Chris Kimball's Inspirations

Chocolate Cake And More Recipes From Cookbook Author To Kick Off Series

(CBS) 
Skillet Lasagna:
(Serves 4 to 6)

Any brand of curly-edged lasagna noodles will work here. Do not use no-boil lasagna noodles. If the pasta is especially dry and prone to shattering, you may need to add extra water to the skillet while the pasta cooks. If you can't find meatloaf mix, use 8 ounces ground beef and 8 ounces ground pork. Like it spicy? Increase the amount of red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon.

Ingredients:
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
Salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles (8 ounces), broken into 2-inch lengths
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
Pepper
8 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Method:

1. Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enough water to the tomatoes to measure 4 cups.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the meatloaf mix and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
   
   
4. Sprinkle the noodle pieces evenly over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. (The sauce should look watery after 15 minutes of cooking. If dry, add up to 1/4 cup additional water to loosen the sauce.)
   
   
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
   
   
6. Sprinkle with basil and serve, passing the extra Parmesan separately.

Variation: (Skillet Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Red Bell Pepper)
Substitute 1 pound of hot or sweet Italian sausage, castings removed, for the meatloaf mix. Add 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium, to the skillet with the onion in step 2.

Oven "Grilled" Cheese for a Crowd:
(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
16 slices high-quality white sandwich bread
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 pound mild cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

Method:

1. 
   Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush each side of the bread slices lightly with the melted butter and spread them out in a single layer over two baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven to a light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time.
   
   
2. Assemble eight sandwiches, each filled with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar, making sure that the more toasted-looking sides of the bread are facing outward. Lay the sandwiches on a baking sheet and press lightly on each of them. Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the cheese is thoroughly melted, 5 to 10 minutes.

To make ahead:
The bread can be toasted, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours in advance.