lasagna Archives - The Midnight Baker

Slow Cooker Alfredo Ravioli Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 23:00:57 +0000

Slow cooker Alfredo ravioli lasagna is a real treat!

Easy Peasy Slow Cooker Alfredo Ravioli Lasagna

This has got to be one of the easiest meals you can make. It’s versatile too because it’s fine to go off the reservation and use other flavors and meats.

I got this idea from a comment on a recipe posting by my friend Mary who runs Sweet Little Bluebird. Her recipe was with standard tomato sauce and cheese ravioli. I’ve made it that way and it’s totally delicious. We both opted for the fresh refrigerated ravioli instead of the frozen kind. I would imagine that you could substitute the frozen kind if you either par- cooked it or let it thaw. If not then this would have to cook longer, perhaps an hour or two, if you left it frozen.

Alfredo Sauce

What makes this slow cooker Alfredo ravioli lasagna so very easy is that it depends on convenience ingredients such as jarred Alfredo sauce. There are many good brands on the market so it’s up to you what you buy. And if you like stuff a bit more saucy, then double the amount called for in the recipe.

However, you may prefer to make your own. There’s many reasons why you should consider doing so. Your own is fresher, tastes better and is more economical. All you’d have to do is follow my simple recipe for quick Alfredo sauce.

Your Own Ravioli?

If you want to get really into totally homemade, you can make your own ravioli. There’s many contraptions made to do this, but making them without those contraptions is, believe it or not, a lot easier. If you have a pasta roller, it’s super simple. You can follow my guide on ravioli making in the linked post. If you want the classic cheese filling, a simple Google search will lead you to many recipes.

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Alfredo Ravioli Lasagna

Easy prep

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: slow cooker ravioli lasagna, slow cooker white lasagna

Servings: 6

Calories: 877kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

24 oz fresh mushroom ravioli
1 lb sweet Italian sausage meat
28 oz Alfredo sauce or your own homemade

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the sausage meat and drain the fat.
Spray the bottom of a 5 quart (or larger) slow cooker with non-stick spray.
Layer sauce, ravioli and sausage in the slow cooker beginning and ending with the sauce. There should be at least 2 layers.
Cook on low for 4 hours.

Nutrition

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Melanzane

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 23:00:07 +0000

Calling all eggplant lovers. Melanzane is sure to become one of your favorite dinners.

Like Lasagna And Eggplant Parm?

If you like both of those popular casseroles, you are sure to love melanzane.

Unlike eggplant parmesan, this contains pasta. And unlike lasagna, melanzane contains eggplant and lots of it. This is really a dish for those who are crazy about eggplant in general. That would describe me because I’m passionate about the stuff.

I’m sure most of my readers in Europe already know this, but for those who don’t, in the US we call it eggplant. You guys call it aubergine, but any way you say it, it’s delicious!

Melanzane Is Vegetarian Easily Made Vegan

This is a great meatless meal any way you slice it. It’s vegetarian–for those who eat dairy that is.

The white (bechamel) sauce uses milk and I’m pretty sure you can find a vegan substitute. There’s vegan butter too–and surprisingly, it’s quite good. And there are many vegan cheese choices. Therefore this can be made totally vegan if you wish.

If you’re a vegetarian that eats dairy/eggs, it’s all ready to go for you guys.

Set Aside Time For This One

This is another one of those meals that requires some extra steps that I think are worth it. This is not something you can throw together and have it on the table in 30 minutes.

However, you can do a lot of prep the day before. For instance, you can roast the eggplant the day before and that’ll give you a head start. You can also make the whole shebang the day before and refrigerate it. That makes this a great “Monday” meal because you can do weekend prep. And seeing as how the melanzane must sit for 30 minutes before it’s baked, making this up the day before means you can get it right in the oven as soon as you get home.

