Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

**This recipe came from my friend Jennifer M. She sent it over when we were doing a recipe swap online. It was fun to see a new and different recipe.**

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

2 cans evaporated milk (not fat-free)

1 1oz pkg Ranch dressing mix

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1/8 tsp pepper

1 16oz lasagna noodles, cooked (I only used 12 noodles)

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 cups mozarella cheese

Cook chicken and noodles first. Once noodles are done, rinse in cold water and set aside. Combine evaporated milk and ranch dressing mix in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in Chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered 25 minutes (the directions say not to do less than 25 minutes), stirring frequently. In a well buttered or greased 9x13 baking dish, layer the lasagna noodles, sauce, and cheese. Repeat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

VARIATION:

Cook Penne Pasta instead of Lasagna noodles. Make sauce as directed and add the mozarella cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and noodles. Stir and let the sauce melt the cheese until you have a nice creamy sauce. Add to baking dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Cranberry Mousse

If you're not very fond of cranberries, but like the idea of having them because they are traditional and festive, then you might like this recipe as much as I do. It's become a regular part of our Thanksgiving and/or Christmas meal.

1 lg. (6 oz.) box raspberry jello (sugar free works perfectly)
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 8 oz. carton Cool Whip
1 C. chopped walnuts
1 lg. can whole-berry cranberries

Make jello using only 2 cups water. (You can use pineapple juice as part of the 2 cups.) Let jello set until just starting to gel, not solid. Empty can of cranberries, Cool Whip, drained pineapple and walnuts in a large bowl. Add jello and mix all together. Best if refrigerated a couple more hours.

This makes a pretty large batch. If you don't have a lot to feed I would half it.

Make the cranberry bowl by freezing water in between two bowls and letting cranberries float in the water. Add enough water to the top bowl to make it heavy enough to give you the thickness you want.