Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Hey there! After indulging in tons of amazing meals on vacation, John and I were ready to get back to our normal, lighter fair. Well, we weren't, but our waistbands were - it was worth it!

Anyhoo... I saw this recipe on Jourdan's blog a couple weeks ago, and it sounded so flavorful - yet healthy! - that I knew I wanted to try it. It also seemed like the perfect dish to help get us back on track.

This recipe was so, so, so good! We loved all the veggies and how everything came together.

However...I will tell you that is a recipe I designate as "easy... but time-consuming." Chopping and roasting veggies, layering ingredients and oven-time add up, but it's not actually difficult. So, if you're looking for a fast recipe, this isn't for you. But if you're looking for an easy recipe and don't mind putting in some time, then this is definitely for you.

I highly encourage you to spend the time on this, because you won't be disappointed, and you're sure to have perfect (and healthy!) leftovers for lunch all week! 

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen 

Eggplant Lasagna

So I kind of did something...something that I do from time to time while cooking...Completely misread and/or accidentally omit something important from a recipe. Last time, it was with Stovetop Lasagna, which, wasn't even supposed to be stovetop lasagna. It was supposed to be lasagna soup. However, I may or may not have misread the amount of chicken broth to use, and, errr, umm...yeah...I ended up with something completely different, yet totally delicious.

This is one of those times. Those happy accidents, where, even if you completely did not follow the recipe properly, you end up coming up with something even better (or just as good, as the very least). While I'm still a little resentful that John helped me by taking pictures as I was slicing eggplant - only to tell me they were too thin after I finished slicing it all - I'm glad this recipe ended up being so tasty! While I still want to figure out a lighter way to cook the eggplant, I know this will be made again. :)

Click for more lasagna recipes on Call Me Mrs. Rapp: White Chicken Lasagna, Meat and Cheese Lasagna, Stovetop Lasagna, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna

I adapted this from that wonderful cookbook John's mom got me: The Illustrated Kitchen Bible. However, as I mentioned above, this recipe as a happy accident and you will not find it in its entirety in the book. Below is my recipe. 

Eggplant Lasagna
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp; Adapted from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible
Yields 1 lasagna 
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Ingredients:
*2 large eggplants, cut length-wise into slices (aim for 12-14 slices total)
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*3 large eggs, beaten
*2 tbsp. olive oil (or more as desired/needed)
*2 2/3 cups tomato sauce (store-bought or click here for my simple tomato sauce recipe)
*8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced and divided in thirds
*1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
*1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

*Create a dipping station for flour and eggs: put flour on plate and eggs in a bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper.

*One at a time, dredge each eggplant slice through flour, then egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl (or, like me, use your fingers to slosh off the extra).

*Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, fry the eggplant for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain well on paper towels. (*With each batch, add 1/2 tbsp. olive oil to skillet before eggplant - - I needed 4 batches.)

*Once eggplant is done, layer the following in a casserole or lasagna dish: 2/3 cup tomato sauce, 4 eggplant slices, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and basil. Repeat 2 times, for a total of 3 layers. After the third layer, add 2/3 cup sauce, plus remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

*Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

my thinly-sliced eggplant

please note the huge mess around me as I cut the eggplant...when I cook it is not pretty

all the eggplant slices

dredging through whole wheat flour

golden and slightly crisped on the outside

Ready for the oven!

out and ready for serving...yum!

close-up of John's big serving

and now mine! great with a side salad with simple vinaigrette

view from the side

one more shot!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna

...with whole wheat whole grain noodles, caramelized onion, sage, spinach and brown butter marscapone cheese... all I can say is WOW.

I saw this awhile back on the always amazing How Sweet It Is blog. And as all her posts do, this looked fantastic. I bookmarked it via Pinterest to make on a Sunday - figured it was one of those time-intensive dishes (note, it is) that would be sooo worth it (note, it was).

I also saw that my friend Jourdan made this dish but changed it up a bit. Her creativity inspired me to switch this up, too! I decided to add some caramelized onion (which Jourdan did) and a little spinach, which I was inspired to do while flipping through an issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Our apartment smelled amazing the entire time this was cooking. Starting with the roasting of the butternut squash and sweet potato (and I thought I hated sweet potatoes), to the cooking of the finished product. It was warm, creamy and an absolutely perfect fall dish. John's only complaint? I made it in an 8x8 dish. He told me I'm no longer allowed to make this in such a small dish because it is that good. He actually used the word "mouthgasmic." Think about that and tell me you won't make this. Ahhh. :)

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is & Jourdan Leigh
Yields 1 lasagna  
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Ingredients:
*9-12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
*1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups cubed)
*2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups cubed)
*12 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
*3 tablespoons unsalted butter (honestly I thought this was a bit much...I would cut it down to 1 or 2 tbsps.)
*1 shallot, thinly sliced
*3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
*1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
*1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon pepper
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*a bunch of sage leaves
*olive oil for drizzling
*large yellow onion, plus 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. brown sugar (heated over skillet until browned and softened)
*1-2 cups cooked spinach

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For squash & potatoes: 
*Lay cubed squash and potatoes on a baking sheet, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil (only about 1-2 teaspoons). Use your hands to coat the squash and potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

*Roast for 50 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let cool.

