Butternut Squash Lasagna

Here it is... yet another butternut squash recipe. We've been chowing down on the delicious & nutritious fall delight for the past several days. Tonight's squash meal has to be one of my all-time favs!

I love lasagna and have posted several different varieties (vegetarian, beef, turkey, crockpot, rolls, etc...) Clearly, I am a fan! But something I had never tried was lasagna without marinara!! I mean, I thought that was a pre-requiste for lasagna... I was sooo wrong! I might even dare to say that I PREFER this non-marinara stuff! The home-made butternut squash sauce is so uniquely delicious - creamy, savory & a tad sweet... At least tonight, I'd say it surpasses the tomato-based, typical lasagna sauce.

This recipe is meat-free, but you can easily add in any cooked meat of choice. I'd recommend ground turkey or chicken, but I am sure beef would be good, too.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA
What you need:
8-10 whole grain lasagna noodles (I use the ones that you don't have to boil first - makes it easier. Otherwise, you'll need to first boil your noodles)
2C roasted or boil butternut squash (*instructions below)
1/2C water
1TBSP olive oil
1/4C diced shallots
2TBSP minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) container of low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2C mozzarella
1/2C fresh parmesan
1 egg
2C spinach or kale
salt, pepper, parsley
Optional: fresh basil

How to:
Puree butternut squash w/ 1/4C water... add more as need to get a good consistency (you don't want it watery).

Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and shallots. Saute 5-7 minutes. Add squash. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste, add 2TBSP parmesan. Stir well. Take off heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the ricotta, egg, spinach or kale, salt, pepper & parsley. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1/3rd of the butternut squash on bottom. Cover with noodles, trying not to overlap. Spread on 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella. Layer on another set of noodles. Top with 1/3rd of squash sauce, 1/2 ricotta. Add one more layer of noodles. Top with squash sauce & remaining cheese. I then added some fresh basil leaves. Cover dish with foil and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle on some more parm! MMMMmmmm

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

I baked 2LBs all at once because I was planning on using it for several different recipes. This recipe works for any amount.

What you need:
Diced butternut squash, without the skin
olive oil
sea salt

How to:
Preheat oven to 375. Cover the bottom of your baking sheet with oil. Place squash on sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until soft, but not mushy.

Butternut Squash Quesadilla

Clearly, I am on a butternut squash kick (another post coming tomorrow- hint: lasagna!!).

We got a two pound package of diced butternut squash from Costco this weekend, so I'm testing out new recipes. Last night, I made butternut squash & kale quesadillas, and used the squash hummus (below) as a dip. It was soooo good!

Here's the scoop...

I added shredded chicken for this one - I leftovers

BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUESADILLA
What you need:
1/4C roasted butternut squash (I roasted the entire 2LBs at once. Cover bottom of baking dish with olive oil. Spread out diced squash. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes)
1/4C mozzarella cheese
1C kale or spinach
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/2TBSP olive oil

How to:
Heat skillet with olive oil. Saute spinach & remove. Layer cheese, squash & spinach on one side of the tortilla. Close tortilla and grill on skillet. Use hummus, salsa or Greek yogurt as dip.

Skinny Veggie Lasagna

I've posted several different lasagna recipes here, but I have yet to do a vegetarian option. (Click HERE to see my other lasagna varieties)...

My neighbor, Lindsay, made us an awesome veggie lasagna when we had our baby boy, a year and a half ago. I had never had lasagna without meat before this. Wow... it was sooo good! I finally decided to give it a go myself. Since I am a crockpot nut... that was my cooking source. Of course, the crockpot makes everything easier cause you can just layer the goods and leave it to get even better. Here's my Skinny Veggie Lasagna recipe....

SKINNY VEGGIE LASAGNA

What you need:
2C diced zucchini
2C kale or spinach
1 small green bell pepper, diced
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken in half
1C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (26 ounce) jar tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) container cottage cheese
salt, pepper, oregano, basil
*Optional: mushrooms, carrots, onion, eggplant

How to:
1. In bowl, mix cottage cheese & 1/2C mozzarella
2. Spray slow-cooker with non-stick spray. Layer half of the uncooked noodles. It's ok to overlap.
3. Place zucchini, spinach and bell pepper in a bowl. Add oregano, salt, pepper and basil. Toss
4. Spoon 1/2 veggie mixture on noodles. Top w/ 1/2 of the tomato sauce and 1/4C water.
4. Carefully spread cottage cheese mixture & layer the remaining noodles, remaining veggies, and sauce. Top with another 1/4C water.
5. Cover and cook on medium/high for 4 hours.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/2C mozzarella and cook for 15 more minutes so it's nice and melty. Enjoy

Lasagna Roll Ups

I've been on a cottage cheese kick lately... so, last night I was laying in bed thinking 'it would be so good to put cottage cheese in a big noodle and eat it like a burrito' haha... the things I dream about. Weirdo, for sure! lol!

