— Rancher’s Lasagna —

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels
1 1/4 cups frozen green peas
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2. Brown beef in a skillet over medium heat and drain excess grease. Add the olives, mushrooms, and onion. Stir and cook until the onions are soft. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, pepper, oregano, and Italian seasoning.

3. In a small bowl combine the peas and corn.

4. To assemble, lay 3 noodles on bottom of prepared pan, then one half of the beef mixture, half of the corn and pea mixture. Repeat. End the layers with the remaining noodles.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

— Cattlemen’s Mac & Cheese —

INGREDIENTS:

1 (14 ounce) package macaroni and cheese
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 (10 ounce) can canned whole kernel corn
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the directions on the package.

2. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.

3. In a 2 quart casserole dish, combine the macaroni and cheese, ground beef, onion, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and corn with its liquid. Mix well.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

— Southern Pasta with Mozzarella —

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces rigatoni pasta
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions and drain.

2. In a 10 inch skillet cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned. Drain excess grease from skillet and then add the broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is slightly tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).

3. Stir in the cooked rigatoni, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the fresh chopped parsley.

— Grilled Steak with Sante Fe Style Pasta —

INGREDIENTS:

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh linguine
1 tablespoon roasted garlic butter with olive oil, softened*
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound (3/4-inch thick) boneless sirloin steak, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup nacho cheese dip
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into strips

DIRECTIONS:

Heat gas grill on medium or charcoal grill until coals are ash white. Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions. Drain. Keep warm.

Combine garlic butter, pepper and chili powder in small bowl.

Place steak on grill. Grill, turning once and brushing occasionally with garlic butter mixture, until medium-rare (150