Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

There's something about Italian food that makes my heart sing. It's fabulous. Truly. But sometimes I'm in the mood for something other than spaghetti or traditional lasagna. This Spinach and Cheese Lasagna was the perfect solution. It's full of spinach and delicious cheeses... what more could you ask for? And the no-boil lasagna noodles equals fewer steps involved. 

Babe declared that it was the best dinner he has had in a long time. I take that as a huge compliment! Make this lasagna for your family this weekend-- you won't regret it.

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded 3-cheese blend, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 jar (25 ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
9 no-boil (oven ready) uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, half of the 3-cheese blend, egg, spinach, salt, pepper, and oregano. In a small bowl, combine the remaining cheese. Set both bowls aside. In a 13" x 9" pan or baking dish, layer 1 cup (or 1/4 of the jar) of the pasta sauce, then a layer of noodles (3), and then 1/3 of the ricotta-spinach mixture; repeat 2 more times. Top with the remaining sauce and and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan. Cover tightly with two sheets of aluminum foil and bake for 1-1.25 hours. Set aside and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

*To test if the lasagna is fully cooked, fork the noodle to see if it passes through easily. If it does not, increase the cook time. If you are using regular lasagna noodles, omit the water and reduce cook and cook for 45-55 minutes.

Recipe from Whole Foods

Hope you all are having a fabulous week.

Easy Baked [Turkey] Ziti

I know that almost everyone has their favorite go-to comfort food recipes, but I wanted to share my recipe for Easy Baked Ziti. It's the perfect recipe when you're craving some cheesy and saucy goodness.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup fresh sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 jars of your favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce
3-4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box whole wheat/ whole grain ziti (my grocery store only has penne)
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high and brown the ground turkey. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms, and saute for about 5 more minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, turkey mixture, sauce, 3/4 of the cheese, and the seasoning.

Now, you have two options: you can pour the mixture into a crock-pot sprayed with cooking spray and cook on low for 2-3 hours (sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta at the last 20 minutes of cook time), or you can pour the mixture into a casserole dish and cook at 350* for 25-30 minutes (sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole for the last 10 minutes of cook time).

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

First of all, I want to apologize to you for all the chicken recipes. It never occurred to me that normal people don't like to eat chicken almost every night of the week. Oops. I guess I'm just not much of a beef or pork eater. However, I will try to add some variety; keyword: try.

I found this recipe over at Six Sisters' Stuff and thought I'd give it a try. It reminds me of chicken Alfredo, but it's a bit thicker and a bit more rich. If you're a fan of cream cheese, you will like this!

Ingredients:

 

4-5 chicken breasts (I used boneless and skinless)

1 bag of frozen broccoli (I used the kind that steams in the microwave)

2 (8 oz.) boxes of fat-free cream cheese (My grocery store doesn't sell it; I used Neufchatel)

2 cups skim milk

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Whole Wheat Ritz cracker crumbs for topping (I used half of a sleeve of crackers)

1 box of your favorite whole wheat/whole grain pasta (I used thin spaghetti)

 

Directions:

 

Cook the chicken (I boiled mine). Once the internal temperature reaches 165*, cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces and set aside.

 

Cook the broccoli according to the directions on the package. Place the broccoli in the bottom of a 13x9 greased casserole dish.

 

In a saucepan, heat the milk, cream cheese, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the broccoli.

 

Add the chicken to the casserole dish and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken, spreading evenly.

 

Top with the cracker crumbs and cook for 25 minutes at 350*.

 

While the casserole is in the oven, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

 

Serve the casserole over the pasta.



30 Minute Meal: [Baked, Not Fried] Chicken Parm

I absolutely love pasta. I probably eat a pasta dish about once a week, but it is something I could easily eat daily. My body is thankful that I don't :)

 

Chicken Parmesan is something that I've always loved: breaded chicken, pasta, marinara sauce, and of course, Parmesan cheese. This version is much healthier, but tastes just as good. Serve this dish with a big salad and it's pretty guilt free.



Ingredients:

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 eggs (you could use egg whites)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, plus more if desired
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
23.9 oz. jar marinara sauce (or you can make your own)
12 oz box 100% whole grain thin spaghetti or angel hair

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a bowl, beat the eggs and place the chicken in the eggs. Let the chicken soak for about 10 minutes. While the chicken is soaking, combine the flour salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese in a Ziploc gallon-size bag. Place the chicken in the bag and coat. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165*.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package and heat the sauce.

Distribute the pasta between plates, top with a chicken breast, and cover in marinara sauce. Top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.