Two Easy Recipes for NEW YEARS

So I am not a traditional Black Beans for New Years' eve Momza. I think I have made my last pot of beans last week when I made Split Pea soup and all of the people in this house (also known as my FAMILY) ate something else. We're not a bean-eating family evidently.
So this is what's cookin for tonight:

EASY Green Chili Beef Tortillas
You'll need a crockpot. Yeah, there's a reason Crockpot Lady is on my blog. I love my crockpot!

Put a little oil in the bottom of your crockpot.
Add your uncooked roast of choice. I've used beef and pork. Both are good. Both favorites.
Sprinkle some ground pepper on it, to your taste.
Add about 3 TB of minced garlic on the top.
Open a can of green chilis and pour it on the top.
THAT'S IT!

Put the lid on it and COOK on Low overnight, into the next day or evening. Just let it cook until you're ready to eat. For the last couple of hours, let it cook with the lid off to get rid of some juice.
Then shred it all up in the pot.
Serve with flour tortillas, cheese, sour cream, salsa--whatever else you like on your burritos!
And I'll be serving it with spanish rice.



Bechamel Lasagna

This is what we had for Christmas dinner. My family jumped up and down when I offered it up instead of the traditional stuff for a change. The best part is that I didn't have to cook it. My husband loves making it, and Dani wanted to learn how, so she was his "assistant". Yea for me!
We got this recipe from our very kind friend, C. Valduga, who is in fact, from Northern Italy.
It's his Momma's Recipe, no kidding.

Bechamel Lasagna
YEILD: 2 large (bigger than 9x13) pans

Ingredients:
2 Boxes of Lasagna Noodles (No-Cook or Regular)
Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese (Shredded...amount depends on how much you love cheese! We use a large bag of each)
Salt

RAGU (red) sauce:
olive oil
Whole cloves of garlic
6 cans diced tomatoes
2 lbs. of Ground Pork

In big pot:
Saute garlic in olive oil. Crush tomatoes in a food processor or blender...just a little to make it more saucy, but not totally smoothe. Add tomatoes to garlic. Then add Pork. Cook until browned. Add salt to taste.

BECHAMEL (white)sauce:
Pint of Half n Half & 1/2 Gal of 2% milk or 1/2 Gallon of Whole Milk
Flour
Nutmeg

In big Pot:
Add about 1/2 gal of whole milk or half n half with some 2% milk to make a 1/2 gallon.
Bring to low boil, then add flour to thicken. Use a handheld mixer as you slowly add the flour so it comes to a smoothe consistency. Add the nutmeg until you can just barely taste it. Add salt to taste.

ASSEMBLY:
Spray LARGE baking pan with Pam or similar (for easy serving and clean-up!).
Spread a small amount of Ragu sauce on bottom of pan.
Then Noodles.
Ragu. (red sauce)
Bechamel.(white sauce)
Cheeses.
Start Over.
End with Cheese.

Cook in 350o oven for 30 minutes COVERED with aluminum foil. Then UNCOVERED for 10 minutes. Then, take it out and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes to set before serving.

*Notice there is no cottage or ricotta cheese in this recipe. It's not how they make it over there!

This makes an enourmous amount of food...don't eat it alone...call some family and/or friends over! Tell someone to bring a salad, and someone else to bring some great Italian bread over with them! Start the New Year off right, surrounded by people you love!

ENJOY!