The Recipe

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Melanzane

A meatless meal that’s a cross between eggplant parmesan and lasagna

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant parmesan, eggplant recipes, lasagna, lenten recipes, meatless casserole recipes, vegan recipe, vegetarian recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 large or 3 small eggplants sliced into 5mm/¼in rounds
4 tbs olive oil
6 –7 sheets oven-ready lasagne
salt and freshly ground black pepper

White Sauce:

2 tbs butter plus extra for greasing
2 tbs flour
2 1/4 cups hot milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Parmesan

Tomato sauce:

2 garlic cloves crushed
1 - 15 oz can chopped tomatoes 444ml
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 tsp sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Spray a 13 x 9-inch ovenproof dish with non-stick spray.
Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared trays. Drizzle over the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes turning the slices over halfway through the cooking time. Set aside.
Lay the oven-ready lasagna in a dish and cover with hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
To make the white sauce: whisk the flour and butter for a few minutes over a high heat to form a roux. Pour the warmed milk into the roux and whisk. Bring to the boil, whisking for a few minutes until smooth. Add the mustard and two-thirds of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Set aside.
To make the tomato sauce, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, spoon a third of the tomato sauce in the base of the prepared dish, top with a third of the béchamel. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top and 3–3½ sheets of lasagne (you may need to break the lasagne into pieces to make it fit in an even layer). Repeat so you have three layers of sauce and two layers of pasta, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Leave to stand for 1 hour before cooking, or overnight.
Bake for 35–45 minutes until golden-brown and bubbling. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

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Sausage Lasagna Soup

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:10 +0000

This soup has all the taste of lasagna but without all the work! Italian sausage makes it extra tasty.

Lasagna As A Soup

When you crave lasagna but don’t have all the fixings or you just don’t feel like all the prep work, lasagna soup is the answer.

This soup also works well when you have the tag end of a box of lasagna noodles, but there’s not enough to make the real thing.

This is a hearty and filling dinner. This soup is really a meal.

Sausage Makes The Difference

Most recipes for lasagna soup use either ground beef or ground turkey. Those two meats make a delicious soup.

But sometimes you want a bit more flavor and nothing says flavor like Italian sausage.

You can use either sweet or hot sausage. In this soup, I used the hot variety because I really love them. I also wanted a bit more heat so I gave this a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes. The resulting soup had just enough heat without masking the other flavors.

But if you aren’t adventurous with spicy food, then the sweet sausage without the red pepper flakes is the one for you.

Enough Cheese To Satisfy

One thing a great lasagna shouldn’t lack is cheese. This soup doesn’t skimp on the good stuff either.

There’s plenty of stringy mozzarella to satisfy. There’s two whole cups in the soup!

If you want more cheese, go right ahead and add it. Want less? That’s fine too!

And for the finishing touch, make sure to tear up a couple of fresh basil leaves for each bowl. Not only is it a lovely garnish, it adds great flavor!

The Recipe

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Sausage Lasagna Soup

This soup has all the taste of lasagna but without all the work! Italian sausage makes it extra tasty.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Comfort Foods, soups

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: italian sausage, lasagna soup, quick soup recipes, sausage

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 655kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 lb hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic finely minced
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp brown sugar optional
8 oz lasagna noodles broken up
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 or 2 torn fresh basil leaves for each bowl as a garnish it adds flavor too
Grated Parmesan for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it's translucent.
In the same pot, brown the sausage meat and onion until fully cooked; drain fat from the pan.
Add the garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes (if using) and oregano. Add the stock. Taste and salt to taste. If it tastes too sour for your taste, stir in 1-2 tbs brown sugar.
Cook until the soup begins to simmer. Place the broken-up lasagna noodles to the soup. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the shredded cheese.
Serve and top each bowl with Parmesan cheese and the torn basil.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Delish

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Skillet Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 23:00:02 +0000

When the family is begging for lasagna, but you only have a few lone noodles, make this skillet version!

You Never Use The Whole Box

Any time I make a lasagna, I always have a couple of leftover uncooked noodles in the box. This is something I think happens to everyone because most folks use 9-12 noodles and there’s 15 in a box.

I never throw them out; I save them to add to the next box I buy. At some point, you use all the lasagna noodles.

But what happens when the family is begging you for lasagna and you’re stuck with just those 3-4 orphaned noodles?

Skillet Lasagna To The Rescue

Here’s a great way to use up those straggler noodles!

All you have to do is break the noodles up into 1-2-inch pieces and there’ll be plenty to go around. You can either cook them in the same skillet or boil them and drain them to add them cooked.

