For more Ziti recipes, click here. 

• 4 tsp. plus 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1 eggplant cut into ½” cubes
• 1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1-28oz. can crushed plum tomatoes, juice included
• 5 oz. ziti, cooked al dente
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup rinsed chopped kalamata olives
• 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 10” nonstick pan over medium heat, add 2 tsp. olive oil and brown sausage to nice golden brown, drain on paper towels.  Add 2 tsp. olive to your pan over medium heat and brown eggplant for 6 minutes until slightly soft.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and brown onion over medium heat until soft; add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add wine, increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits.  Cook 3 minutes, add tomatoes with juices, simmer 10 minutes.

Add sausage, pasta, basil, olives, 2 cups mozzarella, and tomato sauce to bowl with eggplant; stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer back to your nonstick pan (or casserole dish).  Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella, and fresh grated parmesan.  Cover, bake 25 minutes.  uncover, broil at 500 degrees for 5 minutes.

Serves: 6

Total time: 60 minutes

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Leeks are a root vegetable that look like a giant scallion.  Their flavor is like an onion, but much milder, and slightly sweet.  Leeks are a great source of fiber, packed with vitamins and minerals, including potassium, to learn more about leeks, check out this link here.  The original recipe suggests russet potaoes, I used large yukon golds that I do not peel (their skin is so thin that I believe it is not necessary).  Make sure that the skillet you use is oven-proof.  My source for this recipe was the Williams-Sonoma thanksgiving catalog that I received via my mail.  Please enjoy!

For more potato casserole recipes, check out this link to recipe.com.

• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 lbs. leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well, cut into ¼-inch rings
• 1 ½ tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 3 lb. potatoes of your choice (I like to use large Yukon golds)
• 3 tbsp. minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 12-inch non-stick pan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp. butter.  Add leeks and salt, stirring to coat leeks with butter.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add fresh thyme, nutmeg, pepper, and cream.  Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to bowl; let cool.  Wipe out pan; grease with remaining 1 tbsp. butter.

In bowl, combine cheeses.  Layer one-third of potatoes in fry pan.  Spread one-third of leek mixture on top.  Sprinkle one-third of cheeses, then 1 tbsp. of chives.  Repeat layering 2 more times, reserving 1 tbsp. chives.  Cover pan; transfer to oven.  Bake 45 minutes.  Remove lid; bake until potatoes are tender and crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp. chives on top.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.   

Serves: 8-10

Total time: 90 minutes

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For more egg casserole recipes, click here.

• 4 strips bacon
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 10 – 12 corn tortillas
• 2½ cups of your favorite salsa
• 2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup grated cojita cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the bacon until crisp.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  Pour off fat, leaving 2 tbsp. of the fat.  Sauté the onion in bacon fat for about 5 minutes to soften.  Add the beans, simmer and mash a little.  Add a little water if beans seem dry.  Add a little olive oil (this will give you more flavor).  Crumble your bacon and stir into bean mixture.  Remove from heat.

Turn your oven to broil.  Place your tortillas on a baking sheet, and broil for about 1 minute just to soften, and very lightly brown.

Turn your oven back to 350 degrees.  Pour your 3 tsp. olive oil in a 9×13 casserole dish, using a tortilla to to coat evenly.  Overlap the tortillas along the sides and bottom of casserole dish.  Spread the black bean mixture over the bottom.  Spread 1 cup of salsa, and scatter 1 cup of cheese evenly.  Using a soup spoon make 8 craters big enough to hold each egg.  Crack an egg into a small saucer and pour into crater.  The egg will settle in nicely.  Repeat with remaining 7 eggs.  Spread the remaining 1½ cups salsa over the egg layer, allowing the yolks to peek through.  Spread with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove and cool for 15 minutes allowing the rancheros to set.  If your prefer a firmer yolk, cook for about 40-45 minutes.  Sprinkle with cojita cheese.  Remove with a wide spatula.

Serves: 8

Total time: 60 minutes

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For  more casserole recipes, from Best-Casserole-Recipes.com, click here .

• 1 package bow tie noodles
• 2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups grated fresh parmesan cheese

Meat sauce

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove chopped fine
• 1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp. each basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, black pepper and salt to taste

While you prepare your meat sauce, heat a large pot of salted boiling water and cook noodles until al dente.  Drain, and place back into pot.

Meat sauce

To a large lightly oiled skillet, add your beef, pork, and onion.  Combine well and cook until meat looses it’s pinkness.  Add garlic and cook until vegetable’s are soft but not brown.  Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine, water, and spices.  Simmer uncovered until reduced to about 6 cups, roughly 30 minutes.

Pour meat sauce into pot with noodles, stir to combine and let cool.  In a large casserole dish (2 to 3 qt.) spread half the noodle mixture, scatter half the spinach, dot evenly with half the sour cream, carefully spreading sour cream with a large spoon to cover completely.  Sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers of meat and noodles, spinach, and sour cream, and top evenly with remaining parmesan cheese. (Keep covered and cold until ready to bake)

Bake, uncovered , in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Serves: 8

Total time: 60 minutes

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