Lasagna Bites
July 12th 2014
Lasagna Bites
These bites are one of our favorites. They are great for game days, Saturday nights, Sunday Football, or just whenever you have a taste for some good, fried, Italian food!
Ingredients:
2 Packages of Manicotti Shells
4 cups of tomato sauce
1 package of bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cups of flour
3 links of medium Italian sausage (casings removed)
3/4 lb of 80/20 ground beef
16 oz of cottage cheese
16 oz of ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella
Canola and vegetable oil for frying
Seasonings: red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic > Use these seasonings in everything from the sauce, to the meat mixture, to the flour and the bread crumbs.
Directions:
1. Boil water for your pasta shells and cook just until al dente. You want to take one out at a time to ensure that they don't break. One of the reasons you are starting with 2 packages of manicotti noodles is that some will break during boiling. This recipe only works if you have perfect manicotti noodles. So you might have to through some away.
2. Put 1 TBSP canola in a large pan and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and season. Saute for you about 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add your meat to this pan and break up. Season a little more. Cook meat until browned.
4. Add 1 cup of sauce to the meat mixture and heat through. Turn off heat and let cool down.
5. It will probably be time to drain your noodles at this time.
6. Prepare your dredging stations by putting flour in one dish, whipped eggs in another, and your bread crumbs in the last one. Don't forget to season each dish.
7. When meat is cooled, stir in ricotta, cottage cheese and mozzarella until combined.
8. Take one manicotti noodle with 2 fingers covering the bottom opening and use your other hand to push the meat mixture into the shells very carefully. Be careful not to rip your shells.
9. As you fill your shells, place them on a clean cookie sheet. Continue filling the shells until all the meat mixture is gone.
10. Freeze the shells for about 15 minutes so they get firm. When you are ready to dredge, only take half out of the freezer. Keep the other half in there so they stay firm. You will probably have to fry in stages anyway.
11. As soon as you take your filled shells out of the freezer grab a sharp knife and slice your manicotti noodles in half making sure not to press hard to break the noodle or push the filling out.
12. Dredge the bite size pieces in the flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Place on a sheet tray ready to fry.
13. Heat your oil to medium high heat. Do not put your bites in until your oil is rippling a little bit.
14. Add your shells in carefully. Use 2 slotted spoons to help you maneuver the shells and flip them. They will cook about 4 minutes each side. Check your oil temperature to make sure it isn't too hot or too cool. If your oil is not hot enough, the lasagna bites will be in the oil too long and the filling will start to ooze out. Drain on paper towels before serving.
15. While your bites are frying put the rest of the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Season generously with all of your seasonings - especially red pepper.
16. Serve a few bites on a plate with a small bowl of sauce.
Enjoy!
Today I also made some white sangria.
1 pear
1 golden delicious apple
2 handfuls of frozen green grapes
1/4 cup of brandy
1 cup of simple sugar (dissolve 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of water)
1 Liter bottle of Loca Linda Torrontes wine (La Rioja, Argentina)
sparkling soda water to top it off
>Mix the fruit, wine, brandy and simple sugar in a large pitcher with just a little bit of ice. Stir and serve immediately or let sit for an hour to let the fruit absorb the wine and the wine absorb the sweetness of the fruit.
When you serve it, put more ice in your glass and top it off with a little sparkling water. This was a great hot day and this Sangria really made it beautiful!
~Julianne
Lasagna Bites
These bites are one of our favorites. They are great for game days, Saturday nights, Sunday Football, or just whenever you have a taste for some good, fried, Italian food!
Ingredients:
2 Packages of Manicotti Shells
4 cups of tomato sauce
1 package of bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cups of flour
3 links of medium Italian sausage (casings removed)
3/4 lb of 80/20 ground beef
16 oz of cottage cheese
16 oz of ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella
Canola and vegetable oil for frying
Seasonings: red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic > Use these seasonings in everything from the sauce, to the meat mixture, to the flour and the bread crumbs.
Directions:
1. Boil water for your pasta shells and cook just until al dente. You want to take one out at a time to ensure that they don't break. One of the reasons you are starting with 2 packages of manicotti noodles is that some will break during boiling. This recipe only works if you have perfect manicotti noodles. So you might have to through some away.
2. Put 1 TBSP canola in a large pan and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and season. Saute for you about 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add your meat to this pan and break up. Season a little more. Cook meat until browned.
4. Add 1 cup of sauce to the meat mixture and heat through. Turn off heat and let cool down.
5. It will probably be time to drain your noodles at this time.
6. Prepare your dredging stations by putting flour in one dish, whipped eggs in another, and your bread crumbs in the last one. Don't forget to season each dish.
7. When meat is cooled, stir in ricotta, cottage cheese and mozzarella until combined.
8. Take one manicotti noodle with 2 fingers covering the bottom opening and use your other hand to push the meat mixture into the shells very carefully. Be careful not to rip your shells.
9. As you fill your shells, place them on a clean cookie sheet. Continue filling the shells until all the meat mixture is gone.
10. Freeze the shells for about 15 minutes so they get firm. When you are ready to dredge, only take half out of the freezer. Keep the other half in there so they stay firm. You will probably have to fry in stages anyway.
11. As soon as you take your filled shells out of the freezer grab a sharp knife and slice your manicotti noodles in half making sure not to press hard to break the noodle or push the filling out.
12. Dredge the bite size pieces in the flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Place on a sheet tray ready to fry.
13. Heat your oil to medium high heat. Do not put your bites in until your oil is rippling a little bit.
14. Add your shells in carefully. Use 2 slotted spoons to help you maneuver the shells and flip them. They will cook about 4 minutes each side. Check your oil temperature to make sure it isn't too hot or too cool. If your oil is not hot enough, the lasagna bites will be in the oil too long and the filling will start to ooze out. Drain on paper towels before serving.
15. While your bites are frying put the rest of the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Season generously with all of your seasonings - especially red pepper.
16. Serve a few bites on a plate with a small bowl of sauce.
Enjoy!
Today I also made some white sangria.
1 pear
1 golden delicious apple
2 handfuls of frozen green grapes
1/4 cup of brandy
1 cup of simple sugar (dissolve 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of water)
1 Liter bottle of Loca Linda Torrontes wine (La Rioja, Argentina)
sparkling soda water to top it off
>Mix the fruit, wine, brandy and simple sugar in a large pitcher with just a little bit of ice. Stir and serve immediately or let sit for an hour to let the fruit absorb the wine and the wine absorb the sweetness of the fruit.
When you serve it, put more ice in your glass and top it off with a little sparkling water. This was a great hot day and this Sangria really made it beautiful!
~Julianne
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