This skillet version of lasagna has no loss of flavor. It tastes like the traditional casserole except it’s deconstructed. Most times regular lasagna doesn’t stay in the nice stacked layers once you plate it and it ends up looking just like this deconstructed skillet version.

This recipe is pretty basic, but you can get fancy if you have a bit of ricotta or cottage cheese. Just drop some of that by the spoonful at random places. I know many folks who dislike both of those cheeses, so it’s not necessary to add them. But if you have either one and the family likes it, well, go ahead!

About The Meat

Ground beef is the basic meat in this, but when I make a traditional lasagna, I simply love Italian sausage mixed in. That’s what I did here, and I used hot Italian sausage. It really adds a kick!

Again, if Italian sausage is something you have on hand, use it here. It adds great flavor.

The Recipe

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Skillet Lasagna

When the family is begging for lasagna, but you only have a few lone noodles, make this skillet version!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork, skillet dinners

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lasagna, skillet dinner

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 537kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef see NOTES
3-4 uncooked lasagna noodles see NOTES
1 lb Italian sausage see NOTES
1 jar 26-28 oz marinara sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella divided

Instructions

Break lasagna noodles into pieces about 1-2-inches big. Boil according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes total--you want them a little undercooked because they'll finish off in the skillet.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and the italian sausage (if using) and brown well; drain the fat from the pan.
Add the marinara sauce and the water. Heat till boiling then add 1/2 of the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Add the cooked noodle pieces and stir into the meat/sauce mixture. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Top with remaining cheese, then cover and cook until cheese is melted -OR- pop the skillet (ONLY IF IT"S ENTIRELY OVENPROOF) under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.

Notes

If you are NOT using the sausage, then increase the amount of ground beef to 2 1/2 lbs.

You can cook the noodles in the same pan as meat. After the meat is browned, add the noodle pieces, the jar of sauce and 2/3 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the noodles are done--about 15 minutes. Then just proceed with the recipe as written.

Nutrition

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Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 23:00:13 +0000

Have leftover chicken? Then these easy lasagna rolls in an easy and rich alfredo sauce are perfect!

Got Leftover Chicken? Make Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls!

I bet everyone does have leftover chicken and often too.

Since I eat a lot of chicken, I have almost constant leftovers. As a rule, I don’t care for chicken when it’s reheated, especially roast chicken for some reason. But I often get tired of my usual chicken salad for what I have left, so I’m always trying to think of new ways to use what I have.

Now That Box Of Lasagna…

Does anyone ever use the entire box of lasagna? Most people I know use nine noodles. I’m extravagant and use 12, but I still have orphans that remain in the box.

These rolls are an excellent way to use those orphaned noodles. You may only have 3-4 noodles, but that will probably be enough to serve 4 regular appetites or 2 large ones.

The filling will be enough to fill 6 noodle rolls. At least that’s what I got out of it and I did have an unopened box of lasagna in the pantry so I was able to make more. However, if you only have your orphans, you can reduce the filling recipe by half.

Alfredo Sauce–Rich But Easy

If you don’t want to fuss or buy the ingredients if you don’t have them, then you can use a jar of commercial Alfredo sauce. It makes the whole meal easier, but I will say that I haven’t found a commercial sauce that I’ve liked, so I make my own.

All it takes is cream, milk, Parmesan cheese and egg yolks. The sauce is actually a custard. I give my recipe in the recipe card and the best thing about that recipe, besides tasting awesome, is that it keeps well. I’ve kept it in the coldest part of my fridge for close to a month. You may have to thin it with some additional milk for it’s second use.

The Recipe

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Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

Have leftover chicken? Then these easy lasagna rolls in an easy and rich alfredo sauce are perfect!

