Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna (slightly adapted from Woman’s Day, Servings: 8, Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 Tbsp. olive oil

·         1 large egg

·         4 egg whites

·         1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs

·         ½ cup all-purpose flour

·         2 medium (about 2 ¼ pounds total) eggplants

·         1 container (16-oz.) lowfat small-curd cottage cheese

·         1 container (15-oz.) part-skim ricotta

·         1 ½  cups part-skim mozzarella, grated

·         ½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

·         2 Tbsp. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

·         Black pepper

·         1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

·         ½ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         1 jar marinara sauce

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover two large rimmed baking sheets with foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Beat the egg and egg whites together in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Add 2 Tbsp. oil to the bread crumbs and mix to combine.
2. Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Dip the eggplant rounds in the flour, then the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help them adhere; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Roast until the eggplant is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup Romano or Parmesan, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Fold in the basil and parsley.
4. Spread ½ cup marinara on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant (8 to 12 slices) and ½ cup marinara, and dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 ½ cups). Repeat eggplant, marinara, and ricotta layers twice. Top with the remaining ½ cup marinara. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp. Romano.
5. Cover the dish tightly with a piece of foil (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I’ll start off by saying that I did not have enough eggplant to have three layers, so I ended with the cheese mixture and topped with more cheese!  I also used dried basil and parsley instead of fresh (1/3 of original amount) and a garden vegetable marinara sauce.  I used more panko and egg white than originally called for; the above accounts for those additional ingredients.  I used slightly less flour, but I kept the above at ½ cup.

This dish is very Italian – and very cheesy.  Now, I love cheese, but I would not use so much next time.  I think that I would cut it back, maybe using 2/3 of the amount called for in the original recipe. Of course, my husband didn’t think there was too much cheese.  He loved this and enjoyed helping to make it.  The cheese and sauce make the dish very creamy.  The eggplant remained tender and was fairly easy to cut through, I didn’t even need to use a knife.

This dish reheats well, so great for leftovers.  I look forward to making this again.

Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin Lasagna (adapted from Epicurious, Servings: 8; Total Time: 90 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 ½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 small onion, finely chopped

·         ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

·         1 pound Morning Star Farms Burger Crumbles

·         1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce

·         3 tsp. dried oregano

·         2 tsp. salt

·         1 small crook-neck pumpkin

·         1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

·         ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

1.       Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.       In a large straight-sided skillet set over medium heat, heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the burger crumbles and cook, breaking up any large pieces with the back of a spoon, until warm throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the oregano and salt. Let cool.

3.       Slice the pumpkin lengthwise into thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick). Put 5 or 6 slices, overlapping slightly, in the bottom of an 11 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the sauce. Dot with ¼ cup of the ricotta. Repeat the layers twice, alternating the direction of the pumpkin. Top with the remaining pumpkin and brush the top with the remaining ¼ teaspoon oil. Dot with the remaining ¼ cup ricotta and season with the black pepper. Top with the Parmesan cheese.

4.       Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I made a lot of changes to the recipe to make it vegetarian and based on what I had in our kitchen.  My mom had given me this huge crook-necked squash (pumpkin), so I decided to use that instead of zucchini in this recipe.  It’s really difficult to cut into thin slices through a mandolin, so be careful if you use it!  Other than that, the dish was pretty easy to put together and the result was tasted.  I was worried that it might be a little too pumpkin-y, but it wasn’t!  It was delicious.  The oregano is really up and front in this dish ( I used dried instead of fresh) and each mouthful is very creamy and cheesy.  The pumpkin falls apart when you cut into it – perfectly tender.  I really enjoyed it!

Sauceless Garden Lasagna

Sauceless Garden Lasagna (from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: approx.. 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

·         1/3 cup chopped red onion

·         1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided

·         ½ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

·         2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced into small pieces

·         4 cups fresh baby spinach

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

·         1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         3 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

·         1 tsp. sugar

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 (8 oz.) package no-boil lasagna noodles

·         9 roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, red onion, ½ cup mozzarella, and feta. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, stir in basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3.      Place a layer of lasagna noodles into the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a layer of tomato slices over the noodles. Spread a generous amount of the spinach mixture over the tomatoes. (NOTE: it shrinks a lot while cooking.) Layer slices of tomatoes over the spinach mixture, then another layer of noodles. Start with another layer of tomatoes on top of the noodles, and repeat layers until ending with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top.

4.      Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until noodles, and vegetables are tender. Let stand for a few minutes to set, then slice and serve.

First, I’ll say that this dish is not too pretty to look at – the cooked spinach looks a little mushy.  But the taste is there, for the most part.  I think that there is a little too much balsamic vinegar and it slightly overpowers the taste – I recommend either less vinegar, or adding more olive oil.  The dish does become quite large, and I only used 3 cups of spinach and bout 1/3 of the box of lasagna noodles (it would have overflowed the pan with 4 cups of spinach and the whole box of noodles).  One other change I recommend making – remove the skins from the tomatoes, I had some stringy parts in mine.

