Jun
Freezer Friday-Guest Post
Posted in breakfast, crock pot, freezer friday, recipes | No Comments »Happy Friday! I am off today for an anniversary trip (8 years…yippee!). My mom has graciously agreed to watch the “grands” and she even brought me a freezer meal! She is famous in our extended family for her fabulous lasagna and she agreed to share her secrets with you! I hope you enjoy this guest post from the original Frugal Menu Mama. Take it away, Mom!
I love to cook. I like to try new recipes, and I like the old favorites. I am always looking for ways to make it better and easier. The second recipe, Pizza Lasagna, (not pictured) is a no-fuss version of lasagna that is low-fat and uses a lot of fresh vegetables. You won’t miss the reduced amount of cheese. It is made with uncooked noodles that cook as the lasagna bakes. It was my inspiration for adapting our family favorite lasagna (first recipe).
My original recipe for lasagna came from the Mueller’s Lasagna box. Over 35 years of making lasagna I have added, subtracted, substituted, and adjusted this recipe. The only part that is the same as the original is the lasagna noodles—and I even change that! I no longer pre-cook the noodles.
Lasagna
12 servings
1 lb. ground beef
¾ C. chopped onion
1 16-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1½ C. water
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. oregano
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
16-oz. cottage cheese
8-oz. mozzarella cheese
1 C. parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef and onion, drain. In a bowl combine next 9 ingredients, mix well. Add ground beef and onion. In a 9×13-inch dish (or disposable aluminum pan) spread one cup sauce mixture.
Build layers as follows:
3 uncooked lasagna noodles, side-by-side (They will expand as they cook.)
Spread ½ cup sauce over each noodle.
Using a teaspoon drop 1/3 of the cottage cheese over the sauce.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese.
Sprinkle 1/3 C. parmesan cheese over mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers two more times. Use all remaining sauce on top layer.
Cover with heavy-duty foil. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
For Freezing*: Cover with heavy-duty foil and using permanent marker label with directions for thawing and baking:
Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
*Freeze before baking. If you try to freeze it after baking the noodles will turn to mush.
This is a wonderfully easy and delicious recipe. Every time I’ve made it I’ve had requests for the recipe. I’ve never tried to freeze it because of the fresh mushrooms, but it can be made one to two days in advance.
Pizza Lasagna
(original recipe from Light & Tasty, Aug./Sept. 2003)
12 servings
½ lb. ground beef, browned & drained
2 15-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes,
undrained
1 can tomato soup*
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 C. water*
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
4 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni
1 ½ C. shredded mozzarella, divided
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
6 green onions, chopped
1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained
For sauce, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, soup, tomato paste, water, onion, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.
Spread ½ C. sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with three noodles and 1/3 of the sauce, then pepperoni. Sprinkle with 1 C. cheese. Top with three noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Top with mushrooms, red pepper, green onions, and ground beef. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle with olives.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes or until noodles are tender. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.
*The original recipe called for 1 can ready-to-serve creamy tomato soup and ½ C. water. I had difficulty finding the soup and made the substitution above.