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, chicken, pasta

Servings: 6

Calories: 736kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

FILLING

8 oz cream cheese softened
3 cups finely shredded white meal chicken
2 cups baby spinach shredded
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
6 cooked lasagna noodles
extra Parmesan cheese

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 1/2 cups White Milk
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cups Imported Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 cups Imported Romano Cheese, grated
6 Egg yolks fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 11 x 7-inch pan.
Rolls:
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Fold in the cheeses and shredded spinach; blend well
Divide chicken mixture into 6 equal portions. Spread onto lasagna noodles and roll up. Place in pan seam side down in prepared pan.
Pour about 1 cup of the Alfredo sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with some extra Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbly.
Alfredo Sauce:
Heat the milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it comes to a simmer.
Slowly whip in all the cheese, then remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture.
Slowly add the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining cream mixture.
(This will increase the temperature of the egg yolks which is called tempering).
Season to taste with the salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Refrigerate until needed.

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Hot Five-Cheese Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Slow Cooker Hot Five-Cheese Lasagna

A 4-alarm cheese-packed lasagna that will surely please any hot-and-spicy food lover!

I am really loving this new casserole-shaped slow cooker I just bought. I’m always looking for excuses to use it!

Recently, I fell in love with the taste of hot Italian sausage, so I bought literally a ton the last time they were on sale. I’m becoming a big fan of the ol’ hot and spicy in my old age. OK, you will never see me attempting to eat ghost chilis or scotch bonnets because that’s way too much heat for this old lady, but I do appreciate a little zing in my food lately.

Pleases any hot-n-spicy lover

So I couldn’t think of a better way of using this new crock pot toy (the third time this week) than making a nice hot lasagna!

The recipe here I wrote for using hot pepper flakes in the ricotta–that tastes wonderful–but what I added to mine were about 4 pepperoncini peppers diced up in the ricotta. This may not be everyone’s dish of tea though because first, they taste like peppers and secondly, they are pickled–a bit sour as well as a bit of heat. That may not please a majority of people but if you are adventurous, try it. Certainly try pepperoncini if you never have. They are superb with antipastas and on Italian roast beef heroes (or hoagies or subs depending on where you live).

Lasagna–the most popular casserole ever

This is also packed with five–yep count ’em–five cheeses. So I know this will please any cheese lover too.

Since my new slow cooker is casserole shaped, I didn’t have to break the noodles. They fit fine. You may have to depending on the size/shape of your cooker–and you may want/need more.

Packed with cheese

Hate hot food? All you have to do is use sweet Italian sausage and leave out the pepper flakes/pepperoncini peppers and you’ve got a fine and cheesy normal lasagna.

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Slow Cooker Hot Five-Cheese Lasagna

A 4-alarm cheese-packed lasagna that will surely please any hot-and-spicy food lover!

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: Slow Cooker

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lasagna, slow cooker recipes

Servings: 6

Calories: 935kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles uncooked*
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded aged asiago cheese
1 cup cubed fresh asiago cheese**
1 lb mozzarella sliced (reserve a few slices for top)
1/4 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 24 oz pasta sauce of your choice (I used plain)
1 cup water

Instructions

*The amount I used because of the shape of my slow cooker
**Substitute an equal amount of mozzarella if you can't find fresh asiago. Here is a list of suppliers of DOP Asiago cheese.
Cut sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix the ricotta cheese with the grated romano or parmesan and the hot pepper flakes. Set aside.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage and ground beef. Drain off fat. Turn off heat.
Add the pasta sauce and water to the pan with the meat. Stir combining well.
Place 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker (3.5 Q-6 Q).
Place a layer of noodles in the crock, breaking if needed to fit.
Distribute 1/2 of the ricotta mixture evenly across noodles. Distribute 1/2 of the other cheeses evenly, but hold back a few slices of mozzarella for the final topping. Top with about 1 cup of sauce; repeat ending with a layer of noodles. Top with remaining sauce.
Cover and set slow cooker on HI for 3-5 hours, LOW for 4-6 hours.
Place reserved mozzarella on top of lasagna. Place lid back on crock and let cheese melt. Turn off crockpot and let lasagna stand for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serves about 6.

Nutrition

Slow Cooker Hot Five-Cheese Lasagna

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Mexican Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Mexican Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

An unstructured chicken enchilada that eats like a lasagna. Creamy and delicious!

I had loads of 7-inch flour tortillas for some reason…the reason probably being that I forgot I bought them and just bought more on my next store visit! Also had some leftover chicken I wanted to use. Usually the answer is the standard chicken enchilada.

