lasagna Archives - Alida's Kitchen

Mom's Lasagna | an easy recipe for a classic beef lasagna | alidaskitchen.com #recipes #SundaySupper

Mom’s Lasagna #SundaySupper

December 21, 2014 ·

Mom’s Lasagna is my mom’s prized lasagna recipe! It is a classic lasagna made with three cheeses and a simple sauce made with ground beef. Perfect for a holiday meal, potluck or any time you want an impressive meal made easy!

When it comes to making holiday meals, or any meal for company, lasagna is one of my favorites. Lasagna is one of those reliable dishes to serve at a potluck, or any family dinner, because it makes plenty and everybody loves it! Plus it is easy to make ahead of time, which is a huge timesaver when preparing for special meal or party….

Filed Under: healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: beef, cheese, dinner, easy, entertaining, garlic, holiday, lasagna, pasta, potluck, sundaysupper, tomatoes

Mushroom Bolognese Kale Lasagna | alidaskitchen.com #SundaySupper

Mushroom Bolognese Kale Lasagna #SundaySupper

February 16, 2014 ·

Mushroom Bolognese Kale Lasagna is filled with layers of three cheeses, kale and a hearty mushroom Bolognese sauce, creating a rustic, earthy pasta dish perfect for a special occasion!

This week the Sunday Supper Movement is joining Gallo Family Vineyards to celebrate an incredible milestone. Their Hearty Burgundy wine is celebrating its 50^th birthday this year! Today we are sharing ways to pair, cook and entertain with Hearty Burgundy. For this celebration, I wanted to create something extra special. While the Hearty Burgundy pairs well with chili, Italian meat sauces and grilled sausages, I thought mushrooms would also pair beautifully with this flavorful wine.

The inspiration for Mushroom Bolognese Kale Lasagna started with a mushroom Bolognese sauce. It is a chunky sauce made with dried porcini and baby bella mushrooms, carrots, red peppers, red wine and rounded out with mascarpone cheese. The sauce is wonderful simply served over pasta, but I wanted use it to create something fit for a special celebration. Something special, like Mushroom Bolognese Kale Lasagna! This lasagna is filled with layers of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses mixed with kale, mozzarella and the rustic, earthy mushroom Bolognese. A little extra work goes into making this dish, but it is a labor of love and a delightful way to celebrate the Hearty Burgundy….

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, dinner, entertaining, holiday, kale, lasagna, make ahead, mushroom, pasta, sundaysupper

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Cups | alidaskitchen.com

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Cups #SundaySupper

February 2, 2014 ·

After making the Spinach Lasagna Cups recipe for last Sunday, I had another tasty idea pop into my head that I had to make right away – Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Cups. I don’t typically like to share similar recipes back-to-back, but these were so good, they simply could not wait.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Cups are made with layers of cheese, veggies, spicy, buffalo-sauce soaked shredded chicken and more cheese. In other words, they combine some of the most delicious game day foods (or any day foods, duh!) into a wonderful, bite-sized lasagna. The concept is the same as the Spinach Lasagna Cups, with lasagna-style layering, using wonton wrappers in place of noodles. They are quick and easy to make, and bake up in a snap!…

Filed Under: appetizers, Featured, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: buffalo, chicken, easy, entertaining, lasagna, low fat, quick, spicy, sundaysupper, wonton cups

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

April 11, 2013 ·

I am excited to share this recipe with you. Easy Ravioli Lasagna has become one of our favorite weeknight dinners! It has the delicious flavor of lasagna yet is made with only 5 main ingredients and takes 10 minutes to prepare ~ perfect these days when I find myself juggling a newborn and a busy 3 year old at dinnertime. This lasagna can also be made ahead (like before leaving for work or, in my case, before the kids wake up) so it’s ready to just pop in the oven at dinner.

From the original recipe, I increased the sauce, added some red pepper flakes, and actually reduced the cheese (surprising for a cheese-lover like myself, but it was way too much and took away from the overall dish). This Easy Ravioli Lasagna is made with spinach, but I think sautéed mushrooms and garlic would also be delicious. We have made this several times, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Speaking of crowds, this recipe can easily be doubled to fit a 13″x9″ lasagna pan and you’ll have enough to serve a crowd or have lots of leftovers for lunches. It reheats beautifully!

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1½ cups pasta sauce (I use Muir Glen Tomato Basil)
20-ounce package cheese ravioli (refrigerated or frozen)
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Pour ½ cup pasta sauce over bottom of dish.
Layer bottom of dish with half of the ravioli.
Cover ravioli with ½ cup sauce and top with spinach and half of mozzarella (1/2 cup).
Repeat with remaining ravioli, sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bubbling and starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then serve.

Slightly adapted from All You, March 2009

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, dinner, easy, lasagna, make ahead, pasta, quick, ravioli, spinach

Four Cheese Lasagna

January 24, 2012 ·

lasagna quattro formaggio from America's Test Kitchen

If we were ranking dinner favorites in our household, this Four Cheese Lasagna would be #1 without question. There is cheese, cheese, cheese and more cheese. And if you’re so inclined, the potential for even more cheese. Yes. Yum. Amazing. In fact, I had an entirely different recipe planned to share with you today, but……I decided it would be wrong of me to keep this from you any longer. It is so good!

