/2 cup melted butter. Stuff the shrimp with the mixture. Pour the melted butter over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes until tails start to curl. Transfer to the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the top is brown. Serve with sliced lemon. Enjoy!

*Johnna's tip: Entertaining season is here. From now until the end of the year, it will seem like you're constantly having some sort of get together or attending someones holiday something. Be prepared! This is a quick, easy dish to wow your guest with...for some reason some people really get excited when food is stuffed with crab meat (*We are one of those people...). Try serving as an appetizer for a fall gathering and pair with your favorite Chardonnay.

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Recipe: Kentucky Beer Cheese on Toast

Kentucky Beer Cheese on Toast

1 lb. extra-sharp cheddar (*cut into 1 inch cubes)
3/4 cup dark beer
2 medium garlic cloves (*finely chopped)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Salt (*to taste)
Toasted baguette slices from 2 baguettes
Sliced tomatoes

Preheat the broiler. In a food processor, combine the cheddar with the beer, garlic, mustard and cayenne and blend until smooth. Season the beer cheese with salt. Spread the toasts with the beer cheese and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the cheese-topped toasts 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, rotating the pan, until the cheese is bubbling and browned around the edges. Top with tomato slices. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe, courtesy of Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2009, stood out to us. What a great appetizer idea?? Quick, but a cool mix of two ingredients we love in food: beer and baguettes. Serve for a short notice get-together or when you just want a snack for the two of you:-)

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Recipe: Shrimp de Jonghe

Shrimp de Jonghe


2 lb. shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1/2 cup butter
2 large garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 tbsp. fresh parseley (minced)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1 lb. linguine (cooked according to package directions)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook shrimp in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain shrimp in a colander, then immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Place the shrimp in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Melt butter in a pan over low heat; add in the crushed garlic and saute until the garlic turns fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the lemon juice, wine, bread crumbs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour butter mixture over the shrimp and sprinkle with grated Parmesean. Cover and bake for 10-12 minutes. Uncover dish and broil on high for 2-4 minutes until the top is crispy and crunchy. Serve over the linguine.


*Johnna's tip: Pasta dishes seem endless, don't they? You can twist it into just about anything you want adding in all your favorite ingredients. Shrimp de Jonghe is a speciality of the windy city, Chicago and was originated at DeJonghe's Hotel and Restaurant located in Chicago. Any food/recipes/deep dish pizzas that come out of Chicago, we want first dibs!

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Recipe: Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

1 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup cold milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
4 cup blackberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add in the milk, mixing with fork. Shape into an 8 inch square baking dish. Line baking dish with pastry. Add combined dry ingredients to berries; mix lightly. Spoon into shell; dot with butter. Roll out remaining dough to cover 8-inch baking dish. Place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Prick with fork. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is brown. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Ok, so summer in DC may not be the best time/place for growing blackberries, but somewhere far, far away the climate caters to these underrated delicacies. Blackberries are best if grown in a climate that has timed spring rains and summers that are warm during the day and cold at night. Try with your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Cooks-Profile/Photo.aspx?PhotoID=61978

Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato

Baked Sweet Potatoes

4 Sweet potatoes (*They should be even in size)
Vegetable Oil
Butter
Salt (to taste)
Paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub the potatoes; brush all with vegetable oil. Arrange the potatoes on the oven rack and bake for 40-50 minutes until tender. Remove and prick with a fork to let out the steam. Cut a 1 1/2" cross in the center of each potato. Hold each potato with a pot holder and press upwards until the filling bursts through the cuts. Top with butter and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: In need of comfort food that won't depress your diet?? Try a sweet potato! They are the other potato that tastes delicious especially after you season with salt, pepper, maybe even a little garlic (*You know our fetish with garlic...). Serve alongside some well seasoned baked chicken (*Note we state "well seasoned"...Seasoning is the key to a good baked chicken, otherwise it's just shriveled up chicken meat on a bone...)

Picture source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2118798_bake-sweet-potato.html

Recipe: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza


1 Boboli Pizza Crust
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
1 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 tbsp. freshly chopped basil
1 tsp. freshly chopped garlic
1/2 onions (sliced)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over Boboli® crust. Top with pepperoni, basil, garlic and onions in a single layer, then add cheese. Bake directly on the oven rack, for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown (*Please note that ovens vary, so 12-15 minutes may be too long or too short depending on your oven...In other words, keep an on eye on your pizza until you can tell its done). Let cool for 2-5 minutes, then slice. Serve!


*Johnna's tip: Last night, we had the pleasure of feasting on some of the best homemade pizza. Truly a pleasure. This comes as no surprise considering the name of the company who created it is called the "HomeMade Pizza Company". After a longs day work, we came home, popped it in the oven and in 15 minutes we were engaged in the most mouthwatering temptation since our last visit to Ray's Hell Burger. The pizza was a combination of thickly sliced Vidalia onions, pepperoni, basil and feta cheese. These combined flavors titillated our taste buds with the perfect amount of sauce, pungent basil flavor and crispy crust. Now, we must be honest, we were skeptical at first that a pizza not made in our house could actually taste homemade...we stand corrected. The recipe of the day is a visit to our past (*circa yesterday)...

