X Is For eXcellent

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z through the land of dairy! 

There's no need to pack your bags, just come along!

  X Is For eXcellent

I know what you're saying, "EXcellent doesn't begin with an X." I know that, but I challenge you to find an appropriate dairy/farming word that begins with this difficult letter!

Today I am sharing some eXcellent recipes that you can eXecute without any eXtreme effort. I may not be an eXpert, but I am not eXaggerating when I say these recipes will eXceed your eXpectations, eXcite your family, and eXplode with flavor, and all with no eXtra effort by you. You may even have time to eXercise while your dish is in the oven! 

(and to faithful follower Judy- Hope you enjoy the recipes!)

Busy Day Lasagna*
30 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 lb. hamburger, browned
8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup water
16 oz. low fat cottage cheese
8 oz. plain yogurt
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
Spread about 1 cup sauce in 9x13 baking pan.
Layer a third of the noodles, a third of hamburger, a third of mixture of cottage cheese and yogurt, a third of mozzarella cheese. Repeat two times. Top with Parmesan cheese. Pour water around edges of pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in 350 degrees oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

*I got this recipe from my mom. I love that the noodles are not cooked before assembling the lasagna. I think that's why it is called Busy Day Lasagna, since it is so quick to put together. I always keep browned hamburger in the freezer so it is ready for recipes so I can make this dish even quicker. I usually make two pans at a time; one to heat and eat now, and one to put in the freezer for another busy, dairy day!

Swiss Vegetable Medley*
1 lb. bag frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combo, thawed and drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (2.8 oz) can french fried onions
Combine vegetables, soup, 1/2 cheese, sour cream, pepper and 1/2 can french fried onions. Pour into 1 quart casserole. Bake covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Serves 6.

*Vegetables at our family meals are usually simple and "undressed." But this vegetable dish often finds its way to our holiday table. I found this recipe in a magazine about 30 years ago.

Learn more about dairy at Dairy Makes Sense

 
I am making a commitment to share as much as I can with you each day this month, about the life of our dairy farm family including what we do, how we share our passion for dairy, and dairy foods we enjoy.

 See you here tomorrow...Y Is For Yogurt