Meal of the Week: Turkey Lasagna Rolls w/ Salad
Here’s a fun way to enjoy lasagna but in a more individualized manner that will help keep calorie count low and in turn, help keep you focused on healthy nutrition. Even though portion size and ingredients are a tad different than usual, that in no way sacrifices flavor or taste. If the meal is prepared as outlined below, you should have enough leftovers to make some tasty muffin melts that you’ll enjoy for work the next day. Those who desire a vegetarian/meat-less version simply do without the lean ground turkey and opt for an alternative of your liking.
Equipment Needed
– colander
– large pot for water/pasta
– large skillet for meat
– medium size stovetop pot
– large mixing bowl
– large oven pan
– parchment paper
– aluminum foil
Ingredients (Makes 4-6 servings)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
One box lasagna
One jar Marinara sauce
1 cup diced spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup cottage cheese (small curd)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
One tablespoon oregano
Two tablespoons olive oil
Two tablespoons minced garlic
One egg
salt and pepper
For Leftover Muffin Melts
– whole wheat English muffins
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Directions
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. You will need to boil a large pot of water (with optional dashes salt) to cook the lasagna al dente for about eight minutes. When that’s finished carefully remove and drain using a colander.
2. While the water is boiling if you’re planning to use lean ground turkey (or, any other meat) for this meal you can start cooking this next. Open the container and empty the contents into a stove top pan, add some salt and pepper to taste, and on medium heat start dicing the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until desired wellness is achieved.
3. While the meat and lasagna noodles are cooking, you can carefully dice the spinach leaves into small pieces using a sharp knife until you have a cup worth. In a separate small stove top pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the 2 tablespoons minced garlic and the cup of diced spinach on low heat stir for a few minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl add the egg, 1 cup Ricotta cheese, oregano, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, the garlic/spinach mixture, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese along with pinches of salt and pepper. Mix together well w, ith a fork.
5. Right about now the meat and lasagna should be about done cooking. The ower meat to a simmer and add the entire bottle of marinara sauce and mix well. You will have a nice, tasty meat mixture now.
6. Use a large piece of parchment paper and get ready to make the lasagna rolls. Simply lay out 1 entire noodle on the parchment paper and use a spoon to spread the cheese mixture evenly and thinly across one entire side. Then carefully roll the lasagna up from one end to the other.
7. Before you place the lasagna roll in your oven pan, spoon some of the meat sauce mixture across the bottom of the pan to give it a thin coating. Then you can place the lasagna rolls side by side but not touching. Continue to repeat this process until you finish all the lasagna rolls you plan to cook. You may have to use two separate oven-safe pans depending on how many rolls you plan to make.
8. Once all the lasagna rolls are prepared and arranged in the pan, spoon the remaining sauce over each one of the rolls. Then mix the remaining parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on top of all the rolls.
9. Cover the pan(s) with a piece of aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
10. Finally, while the lasagna is cooking you can prepare the type of salad you plan to serve with the meal. Once everything is done, serve appropriate portions and enjoy.
Leftover Meal Idea: Muffin Melts
If you are unfortunately left without any leftover lasagna rolls but still have some of the meat sauce mixture, here’s a chance to make some delicious muffin melts. These taste very similar to Subway meatball sandwiches if you prepare the sauce with meat as described above. All you will need to purchase extra is some whole wheat English muffins, If you don’t want to use those, or just want to use what you have on hand, you can always opt for a tortilla, pita bread, toast, or even a large piece of lettuce to use as a wrap. Simply spread the desired meat sauce mixture onto one side of the bread, sprinkle some shredded cheese and parmesan cheese on top, and cover with the other piece of bread. Wrap in a piece of aluminum foil until ready to be taken out and re-heated for a tasty lunch.