*Once cool, mash with a potato masher or fork.

For mascarpone filling:
*Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Add in shallots and garlic, and whisk every 30 seconds or so for 2-3 minutes. The butter should brown and the shallots and garlic should be fragrant. You don’t want the butter to burn –  if it seems too hot, reduce the heat.

*Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

*In a bowl, combine mascarpone, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, remaining salt and pepper, and the shallots, butter and garlic. Mix until somewhat smooth and spreadable.

Layer lasagna:
 *Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray, then lay 2-4 (depending on size/brand) noodles down. Spread half of the squash mixture evenly over top, followed by caramelized onions and spinach, then spread/crumble half of the mascarpone on top of that.

*Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and remaining parmesan on next, then repeat with one more set of noodles, squash, mascarpone, and cheese.

*Top the dish over with a bunch of sage leaves that will crisp up in the oven.

*Bake for 45 minutes, or until cheese on top is golden and bubbly.

Stay tuned...I'm using the rest of this butternut squash for gnocchi!

Before roasting...

...after roasting

Caramelized onions

Butter, garlic and shallot mixture

First layers done...lasagna, squash and sweet potato mixture, caramelized onions and spinach

plus marscapone cheese mixture, mozzarella and parmesan

Final layer with sage leaves...wishing I had put even more on because they totally enhanced the flavor!

Cooked mine a few minutes too long! I didn't hear the buzzer. It was still good, though!

Yummm

Tasty layers

Mashed up and messy but still delicious!

 

White Chicken Lasagna

So after that amazing Simple Fettuccine Alfredo I was craving another white pasta dish. I'm sensing a dangerous trend here, so this will be my last white pasta dish for awhile. Jeans season is upon us and I'd like to continue to fit in mine.

Anyhoo, I stumbled across a great-looking White Chicken Lasagna recipe by One Ordinary Day on pinterest (shocker, right?). I made some modifications to make a little healthier (whole wheat whole grain noodles, nonfat cheeses, low sodium broth, etc.). I also omitted a layer because I was concerned I'd need to be rolled out of bed if I had even one slice of a four plus layer white lasagna.

Let me tell you, this did not need those extra layers of noodles and cheese. It was absolutely delicious without it, and it didn't feel as heavy as I expected. In fact, I added so much spinach and chicken, and so little actual cheese, it was pretty balanced! (Or as balanced as a white pasta dish can be!) This is a great meal and so yummy, especially as the weather starts getting colder. 

Ingredients:
*9 whole wheat whole grain lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
*1/2 c. butter
*1 onion, minced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 c. flour
*1/2 tsp. salt
*ground black pepper, to taste
*2 c. low sodium chicken broth
*2 c. nonfat milk 
*3 c. skim mozzarella cheese, divided 
*1/2 c. shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, divided
*1 tsp. basil
*1 tsp. oregano
*1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
*1 1/2 c. cooked and shredded chicken (I cooked 2 breasts - 1-1.5 would be enough - in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours, covered halfway in low-sodium chicken broth)
*1 1/2-2 c. spinach (I used frozen, thawed in microwave with excess liquid drained)

Directions:
*Melt butter in a large saucepot.  Add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent.  Add flour, salt, and pepper.  Cook flour mixture 1-2 minutes.

*Add chicken broth and milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute.  Turn off heat and add 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.  Stir in dried spices.

*Lightly spray a lasagna pan or 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Ladle some cheese sauce onto the bottom to thinly cover.

*Add a layer of lasagna noodles.  Layer with more cheese sauce, the chicken, and the ricotta cheese.

*Add another layer of pasta.  Top with cheese sauce and spinach.

*Add another layer of pasta.  Top with cheese sauce. Add remaining 1 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese.

*Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Remove foil and continue to cook until bubbly.  If cheese doesn’t brown on top, turn on the broiler for the last couple minutes. (I cooked mine another 10 minutes after removing the foil. Then I turned the broiler up to 405 degrees for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese was completely melted and golden.)

