Anytime is the right time for lasagna. Sometimes, homemade lasagna seems like a daunting task. My family loves lasagna and I've experimented with several recipes. This one is the winner!

Family traditions are what make the holidays special. Food like your momma's dressing, grandma's cakes, and the best vegetable sides imaginable. All of these are great on 'the big day'. What about all the other days? What will you do for the company that's around three or more days? One of my family members makes chili on Christmas Eve. Another does a 'day after the holiday's leftover buffet. Taking the leftover turkey and creating a new dish. That kind of thing. 

Here's an idea. Make lasagna part of the family tradition. There aren't many who don't like it. A good recipe can be hard to find. Look no more. You've found it!

Ingredients:
12 - 16 ounce pkg. of lasagna noodle
T. of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 can tomato paste
Large onion (diced)
Four large cloves of garlic (minced)
Tsp. oregano (to start)
Dash of salt and pepper

Begin to boil the lasagna noodles. Boil two minutes shy of cooking time. Not quite al dente. Remove from the water, and set aside with a bit of the salted water to keep it fresh and pliable. 
In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in a T. of EVOO until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and S & P. Mix together over medium heat until heated through. 

More ingredients:
Large can crushed tomatoes
Large can of diced tomatoes
2 T. oregano
T. basil
T. onion powder
T. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. paprika
S & P to taste

Add these ingredients to the tomato paste mixture. Cook until a slight boil then turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes. 

Ingredient:
1 1/2 pounds of Italian sausage. Cook the sausage. Set aside

White Sauce (Bechamel)
4 T. unsalted butter
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups of milk
Cup of freshly, grated parmesan

Melt the butter, add the flour. Stir until silky smooth. Begin to add the milk a cup at a time. Once incorporated, add the cheese. When the cheese melts, set aside. 

Ingredients:
16-ounce bag of mozzarella cheese
A handful of fresh parsley

Begin to assemble in a large, rectangular dish. First the layer of lasagna noodles, the sauce, the sausage, the Bechamel. Repeat for at least three layers. Top off with remaining Bechamel, red sauce, meat, and mozzarella cheese. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with parsley. Serve. 

This holiday tune was first performed by Kay Thompson at the Hollywood Bowl, on December 22, 1945. Andy Williams' made it famous by placing it on his 1963 Christmas album. 

Cranberries! So many recipes. So many don't care for cranberries. They're bright and beautiful but tart and sour. For those who want to 'flip off' the berry, this recipe will inspire you to give it another go. Away with cranberry Jell-O and hello to apple cranberry crumble. 

Recently, I visited my dear friend, MK, in Atlanta. She shared a recipe that's a holiday tradition at her home. She said, "It's my favorite thing next to stuffing." I borrowed the recipe and wanted to try cutting down on the sugar (MK has a sweet tooth). I do this because I try to limit my sugar intake. Luckily, I minimized the sugar and stayed true to the recipe. 

Ingredients: 
Three large apples peeled and diced (I used two green apples and a Gala)
12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup of sugar (If you want a sweeter treat, use a whole cup of sugar)
1 1/2 cups of quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup of flour
Cup of pecan halves
1/2 cup and two T. of sugar
2 T. of honey
1/2 stick of melted butter

Directions: 
Use a large casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add the apples and cranberries to the dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup (whole cup if you want it sweeter) of sugar over the fruit. Combine the other 1/2 cup plus 2 T. of sugar with 2 T. of honey. Pack it. Add the sugar combo to the rest of the ingredients. Top the fruit with the oat mixture. Cover with aluminum foil for half of the baking time. Bake for approximately an hour (Remove the foil after 30 minutes). After an hour, the apple cranberry crumble will bubble. The topping will turn golden brown. 

Serve immediately as a holiday side dish or make it a dessert served with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Enjoy this holiday dish. It's truly incredible. Thanks, MK!