White Christmas Lasagna

Have you ever seen a heirloom pumpkin? They're huge, beautifully unique, and edible. I wouldn't suggest getting one for carving a jack o lantern next year because they're much too thick, but I would suggest getting one of you want to make to a truly delicious lasagna this winter.

I think that this lasagna is the perfect pre-holiday meal because with all of the extra house guests that come over, you'll need a big casserole of something to serve for dinner. Plus, you'll probably have leftovers for all those late night cravings when you're wrapping gifts.

And this lasagna is extra special because not only does it feed a lot of people, but there is an unexpected twist to it too. It's got a spicy curry kick to warm you up on a cold night and there is no tomato sauce for a white Christmas.

Curious yet? Read on for the recipe!

Celebrate!

I don't have anything specific to celebrate right now, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't celebrate. I think that celebrating is something that should be done on regular basis. Maybe I'm only celebrating a beautiful day or the fact that I finally got caught up on laundry, but I'm celebrating all the same. 

This lasagna was inspired by a recipe I found on Chatelaine's website and they called it Celebration Lasagna. I wasn't sure why it was named that until I took my first bite. 

Lasagna Loving!

I didn't think I could love lasagna move than I already do, but it's happened! 

Today I was crowned the Grand Prize Winner of the Taste of Home Lasagna Recipe Contest for my favourite lasagna recipe, Tuscan Veggie and Pesto Chicken Lasagna! And I have to say that a lasagna crown is one of the best I've ever worn. 

If you haven't tried this dish yet and my being crowned the Grand Prize Winner doesn't make you want to try my recipe, I don't think anything will!

Taco Thursday

I feel lucky to have grown up in a home where food was not only plentiful, but also in a home where meals were never the same. My mom didn't plan to make spaghetti on Monday, chicken on Tuesday, pork chops on Wednesday, or tacos on Thursdays. 

She did, however, make most Friday nights Picnic Night. She would lay out a picnic cloth on the floor of the living room and treat us to pizza, chicken wings, or another kind of treat food. Remembering that makes me want to relive those nights, but that's a story for another day...

When my mom cooked, all the meals were different, inventive, and rarely fell into a pattern. I think that's what me want to be creative in the kitchen. This dish reinvents the taco so that even if you want to have tacos every Thursday night, you can still make them different. :)

This was my final lasagna recipe entry into the Olivieri Taste of Home Lasagna Recipe Competition and although it did not place in the Top Ten entries, I was pleased with it. I especially liked how the black bean puree felt like ricotta cheese and the tortilla chips on top didn't hurt either!

I Dream of Tuscany

One day I will head off on a jet plane and spend a few weeks in Tuscany. I know that I will have to go on a diet beforehand and that will be one diet I won't mind at all.

Can you imagine all the glorious food that you could eat in Tuscany? Not to mention the wine! Yes, after eating cheese, bread, wine, pasta, olive oil roasted veggies, pizza, gelato, and everything else I could get my hands onto, I know I would gain weight.

But each pound would taste so good!

Thinking about the weight makes a little happier that jet setting to Italy isn't in the cards this year. And, for now, I am ok with just dreaming of Tuscany and experimenting with different foods I think sing of Italy.

Here is my last Top Ten Recipe in the Olivieri Taste of Home Lasagna Recipe Competition.

But don't worry lasagna lovers, I still have one more lasagna recipe to share with you that didn't make it into the Top Ten!

For the Love of Curry

I love curries, just don't make them too spicy and I will slurp up every bite. And even though I know that curry only means sauce, not a specific dish, I will always call my saucy, spicy dishes a curry. 

I will admit that learning that the word curry means sauce is recent discovery, but I don't care about this discovery. Everyone refers to saucy and spicy Indian and Thai dishes as curries and I'll only look like a food snob if I start doing any differently. 

But since I know that curry means sauce, I think that calling my Top Ten Recipe Chicken Curry Lasagna makes sense. I made a slightly spicy, curry paste based sauce for my lasagna and it turned out great. 

Did I win the Olivieri Taste of Home Lasagna Recipe Competition with this recipe? I don't know yet but I hope I find out soon!

Solid Soup

I mean solid as in tasting great, but also as literally solid because today's recipe isn't soup at all. Today's recipe is a lasagna that's based on a soup. 

Luke and I worked on this recipe together, but the idea for it was all his. 

We took all the essential parts of a French Onion Soup and made them into a lasagna. The beef broth from the soup became a gravy style sauce and also leftover beef pot roast. The onions from the soup stayed as onions, we just caramelized them and tossed them in. And the croutons from the soup became garlic bread that we served on the side. 

This is not your everyday lasagna and you don't want a huge serving of it either. It's very rich and very satisfying, but I really craved a healthy green salad on the side!

I've Got a Feeling!

Not too long ago I was sharing with you a few of the recipe contests I have recently entered where I was not chosen as a winner. I showed you a few of my top ten finishes and then shared some of my non-winning entries.

And now I've been at it again and instead of not placing at all, Luke and I are Top Ten Finalists in the Olivieri Taste of Home Recipe Competition! The winners haven't been announced yet, but I love eating lasagna so much that I have a good feeling about this one. 

Regardless of whether I win or not, I am happy with how my lasagnas have turned out. They tasted great and got my creative juices flowing. This week I will be sharing with you all the recipes I entered, and Luke's Top Ten entry too!

First off, one that didn't make the Top Ten, but is super tasty. I think it only didn't make it into the Top Ten because it's a cannelloni made from lasagna pasta. 

Third Time's The Charm

I looked back over my last few posts and realized I had only posted one follow up recipe to my Dancing Chickens.

I know that Luke goes into the fridge at night and eats almost everything he finds in there, but surely I had to have made at least one more meal with the leftover chicken.

So I looked through my photos and sure enough I found my third chicken recipe. I don't know how I almost forgot about this one too, because lasagna is probably my favourite meal of all time.

Nothing is bad in it. You've got cheese, pasta, veggies, and usually meat. The only thing missing is dessert. And although I love dessert pizza, I definitely don't think I will ever want to eat a bite of dessert lasagna.

Here you go chicken lovers. Hopefully this helps to get you out of any leftover chicken ruts you're in!