Zucchini Spinach Lasagna (gluten-free)

Gluten-Free Zucchini Spinach Lasagna

The picture may not look very appetizing but it is so delicious! Tonights dinner was a throw together. I had gotten a LARGE zucchini from a neighbor and I had a bag of spinach I got discounted from the grocery store last week that needed to be used up. I didn't want to worry about boiling noodles and I wanted to get dinner on the table quickly. This is a great recipe for quick, easy and delicious. This recipe was so easy. I didn't have ricotta cheese or cottage cheese for a typical lasagna dish. So I didn't worry about it. It was a little piece of inspiration. I thought as I was making it that I should take pictures along the way, but since I didn't know if it would be any good, I decided against it. I totally should have taken pictures! I will be making this again.

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk sausage (I used a homemade Tuscan sausage)
1 LARGE zucchini (sliced thin on a mandolin)
1 bag spinach (fresh)
1 26oz spaghetti sauce (prepackaged - I used Hunts 4 cheese)
2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven 350F

Brown the bulk sausage in a pan. While it's browning slice the zucchini into thin slices.  Once the sausage is browned, drain fat, then add the spaghetti sauce. Stir to combine. In a 13X9X2 baking dish, layer first the sausage mixture, about 1/2 of the mixture. Evenly distribute on the bottom. then add a layer of zucchini sliced just like you would pasta. Next add a layer of spinach about 1/2 the bag (remember this will shrink as it cooks). Then sprinkle 1/2 a cup of parmesan cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese and 2 Tbsp italian seasoning on top. Then repeat. The final layer will be the cheese on top of the spinach. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 min. Then remove foil and bake another 6 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool about 5 minutes before slicing.

***Verdict - I LOVED IT! This was so delicious. I can hardly believe I've never tried this kind of thing before. My oldest loved it, the other younger two were a little put off with the spinach/zucchini, but not for taste, just for looks. They said it tasted good. My husband ate his all gone and said he liked it. I only have two pieces left. I had two helpings! (I didn't even feel guilty eating two helpings!) This was an easy delicious, gluten free meal.

Lasagna!

LASAGNA

I decided that since my husband and I are going out tonight that I couldn't really make my homemade pizza. We have to get ready for our primary program that's on sunday. This afternoon right before my date I will be practicing with my kids at the church. So, I thought that I'd make some lasagna for the kids to scarf while, Bill and I are out eating sushi. :) So, I took a look around to see what ingredients I had that would work in a lasagna. I was quite surprised at what I found. I made a 9X9 pan of lasagna, which is perfect for my three boys to eat.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground sausage

1 lb ground beef

1/2 a bell pepper (diced)

4 or 5 button mushrooms (diced)

1 can premade spaghetti sauce

3 tbsp dried minced onions (or 1/2 a diced fresh onion)

1 medium tomato (diced)

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mozzerella cheese

4 tsp fresh parmesan cheese

7-9 lasagna noodles (broken in half)

4 tbsp and 2 tsp italian seasoning

12 oz cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

salt and pepper

Ok this might seem like a long list of items for lasagna. but it was what I had in the house, it was going to have to work.

Directions:

Brown the sausage and beef in a pan. Once almost all browned, add the minced onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper, cook until the minced onions are transparent and like fresh onions. Drain grease. Makes a lot of meat mixture, I stored part of it about 1/2 - 1 cup in a separate container for a different meal. Add the spaghetti sauce. simmer for 5 min. add the diced tomato, 4 tbsp italian seasoning. Mix and simmer on low heat. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles in pot with salted water. Once those are al dente, take off heat and run under cold water keeping them in the same pan. After they have cooled, keep in pan. In a small bowl, add the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 2 tsp italian seasoning, eggs and a little mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly blended.

Layering

place enough sauce mixture on the bottom of the 9x9 pan. Just enough to cover. then place lasagna noodles (which are broken in half length wise) covering the sauce. Then place another layer lightly of the meat sauce mixture. Next is 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle that with some cheddar cheese. Add another layer of lasagna noodles on top of that mixture. Then add the rest of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the new layer of lasagna noodles. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add the remainder of the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 min, until cheese on top is melted and sauce is bubbly.

remove the foil, bake another 5 min. remove from oven and let set for 5-10 min.