Mommy's on a diet

This is a dish that can very easily be made vegetarian, by using veggie broth and omitting Chicken, so I’m listing it as “vegetarian friendly” and including the calorie count for both versions. This is a “weekend” recipe, meaning, it takes some time and love to put together. It’s not a “quick and easy” but it is yummy, and I hope you enjoy.

NOTE: I made mine ahead, put it all together and let it sit in the fridge assembled for about 1 1/2 hrs before baking. This is an easy “make ahead” meal. It’s also a good “make an extra one to freeze for later” meal. Just use an aluminum pan, and wrap the extra one tightly in saran wrap, then foil. Freeze, and when ready to cook set it out to thaw- then remove all the foil and plastic, cover back with foil, and bake as directed.

OK.  Here we go.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cooked chicken, diced or shredded (optional)
• 8 oz reduced low fat ricotta cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
• 1 tsp italian herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 a tsp each)
• 3 cups of baby spinach leaves, fresh
• 9 No-boil Oven ready bake lasagna noodles (the long wavy ones)
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, rough chopped into quarters
• 10 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Sauce:

• 3 TBSP light butter or margarine (50 cal per tbsp)
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/4 cup finely diced bell pepper (any color)
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 3 tbsp flour (i like seasoned flour. here’s the one I use)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 of paremsan cheese from list above

Instructions: 

1. Wash, dry, and cut all veggies as described above, and set each aside for now.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together: Ricotta, half of your paremsan cheese, egg whites, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
3. Stir your spinach leaves into the ricotta, mix thoroughly, and set the mixture aside for now.
4. Next, you’re going to make your sauce.  I used a 1 qt sauce pan and a wire whisk.  First thing, melt the butter in the suace pan.
5. Add onions and peppers, and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until onions are clear.
6. Mix in your garlic and continue cooking and stirring about 30 seconds longer.
7. Add flour into mixture, and stir until flour is well incorporated.
8. Pour milk into mixture and stir until flour mixture is incorporated into milk and there are no lumps.  Add chicken broth and continue to stir and cook until mixture begins to thicken (about 3-5 min).
9. While your sauce is cooking, fill a 9×13 pan about 1/2 way with hot water and place your lasagna noodles into the pan to sit for 5-8 min (no longer than that).
10. Once your sauce is thickened a bit, remove from heat and stir in nutmeg a remaining parmesan cheese.

Assemble your lasagna:

1. Using a 9×9 pan, sprayed with nonstick spray, Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the pan and swirl it around until it covers the bottom.
2. Trim all of your lasagna noodles to fit inside the pan.  You’ll have to cut about 3 inches off the end of each one. I used kitchen scissors.  Set noodles aside on a paper towel to dry.
3. Layer the following items on top of the sauce:  3 noodles, side by side, slightly overlapping one another: Spread 1/2 of spinach mixture on top of noodles evenly.  Sprinkle 1/2 of your mushrooms and onions over that.  Next, spread 1/2 of chicken evenly over mixture. Top with about 1/2 cup of sauce poured evenly over top.
4. Repeat that layer one more time, reserving about 1/4 cup of sauce for the top of the lasagna.
5. Layer your last 3 noodles over your top layer, creating the top of the lasagna.  Spread remaining sauce over top, and then add mozzarella evenly over the top of the sauce.
6. Bake, covered in foil for 40 min on 375 degrees.  Remove foil and bake another 12 minutes.

Let lasagna sit 5-10 min before cutting to serve (don’t skip this step or it will be watery)

Makes 6 servings= 300 calories per serving (as written)

255 calories without chicken

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