A flavorful vegetarian casserole. If you have an aversion to process cheese, feel free to omit it. The lentils and veggies are very tasty, by themselves.

• 1-3/4 cups dried lentils, washed
• 10 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 8 ounces process cheese loaf (such as Velveeta)

Combine lentils, water and bay leaf in a large saucepan; bring to boiling. Lower heat; cover; simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain. Place lentils in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or pan.

Sauté onions and garlic in oil in a medium-size skillet until soft, about 5 minutes. Add to lentils with carrots, celery, green pepper, tomatoes, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage and thyme. Stir to mix. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Uncover. Slice cheese; layer evenly over top. Bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese melts and begins to brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

The original recipe called for Cheddar cheese. However since Cheddar doesn’t make much sense and the next recipe in the magazine had Mozzarella cheese in it — which also didn’t make any sense, I assumed the ingredients had gotten mixed up and opted to use Mozzarella.

This is another Ben favorite!

• 8 ounces dried spaghetti
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small Italian pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices of bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

Cook spaghetti according to package directions (I recommend the shortest time); drain and set aside.

While spaghetti is cooking, cook ground beef, onion, and pepper in a large skillet, over medium heat. Cook until beef is brown; drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, soup, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Add 4 ounces of the shredded cheese, stirring until melted.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Add cooked spaghetti and bacon to the mixture, tossing to combine. Transfer to a greased 2-quart casserole dish.

Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 15 more minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Makes 4-6 servings

My boys are big fans of Hamburger Helper so when I found this recipe I decided to give it a try. IMHO it make a bit more than two boxes of HH, plus there’s fewer additive and more nutrition. The Teen insists that it “smells like butt” yet he later gobbled it down. Ben obviously likes it; he ate half of it, himself.

• 1 pound medium size shell macaroni
• 2 packages Sloppy Joe Mix (I use Lawry’s)
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked
• 2 cans (8 ounces, each) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (6 ounces , each) tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 32 ounces cottage cheese
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook macaroni according to package directions (minimum time). Drain. Combine seasoning mix with ground beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste and 1 cup of water.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a sprayed 5-6 quart casserole dish (I used my over-sized lasagna dish), layer half the macaroni, half the cottage cheese, and half the meat mixture. Repeat. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until bubbling.

Makes 8-12 servings

A yummy, meatless pasta dish.

• 1 pound uncooked ziti or penne pasta
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 Tablespoons red cooking wine
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ziti/penne according to package directions (usually 10 to 15 minutes). Drain thoroughly and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat well. Set aside.

Combine the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, red cooking wine and pepper. Pour over pasta and mix well.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of a large, shallow baking dish (such as a 9×13-inch lasagna pan). Sprinkle on half the Muenster cheese. Spread on the remaining pasta, sprinkle on remaining Muenster, and finally top with the Parmesan cheese.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Serves 6

I gave this recipe a try when my favorite chili recipe (the one I keep forgetting to write down) was unavailable for the Super Bowl. It comes from the “Fix-it and Forget-it Big Cookbook”. I found it a tad watery but otherwise absolutely delicious. To be made in a 5-6 quart crockpot.

• 8 bacon strips, diced
• 3 pounds beef stewing meat, cubed (the original recipe called for 2-1/2 pounds)
• 1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans (8 ounces, each) tomato sauce
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups sliced carrots (I used sliced frozen)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used 4 teaspoons of dried parsley)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used coarsely ground black pepper)

Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on a paper towel.

Brown beef in bacon drippings, in skillet.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (I did not include the remaining bacon drippings).

Cover. Cook on Low for 9-10 hours, or until meat is tender. Stir occasionally.

Makes 15 servings