a personal chef and catering service

Requested Recipes
Requested Recipes
I catered a wedding rehearsal dinner last week and had many requests for the recipe for my Lasagna al Forno. It's great for a crowd and makes delicious leftovers!
Lasagna al Forno
Lasagna al Forno
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella·
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.·
In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.·
Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste.·
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.·
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.·
Spoon ½ cup sauce into the bottom of a lasagna pan.
Place 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce.
Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.· Bake 45 minutes.
Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
I made these cookies for a family Thanksgiving dinner and had a few requests for the recipe...get it quick, I only leave it posted for a few days.
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
(8 dozen)
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups semi-sweet (mini) chocolate chips
Cream butter until smooth; add sugars
Beat in eggs and vanilla
Sift flour, salt and baking soda and beat into above mixture
Add chocolate chips
Refrigerate until firm
Use #60 scoop and evenly space 6 cookies per ½ sheet pan
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 9 minutes
This is a special request from Allison...these cookies are melt in your mouth delicious and were part of the 3 tiered cookie dessert platter at the rehearsal dinner
Orange Ball Cookies
(makes 4 1/2 dozen)
½ cup butter (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 can (6oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1box (12oz) vanilla wafers
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
7 oz flaked coconut
Crush vanilla wafers until fine
Mix together the vanilla wafer crumbs, orange juice concentrate, 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, butter, chopped pecans and half the coconut
Use #60 scoop to make perfectly round balls - about the size of a walnut
Combine 2 half coconut and remaining half cup confectioners’ sugar
Roll balls in sugar/coconut
Store in a tightly covered container in refrigerator
These are great to freeze!
Re-coat in powdered sugar just before serving