Week 1 Recipe: Broccoli Lasagna

I love love love Italian food. If its cheesy, garlicy, noodley, and saucy I love it. Problem is, the hubby isn't so big on it, especially since even standing near a tomato causes him heartburn (poor thing). This week while looking for meals under $10 I came across a recipe for Broccoli Lasagna . I decided it would be worth a shot. I realized when I started making my sauce that I didn't have the dry mustard. So I improvised and added 1/2 tsp of regular mustard to the mix. I also added garlic powder with a little bit of parsley along with a dash or two of paprika. The sauce formed nicely and quickly. I also added a tad more parmesan cheese than the recipe called for.

The recipe called for "cut broccoli" but I found it to be a bit bulky so I whipped out the trusty food processor and gave it a good chopping. I breezed through the layering and popped the badboy in oven. 35 minutes was good enough for me and I let it broil on low for the last 3 minutes to get that nice bubbly brown cheese.

I was excited to see it be such a hit with the hubby and my incredibly picky Stella. Best of all I am certain this the base for a great veggie lasagna. Think about the possibilities as far as veggies go; it would be great to whip up one with spinach, peppers (I think a roasted pepper would be fantastic) and mushrooms. Or maybe adding a bit of cauliflower to the current recipe.

I highly recommend chopping whatever your chosen veggies may be (especially the bulky stuff like broccoli and cauliflower). Overall I think its an easy and fun recipe best of all you can make it your own. We will definitely be making this one again (and again)

Budget Broccoli Lasagna (from BHG.com)

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 350°F 35 mins
Stand: 15 mins

ingredients

• 9
  dried lasagna noodles
• 3 1/2
  cups milk
• 1/2
  cup all-purpose flour
• 1
  teaspoon salt
• 1/2
  teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4
  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4
  teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1/4
  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1
  16 ounce package frozen cut broccoli, thawed and drained
• 2
  carrots, shredded (1 cup)
• 2
  cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil; set aside.

2.Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together about 1 cup of the milk and the flour until smooth. Stir in the remaining milk, salt, dry mustard, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese.

3.Arrange three of the cooked lasagna noodles in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the broccoli, half of the carrots, 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat layering noodles, broccoli, carrots, cheese, and sauce. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese.

4.Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

nutrition facts (Budget Broccoli Lasagna)

• Servings Per Recipe 8,
• Calories 325,
• Protein (gm) 17,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 35,
• Fat, total (gm) 13,
• Cholesterol (mg) 41,
• Saturated fat (gm) 8,
• Monosaturated fat (gm) 4,
• Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 1,
• Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 3,
• Sugar, total (gm) 8,
• Vitamin A (IU) 3256,
• Vitamin C (mg) 24,
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
• Niacin (mg) 3,
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0,
• Folate (µg) 89,
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 1,
• Sodium (mg) 574,
• Potassium (mg) 308,
• Calcium (DV %) 384,
• Iron (DV %) 2,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet