Tag Archives: food

Homemade Lasagna

Want something for dinner that’s packed with veggies and protein? Lasagna takes some time but is SO worth the end result and it’s way better than those store-bought frozen ones. Most people use ground beef for their lasagna but I like to do a 1:1 ratio of pork to beef when I do any sort of pasta to add some flavor but also to add some fat back into the dish since we use fairly lean beef and sometimes turkey. If you choose to use ground turkey or chicken in this recipe (or any other lean meat) I highly recommend adding some sort of fat into it for both flavor and to help incorporate everything in the sauce. Don’t be fooled, fat is good for you and your joints!

Ingredients

-1 red onion -1 zucchini -1 bunch fresh spinach -1 whole garlic head -1 box lasagna noodles -32oz ricotta cheese -2 balls of mozzarella -2 eggs -1 shallot (optional) -Italian seasoning -3 jars pasta sauce -2lbs ground meat (any) -1 can tomato paste

Instructions

Step 1- Chop spinach, onion, shallot, and zucchini into small pieces. (if hiding the veggies, chop smaller). Set aside the onion and shallot from the rest. Shred both balls of mozzarella and place into fridge. (tip: place your ball in the freezer for 5-10 minutes for easier shredding and less falling apart).

Step 2- While you preheat the oven to 400F, add the onion to a large, deep pan. Add some cooking oil (I like avocado) and bring to a medium/low heat until they start to turn translucent. Once they are a bit see through, add the 2lbs of meat and begin to break up and brown it.

Step 3- Once the meat has browned, add the rest of the veggies and let them cook down. The spinach will look like too much at this stage but it cooks down I promise. Start a large pot of water to boil the noodles.

Step 4- Drain your meat mixture and add it back into the pan. Add 3 jars of pasta sauce and the tomato paste to the pan, mix. Cover and set aside.

Step 5- Add your noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package. While those cook, mix 2 eggs and the ricotta cheese into a large bowl. Add the Italian seasoning to mix in a little color, to taste.

Step 6- Drain your noodles and assemble your lasagna! Start with a small amount of sauce on the bottom, layer 3 noodles horizontally, cover with sauce/meat mixture, apply a strip of ricotta mixture along each noodle, cover with mozzarella cheese, then repeat! Once you have done 3 layers, finish off by placing 3 noodles, sauce, then covering with mozzarella cheese.

Step 7- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 400F. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes to brown the cheese. Can also broil for 5 minutes at the end to toast the cheese if desired.

Homemade Spaghetti

Want to make a house staple without it being a boring jar of sauce and some noodles? It can be hard to get veggies into the diet sometimes (or often! no judging here), sneaking them into everyday recipes is a fantastic way to both consume more veggies, but also elevate the flavor of every dish!

LOTS of veggies are snuck into here and the kids love it! It’s one of the few dishes they will eat their whole serving of and ask for more! It’s easy to add even more veggies too. We’ve done green beans, bell peppers and zucchini to name a few. Don’t be afraid to measure spices with your heart and change up the recipe!

Ingredients

  • – 1 whole yellow onion finely chopped
  • – Minced garlic (we measure this with our heart y’all)
  • – 1lb lean ground beef or turkey
  • – 1lb ground sausage (unseasoned)
  • – 1lb of pasta (any kind you like! My kids prefer the thin kind)
  • – 2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning
  • – 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • – 1 tsp of ground tumeric
  • – 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • – Salt to taste
  • – 3-4 Tbsp Avocado oil
  • – 2c diced tomatoes
  • – 3 jars of pasta sauce (we prefer the chunky garden combo from Prego but hope to make our own soon!)
  • – 3-4 bay leaves

Instructions

Step 1-

Heat oil, onion, and garlic in a large and deep pan with low-medium heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and the onion starts to change color.

Step 2-

While step one is cooking,heat a VERY large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.

*Mom tip: break your long pasta BEFORE it goes into the pot so you don’t have to worry about cutting it for your little ones!* (I usually break mine in 4 parts)

Step 3-

Add both meats into the pan with the onion and garlic. Mix and chop this until it’s very broken up. Add Italian seasoning, white pepper, ginger, turmeric, and salt. Keep mixing and chopping up the meat as it cooks. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until completely brown and there is absolutely no more pink. (I even let mine get a bit crispy)

Step 4-

Cook the noodles according to your pasta choice. Once cooked, strain. Add your sauces and tomatoes to the pot used for the noodles and bring to a simmer while adding the noodles back in. Allow this to simmer for at least 5-10 minutes before adding the meat in.

Step 5-

Strain your meat and add it to your pot of noodles and sauce. We prefer the sauce listed above because it includes carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini. You can add these veggies on your own if your sauce doesn’t have it included and just cook them in the pan with the onion and garlic before adding your meat.

Step 6-

Mix very well and add your bay leaves. Fully submerge the leaves. Allow to simmer (covered) for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Step 7-

Serve and garnish with grated Parmesan and parsley! (Cheese and parsley optional of course)