Best Lasagna Soup Recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/best-lasagna-soup

My whole meal in a bowl!  I have been wanting to try a lasagna soup recipe for over a year now.  My niece brought a dish similar to this for a holiday one year, and I loved it.  I  am hoping this  recipe is similar in taste.

  Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large green pepper
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans  (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14 1/2  ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese










Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain

• Stir in tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, corn, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Return to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Tupps Tidbits~  sprinkle mozzarella on the top !

This was a good hearty soup.  Really Yummy!  I would suggest a bit more garlic & cheese and also serving it with cheddar garlic biscuits..  Keeper in our house! Also, if there is any leftovers, this freezes well.

Baked Scallops with Garlic Sauce

Scallops are relatively simple to make and gorgeous on a plate and their sweet mild flavor are usually enjoyed by those  who are not particularly fond of fish or other shellfish.  You will find recipes to make them baked, fried & bacon wrapped.   We picked a baked scallop recipe that offered garlic & mushrooms with a bit of breading.

Baked Scallops with Garlic Sauce
~off taste of home forums

1 1/2 pounds scallops, cut in halves

3 cloves garlic, mashed

1/4 c butter, melted

10 firm white mushrooms, sliced

1 dash onion salt

1 dash freshly grated pepper

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley

Wipe scallops with damp paper towel.  Mash garlic cloves and add to butter; stir well to blend.  Keep warm.  Pour a little of the melted garlic sauce into the bottom of a baking dish;  add the mushrooms and season.  Place the scallops on top of the mushrooms.  Reserve 1 tablespoon garlic sauce and dribble rest on the scallops.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parsley and reserved garlic sauce.

Bake in preheated 375F oven until the top is nicely browned and bubbly hot.

Tupps Tidbits ~ we had larger scallops so we cut our in quarters 

Well as you can see from the picture, these did not bake up well & the breading did not stick to the scallops. They were over soaked in butter/margarine and really did not have & flavor.  Also, the recipe did not tell us how long to bake the scallops.  After one bite, we both new this was not a KEEPER, unfortunately we did scrape off the ingredients & ate the scallops themselves.

Bacon Swiss Pork Chops

We are always looking for quick meals that are full on flavor.  These pork chops smothered in bacon & cheese certainly fit the bill.  Bonus - and they are good for you!

Bacon Swiss Pork Chops
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Bacon-Swiss-Pork-Chops

2 bacon strips, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, halved

• In nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook bacon & onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally.  Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.  Discard drippings.
• Sprinkle pork chops with garlic powder & salt. Add pork chops to same pan; cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145.  Top pork with bacon mixture and cheese. Cook covered on low 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tupps Tidbits ~  you could add a chopped apple to the pan with the onions and bacon for a sweet, tart twist 

 It was a nice quick welcome dish to finish off a busy day.  This a classic dish  had just a enough twist to make it impressive enough to serve to company.   We both loved the taste and I am sure we will make this many times throughout the year. KEEPER!