Low-Fat Vegetable Lasagna

Yes. I am half Italian; however, I was never a big fan of ricotta cheese, which is why I don't make lasagna, baked ziti or ravioli all that often. But a while back, I made Low Fat Black Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna using cottage cheese and I LOVED it! So it prompted me to find other ways to make this recipe as well. 

I was about to leave for vacation and I had some zucchini and cottage cheese I needed to use up before I left so I whipped up a batch of this Low Fat Vegetable Lasagna. It was incredible and I really liked how it wasn't "mushy" with cheese in between the layers like a regular lasagna usually is. I happened to use the regular lasagna sheets that had to be boiled, simply because the store I was in at the time didn't happen to have the no-boil sheets which I prefer using. If you can find them, it would shave off some cooking time. Just layer the sheets like you normally would without cooking the noodles first. 

Low-Fat Vegetable Lasagna

Prep Time:  20 minutes                        Yield: 12

Cook Time:  45 minutes                        Serving: 1 piece

Total Time:  65 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla Lasagna Sheets
• 1lb. 2% Cottage Cheese
• 2 c. Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1 Egg
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley
• 2 c. Zucchini, shredded
• 2 c. Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1 c. Carrots, shredded
• 2-28 oz. Cans Crushed Tomatoes with Basil

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt and cook the lasagna sheets until they are al dente. Drain the water. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, egg, 1 tbsp. parsley, zucchini, spinach, carrots and 1 can of the crushed tomatoes. Mix well. 
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
4. Using a 9"x13" oven safe dish, ladle a thin layer of the crushed tomatoes on the bottom, place 5 lasagna sheets on top of the sauce; then spread the vegetable mixture on top of the noodles. Continue layering four times until the top layer contains only the lasagna sheets. 
5. Add a layer of the crushed tomatoes; then sprinkle with the remaining 1 c. of mozzarella cheese and 1 tbsp. parsley. 
6. Bake for 45 minutes; then remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes; then cut into 12 pieces.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories 302, Carbs 46.5g, Fat 5.1g, Protein 19.5g, Fiber 6.2 g, Sugar 6.6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna, Chinet Bakeware® Product Review & Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, Chinet^® contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing one of their new products...a disposable bakeware line called  Chinet Bakeware^®. I was THRILLED to say the least because I am already a HUGE fan of Chinet® paper products and only buy their plates when serving on disposable dishes for parties, especially because I owned light colored couches!


The day they arrived I was so excited. I opened the box to find one set of each size along with wonderful packaging, clear instructions, neutral green colors and sturdy disposable bakeware with lids. They were beautiful and are perfect to take along to a party without having to worry about getting your dish back! I couldn't wait to get started to see how this paper product was going to hold up in an oven so I decided to make a lasagna for dinner. 


I didn't have any marinara sauce in the freezer so I opted to make a cream sauce. I didn't want all of the added calories of heavy cream, especially since I was using sausage, so I used 2% milk, then thickened it up with a roux. As for the cheese, I used shredded (since hubby went shopping and couldn't resist the block of fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese), but you can use grated as well.  The lasagna was incredible, but very rich and had a robust flavor so a small piece with a tossed salad was perfect for dinner. 

As far as the pan...AWESOME! Even after taking it out of the oven the outside wasn't extremely hot to touch, but was steamy and hot on the inside. I would definitely purchase this product, especially now that picnic season is underway. Here is a little information about the bakeware directly from their website.  "Introducing Chinet Bakeware^® baking pans. The first disposable baking dishes that let you take your food from oven to table to freezer to microwave, all in one attractive, non-stick pan. And because it's from the Chinet brand, strength and stability are built in. Bakeware is designed to be sturdy and dependable no matter what you've got cooked up. And not only does it look good, but you can leave it behind without worrying about losing your favorite permanent pan. Made in the USA of 90% recycled material, Chinet Bakeware is finally an idea in disposable bakeware that isn't half-baked."

They come in four convenient sizes in sets of two including the pan and clear plastic lids: Square 8"x8", Rectangular 9"x13", Oval 7"x11" and Oval 7 1/4" x 9 1/4" (just don't put the lid in the oven!)

Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna with a Parmigiano Reggiano Cream Sauce
1 box Barilla® No Boil Lasagna Sheets (15)
8 Links Italian Sausage, casings removed
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 - 10oz. Package White Mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 - 10oz. Package Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and drained
4 c. Prepared Parmigiano Reggiano Cream Sauce
1 c. Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 c. Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs


In a large saute pan, add the sausage, break apart and cook until there is no more pink. Next, add in the garlic, spinach and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms start to soften. Set aside. Using the 9"x13" disposable Chinet Bakeware^®, ladle a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Next, add 5 lasagna sheets then top with half of the sausage mixture. Add some of the sauce to the top of the sausage, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of lasagna sheets, the remaining sausage mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with the last 5 lasagna sheets, pour remaining sauce over the top then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and bubbly. Serves 12-16. 


