Italian food is a favorite for most families, and mine is no exception.
While pizza always was our absolute favorite, lasagna came in a close second. And, for some reason, lasagna always tastes better the second day. I suppose the herbs and spices have time to really “sink in” and make the leftover pasta more flavorful.
If you make lasagna from scratch with your own spices and sauce, it can be a time-consuming dish to prepare, but so worth the wait! And today, there are so many variations to your old tried-and-true lasagna recipe, like vegetarian, seafood and Mexican. There are even some easy ones.
Recently, I ran across a quick lasagna recipe just when I was in a hurry and needed to use the pound of ground beef I’d taken out of the freezer for supper. This recipe is different since it doesn’t call for lasagna noodles. Instead, it calls for baking mix, plus all the usual ingredients. The recipe is also good if you’re watching calories because a serving has around 400, compared to more than 600 for a serving of traditional lasagna made with noodles.
Even better, it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 37 minutes to bake. So in addition to its convenience, you get a delicious Italian main dish that may well become a family favorite.
QUICK AND EASY LASAGNA PIE
1 pound ground beef
1 cup small curd creamed cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2eggs
Chopped fresh parsley
Heat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9-by-1 1/4-inch pie plate. Cook beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until brown, drain. Layer cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese in pie plate. Stir together beef, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the Italian seasoning and tomato paste; spoon evenly over top of cheese in pie plate.
Stir remaining ingredients, except parsley and remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings. 400 calories and 23 g. fat.
Note: I sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese on top when served for added flavor.
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Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
