#3806 - Chopped Tomato Sauce

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion (diced)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
salt (to your taste)
2 TBSP Hunt's tomato paste
2 - 28oz. cans whole plum tomatoes (chopped and put back in the juice)

In a pot over medium heat add olive oil--stir until hot. Add diced onions, the bay leaf, dried oregano, chopped garlic and salt--cook/stir until onions are tender. Add tomato paste--cook/stir for 5 minutes. Add chopped plum tomatoes and their juice--cook/stir until mixture just starts to boil. Turn heat back to low--simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes. Taste--adjust seasonings to your taste and remove the bay leaf.

#3640 - Italian Chili

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 rib of celery (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 TBSP canola oil
1/4lb. Italian sausage (loose/crumbled - more if you wish)
1 - 15oz. can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 cup canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed - more if you wish)
1 cup water
5 TBSP Hunt's tomato paste
3/4 tsp. chili powder (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
shredded cheese (your choice of type)

In a skillet add canola oil, chopped celery, chopped onions, chopped green bell peppers and chopped red bell peppers - cook/stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender, then set aside. In a Dutch oven add crumbled sausage--cook/stir until sausage is browned, then drain off any grease. Add vegetable mixture, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, water, tomato paste, chili powder, salt and pepper to the sausage--cook/stir until mixed and boiling. Once boiling, turn heat back to simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until thickened. Serve in bowls and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of each bowl when serving.

#3634 - Italian Gravy (Red Sauce)

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion (minced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 cups water
2 - 32oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 16oz. can Hunt's tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. white sugar (more if necessary)
salt, pepper and oregano (to your taste)

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add olive oil, minced onions and minced garlic--cook/stir until onions are see-through. Turn heat back to medium low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped basil, baking soda, white sugar, salt, pepper and oregano--cook/stir until mixture is simmering. Tilt the lid on the Dutch oven and simmer for 2 hours or until sauce is thick. Taste--adjust seasonings as necessary.

#1582 - Kluski Noodle Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - regular sized can Hunt's tomato paste
2 - regular sized cans crushed tomatoes
1lb. ground chuck
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bag kluski noodles
8oz. shredded sharp cheese
3 slices buttered bread (cut into bite sized pieces)

In a skillet add ground chuck, onions, salt and pepper--stir and cook over medium heat until beef is browned--drain and return to skillet. Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to beef mixture--stir, then turn heat to simmer and cook until mixture is hot. Cook kluski noodles according to bag directions--drain but do not rinse. Add noodles to meat mixture--stir. Add shredded sharp cheese--stir. Spray a 2qt. casserole dish with Pam--pour everything into the greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the buttered bread pieces over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until hot.

#1547 - Pizza Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4lb. ground chuck
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 6oz. can Hunt's tomato paste
oregano (to your taste)
garlic salt (to your taste)
1 - 10oz. can Pillsbury biscuits (refrigerated)
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet add ground chuck, chopped onions, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic salt--stir and cook until meat is browned. Add tomato paste--stir and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Grease two muffin tins. Place one biscuit dough into a hole in the muffin tin, then press with your fingers so the dough covers the bottom and up the sides of the hole. Repeat with all biscuit doughs. Spoon the meat mixture evenly into all of the biscuit doughs. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the meat mixture on each biscuit. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until biscuit dough is golden brown.

#1438 - Homemade Marinara Sauce

(by Aunt Janie [McNevich] Baranowski)

1 - 18oz. can Hunt's tomato paste
4 cups hot water
3 - 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano

In a saucepan over medium heat add tomato paste and water--stir until mixed. Add all of the diced tomatoes--stir and cook until it just starts to boil. Turn heat to simmer, then simmer for 15 minutes (stir occasionally). Serve over hot pasta or as a dipping sauce with bread sticks.

