Leftover Magic: Weeknight Chicken ‘Cacciatore’ Pasta Bowl

Grilled or roasted chicken is a pretty standard leftover. It sits there eyeing you from the cold depths of your refrigerator challenging you to do something inventive and delicious with it. Most of us slap it on a sandwich, mix it with mayo or toss it onto a salad. But I’m talking about repurposing with a purpose, a little reinventing. A sad leftover Costco chicken threw down the gauntlet in my kitchen last night and I am proud to say I knocked it out of the park, putting that chicken in its place with my spin on a family favorite, chicken cacciatore, revamped for a weeknight easy meal and a warm bowl of goodness.

Old School Lasagna with Meat Sauce Gets Us Back in the Saddle

To my faithful readers and food enthusiasts alike, it has been WAY too long since my last posts and for that I owe you all an apology. I took an unexpected hiatus you see. We bought a house and then we headed off to Italy…and then to Africa and then life just seemed to get in the way.  It’s been one hell of a year folks, but I’m back and I’m hungry for more food adventures. Thought I’d kick things off again with an ode to my roots….meat sauce, cheese, pasta…mmmmmmmm oh yeah it’s my unapologetic homemade meat lasagna folks and it is a doozy!

This one is not for the faint of heart. This is a dish that oozes hominess with sweet yet spicy meat sauce smothered over al dente sheets of pasta tucked between layers of creamy, gooey cheese all bubbling over the side of your favorite casserole dish. With mother nature turning her wintery eye on San Francisco this week, I though it apt to share this “hide out on your couch cause it’s too damn cold outside” dish.

I have to give a nod to my girl, Alex Guarnaschelli, whose Old School Lasagna was my inspiration for recreating a childhood favorite.