Sunday Night Marinara Sauce with Double Basil

Need a quick and easy Sunday night dinner? Try my fast and easy marinara sauce that is made mostly from pantry staples. This is my go to recipe as it's fast, delish and has consistently been a hit with our toddler! 


When I make this sauce, I always make a large batch as it freezes very well and can be used as is intended or you can add chicken stock and veggies and make it into a quick soup. I often pull a container of this out of the freezer in the morning so that we can have a fresh batch of pasta for dinner that night. Either way, it's a good pantry, freezer, table item that my family loves.


One quick note about the basil in this recipe... I have tried to grow basil at home, but to no avail. So, I typically bought a bunch from the produce section of my local grocery. However, I often found that I was unable to use all of the basil in just one recipe or that my needs would change as the week progressed, so I had to change my menu to accommodate our schedule. Both situations used to result in my once lovely, fragrant basil turning grey and sticky in the bottom of my produce drawer. So, I've started drying my leftover basil on a paper towel on a corner of my kitchen counter. It only takes a few days, then I store it in a small zip style baggie in my pantry until I need it. 


This particular version of my recipe, therefore, makes use of my home dried basil. This addition makes for a well rounded tasting sauce with deep basil undertones complimented by the spike of flavor from the fresh basil I had on hand!


Let me know if you try this recipe and what adjustments you make to it in your kitchen.


Lisa's Quick & Easy Sunday Night Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 large onion, small dice
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• Small bunch of fresh basil, torn
• Salt / Pepper to taste
• 2 large cans good Italian crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
• Dried Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (if needed)
• Your favorite spaghetti or pasta, cooked
• Grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

In a large heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil has heated, add onion and dried basil (jar or basil you have dried yourself). Stir and add a pinch of salt so that the onion releases it's juices and you season the first layer of ingredients. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.

Add the two cans of crushed tomatoes and the dried pepper flakes and black pepper along with another pinch of salt. Allow sauce to cook until it comes to a simmer. Taste sauce at this point to determine if sugar is needed. If needed, add sugar, stir and taste again to determine if additional seasoning is needed with sugar, salt or pepper.

Allow sauce to continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Add fresh basil, stir and taste for final seasoning. Allow sauce to sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.


Serve over freshly cooked pasta of your choice with grated Parmesan cheese on top.


~Enjoy!

The Chili, Cheese & Potato Casserole Experiment

I have always loved chili. Having grown up in close proximity to Ohio, my mom always added a bit of cinnamon to her chili. I've experimented over the years with different approaches in my own kitchen and my newest approach is to combine different types of chili powders with dried and fresh herbs; including:  ancho chili powder, good ol' MacCormicks chili powder, dried marjoram, dried oregano, dried thyme, fresh cilantro, etc.. 


Because I make chili throughout the season, I am often looking for a way to turn chili leftovers into something interesting. Right now I have a plethera of potatoes, compliments of a bag of russets my mom left behind from her last visit, as well as chili and all of the 'fixins'. In the past I would have just added baking potatoes to my store list and not given it a second thought. However, I'm trying to do a better job of managing our grocery budget, so I was looking for a way to use what I have on hand. The resulting recipe is below. 


I did a bit of an internet search and didn't find anything like this out there. However, if you have a similar recipe, please share it. I'd love to see another example :)


The Results
I started out making the casserole as I thought it would work, but ended up making a few modifications along the way. First, I only had enough of the sour cream and cheese mixture for one layer, so it became the middle layer in the casserole rather than half in the middle and half on top. Second, I didn't cover the casserole and by the time I removed it from the oven to add the cheese layer (based on when the potatoes were fork tender), the chili was hot, but looked a little dry and was starting to turn dark as if it would eventually burn. So, I incorporated the foil technique. Other than those two changes, the casserole was really pretty good. I'm not sure it will completely replace chili over baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream in our house, but it gives me another viable option for when I don't have bakers on hand.


A note about the side dish...
I ended up serving this along side a salad made with butter lettuce, matchstick carrots and a fresh pear diced into large chunks. I dressed this simple seasonal salad with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, apple cider, EVOO, salt and pepper and a bit of honey to round out the flavors. The salad was excellent and may have just become one of my go to staples for fall and winter!


Chili, Cheese, Potato Casserole

• 3 cups left over chili
• 4 medium/small potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3" slices (I needed 26 slices to cover my casserole and fill in the "holes" between the slices)
• 8 oz light sour cream
• 8 oz grated cheese, divided (your choice, I used a 2% mixture of jack and cheddar)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp if using table salt
• Pepper to taste, prefer fresh ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Spray an 8x8 casserole with non-stick cooking spray, layer potatoes on the bottom of casserole dish. Use left over potato slices to fill in the gaps between the bottom layer so that none of the cheese mixture can seep through to the bottom of the casserole dish. Set aside.


In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, half the grated cheese, melted butter and the green onions. Spread the mixture across the top of the potato layer ensuring the mixture covers all of the potatoes, including the corners. Next, add the chili layer and spread to ensure chili covers the cheese mixture. Cover casserole with foil.


Place casserole in hot oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add the remainder of the grated cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and allow to remain baking uncovered for 15 minutes. 


Serve with a fresh green salad. 


~Enjoy!