Ole–and easy supper!

But I wanted to do something different. I wanted to see if this whole deal could work in layers like a lasagna–without the fuss of having to boil those noodles! Frankly, I got out of that habit of boiling by using my rice cooker to make pasta but I still can’t do lasagna noodles in it! Anyway, I wanted to try the tortillas and see if they could reasonably double as pasta–oh I know some use them that way, but I wanted to see if it was credible and by that I mean not a soggy and pasty MESS.

Well, it works quite well! And I was surprised how good it actually was. My guess is you can substitute beef for the chicken and up the amount of cumin if you want. I went easy–I’m not a huge fan of the taste, but some flavor is needed. Add jalapeño too if you want heat. Just substitute about 2 medium ones for my green and red bell peppers!

Creamy and tasty

And finally, if you don’t like the creamy soup sauce, use about 1-2 cans of red enchilada sauce instead.

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Mexican Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

An unstructured chicken enchilada that eats like a lasagna. Creamy and delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken enchilada, lasagna

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 819kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8-12 flour tortillas 7-inch diameter*
1 4 oz diced green chilis (drained), divided

SAUCE

1 10.75 oz cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1 cup milk

FILLING

1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 tbsp milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese

TOPPING

2 tbsp slivered almonds
1/4 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese

Instructions

Grease the bottom and sides of a 2- 2.5 quart baker. Set aside.
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup almonds, onions and bell peppers. Cook until onion is tender and almonds begin to get golden brown. Stir in 1 tbs of the green chilis. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with 1 tbs milk until combined. Add the cumin and mix well. Add the chicken and the onion mixture to the bowl and stir until all ingredients are combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream (or yogurt) and the remaining green chilis. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay 2-3 tortillas in the bottom of the prepared pan (try to cover as much of the bottom as you can, even if they overlap--mine did). Spread with 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the jack cheese. Repeat, ending with a layer of tortillas on top.
Pour approximately half of the sauce over the top of the prepared lasagna. Cover with foil and bake, covered, for40-45 minutes.
Remove foil from top of baker and sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup of jack cheese. Return to oven and bake 10-15 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and almonds begin to get golden brown.
Reheat remaining sauce in microwave to serve over lasagna, if desired.
Serves 4-6

Notes

*The amount of tortillas will depend on the shape pan you use. I used a 2 qt oval baker and used 2 for each layer.

Nutrition

Mexican Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

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Roasted Squash “Lasagna”

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Roasted Squash Lasagna

Here’s a great and tasty way to use those excess summer squashes–like zucchini! This roasted veggie “lasagna” doubles as a vegetarian main or delicious side dish.

The other day, my neighbor came bearing fruits–that being 2 huge zucchinis and 2 huge yellow squashes.

Now I love summer squash, and there’s about a zillion things to do with it, but this was quite a lot for me. I wanted to use them because, heck, they were fresh, organic and home grown.

Who doesn’t love roasted veggies? Particularly zucchini. I do and decided I was going to do a nice cheesy roasted squash lasagna.

Great way to use excess from the garden

I had some fontina left over from another project of mine so I used a combination of mozzarella (that I wanted to use up as well) and fontina. OF COURSE it had to contain my beloved Asiago too. I wanted crunch so added some buttered panko crumbs to top the whole thing off.

There’s steps involved in this, so it’s not 1-2-3 to make, however, the steps are simple–and worth it.

It’s a vegetarian entree too! Great for those nights you want to go meatless. And if you grow squash or someone gifts you with it, it’s a pretty economical meal too.

Roasted Squash “Lasagna”

4 medium-large summer squashes (yellow or zucchini)
2 large tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
8 oz mozzarella or fontina
1/2 cup shredded Asiago
2 tbs grated parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbs butter, melted
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly spray 2 large baking sheets.

Wash & dry squash. Cut lengthwise into pieces about 1/4-inch thick. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, turning to coat all sides. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder, if desired, to taste.

Roast squash about 20 minutes, turning half way through the cooking time. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Lower oven temp to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray or grease a deep 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

Slice tomatoes thinly. You can either shred the mozzarella/fontina or cut it in 1/8-inch slices (I prefer the slices–more rustic).