The zucchini and red onions remain crisp, which adds a nice texture component compared to the softness of the other ingredients.  Surprisingly, the tomatoes were a little crisp too (probably because they were not fully ripe when we bought them).  My husband was OK with the dish, but did not eat any of the leftovers.  The above veggies also remain crisp upon reheating.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

 Butternut Squash Lasagna (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Total Time: 2 hours, Servings: 8-10)

Ingredients

·         3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         ¼ cup margarine

·         6 cloves garlic, minced

·         ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         4 cups skim milk

·         1 Tbsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         6-9 no-boil lasagna noodles

·         1 cup shredded Italian pizza cheese

·         1 cup half and half

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with Pam. Place squash in the prepared baking pan. Spread in an even layer. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring once. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

For sauce:

1.      Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat margarine over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in flour and ½ tsp. salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in squash and rosemary.

2.      Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole with Pam.

3.      To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish.

           A.) If using 9 noodles:

                       1.) Layer three of the noodles in dish. Spread with one-third of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle      

                             with 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese 

                              two more times. Pour half and half evenly over layers in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 

                              shredded cheese.

            B.) If using 6 noodles:

                       1.) Layer three of the noodles in the dish.  Spread half of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with half 

                             of the shredded cheese. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese one more 

                              time. Pour half and half evenly over layers in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded 

                              cheese.

4.      Cover dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more or until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I don’t like cutting whole butternut squash, so I bought the pre-chunked kind.  It worked just fine!  The butternut squash comes out soft, so there isn't much of a texture combination in this dish.  I only used 6 noodles, so my lasagna had a little bit of excess liquid.  However, I liked it and will keep on eating the leftovers.  The changes above take out a lot of the calories and fat from the original recipe.

As for changes, I recommend adding some pepper to the sauce. I think that would go a long way to enhancing the flavor of the dish.  It does fill up your tummy though!  Be careful with the garlic, a few days later, my house still smells of it!

Mexican Lasagna – Lite

Mexican Lasagna – Lite (adapted from AllRecipes, 6 servings, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 package Morningstar Farms MealStarters burger crumbles

·         1 envelope taco seasoning mix

·         ¾ cup water

·         1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips (can also use corn tortilla shells)

·         1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained

·         2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) carton nonfat sour cream, divided

·         1 (16 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) package shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.      Put frozen crumbles into a skillet over medium heat, breaking up into as it cooks.  Continue until no longer frozen, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in taco seasoning mix and water, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped green chilies and refried beans, remove from heat.

4.      Spread a scant 2/3 cup enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of an 8x10-inch baking dish; top sauce with ½ of the crushed chips. Spread chips with half the sour cream, half the crumble/bean mixture, and 1/3 the cheese blend. Top with another 2/3 cup enchilada sauce and the remaining tortilla chips. Firmly press down on tortillas to compact the layers beneath.

5.      Spread remaining sour cream, crumble/bean mixture, 1/3 the cheese blend and 2/3 cup enchilada sauce onto chips. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese blend.

6.      Bake casserole uncovered in the preheated oven until the cheese topping is melted and bubbling and casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.

I was following the intiial recips (except using tortilla chips instead of shells) until I tried to spread the sour cream on top of the tortilla chips, then everything went to heck.  It is quite a difficult task to do without them moving around (so, use the shells if you like things a little easier).  I made a combination of the shells, enchilada sauce, and chips as the first layer, followed by the crumble/bean mixture.  The next layer ended up pretty much the same.  However, it doesn’t really matter how you make it – it tastes wonderful.  I used PepperJack cheese instead of a Mexican blend and it added a nice kick to the meal – I also used medium-style enchilada sauce.  It was spicy (not too much for my husband) and very creamy (I don’t think that even the tortilla shells would have held their crunch against this meal!).  The taste is absolutely declicious (my mouth is watering right now as I remember it) and a great Mexican bite.  I definitely recommend this one!

Italian Veggie Rolls

Italian Veggie Rolls (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 cup chopped mushrooms

·         ½ onion, diced

·         1 cup shredded carrots

·         1 cup green peas

·         1 cup chopped broccoli

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ¼ cup dry red wine

·         2 cups shredded Italian pizza cheese

·         1 egg

·         2 Tbsp olive oil

·         ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

·         1 (16 oz.) package lasagna noodles – I only used about ½ to ¾ of the noodles in the package

·         1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.      Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse, drain, set aside.

3.      Heat oil in a medium sauté pan. Add mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas, and broccoli; sauté over medium heat until tender. Add wine and garlic; cook five minutes, or until wine has just about evaporated. Remove from heat, and cool for ten minutes.

4.      In a medium bowl combine vegetable mixture, Italian cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, and egg. Mix well.

