Meat and Veggie Lasagna [Recipe]

It dawned on me that I didn’t have a “go-to” recipe for meat lasagna. I mean, I had recipes I tried but none of them really stuck. So I messed around and came up with this combination.

What I like about lasagna is that you can make it ahead of time and then just pop in the oven when you get home. All you need is a salad to go with it. It’s also perfect for feeding a crowd or delivering to a family in need of a meal.

You also have the choice of making it more vegetable-heavy. When the meat is done cooking you can add other vegetables like mushrooms and greens. If the kids prefer their lasagna plain, try keeping the veggies separately or only add them to half of it.

My kids are unpredictable with lasagna so I usually serve it with bread or meatballs. The last time I made it, the kids got to make their own salads from a variety of options I laid out.

What’s your go-to lasagna recipe?

Meat and Veggie Lasagna [Recipe]

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• Olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground meat of choice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ medium onion, diced (about ¾ to 1 cup)
• 1 small red, yellow or green pepper (about ¾ to 1 cup) (optional)
• 3 cups homemade pasta sauce or jarred sauce
• 8 ounce mozzarella, divided
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 egg
• 15 part-skim ricotta
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Add some oil to a pan -- or cooking spray-- and brown meat. When done, drain meat and set aside in a bowl. Add a bit more oil and cook onion and peppers for a few minutes until they soften. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add meat back and cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add pasta sauce and stir. Let the sauce simmer while you get the cheese mix ready. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Shred carrots and put in microwave for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, add carrots, ricotta, egg, half the mozzarella, salt and garlic powder and mix well with a spoon.
3. In a 9 by 13 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray, spread 1 cup of meat mixture and add 3 noodles on top of it. Add about 1 cup cheese mixture, 1 cup meat mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat twice and top with the remaining mozzarella.
4. Cover and cook at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts.

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For more easy recipes and tips on how to serve meals to kids, check out Maryann’s book The Family Dinner Solution: How to Create a Rotation of Dinner Meals Your Family Will Love