From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Super Bowl Lasagna Battle

As is the tradition here at Bunny and Brandy's Brunchtime Blog, Brandy has decided cook up something special for this year's Super Bowl which would please fans of either team, whether its the Denver Broncos (Brandy refers to them as the "Colorado Ponies") or the Seattle Seahawks (or as Brandy prefers, the "Northwestern Kestrels").  Luckily, the fine people at Red Gold Tomatoes have come up with a brilliant idea for stirring up culinary creativity in their All in One Lasagna Kit, which comes complete with a box of noodles, the ingredients for the perfect tomato sauce, an easy to follow recipe, and a shiny new metal spatula.  The idea behind the kit is to allow anyone, from beginner home cook to tired professional chef after work, to make a hearty, flavorful, and satisfying lasagna quickly and easily which can be elevated by adding personal little touches to the basic recipe.  It was upon this canvas that Brandy chose to paint a little by creating two unique lasagnas themed on the cities fighting for the crown of Super Bowl Champion.  Make sure to check out Red Gold's Facebook page as well as their website for an ever growing database of even more exciting lasagna ideas!

The Denver Lasagna
This recipe combines Red Gold's basic All-In-One Lasagna Recipe with the classic flavors of a Denver Omelette to create a colorful new twist on the traditional dish.

1/2 cup water
1 can (28 ounce) Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes (provided in the kit)
2 cans (14.5 ounce) Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano (provided in the kit)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 (16 ounce) box of traditional lasagna noodles (provided in the kit)
1 (15 ounce) carton of low fat ricotta cheese
3 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheeses (Brandy used a combination of mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, provolone, and asiago)
1 pound Pancetta, cubed
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the pancetta.  Saute until the pancetta begins to crisp, then add onions and peppers.  Cook together until the onions are translucent, then set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt to taste.  Cover the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with 1 1/2 cups of sauce mixture.  Arrange 1/3 of the dry noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapped.  Top with 1/2 of ricotta cheese, then 1/2 of pancetta mixture,1 cup of shredded cheese, and 1 cup of sauce.  Repeat layers, then top with last 1/3 of noodles and the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover tightly with tin foil and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the noodles are cooked.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The Seattle Lasagna
This recipe combines Red Gold's basic All-In-One Lasagna Recipe with the classic flavor of Shrimp Scampi, celebrating the abundance of fresh seafood available in the Northwestern United States.

1/2 cup water
1 can (28 ounce) Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes (provided in the kit)
2 cans (14.5 ounce) Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano (provided in the kit)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 (16 ounce) box of traditional lasagna noodles (provided in the kit)
1 (15 ounce) carton of low fat ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 a head of garlic, cut into slivers

Heat a medium skillet to medium heat and add the butter.  Once butter is melted, add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes on low heat.  Add shrimp and sear on each side for about a minute, adding salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt to taste.  Cover the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with 1 1/2 cups of sauce mixture.  Arrange 1/3 of the dry noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapped.  Top with 1/2 of ricotta cheese, then 1/2 of the shrimp and garlic slices,1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and 1 cup of sauce.  Repeat layers, then top with last 1/3 of noodles and the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover tightly with tin foil and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the noodles are cooked.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.