El Pato LASAGNA:
Start with:
1 can El Pato tomato sauce
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (Or my Mom's recipe says: simmer 1 lb can tomato's, 2 6 oz can tomato paste 1 1/2 t salt, 1 T dried basil, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 cup water for 15 minutes.
I just use any old jar of spaghetti sauce.
Mix together:
2 eggs
3 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cups Parmesan cheese (from the jar)
2 T dried parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
regular old 10 oz box lasagna noodles...uncooked
1 pound grated Mozzarella cheese
poor 1/2 cup spag sauce and about 1/4 cup el pato sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan, layer about 1/2 of the un cooked noodles (you may have to break them to fit the whole pan-- since they don't expand in the oven), about 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture, more spag sauce and El Pato and mozzarella cheese. Repeat until your run out of stuff to layer. it's good to end with spag sauce and cheese on top.
bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
The extra tomato sauce (El Pato) is for the added moisture to cook the noodles in the oven. You could use a regular tomato sauce if you don't like spiciness.
SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP
1 cup mayonnaise* (or less--see note at the bottom)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (from the can)
8 ounces cream cheese
5 minced garlic cloves (i used the jar stuff)
1 regular size can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup or so frozen spinach thawed
mix all that business together and put in a shallow pan (like a quiche pan)
bake at 35o degrees for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
* I used marinated artichoke hearts since I had the gargantuan jar from Costco, so I only used 3/4 cup mayo cause my artichoke hearts were so oily already. Also, I used the Mayo made with olive oil cause that's what I had in my fridge.
CHOCOLATE LAYER DESSERT*:
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup nuts (I used almonds that I soaked in water for an hour or so first)
mix together and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 35o degrees for 20 minutes. COOL.
Layer ONE:
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip (from an 8 oz tub--add a little vanilla to tub of cool whip first)
mix together and spread on top of cooled crust.
Layer TWO:
mix 2 small packages instant chocolate** pudding with
3 cups milk and layer on top of cream cheese layer.
Layer THREE:
Put remaining whipped topping on top, add chocolate curls and refrigerate until ready to serve.
* For bunko I one and a half times this recipe cause I was using a larger pan (11x14 maybe). Next time I would double it for that size pan.
** you can also use lemon pudding instead of chocolate. It is super good too. My Mom would say it is better as a lemon dessert.