Picture source: Copyright of Johnna Knows Good Food

Recipe: Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops

Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops

6 Center Cut Pork Chops (1" thick)
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs (instant oats)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup apricot preserves (Sugar free)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and cut a deep horizontal pocket into each of the chops. In a pan/skillet over medium heat, cook the onions and celery until tender. Add in the bread crumbs, oats, raisins, brown sugar, ginger and 2 tbsp. of the preserves; mix well. Stuff each chop with about 1/4 of the mixture and add to an ungreased baking pan; cover. Bake for 45-50 minutes and uncover. Spread the tops of the chops with the remaining 2 tbsp. preserves. Bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the chops are tender. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Pork chops and sweets go well together. Apricot alongside other sweet fruits such as pears or even grapes can be intertwined into a recipe involving pork chops. Serve alongside some garlic mashed potatoes and steamed string beans. Yum!

Picture source: http://www.coles.com.au/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=1309

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
1 egg (beaten)
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in the sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk together until blended but slightly lumpy. Add in the blueberries and give a slight stir until they are combined. Pour the batter evenly into the muffin pan and bake until golden and cooked thru, about 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Warm muffins in the morning. There's nothing like it. Blueberry muffins are especially perfect because they can serve a large party at once alongside some other quick and easy breakfast items. Try alongside some mixed fresh fruit slices and your favorite cup of coffee.

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muffin_NIH.jpg

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

9" pie crust
3 large eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick butter (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pie crust and fit to 9" plate. In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Beat in the corn syrup, brown syrup, butter and vanilla. Arrange pecans in bottom of pie crust. Carefully, pour in the egg mixture over them. Bake in the oven until knife inserted 1" from the edge comes out clean. Let cool. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Pecans are sooo good especially when they're drenched in syrup. Top with homemade whipped cream and a homemade caramel glaze...Delightful!

Picture source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pumpkinpies/r/blbb524.htm

Super Yummy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Super Yummy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter (salted ok, just add like 1/4 of the salt required)
3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark ok)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract (Suggestion: A generous teaspoon)
1 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (Do about 9 oz. of semisweet chips and 3 oz. of milk chocolate chips)
2 1/4 cups all -purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Sprinkle of cinnamon (JUST a dash--cinnamon is a crazy dominant flavor in cookies, so you really don't want to over do it)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter, allow to cool slightly. Whisk sugars, eggs, butter, vanilla in large bowl until super smooth. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt in medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet w/wooden spoon--MOST IMPORTANT THING--DO NOT OVER MIX! Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon tablespoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 12-16 minutes (13 minutes is about perfect). Allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes before digging in--enjoy!

*Johnna's tip: These are the most delicious chocolate chip cookies! JKGF had the pleasure of indulging in these Denver-based sweet treats (*This recipe comes from a Denver native...yaay for treats all the way from the West Coast!) and we honestly couldn't get enough. They are super moist and the most delectable little treats alongside a tall glass of milk...way to comfort yourself;-) Try and follow the directions exactly as they are stated (*or the results could be disappointing). Tell us how they turn out, Enjoy!

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Toll_House_cookies.jpg

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup onion (diced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. frozen peas
1 (6-ounce) can tuna packed in water or oil (undrained)
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
8 ounces packaged wide noodles (cooked al dente)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish with vegetable oil. In a pan on the stove, saute the onion in butter until it is soft. Add in the mushroom soup, milk and peas; bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve soup. When it is boiling, turn off the heat and fold in the tuna, gently with liquid. Add in the cooked noodles and toss to coat in sauce. Add to the baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 35-45 minutes until topping is lightly and browned and heated. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Tuna is such a good source of protein and their are a lot of different ways to incorporate in your diet. Try this casserole, tuna salad (*of course...), tuna by itself (*just sprinkle on a little salt and pepper and you have a pretty good snack;-), tuna with crackers and tuna sandwiches (*tuna melts are in this family...). Send us some more great ideas for what to do with tuna @ johnnaknowsgoodfood@gmail.com.

Picture source: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/RecipeAllRatings.aspx?cm_re=1-_-1-_-RecipeRating&recipe_id=52470

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter (softened)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)

1 egg

3/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 large baking sheets. In a bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar; mix well until creamy. Beat in the egg and add the vanilla extract; set aside. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well with an electric mixer. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Spoon about 1-1 1/2 tbsp. of the dough onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 2-4 minutes and transfer to wire racks. Enjoy!

*Johnna's tip: Chocolate chip cookies taste the best when they are warm and served with a side of milk. If you're really feeling like a treat add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream to a bowl and top with a couple of these chocolate chip cookies, gotta love it;-)

Picture source: http://webpages.shepherd.edu/ECOLLI02/Webquest.html

Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 (29 oz.) tomato sauce
24 pieces of Four-Cheese Ravioli
1 oz. grated Romano cheese
14 oz. Meatballs (thawed and finely chopped)
5 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking pan and spread 5 oz. of tomato sauce in pan. Place a layer of 12 ravioli in the pan, flat side is up, on the sauce. Spread 12 oz. of tomato sauce over the ravioli and cover with half of the Romano cheese, half the meatballs and 2 oz. shredded mozzarella; pat down lightly. Repeat this procedure, saving 1 oz. of mozzarella for the top; pat down again and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour until mozzarella is melted on top and dish heated all the way through. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Try Spinach Ravioli or Ravioli with beef filling. This recipe is meant to fulfill that lasagna craving in you, so you might even intertwine some Ricotta cheese in with the tomato sauce. Oooo and a sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes will add just the right kick;-)

Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beefy-Baked-Ravioli/Detail.aspx