Monday, November 30, 2015

Cooking With Kids - Lasagna Soup with Crostinis and Salad




Picture from shugarysweets.com


At our first week of co-op, we made a very simple and easy  BUT very delish dish ~  Lasagna soup with Crostinis and Salad

We made it differently than the original recipe (which I will share at the end of the post) but it still tasted yummy. I also have a printable version of this recipe here.

What you need:
For Lasagna Soup
1 lb of hamburger (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 carton (32 oz.) of chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes - any flavor
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
8 lasagna noodles (or gluten free noodles)
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese for topping

For Crostinis

1 loaf of French bread
4 tbsp of olive  oil
1 tbsp of minced garlic (more if desired)
salt and pepper to taste

For Salad
 1 head of lettuce
any veggies you and your loves like in your salad
favorite salad dressing



Make sure you have ready:  1/2 cup of diced onions (We usually have an adult cut the onions due to the "tear making" fumes they sometimes have.)
2 tbsp minced garlic  (we get ours from a jar at Aldi's)


(I don't have the kids get EVERYTHING ready before we start to cook as there is always "down time" and not everyone can stir  near the hot stove.)

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 In a frying pan, sprinkle some salt on the bottom and add in the meat, crumbling it as you put it in. (make sure hands are always washed after touching raw meat!) Turn the heat to medium.  Cook for about 1 -2 minutes and then add in the onions and garlic.  Cook until the meat is thoroughly cooked - no pink.   Line a bowl with paper towels or some napkins.   Pour the meat mixture into the bowl.  The paper towels/napkins will absorb the grease!   

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 In a large pot, add in the meat mixture, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper.  Stir all the ingredients together mixing well.  Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Then reduce it to simmer for 30 minutes. 

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While the Lasagna Soup is simmering, let's get to work on the Crostinis!

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Step 1: Cut the french bread into slices about 1 inch thick.  Place all the slices onto a cookie sheet. 
Step 2: Mix in a small bowl - 4 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of minced garlic with some salt and pepper.
Step 3: Using a brush or small spoon, spread the olive oil/garlic mixture onto each slice. (add more garlic if needed)
 Step 4: Put in a 375 degree F. oven for about 10 minutes.


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While letting the crostinis cool, let's get back to the Lasagna Soup. 

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Take your 8 lasagna noodles and start breaking them into half dollar sized pieces, or the best you can!   After the soup as simmered for 30 minutes, add in the broken up lasagna noodles.  Cook until they are tender which is about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

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Put your salad together now by cutting up your lettuce and preparing any of your veggie add-ins.  Mix it all together and put in the refrigerator until the soup is ready. 

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When the noodles are tender, mix in 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and stir well.   Serve in bowls and add the shredded mozzarella on top.  Dip your crostinis in the delicious broth or eat without it.  Add your favorite dressing to your salad and enjoy a great meal that you and your kids made.  Your loves will feel so proud they made this whole meal, and the time spent together doing it is priceless

 The original recipe was found at Shugary Sweets blog.








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