Anyway, after a little thought, it dawned on me that I hadn't invented some amazing meal, but my idea was basically stuffed shells with a lasagna noodle instead ;-/ Even though I can't take credit for creating this delicious meal... I did add my own healthy twists. Here it is... 

LASAGNA ROLL UPS

What you need:

12-14 whole wheat lasagna noodles (boiled until soft)

1LB 90/10 organic ground beef or turkey (can omit to make vegetarian)

1/2C part-skim ricotta cheese

1C lowfat cottage cheese

1C low sugar marinara

1/2 sweet onion

1/2 green bell pepper

2C spinach

1/4C fresh basil

salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano to taste

How to:

Preheat oven to 350

Saute veggies with meat & seasonings. 

In a medium bowl, add cheeses together and sprinkle in basil leaves and oregano. 

Lay noodles on a greased pan. Spread a spoonful of cheese mixture & meat mix on each noodle. Roll noodles. Top w marinara & bake 15 minutes. Top with extra basil before serving.

No Noodle Lasagna

Lasagna... cheesy, greasy, carbs, filling, un-healthy.... delicious ;-) Those are some of the words that come to mind when I think about this Italian delight. I love lasagna, but I don't like the feeling it gives me AFTER I chow down... it's that "rock in the pit of your tummy" feeling. The carb overload is never a good thing. SO... why not skip the noodles, swap the fatty piles of cheese and add in nutritious veggies? I gave it a shot and WOW... it was fantastic! This NO NOODLE LASAGNA has all of the yummy taste of the traditional dish, without the yucky feeling afterward. Best part is, one serving has less than 400 calories!

NO NOODLE LASAGNA

What you need:

4-5 medium zucchini

1LB lean ground beef

1 small yellow onion

1C cottage cheese

1 egg

1C low-fat shredded mozzarella

1 jar tomato sauce (low sugar - 6 grams max per serving)

optional veggie additions: mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, garlic

spices: oregano, salt, pepper

How to:

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice zucchini (about 1/8th inch). Grill (this is important because it soaks out some of the moisture in the veggie). Blot zucchini with paper towel to remove access water. *This step can be done ahead of time. I actually used the George Foreman grill instead of firing up the real grill.

Cook onion, meat & additional veggies on skillet. Add spices. Let meat cook completely. Add sauce & let simmer about 15 minutes.

Mix cottage cheese with egg.

Spray cooking dish (9x13) with non-stick spray. Layer 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 meat sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture... then repeat. Top with mozzarella. Cover with foil & bake 50 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let lasagna set out and cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Light-sagna

Noodles, cheese, meat & rich sauce... lasagna has all the ingredients to be a diet disaster! .... But it doesn't have to be. This comfort food can also be healthy, lean & light.... that's how I make it!

Since I'm on a crock-pot kick, I decided to try my light-sagna in the wonder pot and, wow, I will never go back to baking it!! The crock-pot made this meal easier and tastier than ever. You don't even have to boil the noodles... the crockpot does it for you! Just cook the meat, layer the ingredients & let it sit while you go shopping LOL... or whatever it is you like to do.


LIGHT-SAGNA

What you need:
1.25LB lean ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken in half
1C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (26 ounce) jar tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) container cottage cheese
salt, pepper, oregano
Optional: 2-3C fresh spinach, 1C mushrooms

How to:

1. Cook turkey, onion & bell pepper in skillet until turkey is no longer pink. Season w/ salt, pepper & oregano. Set aside.
2. In bowl, mix cottage cheese & 1/2C mozzarella
3. In slow-cooker, layer half of the uncooked noodles. It's ok to overlap. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture, spinach & mushrooms. Top w/ 1/2 of the tomato sauce and 1/4C water.
4. Carefully spread cottage cheese mixture & layer the remaining noodles, meat, spinach, mushrooms and sauce. Top with another 1/4C water.
5. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 5.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/2C mozzarella and cook for 15 more minutes so it's nice and melty. Enjoy