Greek Lasagna

Pastitsio

Pastitsio or "Greek Lasagna" is a great alternative to the traditional lasagna because it looks and tastes the same without all the cheeses. (which probably makes it a lot healthier too). I love it because it uses up all the macaroni noodles I have in my pantry and is relatively a cheap dinner to make. Serve with a salad and some garlic bread if you'd like.

*Note: I make this dish completely dairy free, however if you don't have allergies, use butter, regular milk, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese in with the milk/egg sauce and the other 1/2 cup cheese on top before you toss it in the oven.

Pastitsio

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)

1 Tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)

1 (26 oz) can spaghetti sauce

3 Tbsp margarine

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 3/4 cup soy milk

4 eggs

3 1/3 cups dried elbow macaroni noodles

Cook macaroni until al dente, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet brown the meat, onion and garlic. Drain off the fat and stir in parsley, basil and pasta sauce; simmer.

In a saucepan melt margarine and cornstarch together. Add the soy milk and cook until thick and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually stir in the beaten eggs and stir until thick. Remove from heat and set aside 1 cup into a bowl.

Pour the rest of remaining milk/egg sauce over the cooked noodles and mix until well coated. Generously season with salt and pepper.

Grease a 6 quart square baking dish and layer: 1/2 the noodle mixture, all of the meat mixture and then the remaining noodle mixture.
Pour the reserved 1 cup sauce on top and bake @ 350 for 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Taco Seasoning (*Updated)

We love tacos here in my house. Tuesday night is most always a taco night whether that means fajitas or beef or chicken tacos or some sort of enchiladas. 

This year I switched from using packet seasonings just because I found out I have some gluten sensitivities. If you have all the spices on hand it doesn't really add much time, especially if you make a large batch and keep it in a big container. 

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix it up and store it. This amount of seasoning is perfect for 1 pound hamburger, ground turkey, chicken, etc. just add 3/4 cup water (or less if desired) and to your beef after you have cooked and drained it.