Add a layer of squash to the bottom of the pan. Lay cheese on top of squash. Layer tomatoes and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Repeat, ending with a squash layer (and any leftover tomato slices if you have any).

Mix panko crumbs with melted butter and top lasagna with them.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and cheeses are completely melted.

Serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side.

Roasted Squash Lasagna

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Fake Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Fake Lasagna

An oldie version of fake lasagna–from the times when many of the real ingredients weren’t available all over the country. Still a good-tasting pasta and cheese dish.

I grew up in New York City–the original melting pot. However, years ago, some sections of the country didn’t enjoy the variety and selection of so-called “ethnic” foods that we did in NYC.

Doesn’t mean because some folks couldn’t buy the proper shaped pasta nor stuff like ricotta or a lump of mozzarella that they didn’t enjoy good food. Nothing is further from the truth. They improvised and some copycats even though completely different from “real” versions, were actually quite tasty and satisfying dishes. This one comes from an ancient fund-raiser church supper cookbook from the midwest (circa 1950).

Fake but great tasting

This is one of those delicious improvisations. It sort of puts me in mind of a savory noodle pudding. It’s creamy and very delicious. I deviated from the original recipe which called for browned ground beef and onion because I thought Italian sausage would taste better. Original also called for plain tomato sauce (an 8 oz can) but I substituted jarred pasta sauce.

I can see some people making faces about the cottage cheese, but that was even a recommended substitute for real lasagna–and trust me, you really don’t know it’s in there. It just blends with the sour cream and cream cheese and the mixture becomes something totally different and delicious. But for those who have a real cottage cheese phobia, ricotta can be substituted with no loss of flavor.

Fake Lasagna

6 oz (uncooked) wide egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tbs fresh snipped chives -OR- 1 tbs dehydrated chives
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 tbs butter, melted
3-4 cooked Italian link sausage (hot or sweet)
1 1/2 cups prepared pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a deep 2 quart baking dish.

Cook noodles per package directions; drain and set aside.

Mix the sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese and chives. Slice the sausage into slices about 1/4-inch.

Place half of the noodles in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the melted butter. Top with the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining noodles.

Place sausage slices evenly over top of casserole. Pour pasta sauce evenly across the top, spreading it out with a spoon to completely cover top of casserole.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, top with shredded cheese and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Fake Lasagna

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Ravioli Lasagna

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Ravioli Lasagna

Want lasagna but don’t have time to fuss? Ravioli lasagna is a fuss-free alternative.

This is a really great weekday dinner for when you feel like traditional lasagna but just lack the time.

Ravioli Lasagna

There are a number of “add-ins” you can put in this. I have listed merely a few, but let your imagination run wild! It’s also a good dish to use leftover meat in.

Vegetarian Verson

I stuck pretty much to the standard frozen cheese ravioli, but I did notice my store had some really gourmet varieties–lobster, asiago & herb and a few others. Good ol’ meat filled raviolis would do too. Just use GOBS of extra cheese if using meat ravioli.

Vegetarian Version of Ravioli Lasagna

I made this a vegetarian ravioli lasagna. I used up some baby spinach that I’d just bought.

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Ravioli Lasagna

Want lasagna but don’t have time to fuss? Ravioli lasagna is a fuss-free alternative.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lasagna, ravioli lasagna

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 634kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

30 oz frozen cheese ravioli*
26 oz pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Optional Add-Ins

2 cups baby spinach
8 oz cooked ground beef
8 oz cooked Italian sausage cut in chunks
4 oz prosciutto sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of a deep 1.5 quart deep baking dish.
Arrange a layer of frozen ravioli in the bottom of the baker. Top with 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella and 1/3 of any add-ins you are using (if any). Top with 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat 2 more times, ending with a topping of ravioli. Spread remaining sauce on top of the ravioli and sprinkle with the parmesan or romano cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40-50 minutes or until center is 160 degrees F. Uncover and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 3-4 servings depending on appetite.

Notes

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS Layer in the crock as in original recipe, except do not top with cheese yet. Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-5. Top with the cheese, cover and cook until cheese melts.

Nutritional information as shown is without add-ins

Nutrition

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