Lasagna Soup

I've been seeing lasagna soup everywhere on Instagram so last week I decided to try this soup version of one of my favorite meals.  This recipe from The Wooden Skillet was incredibly simple to put together on a weeknight and in no time we were having a very delicious version of lasagna which would typically take hours to make.  If it's still chilly where you are I'd highly recommend whipping up a pot of this yummy and warming soup - we were both extremely happy to go back for seconds!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

Ricotta Mixture

10oz whole ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tblsp Italian seasoning

Soup

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground Italian sausage {we used 1 lb beef and no sausage and it was still delish}

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp garlic, minced

24oz jarred marinara sauce {we used Rao's}

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving

2 tsp dried oregano

pinch red pepper flakes

5 cups chicken broth

9-11 lasagna noodles, broken

Instructions

1. Make Ricotta: Combine all ricotta mixture ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Stir to combine and refrigerate for later.

2. Brown meat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.  Season with salt & pepper.  Add onion & garlic and move around pan until onion has softened, 1-2 minutes.

3. Add marinara sauce, fresh basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

4. Break lasagna noodles to preferred size {small enough for a bite} and add to soup pot.  Simmer until noodles are cooked according to package directions.

5. Serve soup in individual bowls, topped with ricotta mixture, fresh Parmesan, and basil leaves.

Serves 4

adapted from the wooden skillet

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Junebaby

Several years back my brother got Christian and I a gift card to Junebaby for Christmas {and then I lost it, had to email the restaurant countless times, and they ended up finding it - it was a whole thing}.  But due to the pandemic and general life things we never ended up going until right after Christmas when we found out that they were permanently closing on NYE.  We used the gift card as an excuse for a fun date night during the Christmas holidays, and as dish after dish of amazing Southern dishes were brought to our table we kept telling each other we couldn't believe we had waited so long to try this restaurant.  Every dish was better than the next {that corn bread!  those hot chicken pieces! the ribs!} and though we were absolutely stuffed as we walked out, we kept trying to figure out how we could get back there to try even more dishes before they were to close a few days later.  Alas, we never made it back, but I'm so glad we got to experience this delicious food and finally make use of that generous gift card.

cast iron corn bread with sorghum molasses + smoked carrots with braised collard greens and tahini yogurt dressing

nashville hot chicken bites, slaw, pickles, and popcorn

smoked short rib dinner with beans and rice

jerk pork chop with candy roasted squash, cauliflower rice, broccolini, and cracklin

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{thai friday}

{popcorn and a movie}

{homemade juice}

{walking to our local brewery}

{my favorite kind of sign}

{trying a new to us pizza}

{my fave enchiladas on a warm sunday evening}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!  It has been a WEEK, amiright?  It has been so busy {some fun things and some not so fun things} and I'm ready for the weekend to just hang out with my honey, do some stuff around the house, rest, and eat some yummy food.  That's what weekends are for, right?  Have a good one! 

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Christmas Day

Christmas morning we headed out to the beach on a cold and rainy day for our annual breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls.  After breakfast we headed to the hospital to spend some time with Gramps, then C and I made our way to Bellevue for dinner with his family.  We had a cozy evening in watching Christmas movies and having a delicious dinner before finally making our way back to Seattle for a snuggly evening at home.  I'm so glad we were able to spend the holidays with most of our family and even though it was different this year, spending time with the people we love is the most important part of all.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve this year started out with Seahawks plus french toast and mimosas which was an excellent way to start the day.  We headed up to the hospital to watch the rest of the game with Grandpa, who was as shocked as all of us to watch the Hawks pull out a victory :)  After spending time with Gramps, C and I headed out for a coffee where we found a very cool Taylor Swift inspired Christmas tree, then headed home where Mom & Dad hosted a casual and cozy Christmas Eve dinner for family that were in town.  It was nice spending time with everyone and getting to just chill at home, and after everyone left we started an even better tradition of opening all of our presents on Christmas Eve {so as to sleep in the next morning}.  We put a cozy winter theme on the tv, opened presents, and tracked Santa with the NORAD app.  A lovely way to end the day :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Christmas in Leavenworth

After opening presents in Wenatchee and having a lovely breakfast, we all loaded up in our cars to spend a few hours in Leavenworth before us west-siders headed back home.  Of course on a beautiful sunny day on Christmas weekend Leavenworth was packed with people, but it was so fun to watch the kids get excited about seeing Santa & the Grinch and walking around seeing all of the festive decorations.  After our visit it was time to head home, so we packed up and headed over the icy pass back to the valley where Christian and I ended the day with dinner at the Trainwreck before heading back to my parents for the rest of the holiday.

goofin' around with uncle christian

xoxo,

stephanie marie