Now that my family has expanded, I am really trying to streamline the cooking process by making one-pot meals and dishes that can last for a few days. One meal that pleases both my picky toddler and also satisfies my husband is my healthy ground turkey lasagna recipe.
Of course, being that I try to keep things healthy, this lasagna is packed with low-fat cheeses, vegetables and lean meats (which can be easily omitted).
Another fun part about this lasagna is the homemade sauce. It has carrots and zucchini in it so that your little ones can get an extra dose of the veggies that they need but sometimes don’t get.
I am also including my recipe for a healthy homemade tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Healthy Ground Turkey Lasagna Recipe
Healthy Lasagna Recipe
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 box of lasagna noodles
- 1 block of low-fat mozzarella cheese, cut up
- 1 quart of low-fat ricotta cheese
- Veggies – I used spinach, broccoli and shredded carrots
- 1 package of lean turkey meat
- Drizzle of olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, cut up
- Parnassian cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. As the sauce* (see below) is cooking, start to boil the lasagna noodles in a large pot. Boil the water and add the noodles. Let them cook for approximately 20 minutes.
- Cut up the yellow onion and add it to a medium-sized frying pan along with some olive oil. Let the onions cook on a low heat and add the turkey meat. Let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes – turning the meat when needed.
- Take the large pot off the oven. Drain the water from the noodles and let them cool.
- When you are ready, start layering your lasagna by adding a sheet of noodles, followed by some of the sauce, ricotta cheese, cut up mozzarella cheese, veggies and then meat. Add the next noodle layer and repeat.
- For the final layer, add some sauce, mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parnassian cheese.
- Cover the lasagna with a sheet of aluminum foil and let it cook for approximately 45 minutes. Check it periodically to make sure that it does not get too brown.
Recipe Tips
-Some people like their lasagna to be slightly brown and have a crunchy layer on top. If that is the type of lasagna you desire remove the aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes.
-The recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the meat or vegan by taking out the cheese and doubling up the dose of veggies and sauce.
Healthy Tomato Sauce
Healthy Tomato Sauce
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 can of organic plum tomatoes
- 2 cans of tomato paste
- 4 sprigs of fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper
- 4 sprigs of fresh oregano
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2-3 carrots cut up
- 1 zucchini, cut up
Directions:
- Drizzle some olive oil in a pot and cook it on low. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Then add the basil, salt, black pepper, red pepper, oregano, garlic, carrots and zucchini and let cook in the covered pot on a low heat for 30-40 minutes.
- I like a pureed and thick sauce so I use a hand blender to blend all of the ingredients together. As an alternative you can keep the sauce “as is” (which will be very chunky). Taste and add more salt and pepper (if needed). Turn off the flame and keep the cover
on.
If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. Thanks!