I made very few changes from the original recipe, because frankly it’s darn near perfect. A few items of note: I have used light butter and regular butter – either one works fine. I always use skim milk and low fat ricotta cheese, yielding fabulous results. I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it vegetarian. The first time I made this, I added gorgonzola, the optional fifth cheese, and prefer it without. It adds an interesting dimension to the dish, but I realized I’m not really a gorgonzola fan.

There is a little extra time involved in making this lasagna, but every second is worth it. This lasagna can be served as an elegant dinner for company or as an incredible treat for a lazy Sunday, and the leftovers heat up perfectly!

Four Cheese Lasagna

Yields: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated finely (about 1 cup), divided
15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups skim milk
1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 no-boil noodles
8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about ¾ cup) (optional, see note)

Instructions

In a large glass bowl, place Gruyere and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, black pepper and parsley. Set both bowls aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam. Add shallots and garlic, stirring frequently until soft (about 2 minutes). Stir in flour until thoroughly combined, about 1½ minutes (mixture should not brown). Gradually whisk in milk and broth; increase heat to high, cover and bring to a full boil, whisking frequently. Add salt, cayenne and bay leaf, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Remove saucepan from heat and discard bay leaf. Gradually whisk in ¼ cup sauce into ricotta mixture. Pour remaining sauce over Gruyere mixture and stir until smooth; set aside while softening noodles.
Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place noodles in a 13-by-9 inch baking dish and cover with very hot tap water; soak 10 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from dish and place in a single layer on kitchen towels and pat dry. Wipe out baking dish and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Pour ½ cup sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Place 3 noodles in a single layer over sauce. Spread ½ cup ricotta mixture over noodles and sprinkle evenly with ½ cup fontina. Drizzle ½ cup sauce over cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, fontina and sauce 3 more times. Place final 3 noodles over the top and cover with remaining sauce, spreading with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
Spray large sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover lasagna; bake until edges are bubbling, about 25-30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Remove foil and turn the oven to broil. * Broil until surface turns spotty brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

* If your dish is not safe under the broiler, turn oven up to 500 degrees and cook for 10 minutes, or until spotty brown on top.

Note: If you want to include gorgonzola cheese, sprinkle it on top of the fontina on each layer.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, cheese, dinner, entertaining, lasagna, leftovers, pasta

Easy Spinach & Cheese Lasagna

November 17, 2011 ·

While working on clearing out the cupboards in advance of our upcoming move, I found myself faced with 3 boxes of lasagna noodles. How did that happen! At least it is something I am happy to use, unlike the random can of soup that I have been avoiding. In lieu of my usual lasagna recipes, which tend to be a bit more labor intensive, I decided to go with something easy and quick to prepare. This Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna is exactly that…and so good!

This lasagna is first simplified by not boiling the noodles. I used no-boil noodles, but have used regular noodles in the past and they have worked just fine. Another step is saved by using a good quality pasta sauce from a jar. A from scratch sauce would of course be fabulous, but we’re going for easy here. Mix the filling, layer it up with the sauce and noodles, add water, and pop the pan in the oven. In a little over an hour, you have an easy, healthy, delicious meal. This lasagna makes plenty for serving guests, or you can enjoy some great leftovers!

Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
Yields 6-8 servings

15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained well
3-4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
9 to 12 no-boil uncooked lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch non-reactive baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Paremsan, egg, spinach salt, pepper and Italian herb seasoning.
In another bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella and Paremsan cheese. This is for the topping, so set aside.
Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of noodles and then a layer of the ricotta-spinach mixture. Repeat with another layer of noodles and ricotta-spinach mixture. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Pour 1 cup water around the edges of pan.
Cover very tightly with non-stick foil (or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray). Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Let stand, uncovered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Whole Foods

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, easy, entertaining, italian, lasagna, quick, spinach, tomato, vegetable

Vegetable and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

October 19, 2011 ·

Back when I was working outside the home, I brought my lunch every day. I usually brought a peanut butter sandwich, pizza or leftovers from dinner the previous night. Occasionally I brought an organic microwavable meal. While not an ideal option, I could prounounce all of the ingredients, it was quick and convenient. It was also pretty tasty too. One of my more recent favorites was Black Bean Tortilla Casserole.

I don’t have much of a need for microwaveable meals these days now that I stay at home with Adam. So when I saw a recipe for Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole, I was pretty excited to recreate the convenience food I enjoyed and make it a healthier option.

The original recipe looked like it could use a little sprucing up, so I added spinach, onion, used more garlic and changed up the spices. I love the additional vegetables in this dish. It’s a lighter and healthier option, and is also quick and easy to prepare. Leftovers reheat nicely…which I guess sort of makes it a microwavable meal, only better!

Vegetable and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Yields 6 servings
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 corn tortillas, warmed and halved
2 cups salsa
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until browned (about 7 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chili powder, stir for 1 minute.
Add black beans and spinach and stir to combine. Cook until beans are warmed through (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
Arrange 5 tortilla halves in baking dish. Top with half of the bean mixture and 1/2 cup salsa, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of bean mixture, salsa and cheese. Top with remaining tortilla halves, salsa and cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes or until center is hot and cheese melts. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbling, 5 minutes OR if your dish is broiler-safe, put under the broiler until cheese is bubbling and browned.

Adapted from Everyday Food, January/February, 2011