Lasagna Rolls With a Mozzarella White Sauce

This is a fun take on lasagna. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Lasagna
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
8 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and cooled completely

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover bottom of a medium baking dish with 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce.
2. Over medium high heat, brown ground beef, onion and red pepper.
3. In a bowl combine cooked beef, mozzarella cheese and 1 cup spaghetti sauce.


White Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
dash salt and peppper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook garlic for 1 minute. Do not let brown.
2. Stir in flour until blended.
3. Whisk in milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil and allow to thicken, about 5 minutes.
4. Add mozzarella cheese and stir until melted.


Assemble Lasagna
1. Lay a cooked noodle flat and evenly spread 1/4 cup meat mixture ontop.
2. Gently roll lasagna noodle and place end up. Make sure the seems are facing into the other rolls so they stay closed.
3. Sproon 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce over lasagna rolls.
4. Place a spoonful of white sauce on each roll.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly and browned.
6. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Make a double batch of these meatballs and freeze them for later. Enjoy!

Serves 4

1 pound ground beef (I use 90/10)
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, beaten
2 slices bread, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 servings spaghetti pasta, cooked
Any spaghetti sauce, heated

Preheat oven to 400. In a small sauce pan, heat oil on medium. Add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until tender. Do not allow to brown. Place in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with hands until blended. Using a cookie scoop, form 20 small meatballs. Place on foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve on pasta with sauce.

Meaty Vegetable Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a dish that you can really enhance with additional ingredients. I took a regular jar of tradional sauce and loaded it with vegetables. The texture of the vegetables almost mirrors the ground beef, making a very hearty and meaty sauce. This recipe also makes it very easy to hide plenty of vegetables from kids. Enjoy!

Serves 4
1 pound lean ground beef
2 large carrots
3 large staulks celery
1 large green pepper
1 medium onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce
1 small can petite diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 servings spaghetti pasta

Cut vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Place in a food proccesor and chop into fine pieces. Proccess in batches if needed. In a large sauce pan, add meat, vegetable mixture, salt and pepper. Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently and breaking up meat. Once meat is cooked through, drain if necessary. Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaves and garlic powder. Bring to a boil and reduce to low. Cover and simmer. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta per directions on pasta, removing 2 minutes before recommended time. Drain and put back into pot. Poor sauce onto pasta and cook on medium for an addition 2 minutes.

Chicken (Not so) Parmesan

Why it is called chicken parmesan is a mystery to me. Most restaurants I have ordered it from does not come with parmesan on it. For that I am greatful, as I do not like parmesan. This recipe is very simple to make and packs so much flavor. Enjoy!

Serves 4

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
salt and pepper
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar pasta sauce or homemade sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 servings cooked thin spaghetti

On a plate, sprinkle bread crumbs and toss with italian seasoning. Salt and pepper chicken and coat with the egg mixture. Cover with bread crumbs. Repeat until all chicken is coated. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Place chicken in pan and sear on each side for 3 minutes, until light brown, and remove. Chicken will not be cooked all the way. Pour pasta sauce into skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Place chicken on top of sauce and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Top each breast with 1/4 cup cheese. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce with cooked pasta. Enjoy!!!

Lasagna Ravioli

This recipe should be a Timsaver Tuesday but I made it on a Thursday. I took my basic lasagna ingredients and stuffed them into wonton wrappers for a quick and delicious meal. Feel free to add your favorite lasagna ingredients such as chopped mushrooms and ricotta cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 4

32 Wonton wrappers
1 pound italian sausage, ground beef or a combination of both (if using only ground beef, lightly salt)
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar pasta sauce

On medium high heat, cook and chop meat, stirring occasionally. Drain and let cool. Stir in cheese. Place a wonton wrapper flat in your hand and lighly brush with water. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture into the center. Bring the top and bottom corner together and press firmly to form a triangle. Press between your palms to squeaze out any air. Lay on a tray and repeat until all ravioli is filled. You may have filling left over, feel free to make extra. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently drop the ravioli in batches of 8 into the water. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to tray. Do not stack them, as they will stick. Top with hot pasta sauce and serve.

Reduced Fat Lasagna with Homemade Pasta Sauce

I strive to make dishes that are reduced fat but hate sacrificing the taste. For that reason, lasagna is one dish that I usually will not make very often. I created this recipe to fix that problem. The extra lean ground beef can be pricey but when you find it on sale, buy extra and freeze it. If you make it my way, you will consume 505 calories and under 8 grams of fat. I have included the calories per serving for each item. Add a side salad and a small slice of bread for a well balanced meal. Enjoy!

Serves 4

1 pound 96/4 extra lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled (140 calories)
8 sheets of lasagna noodles, cooked per box directions (210 calories)

1 cup low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese (80 calories)

3 recipe homemade pasta sauce, recipe below (75 calories)

I use individual corning dishes to help with even portion control but an 8X8 works fine. Spread a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Spread one layer of noodles on the bottom. You will need to cut them to make them fit. Spread on a quarter of the sauce, ground beef and then cheese. Top with another layer of noodles. Repeat with sauce, meat and cheese being the last layer. Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and light brown.

Pasta sauce can be a great source of vegetables but usually contain unnecessary fat from oils and cheese. I came up with this recipe to eliminate the cheese (save that for your lasagna and mostaccioli) and the oil. It is also packed with unexpected vegetables to provide vitamins and a bit of fiber. This sauce is very easy to make, can be versatile in your own italian recipes and freezes well.

Homemade Fat Free Pasta Sauce

Makes 4 - 1/2 - 3/4 cup servings

1 14.5 ounce can diced stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
*For additional spices and seasonings, see below

Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan on high until boiling. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. If you like a chunkier sauce, serve as is. For a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender or food processor to puree.

*Feel free to customize with your own flavors. You can add oregano, basil italian season, etc. Make it your own!