Beef and Veggie Lasagna

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Last Thursday I made a giant beef lasagna with zucchini and mushrooms. It was my way of combining a vegetable lasagna with a meat lasagna. Charles thought I was trying to sneak vegetables in. This recipe could be made with different vegetables, or without beef if you prefer to keep things vegetarian.

The preparation time for this meal is only about 30 minutes – and it makes plenty of food. This lasagna was so big that we ate it for days! I didn’t get tired of it though. I love the creamy ricotta, the meaty sauce and the slight crunch to the zucchini. It was a lunch I looked forward to when I brought the leftovers to work.

You will need:

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 24 ounces crushed or chopped tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  Lasagna Noodles (I used half a box)
• 16 ounces Part Skim Ricotta
• 1 cup chopped Frozen Spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella
• 1 Zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced Mushrooms

Step 1:

Get started on the sauce. Brown the beef in a pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic. Once the beef has browned, break it up into small pieces and add the tomatoes. Let simmer and reduce while you prepare all the other ingredients. (You could also skip this step and use sauce from a jar.)

Step 2:

Boil the lasagna sheets according to the directions on the box.

Step 3:

While the lasagna sheets are boiling, and the sauce is simmering, prepare the cheese mixture. Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, spinach and egg.

Step 4:

At this point your lasagna sheets should be ready. Drain them. The tomato sauce should be thickened, and it is time to assemble. Start with placing a layer of the pasta on the bottom of your casserole. Then layer the sauce, cheese, and either the zucchini or mushrooms on top. Continue building these layers until your casserole is full. Pour a thin layer of sauce over and then sprinkle with mozzarella.

Step 5:

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.