Sausage three ways, enchilada dip and lemony pasta

I started looking for recipes to include here today, and, totally by accident, three of today's recipes contain sausage as an ingredient. I did not originally plan that, but, hey, I like it when things like that happen. Of course, if you do not like sausage you can substitute another meat, or use turkey sausage in place of pork.

Also in this column is a lemon pasta recipe that I really like. It is good as a side with chicken; it is very bright and refreshing, so it may become one of your new favorite recipes.

Breakfast Lasagna

1 pound lasagna noodles

8 eggs

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup cheddar

1 cup ricotta

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 pound raw loose breakfast sausage

1 onion

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

To make the sauce: Brown the sausage and remove from the pan. In the same pan, cook the onions to lightly brown. Add in the butter and flour and stir well, cooking for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the sausage back in. Strain the diced tomatoes and stir into the sauce.

Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water until tender.

In a small bowl, crack and whisk two eggs. Prepare a frying pan to cook the eggs that is the same size as your round baking dishes.

In the baking dish, start with a thin layer of sauce, followed by the first layer of noodles, then some more sauce and all three cheeses. Cook the first egg round for only a few minutes without flipping until it has just barely set on top. Transfer the egg to the top of the noodles then repeat with another layer of everything. Top with a final pasta layer and a little more cheese and sauce and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

You may save this in the refrigerator or freezer, but boil the pasta a little less and bake it for a bit longer before serving. This recipe makes enough for two 8-inch baking rounds.

Loaded Baked Potato & Sausage Casserole

6 brats or sausages

8 potatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoon garlic powder

6 tablespoons hot sauce

For the topping:

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup crumbled bacon

1 cup diced green onion, optional

Preheat oven 450 degrees. In a large bowl mix olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Cube the potatoes and add to the bowl. Coat a 9x13-inch dish with cooking spray. Add potatoes, allow for excess sauce in the bowl. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes, stir every 15 minutes. Slice the sausages into bite sized pieces and add it to the bowl with the leftover sauce and stir it some. Mix together cheese, bacon and green onion in a small separate bowl. Once potatoes are done, add the uncooked sausage.

Cover with the topping. Bake for 15 minutes or until the sausage is cooked.

Lasagna-Style Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

1 pound Italian sausage or ground turkey

2 cups pasta sauce

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping

Olive oil or coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash spaghetti squash, cut off stem and slice squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and center. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper, and place in 9×13 baking dish with a little water in the bottom of the dish. As the squash cooks, you can add more water if it dries up. Roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on squash size, or until inside is soft and easily "fluffs" with a fork. It will look like very tiny spaghetti noodles.

While squash is roasting, brown Italian sausage in large skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage from the pan drain and set aside. Add sauce to the pan and simmer. Add the sausage back into the sauce. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh basil, set aside.

When squash is tender, remove from oven and using a fork, scrape to get the inside of the squash to look like spaghetti noodles. You don't have to get at all of the squash, you can scoop more later when you get to the bottom after it's been filled and you're enjoying it for dinner.

Fill the squash, starting with a scoop of the red sauce, followed by a layer of the cheese mixture, you can add extra mozzarella on each layer, if you choose to, and repeat the layers until you've over filled the squash, ending with a layer of red sauce and then topping them with mozzarella. Fill until completely full and appearing overfilled. Turn the oven to broil and return them to oven to brown the cheesy top.

Serve piping hot with a fresh salad and garlic bread.

Beef Enchilada Dip

This delicious dip is warm, meaty and cheesy. If you love enchiladas, then this dip is definitely for you.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups enchilada sauce

2 cups grated Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese

Sour cream, optional

Tortilla chips, optional

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain. Add in onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in enchilada sauce and top with grated cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt, about 3 more minutes. Top with sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.

Lemon Pasta

If you really enjoy a great-tasting pasta dish, this lemon-infused pasta recipe is just for you.

8 ounces spaghetti

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and place spaghetti in a greased 1 1/2 -quart casserole dish. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream, lemon peel and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture over spaghetti in casserole dish. Mix well. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through. Remove from oven, and add grated Parmesan cheese and parsley and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.