#1113 - Crock Pot Lasagna

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
2 minced cloves garlic
1 - 29oz. jar tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 - 6oz. can hunt's tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 - 8oz. box Barilla no boil lasagna noodles
16oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 12oz. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In a bowl add cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese--stir until mixed, then set aside. In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic--cook and brown the meat. Once meat is done, drain the meat mixture. Put drained meat back in the skillet but NOT back on the stove--add tomato sauce, water, tomato paste and oregano to the meat mixture--stir until mixed. In a 5 qt. crock pot add 1/4 of the meat sauce. Place 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Scoop 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Keep layering in the same order--you should end up with the last 1/4 of the meat sauce to put on top. Cover the crockpot with the lid--cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or until lasagna noodles are tender.

#1052 - Hearty Lasagna

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 chopped onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder OR 1 minced garlic clove
1 - 6oz. can Hunt's tomato paste
1 - 24oz. can chopped tomatoes OR 1 qt. tomato juice
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 lb. lasagna noodles (cooked and drained according to package directions--make sure you add a little olive oil and a little salt when cooking them so they don't stick together)
1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 lb. ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Cook and drain lasagna noodles--set aside. In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground chuck with chopped onions, salt, pepper and garlic--cook and stir until browned and turn heat back to simmer. Add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, oregano--stir and cook on simmer about 15 minutes or until it thickens. In a large lasagna pan make layers: meat sauce, then Parmesan cheese, then lasagna noodles, then shredded mozzarella cheese, then ricotta cheese--keep layering until ingredients are used up--try to end with meat sauce on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

#894 - Quick Beef Stew

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 envelope Lipton onion/mushroom soup ("Recipe Secrets"--envelopes come in a box)
1 cup water
1 small can Hunt's tomato paste
3 medium red potatoes (washed and cut into bite sized pieces)
1 - 10oz. bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a skillet over medium heat add olive oil and sirloin pieces--cook and stir until browned. Add soup mix, water, tomato paste, potatoes, salt, pepper and peas/carrots--stir and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer--cook until potatoes are tender and sirloin is cooked through.

#779 - Baked Lasagna Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 chopped garlic clove
2 TBSP olive oil
2 - 6oz. cans tomato paste
2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 8 oz. box lasagna noodles
2 eggs
3/4 lb. ricotta cheese
3/4 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. chopped parsley

In a skillet add the ground chuck, salt, pepper, chopped onion, chopped garlic, and chopped parsley--cook until beef is browned. Add the tomato paste and water--stir, then simmer meat sauce for about an hour. Cook the lasagna noodles according to box directions--drain and set aside. In a bowl add eggs and ricotta cheese--mix well. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer the meat sauce, then lasagna noodles, then ricotta mixture, then mozzarella cheese--continue layering until all ingredients are used up--try to keep enough meat sauce so that you can use the meat sauce as the final layer. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

#523 - Italian Sausage Entree

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. Italian sausage (your choice of spiciness, flavor, etc.)
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
canola oil
1 envelope Spatini spaghetti sauce mix (NOTE: Spatini has been discontinued and has now been replaced with Lawry's Original Style Spaghetti Sauce--you can see it here http://www.lawrys.com/main/product.aspx?ProductId=127 )
1 small can Hunt's tomato paste
1 large onion
3/4 cup water
oregano
garlic
salt

In a large pot add water and a pinch of salt--bring water to a boil, then boil sausage for about 30 minutes (after about 10 minutes, carefully poke holes in the sausage with a large cooking fork to make the fat boil out--pierce with a fork to check tenderness after 30 minutes). Wash and chop the onion and peppers. On a separate burner add canola oil to a skillet and sautee the chopped peppers and onions. Once they are tender add the Spatini, tomato paste, water, oregano, and garlic. Stir and taste--if you like the sauce a little sweeter add a little white sugar at a time until you get the flavor you desire. Drain sausage, cut into bite sized pieces and add the sausage pieces to the onions and peppers--stir and heat until you are ready to serve.