*Allow lasagna to sit about 15 minutes before serving for easier slicing.

Onions, garlic, and butter

Cheese sauce

Layer one

Chicken layer

Chicken and ricotta

Cheese sauce and spinach

Final layer

All brown and bubbly

Creamy goodness

Steamed up my phone a bit! (All my pictures are taken on my phone)

Stovetop Lasagna

The second I saw this I knew I had to make it. Like, asap. Which I did, considering I saw this post sometime this weekend. My friend Jourdan found it via Pinterest (she's the one who got me hooked!), and she liked it so much that she made it twice in one week! Talk about glowing recommendations.

Anyhoo, it is a dreary Monday here, and I was feeling pretty mopey about it. So when I remembered this warm, tasty soup was waiting to be made, I cheered up a bit. However, the hubby wasn't feeling the soup, so I thought I would revise this a bit and make it into something heartier.

This was delicious, and let me add, so much easier than making actual lasagna. Cooking meat, pasta sauce and pasta - all separately, and then mixing cheese together. Not to mention all the layering...Don't get me wrong, I love lasagna, but it takes a very long time. This, however, is nothing compared to all that. Oh, and just as tasty. Add in Cheesy Oven-Roasted Garlic Bread and Happy Monday!

Ingredients:

Pasta Base:
*1 lb Italian sausage
*1/2 large chopped onion
*4 garlic cloves, minced
*2 tsp. dried oregano
*1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
*2 tbsp tomato paste
*1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used 2 cans from Hunts)
*10-14 oz. crushed tomatoes (depending on how thick you want it and flavor)
*10-15 oz chicken stock, depending on how thick you want it
*8 oz. mafalda or rotini pasta (or any pasta; I used whole wheat whole grain rotini!)
*1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
*4 tablespoons brown sugar
*salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheesy yum:
*8 oz. ricotta (I used nonfat)
*1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
*pinch of freshly ground pepper
*2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

*In a large pot or stockpot, brown sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and add onions. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

*Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.

*Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

*Add diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. (Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy.)

*Add brown sugar. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

*While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

*To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot pasta mixture over the cheese.

All you need for this yummy dish!

Simmering away

Cheesy yum

My "dollop" of cheesy yum

Soooo gooood.

I can't imagine eating this without the garlic bread. It's that good.

Meat and Cheese Lasagna

As a gift from my dad and Peggy, John received a beautiful lasagna dish that was from our everyday china collection. Now, I love my husband dearly, but the only thing he cooks are mac 'n cheese and cereal (though he does them quite well!). I've used the dish many time for casseroles or just baking chicken, but never for lasagna itself. This week I decided it was finally time to change that.

I thought it would be so simple to find a lasagna recipe. Turns out, there are SO many lasagna recipes that I thought my head was spinning. I felt overwhelmed and almost gave up my pursuit. However, after looking at many (at least 20) different recipes, and thinking about how far I've come as a cook, I decided I was skilled enough to make up my own lasagna recipe...! I was very nervous, but it turned out so well, that I am so excited to share it with all of you. If I can make up a decent recipe so can you!! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one since I've had zero feedback besides John and myself - we are a little biased. :)

Ingredients:
*lasagna noodles
*sauce (click to use my meat sauce recipe; or use a jar of store-bought sauce plus some ground meat mixed in; or use a jar of store-bought sauce, plus maybe some spinach or other veggies, for you vegetarians out there)
*15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
*1 egg, beaten
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (included in almost every spice rack!)
*2 cups parmesan cheese
*2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used low fat part skim)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


*Cook noodles according to package directions (about 8 are needed). *Tip: To keep noodles from sticking to each other, add a little olive oil to the pot when you add the noodles.

*Cook meat sauce while you cook pasta. If you're not using meat sauce recipe, heat store-bought sauce in a saucepan and cook meat or vegetables on a skillet. Add cooked meat to saucepan to simmer and absorb flavors.

*In a small-medium sized bowl, combine beaten egg and ricotta cheese with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well.

*In another bowl, combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used shredded, which was an entire bag) and 1 cup parmesan cheese (again, I used shredded).

*In a lasagna dish, or 13x9 inch dish, begin layers: 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; (repeat) 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; remaining sauce plus 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese.

*Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese and sauce bubble. Enjoy! :)

First layer: 2 cups meat sauce

Second layer: 4 cooked lasagna noodles

Third layer: ricotta cheese mixture

Final layer: shredded cheese mixture

Top layer: sauce covered by about a cup of parmesan cheese

Right out of the oven - yum!

All those tasty layers :)