Ravioli Lasagna

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Marinara Sauce:

4 lbs tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion cut, into wedges all the same size

6 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled

Olive oil

2 Tbls tomato paste

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 Tbls fresh oregano, chopped

2 Tbls fresh basil, chopped

1- 4 lbs bag of frozen ravioli (preferably the kind from Sam’s – you will have extra to use for another use)

2 Cups mozzarella

Directions:

1. Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves on a jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until tomatoes pucker and onions look translucent.

2. Allow tomatoes mixture to cool before blending in a blender. Once ready to blend remove the skin from the garlic cloves and place them in the blender. In batches, add tomatoes and onions along with pan juices to the blender and blend until smooth. Place tomato mixture in pot on the stove and add the tomato paste and herbs. Adjust seasoning to taste and heat to warm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Prepare a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of frozen ravioli across the bottom of the pan, spread more sauce over ravioli and sprinkle about 1/3 cup of mozzarella over the sauce covered ravioli. Repeat with 2 more layers and finish the dish with remaining sauce on top and remaining cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 1 hour. Remove foil after 1 hour and cook ravioli for an additional 5-10 min.

Zucchini Squash Medley by Geisel Nye

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Lbs zucchini and yellow squash, quartered lengthwise

1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges

2 Tbls unsalted butter

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ Cup pecorino romano cheese or parmesan cheese

¼ Cup fresh basil, sliced stacked and rolled in a pinwheel (aka chiffanod )

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick fry pan; melt butter over high heat. Add vegetables and sear them until golden brown, (aka caramelized  I couldn’t resist putting that in there) this will take about 5 minutes.

2. Once vegetables are done to your liking, add basil and pecorino.

Peppermint Brownies by Geisel Nye

Serves 12

Ingredients:

2 boxes of your favorite brownie mix PLUS ingredients to make the brownies (oil, eggs & water)

1 large bag of York peppermint patties, unwrapped

Directions:

1. Spray a 9x13 baker with non-stick baking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl; combine both boxes of brownie mix. Mix up according to package directions on the box.

3. Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared baker. Gently place an even layer of peppermint patties all over the batter. Do not press them into batter.

4. Pour remaining batter over the top of peppermint patties. Make sure they are completely covered with even layer of brownie batter.

5. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until brownies are done. When they pull away from the sides of the pan and look cracked all over the top, this is usually a good sign they are done. Don’t bother using a tooth pick, it will come out gooey because of the peppermint patties.

6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes by Geisel Nye

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 lbs baby red skinned potatoes, washed and quartered

4 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 Tbls salt

1 tsp pepper

¼ Cup unsalted butter

Directions:

1 -2 Cups of milk or chicken broth (depending on thin or thick you like your potatoes)

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place lid on pot and bring to a boil. If pot begins to boil over on to stove reduce heat to medium high or low boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. This will take about 10 -15 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes and place back in large pot. Add butter and place lid back on pot to melt butter. Mash and add milk to potatoes and continue mashing until you get desired consistency. Add salt and pepper and taste to adjust to your liking. Potatoes always need more seasoning than you think.

Meatloaf by Geisel Nye

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. lean ground beef

2 eggs

½ Cup milk

½ Cup beef gravy (from 12 oz jar) reserve rest for top of meat loaf

1 6oz box of Stove Top Stuffing Mix (your favorite flavor)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, process stuffing mix until fine crumbs.

2. Prepare a 10x15 jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper or cover pan with foil. Set aside for later use. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

3. In a large bowl; combine meat, eggs, milk, gravy, crushed stuffing mix, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

4. Place meat on prepared jelly roll pan and shape into an even loaf. Pour the rest of the gravy from the jar on top of loaf and place in preheated oven.

5. Cook loaf for 1 hour and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Fondue by Geisel Nye

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate morsels {Ghirardelli is the best}

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

½ Cup heavy cream or half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dippers:

Wooden skewers, strawberries, bananas, pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, cookies, ect.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size deep oven safe bowl; combine chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, cream and vanilla.

2. Bake 10 minutes and remove from oven and stir until smooth and no lumps remain. If chocolate is not completely melted place bake in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Place hot chocolate fondue bowl in the center of a large platter and arrange dippers around bowl.

Pineapple & Vanilla Fruit Salad by Geisel Nye

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

4-6 kiwi, peeled and quartered

1 small carton of fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

1 small carton of fresh strawberries, rinsed and drained, hulled and sliced

1 small carton of fresh raspberries, rinsed and drained

½ Cup sugar

½ Cup water

1 vanilla bean

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Slit vanilla bean in have and scrap out seeds and place in sugar mixture along with whole bean and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes.

2. Combine all fruit together in a large bowl. Remove bean pod from sugar syrup and lightly pour over fruit. Toss gently as not to break apart delicate berries. Chill and serve.