Becky’s Lasagna

2 lb. ground beef

18 oz. tomato paste

2 T. basil

¼ cup red wine

Garlic Powder, to taste

1 tsp. salt

2 one-lb. cans tomatoes

Water

1 lb. lasagna noodles

1 large container large-curd cottage cheese (may use Ricotta cheese or combination of two cheeses)

2 eggs

1 tsp. pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 T. parsley flakes

2 lbs. Mozzarella cheese

Directions:  Use very large lasagna pan.  Combine tomato paste, tomatoes, wine, basil, salt, and garlic powder in pot.  Simmer.  Add water if appears too thick. Brown the ground beef.  Cook the noodles.  In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.Make the lasagna.  Put a small amount of sauce on bottom of greased lasagna pan.  

Then layer as follows: 

• 1/3 noodles, cheese mixture, sauce, mozzarella cheese.
• 1/3 noodles, hamburger, sauce, mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 noodles, sauce

Make a tent of foil (I wrap the entire pan in foil to catch the sauce that steams out).  Bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees.  Open foil.  Add top layer of mozzarella cheese.  Close foil.  Bake 10 more minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  If you do not let it stand, it will not firm up enough to cut pieces.

Comment:  This is half of Becky Sensky’s original recipe.  It is delicious, and still a large batch.

Lazarus Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into 2” pieces (easier, and

more flavorful, to just pull apart a roasted chicken

from the grocery store) 

2 cups coarsely diced celery

1 pint pecans

1 pint Lazarus Chicken Salad Dressing

Dressing:

½ cup flour ½ cup sugar

2 tsp. dry mustard 1 T. salt

1 tsp. paprika 2 cups milk

1 cup hot vinegar + 3 parts mayonnaise

¼ cup beaten egg yolk

Directions:  Make Dressing first.  Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, dry mustard, salt, 

and paprika.  Add to milk and cook in a double boiler until thickens.  Add hot 

vinegar and continue to cook 10 minutes.  Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg 

yolk (to keep it from becoming scrambled eggs when added).   Add eggs to hot 

mixture and cook 10 minutes longer.  Chill.  Before using, blend one-part dressing to 

three parts mayonnaise.

Mix together chicken, celery and pecans (as well as your optional ingredients like 

onions, fruit).  Add Dressing and toss gently.  Better if it can be refrigerated for a 

few hours for flavors to blend.

Comment:  Makes more dressing than needed. The dressing really is the base.  A 

touch of curry powder kicks it up. The salad can be made even better by adding green onion and then cut fruit like apples or grapes or mandarin oranges.

Spaghetti Pie

6 oz. Spaghetti (3 cups cooked)

1 lb. fresh sausage or ground beef

2 T. margarine

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup Ricotta cheese

Directions:  Cook spaghetti.  Drain.  Stir margarine in to hot spaghetti, then add eggs 

and Parmesan.  Form spaghetti mixture into a “crust” in a greased, large pie plate.  

Spread Ricotta cheese.

In skillet, brown meat.  Drain fat.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and heat through.  Turn 

meat mixture into spaghetti crust.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  

Sprinkle with Mozzarella; bake until melted, about 5 minutes.

Comment:  Use Ragu thick sauce.  Feel free to add favorites like mushrooms, 

peppers, onions.

Roast Chicken

5-6 lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Pepper

Large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half

1 apple, cut in slices

2 T. butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2” chunks

1 bulb fennel, tops removed, cut in wedges

Olive oil

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

Remove chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Remove any excess fat 

and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.  Liberally salt and pepper the inside 

of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and 

all the garlic.  If space, some apple slices as well.  Brush the outside of the chicken 

with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under 

the body of the chicken.  Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan.  Toss 

with salt, pepper and additional thyme sprigs and olive oil.  Spread around bottom of 

the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a 

leg and thigh.  Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with 

aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.  Slice the chicken and serve.

Comment:

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 can tomato soup

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Accent (a brand of seasoned salt)

½ tsp. pepper

Directions:  Brown beef.  Add onion and green pepper; cook until tender.  Add soup, 

ketchup, and seasonings.  Simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Comment:  Grandma Ruth Romer’s classic!  For a kick, add shot of Worchestershire. Elizabeth's favorite birthday meal.