Grilled Steak Bruschetta

This is a very versatile recipe as you can change up many of the ingredients/measurements.

1 loaf Italian or French Baguette
5 cloves garlic – 1 whole, 4 minced
1 bunch basil – thinly sliced
½ red onion finely diced
½ cup Crimini mushrooms – chopped
2 cups fresh (or canned) chopped tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
4 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
Grilled steak – thinly sliced


In medium bowl combine minced garlic, ¾ of the basil, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, EVOO, Balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper. Stir to incorporate ingredients and set aside to marinate.

Slide Mozzarella cheese. Slice bread on angle to give a larger service area. Drizzle bread with EVOO. Grill bread until golden brown. Rub remaining whole garlic clove on grilled bread, grating the garlic into the bread.

Layer bread with steak. Spoon tomato mixture over steak. Place slice of cheese (cut to fit bread) on top. Bake in 500 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbling and browned on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and add remaining sliced basil as garnish.

Turkey & Italian Pork Sausage Lasagna w/ Mozzarella, Provolone, Asiago, Romano, Parmasean & Ricotta Cheese. Home made sauce and parmasean garlic bread

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 Carrots

2 Celery Stalks

1 Peppers (red or green)

½ Large Onion

2 Zucchini

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 tsp. Thyme

1 Bunch Basil

2 cans crushed tomatoes or 2 jars of your favorite sauce

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt

Pepper

2 tbs. Sugar

Meat:

1 package or tube of Italian Pork Sausage

1 package of Ground Turkey (ground Beef is optional)

4 Cloves of Garlic – Finely chopped

½ Onion – Finely diced

1 Cup Mushrooms - Sliced

1 Bunch Basil

Salt

Pepper

2 Pats Butter

1 box uncooked lasagna

16 oz. Ricotta Cheese

Parmesan Cheese – Shredded/Grated

Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded

Asiago Cheese - Shredded

Provolone Cheese - Shredded

Romano Cheese - Shredded

* Easier to buy multi shredded cheeses and mix together in large bowl. They usually come in 8 oz packages.

Butter

1 Egg

2 Tbs. Sugar

Salt

Pepper

In a food processor put carrots, celery, peppers, onion, zucchini, garlic, thyme. Pulse until grinded into a pulp. In the bottom of a large sauce pan on high, coat the bottom of the pan with EVOO. Add mixture from food processor. Constantly stirring. Season with salt and pepper. After about 2 minutes reduce heat to medium high and stir occasionally. Looking for mixture to cook about 10-15 minutes total and start to break down. Once broken down add tomato sauce and 2 table spoons of sugar. Add more salt and pepper to season. You need to season every layer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 30-45 minutes. Add a handful of basil chopped or un-chopped to the sauce and stir in until wilted. Set sauce aside.

In a large heated (on high) skillet add 1 teaspoon of EVOO and 2 pats of butter. Add in onion and mushrooms. Sautee until mushrooms and onions start to caramelize. Add in garlic. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add in Italian Pork Sausage and Ground Turkey. Keep breaking up the meat and stirring. Salt and Pepper to taste. Brown meat and stir in ½ bunch of finely chopped basil at the end. Drain oil from meat. Set meat aside.

In medium bowl stir in Ricotta Cheese, 1 egg (beat egg separately), 2 tbs. sugar and salt and pepper. Combine well and set aside.

After boiling a box of lasagna noodles in salted water (box may say to cook 13-15 minutes but undercook to about 10-12 minutes because they will continue to cook in oven), drain noodles and lay on flat surface. Pat dry if needed.

Butter the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish. Spoon some of the sauce and lightly coat the bottom of the dish. Layer the noodles slightly overlapping on the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of the Ricotta Cheese then a layer of the meat then a layer of sauce then sprinkle the cheese. Repeat layers until top of casserole dish end w/ noodles. Sprinkle a generous layer of cheese on top of noodles. Drop pats of butter (about ¼ of a pat of butter each time) across the top of the lasagna.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes – 1 hour at 375 degrees until top is golden brown and bubbling.

Split a large loaf of Italian Bread or French Baguette in half or cut off individual large slices. Drizzle with EVOO. Toast in oven until golden brown. Brush bread with 1 clove of fresh garlic. The garlic’s oils will grate into the toasted bread. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Pop back in oven for about 2 minutes to let the cheese melt into bread.

Depending on the size of the casserole dishes this will probably make 2 family size lasagna’s which is a perfect way to make dinner and at the same time have a whole other lasagna to pop in the freezer for another night w/o having to double up on the work.