Ham & Cheese Lasagna

Source: https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2013/04/ham-cheese-lasagna.html

Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 75 min

Ingredients:
• 9 to 12 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. milk
• 1 c. cottage cheese
• 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 2 c. finely chopped fully cooked ham
• 1 (8 oz.) package fresh mushrooms {or substitute 8 oz. canned mushrooms}
• 1 T. dried parsley

Instructions: 

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add chopped onion and mushrooms (if using raw); cook until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Blend in flour until onions are well coated. Add milk all at once; cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and just beginning to bubble, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add cottage cheese and 1 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese; stir until melted. Stir in the ham, mushrooms (if using canned), and parsley. Remove from heat.
5. In a 9x13" baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray, arrange three lasagna noodles and top with 1/3 of the ham mixture. Repeat to create two more layers of noodles and sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove lasagna from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

***I covered it with foil, even though it didn't say to, and the noodles came out a little tough. So try it without the foil next time!

Spinach Cottage Cheese Bake

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
12 oz farfalle pasta
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together cottage cheese, chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Combine the cooked pasta with the cheese mixture and transfer to a greased baking dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and the dish is bubbly.
Serve hot.

Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta Bake

Source: https://slimmingviolet.com/cottage-cheese-pasta-bake-recipes/

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Total Time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:
12 oz penne pasta
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
In a blender, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Pour the sauce into the skillet with the garlic and heat through.
Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce and transfer to a greased baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Easy Calzone Recipe

Source: https://natashaskitchen.com/easy-calzone-recipe/

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
• 2 lb pizza dough (see recipe below)
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1 cup pepperoni
• • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 475 °F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with oil.
Divide the dough into 8 equally sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/4" thick circle.
Place the filling on half of each circle (pizza sauce, ricotta, pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella). Make sure to leave the edges clean to allow for sealing the calzone. Fold the side over the filling and crimp the edges.
Place calzones on a baking sheet, leaving space apart. Cut a small vent on the top of each calzone. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Overnight Pizza Dough Recipe
Servings: 8 people (makes 2, 10-12 inch crusts)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 10minutes

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups warm water, 105-110˚F
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (measured correctly) plus more to dust*

Instructions
How to Make Pizza Dough:
In a small bowl, stir together water, honey, and salt then sprinkle the top with 1/2 tsp yeast and let sit 5 minutes then stir.
Measure 3 1/3 cups flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the center then stir with a firm spatula until the dough comes together. Knead by hand 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
Transfer dough to a floured surface, turn to coat lightly in flour so it isn’t sticky then divide in half. Fold each piece of dough in half 8 times, gently pulling the sides over the center like closing a book, turning the dough each time and repeating for 8 folds. Form a ball in your hands and transfer each piece of dough to a lightly oiled bowl seam-side-down, cover and refrigerate overnight (18 hours) or up to 1 week.
**I don't think putting it in the fridge made it rise much more than it had already risen, so I'd try using it after the first rise.
Remov the dough from the fridge 1 hour before using to give it time to warm up.

Delicious Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins

Delicious Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins
Source: https://simplyyummyeats.com/healthy-cottage-cheese-blueberry-muffins-recipe/
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup or liquid stevia (I used a mix of honey and solid sugar substitute) 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, honey, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Stir everything together until it’s well mixed and smooth.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure these dry ingredients are well combined to ensure your muffins rise properly.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined—be careful not to overmix, as this can make your muffins tough! 5. Gently add the blueberries to the batter, taking care not to crush them.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
7. 7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They’re done when they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Once baked, let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Alice and Kyle LOVED these! Rachel and Zed didn't like the blueberry part.