Easy To Make Turkey-Day Alternatives

By trueblue4224 November 25, 2010 9:00 am Posted in College, Dorm Life, Drink, Features, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Lists, Party trueblue4224 g+ page

Not everyone’s a turkey person. I know I’m not. Frankly speaking, I’d rather eat something I enjoy on Thanksgiving than dry, smelly turkey. Here are two alternative meals to try out this Thanksgiving, plus a dessert idea to please every palate. And with little preparation time, you’ll have more fun hanging out with your loved ones on T-Day than checking in on a slow-cooking turkey every hour.

Vegetable Lasagna

This variation on a classic Martha Stewart recipe is so good, everyone will want seconds. Plus, the ricotta cheese and spinach mixture is so filling, you won’t even miss the meat in the pasta. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this sumptuous dish:

4 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
salt and pepper
2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
6 cups marinara sauce
12 lasagna noodles
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

-Boil lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box. Meanwhile, combine spinach, ricotta cheese, and eggs in a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix well.

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the meantime, drain lasagna noodles and start arranging the dish. In a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish or aluminum foil pan, spread a little of the marinara sauce on the bottom. Next, arrange a layer of noodles. Follow up with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, then 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheese on top, then repeat to make two more layers ending with cheese.

-Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking until the top is golden brown for 15 more minutes. Make sure to serve after the dish has cooled slightly.

Baked Ziti

This recipe will satisfy any meat lover in your family. The ground beef will more than make up for a dry traditional bird and take less time to prepare. The ingredients are:

2 boxes of ziti or penne pasta
4 cups ricotta cheese
2-3 bottles of marinara sauce
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1-2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

-Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box. In the meantime, caramelize the chopped onions in a skillet or pan, adding the meat and spices (salt and pepper) once the onions have turned golden brown. Add the minced garlic clove and stir well.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the penne, then mix with ricotta cheese. Once the meat has cooked, add the marinara sauce directly to the skillet. You can season the sauce with Italian seasoning, oregano, crushed chili pepper flakes, etc.

-Add meat mixture to the pasta in a 10-by-12-inch aluminum foil pan. Spread the mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Strawberry Cake

This recipe is so simple, you’ll be kicking yourself for not having thought of it earlier. All you need to do is follow the instructions on the box! Grab yourself a box of Duncan Hines’ Moist Deluxe Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix and you’re ready to go. With just a few basic ingredients (water, vegetable oil, eggs) you’ll be able to bake this delicious and light cake either in an aluminum foil pan, in a Bundt cake pan, or even as cupcakes! This cake is so good you won’t even need the icing on top.

Liked this? Check out these:
The Babes of America’s Biggest Breastaurants [Photos]
Food That You Need to Survive When You’re Broke
The Art Of Bad Restaurant Food Photography
5 Sexy Aphrodesiac Foods That Will Drive Her Wild
Top 5 Fast Food Restaurants That Will Make You Scared to Fart