Jen's Recipe Corner: Lasagna

Ok I don't know exactly when I turned into June Cleaver but it happened.  I made up my own Lasagna recipe.  Shocking.  Even more surprising was that it was freaking delicious and relatively healthy for you.  So here's the recipe I wrote down partially to share, partially so I don't forget how I did it.

Meat and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1 lb lean ground beef

1 28 oz can tomato sauce

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 ½  tsp salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

2 16 oz containers cottage cheese

4 eggs

1 tsp nutmeg

Bag of Fresh spinach

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

First…Make the meat sauce

• Saute one medium onion and 1 heaping tsp of minced garlic in EVOO.
• Add 1 lb lean ground beef
• Drain and toss in a bigger pot
• Add one big can of tomato sauce
• Add one can diced tomatoes
• Add 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.  Also added garlic powder to taste.
• Simmer for 1 hour.

While that’s cooking…Make the filling:

• Dump 2 16 oz containers of cottage cheese in a bowl (I used 2% milkfat)
• Beat 3-4 eggs in a separate bowl and mix in with the cottage cheese 
• Add 1 tsp nutmeg
• Add ½ tsp salt 
• Scoop out 1 ½ cups of this mixture into a separate bowl to use as the lasagna topping. 
• Add chopped fresh spinach to the main mixture….I used like 2 handful of fresh – probably 2 cups or so.
• Mix it all up.

Then put it all together…

• Use the Barilla no-cook noodles.  Soak 9 of them in warm water for a few minutes to make them pliable but not too soft.
• Spray lasagna pan with PAM.
• Spread some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Place 3 noodles in the bottom side by side – not touching.
• Add ½ the spinach mixture in a layer across the noodles.
• Add a layer of the tomato sauce.
• Add a layer of mozzarella cheese and parmesan
• Add another layer of noodles, spinach, tomato sauce, cheese
• Add another layer of noodles, then add the reserved CC mixture (without the spinach), tomato sauce, and top with a final layer of cheese.

 

Cook covered tightly with parchment paper and tin foil at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.  Then remove foil/parchment and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Then you do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around.  That's what it's all about.

Remove from oven and let it sit 15 min before serving.

Delish.