5.      Pour ¼ of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Spread 1/3 cup vegetable mixture over each lasagna noodle then carefully roll up the noodle. Place seam side down in dish. When finished placing all the noodles in the pan, pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over noodles. Cover with aluminum foil.

6.      Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

7.      Uncover, and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over noodles. Bake, uncovered, 5 more minutes.

My husband and I both enjoyed this dish very much.  It did take some time to assemble the rolls and some of the filling fell out when I was making them, but I think that it was worth it.  The mixture was tasty and I would not make any additional changes to it (though the original calls for mozzarella and I used Italian pizza cheese – I just think it has more flavor).  This is a great way to mix vegetables into a pasta dish.

Cheddar Vegetable Lasagna

Cheddar Vegetable Lasagna (Servings: 8-10, Total Time: 1 hour – 1 hour, 15 min.)

(adapted from KraftRecipes.com)

Not your typical lasagna dish, but good flavors and a mix of texture make it a good meal.  I would like to see a little more protein, but that is easily fixed by adding some faux sausage or burger crumbles.  The original recipe does not tell you where to add the cheddar cheese, so I added it in two places!

Ingredients

½ lb. mushrooms, diced

¼ cup margarine, divided

3-3 ½ cups shredded carrots

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

Dash of pepper

2 ½ cups milk

1 container (16 oz.) Cottage Cheese

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

9 lasagna noodles

2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1.)    Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.)    Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.

3.)    Cook and stir mushrooms in 1 Tbsp. margarine in a large skillet on medium-high heat until tender. Remove from skillet; set aside.

4.)    Add remaining margarine, then carrots and onions to skillet. Cook and stir 5 min. or until carrots are tender. Reduce heat to medium.

5.)    Blend in flour and seasonings. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in mushrooms and 1 cup cheddar cheese.

6.)    Combine cottage cheese, spinach, and 1 cup cheddar cheese.

7.)    Place 3 of the noodles on bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with one-third each of the cottage cheese and the carrot mixtures. Cover with 3 more noodles and one-third each of the cottage cheese and carrot mixtures. Top with the remaining 3 noodles and remaining cottage cheese and carrot mixtures. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

8.)    Bake 30 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand a few minutes before cutting to serve.

The carrots and onion add a little crunch to the texture, but the lasagna is otherwise a very soft consistency.  The original recipe called for 4 cups of carrots, but that seemed like way too much.  I recommend 3-3 ½ cups in my adapted version, but that is all up to you and what you and your family like. 

I didn’t have 9 lasagna noodles, so I only used 6 and layered half and half of the mixtures.  The dish came out bubbly and cheesy-looking.  The fat content is high because of the shredded cheddar, but if you use 2%, that can eliminate some unnecessary fat and calories from this dish without affecting the taste.  Also, I found that you don’t necessarily need the butter to cook the mushrooms or carrots.  I actually didn’t add any additional butter to the cook the carrots and they turned out just fine.  This dish is a great way to sneak in some vegetables because of the cheesy goodness that encases them.  Enjoy!

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

I wanted to try this recipe because I am a huge fan of roasted red peppers, cheese, and pasta.  This seemed like it would be a pretty good mix.  The lasagna is very filling and healthy for a pasta dish – and the fat and calorie content can be controlled depending on your choice of ricotta and parmesan.  I did enjoy it and it made a ton of leftovers – I actually had to freeze about half of it because we just couldn’t eat it all!

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna (expected time 2 hours, 12+ servings)

(adapted from Kraft Foods)

Ingredients

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce – I used a tomato/basil marinara.  Your choice in sauce will affect the overall taste of the dish, so choose wisely!

2 large  red peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled – I used canned roasted red peppers.  Much easier.

1 egg, beaten

2-1/2 cups  Light Ricotta Cheese

2-1/2 cups Shredded part-skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1 pkg.  (16 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1/2 tsp.  ground nutmeg

12 lasagna noodles

2 tsp.  olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 lb.  fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1.)    Heat oven to 350ºF.

2.)    Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package, omitting salt.

3.)    Blend spaghetti sauce and peppers in blender until smooth.

4.)    Combine egg, ricotta, 1-1/4 cups mozzarella, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan and nutmeg.

5.)    Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in mushrooms; cook 10 min. or until tender and browned.

6.)    Spread 3/4 cup sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the mushroom mixture and 3/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray.

7.)    Bake 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil after 45 min. Let stand 15 min. before serving.

I cooked my noodles with a half dry red wine – half water mixture.  It adds just a touch of a wine taste to the noodles.  This dish needed something extra.  It was OK as is, but a little garlic powder and cayenne pepper on the leftovers helped its taste tremendously.  Next time, I’ll probably add these two spices into the ricotta mixture – or sauté a few garlic cloves with the onions.  This should make this dish tastier.  The spinach and mushrooms were also slightly overwhelming. I will use only 10 oz. of spinach in my future endeavors and chop the mushrooms instead of using slices.  That should definitely help keep the focus on the overall lasagna and not its component parts.