Dinner's in the red pot

1. Begin with 1 pound of meat. You can use ground beef or chicken. Italian sausage also works great as well. Tonight I used chicken Italian sausage. Saute with a glug of olive oil over medium heat heat until the meat is browned.

2. Throw in your veggies. I used 1/2 a chopped onion, 1/2 a chopped zucchini, 1 chopped green pepper, 6 sliced mushrooms, a cup of corn, and a cup of peas. Mix together for a few minutes. You don't need to soften them - they'll cook on their own later.

3. Time to season: again, use what you have. Tonight I used fresh oregano, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. You can use dried herbs as well, about a tsp or so of each. Always use salt and pepper.

4. Time to layer: Cover your veggie/meat mixture with 3/4's a bag of uncooked whole wheat pasta, a smaller noodle. Cover with two handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese and pour 1 28 ounce can over chopped tomatoes over the top.

5. Dial the heat down to low, cover the pot, and go put your feet up for an hour while it cooks. Who am I kidding? Run around the house like a crazed person until the timer goes off.