Italian Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Quick Lasagna Soup

February 25, 2016 by Angela Paris

This is Lasagna Soup, the ultimate comfort food – it’s rich and savory and filling, too. You may be surprised that this Lasagna Soup has neither ricotta cheese, nor lasagna noodles in it. My husband isn’t a big fan of ricotta cheese, so instead, I used Parmesan cheese and added a bit of heavy cream to achieve the flavor. The result is a rich and creamy dish very reminiscent of lasagna, but without all the work! As for the noodles, why bother breaking up a bunch of large lasagna noodles when you can use a box of bowties instead? Feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand. I have made it with orecchiette also, which was really good, too.

While I love using my slow cooker during the week, I find that making a soup over the stove on the weekend so relaxing. There’s something so homey and comforting about a pot of something simmering away on the stove. Oh, and if you liked the Garlic and Herb Italian Spice Mix recipe I shared recently, you can give it a try in this soup!

With lean ground beef and four cheese, thisLasagna Soup will be a huge hit

Print Recipe

Quick Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 lb lean ground beef
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons Garlic & Herb Italian Spice Mix
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 lb bowtie pasta boiled and drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
Chopped fresh basil for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Sweat the onions until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the ground beef and brown. Season with 1 tablespoon of the Garlic and Herb Italian Spice Mix.
Stir in the beef stock, tomato sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of spice mix, and tomato paste. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta, heavy cream, and Parmesean cheese. Stir to combine.
Garnish with a bit more cheese, if desired, and basil.

Lasagna can be fussy, and it takes forever to make. This quick lasagna soup is all the goodness of the original, with way less work and time. In fact, it’s a great recipe to whip up for unexpected company. It’s warm and inviting, and impressive but not fussy.

I just love that this quick soup can be ready in about 3o minutes. Of course, you can let it simmer as long as you like, but keep in mind though that the longer it cooks, the thicker it will be. In fact, leftovers often seem more like a pasta dish than soup, but the flavor is just as good!

If you love making your own soups at home, here are a couple more great recipes you may want to try:

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Italian Sausage Soup

DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend

November 16, 2015 by Angela Paris

This post contains affiliate links.

Make your own DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought blend. It’s great to have in your pantry, and makes a lovely gift, too!

I’m in love with making my own seasoning blends. It is just so much less expensive than store-bought alternatives, and you know exactly what you’re putting into it. The best part of all is that it only takes a few minutes to put together! First, purchase your seasonings in bulk. I get mine through Amazon Subscribe and Save because I love the value and convenience. All of the ingredients needed from the parsley to the onion powder and granulated garlic are available online.

DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend

$Make your own DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought blend. It's great to have in your pantry, and makes a lovely gift, too!$

This DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning makes quite a bit – about 5-1/2 cups – but it keeps for 6-9 months. I like to use small canning jars to store my seasoning blends. You can divide it up and give some as a gift. It’s a lovely addition to a homemade gift basket of goodies for a housewarming or the holidays.

There’s really nothing to this recipe, it’s as easy as can be. In fact, my 4-year-old daughter helped me to make this batch. She loves helping to mix anything, and the idea of adding a bunch of dry items makes it all the better since she knows she doesn’t have to worry about splashing. However, you do need to take care mixing the onion powder in so you don’t end up with a big seasoning cloud in your face!

Print Recipe

DIY Italian Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Ingredients

1 cup dried Basil
1 cup dried Marjoram
1 cup dried Oregano
1/2 cup dried Rosemary
1/2 cup dried Thyme
1/2 cup dried Parsley
1/4 cup Granulated Garlic
1/4 cup Onion Powder
1/4 cup Ground Black Pepper
1/4 cup Kosher Salt

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently whisk together.
Using a funnel, transfer the seasoning blend to jars.
Store at room temperature for 6-9 months.

How simple is that? And it will add so much flavor to your recipes. You can use this seasoning blend on everything from chicken to pasta – it’s so good!

Now just download these printable labels (use Avery Round 5294 labels (2-1/2 Inch Diameter), or equivalent) for your mason jars, and you’re good to go!

D O W N L O A D L A B E L S

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Should you purchase from one of these links, Juggling Act Mama will earn a few pennies, but it does not change the cost of the product to you. Thank you for your support!

Get More Homemade Inspiration!

Follow Juggling Act Mama – Ang Paris’s board DIY Condiments & Spice Mixes on Pinterest.

Bruschetta Chicken

June 11, 2013 by Danielle

You know, I’ve always seen recipes for Bruschetta….but honestly, no clue what that even was or meant! Nerdy as I am, I Googled it, and the definition is as follows: “Toasted Italian bread drenched in olive oil and served typically with garlic or tomatoes”. Now THAT sounds yummy!!! So put that into a chicken version, and VIOLA – you’ve got an extremely tasty, Italian-themed meal!

Bruschetta Chicken

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 cup Flour
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Croutons, crushed (garlic is best)
1 tbsp. Butter, melted
2 Tomatoes, large, diced
3 tbsp. Basil, minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking pan.

Beat the Eggs in a shallow bowl. Put the Flour in a separate shallow bowl. Dip each Chicken Breast into the flour, then the eggs, then place chicken in the baking dish.

Mix the Parmesan cheese, Croutons and Butter together, then sprinkle over the chicken. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until cooked through.

Mix the Tomatoes and other remaining ingredients together, and spoon over chicken. Return to oven for another 5-7 minutes, or until tomato mixture is heated through.