Parmigiano Reggiano Cream Sauce
3 tbsp. Butter
4 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
4 c. 2% Milk
2 c. Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg


In a medium saucepan, melt butter then stir in flour forming a roux. Add in the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir until the cheese melts and sauce thickens; approximately 10 minutes. Makes 4 cups


Nutritional Information:
12pp Calories 491, Carbs 26g, Fat 30g, Protein 31g
16pp Calories 368, Carbs 20g, Fat 22g, Protein 23g

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! 
Since I received one package of each size, I will send, not one, not two but three lucky readers a sample 2-pack to give this new product a try. Simply tell me what you would make in this new disposable bakeware and comment below. (Don't forget to include your email address if you're not currently a follower so I can contact you if you're chosen as a winner!)


Winner 1: One 2-pack 8"x8" Chinet Bakeware^®
Winner 2: One 2-pack Oval 7 1/4" x 9 1/4"Chinet Bakeware^®
Winner 3: One 2-pack Oval 7"x11" Chinet Bakeware^®


THE GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED. 
Giveaway entries will close on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 9pm EST and the winners will be randomly selected using random.org and announced on Thursday, May 3, 2012.  GOOD LUCK! 


I'm also excited to have my Morello Cherry Almond Crisp recipe on their site as well so go check it out!




Disclaimer: I received these products free from Chinet®. All opinions are my own based on my own personal experiences. For more information on Chinet Bakeware^® or where you can purchase this new product locally, visit their website!

Copycat Recipe Week: Day 5-Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna

Wow, I can't believe it's Day 6 already! I've been cooking up a storm this week so I'll have plenty of my own new recipes to share with you next week but today's featured recipe comes from Lisa at Lisa's Dinnertime Dish. Now Lisa had already adapted this from Pampered Chef's Celebrate cookbook and I also changed it slightly by removing the peppers (we're not fond of them) and I added in some plum tomatoes instead for the red color. What I found is, you could add just about any vegetable to this dish and it will come out perfectly, so just choose your favorites. The Alfredo sauce was so quick to prepare and extremely tasty. I didn't have any leftover chicken so I had to cook up some chicken breasts ahead of time but Lisa was right, a nice Rotisserie chicken or even leftover chicken or turkey from a roast would make this dish even easier to prepare. The family LOVED it and will definitely be one I'll make again. 

On another note, I recently joined the Weight Watchers® PointsPlus program. It's been something I've been putting off for quite some time and finally decided to just go out and do it (there's no time like the present right?!). So going forward, I will be posting the points values at the end of each recipe. Part of the reason I started with this recipe is because when my husband first heard I was making this, he thought it was going to be extremely high in calories (and points...he's doing this with me also). But after plugging in all of the ingredients, it didn't turn out as bad as we thought (Yippee!!). This was plenty for me as it was very filling but you can also serve this with a tossed salad or an extra side of vegetables if you're looking for something more. Thanks for a great recipe Lisa! 

Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna

6 No Boil Lasagna Sheets (I used Barilla)

3 c. Cooked Chicken, chopped

1 c. Zucchini, chopped

2 Plum Tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. Red Onion, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 c. Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella

3 oz. Crumbled Low Fat Feta Cheese

3 c. Fresh Spinach, washed/stems removed

3 c. Prepared Alfredo Sauce (use recipe below or your own version)

1 oz. Shredded 3 Cheese Italian Mix (I used DiGiorno Parmesan, Asiago & Romano)

Add the chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, mozzarella and feta cheese to a bowl and mix well. Line a 9x9 oven safe baking dish with some of the Alfredo sauce, then place 3 lasagna sheets on the bottom and add more sauce. Add a layer of spinach leaves, then half of the chicken and cheese mixture. Repeat for the second layer. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. (I recommend putting this on a sheet pan so that it doesn't drip on the bottom of your oven). Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 9. 

Alfredo Sauce

2 tbsp. Butter

2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour

3 c. 2% Milk

Pinch of Nutmeg

1tsp. Dried Oregano

3 oz. Shredded 3 Cheese Italian Mix (I used DiGiorno Parmesan, Asiago & Romano)

Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Kosher Salt, to taste

In a large non stick frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour to form a roux. SLOWLY add in the milk until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Add in the cheese, nutmeg and oregano and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Makes 3 cups.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value Per Serving = 7

Enjoy!