... Lasagna!! I LOVE lasagna!! Unfortunately, growing up with an allergy to dairy products, I could never eat it and the dairy free version was never very tasty. Then, my mom found a recipe for Double Mushroom Lasagna. It called for Cream of Mushroom soup which, when cooked, I've never had a problem with- we were in business!! Ever since then it has been my FAVORITE lasagna recipe and I used to make it A LOT when I was single and living on my own. Once my hubby and I got married, I made it for him, and he wasn't a big fan- see, he grew up with the real deal, and this just wasn't the same. I made it less and less often... Until this past weekend... I changed it up quite a bit and DH LOVED it!!! I still need to tweak it just a little, but I will include the anticipated "tweaks" in the recipe below... So- lasagna is back on the menu at our house!! :) Of course- I need to find a good gluten free noodle recipe to try, because I'm still trying to stay away from an over abundance of gluten... and feeling quite good when I don't it eat it, I might add! :) If you're eating gluten free, you could substitute zucchini and or eggplant for the noodles if desired! :) Once I find a yummy, easy recipe for gluten free noodles, I will share it here with you! :) So- here's my recipe that I used this weekend with my "tweaks"... :)
NOTE: This recipe only makes 1- 8x8 or 9x9 pan... it is easily doubled. I do recommend doubling the soup/milk mixture anyway, and if you're doubling the rest of the recipe, I would recommend tripling it... :)
Beefy Mushroom Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
2 chicken breasts, browned and cooked through, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used my home canned sauce, but you can make your own or buy your preferred sauce at the store)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (I'm thinking if your fam doesn't like mushrooms, you could use Cream of Chicken instead! This is one the "tweaks" I'm going to try next time!)
1/4 C milk
1 1/2-2 C cottage cheese (another "tweak" I'm going to try- NOT in the original recipe so can be omitted)
6 cooked lasagna noodles
1 C shredded cheddar cheese (you can use mozzarella instead)
In a small bowl, combine soup and milk- set aside; in a 3 qt sauce pan, brown ground beef, stirring to separate; spoon off fat; Stir in cooked, diced chicken, spaghetti sauce and garlic; in an 8-inch square (can use 9-inch) baking dish, ladle 1 1/2 cup of meat mixture (till bottom of dish is covered), top with 2 lasagna noodles (you'll need to cut them to size and you can use the cut ends to cover the rest of the layer); cover with 1/2 C of soup mixture; top with thin layer of cottage cheese; repeat until meat mixture, soup mixture and noodles are gone (1-2 more times); Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving!! I serve french bread and salad as sides.
Enjoy! :)
