Bow Tie Lasagna and Monster Cookies

Saturday evenings are usually the one day of the week where Sean's friend Garret comes over and we order in, but ordering in can get expensive. So this week I whipped up something easy and delicious. Then later we had a crazy craving for cookies, and went out to buy ingredients and I didn't get out of the kitchen until after midnight. But there was cookies. And they were good.

Also I was so busy you don't get any cast of characters shots today. Nyah.

Brown a pound of ground beef in a skillet, drain the fat.

Boil a box of noodles, drain and dump them in.

Add a little olive oil, 3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt

Then once that is mixed together, stir in some mozzarella cheese and some sour cream. Or in my case, some cottage cheese. CAUSE IT JUST FELT MORE LASAGNA-Y.

It was cheesy. And simple.

I love how stringy mozzarella cheese gets.

Sean had seconds. I was amazed. Garret had fourths.

Bow Tie Lasagna (original recipe here, but I first found it on Ree's site. Of course.)

• 1 pound Ground Chuck
• 5 cups Bow Tie Noodles (or 1 pound of pasta)
• 3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (or Pizza Sauce, Whatever You Prefer)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
• ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream (or ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese)

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and toss into skillet with meat. Mix in your spaghetti sauce.

Add your seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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Yummers. The guys wouldn't stop raving about it. Just goes to show, the fanciest stuff isn't always needed.

Now, are you ready? Ready for COOKIES?!

I know I am.

Eggs and two kinds of sugar in a bowl! Mix it up!

Add softened butter, peanut butter, vanilla and salt!

I'll note I was doing this with just my arm so mixing the butter in took a bit of elbow grease. You could probably do the beginning part of the recipe with a mixer but after this step here, it will become too thick.

Nice and mixed up. And tasting really good.

Then add your M&Ms, chocolate chips, and raisins.

So pretty.

Then dump in 4 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats and 2 teaspoons of baking soda and mix well. Then you're done. Yeah, it has no flour. I guess it's the oats, peanut butter and eggs that give it substance. It's so good and chewy.

Scoop and bake!

I'm not sure why they're called monster cookies. Maybe everything cookies. They weren't very monster-y in size or anything. But who cares! They're delicious.

Monster Cookies (original recipe here, from Paula Deen)

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional (Not optional for ME. And I upped it to 1/2 cup. I'd probably use even more next time.)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.
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Been a busy weekend. And last night I made meatloaf and cheese grits. Recipe to follow this week. Boy it made a lot of meatloaf, I really should have cut it in half. Oh well, leftovers week!