December 2020 ~ We Love delicious Food, Recipes, and Cooking Techniques

The Best Vegetarian Lasagna

Uzma AhsanDecember 31, 2020Fine Cooking Recipes No comments:

Full of flavor and hearty veggies, this truly is the Best Vegetarian Lasagna! Smothered in tender pasta, exquisite sauce and melty cheese this Lasagna is going to hit the spot! And I promise you won’t miss the meat!

This is such an amazing dish, I love to pair it with my Best Homemade Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread and some Greek Salad (with the Best Dressing). For me Italian dinners need a bit of chocolate afterwards so whip up this Easy Chocolate Pudding Pie for the perfect finish to a meal restaurant worthy!

Vegetable Lasagna in a white dish with basil on top.

Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is such a comfort food and what a better way to eat your veggies than as a comfort food. This is the perfect way to sneak in those veggies without anyone even knowing. The meatiness of the mushrooms especially makes it seem like there is meat in there. It’ll be our little secret. As your family and friends lick their plates clean and ask for more you can smile knowing they are getting in their veggies! You are going to love this recipe. It does take a bit of time to prep but once it comes together it’s ready in no time. Plan for it on a busy weekend or meatless Monday. It’ll become a family favorite in no time.

With the veggies, sauce and cheese you’ll end up with the most wonderfully robust flavored dish. I couldn’t believe how much flavor there was! There was zing, meatiness, savory, and creaminess. All combined together for this explosion of lusciousness in my mouth. This makes a large 9×13 which will give you leftovers for another meal, or lunches for the week. Either way you will look forward to eating this again and again. You won’t be able to get enough of tender veggies, perfectly cooked noodles, creamy cheese and savory sauce! It’s just so heavenly! Make it tonight!

Ingredients for Italian Vegetarian Lasagna

Yes, there are a few ingredients in this, but trust me it’s worth it! The combination of veggies, seasonings and cheese make for an absolutely marvelous dish you’ll want to make again and again. Everything can be found at your local grocery store, so no special trips to a specialty store. Plan this into your weekend meals, leftovers are even better!

Oil: Just enough for sautéing the veggies.
Zucchini: small chopped
Mushrooms: Chopped
Carrots: Chopped
Onion: Chopped
Spinach: Fresh works best in this recipe
Crushed Tomatoes: 1 large 28 oz cans or two 14 oz cans
Tomato Sauce: 2 of the smaller cans or 1 large 12 oz.
Tomato Paste: This will intensify the tomato flavor without adding more liquid.
Italian Seasoning:The best combination of spices for lasagna.
Sugar: This helps balance the acidity in the tomatoes.
Salt and Pepper: Just to taste
Fresh Basil: Chop it finely.
Lasagna Noodles: You’ll pre-cook the noodles but don’t over cook them.
Ricotta Cheese: This is a staple in lasagna fillings.
Parmesan Cheese: Adds a nice salty tang.
Egg: You’ll mix this with the ricotta.
Mozzarella Cheese Shredded: Use freshly shredded cheese so it doesn’t have the caking agents on it. This prevents the cheese from melting nicely.

How to Make Vegetarian Lasagna Step by Step

This takes a little bit of prep work, but again, it’s totally worth it. It comes together nicely and the flavor is so rich and divine, you won’t miss the meat. Use a non stick skillet so that you don’t have to add more liquid. You don’t want it watery. Drain your veggies before you add the tomatoes if you think it’s too watery.

Sauté: In a large skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil. Add in the zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and onion and sauté until tender. Add in the spinach and continue to cook until it starts to wilt.
Simmer: Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar and basil. Let simmer on low heat.
Cook: In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook 8-10 min or till al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Stir: In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan and egg. Mix till incorporated.
Preheat: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with non stick spray and set aside.
Layer: To make the lasagna start by spreading 1 cup of the vegetable sauce on the bottom. Arrange the noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese, on top of the noodles followed by shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers and top with cheese.
Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 min. Remove the foil and bake and additional 20-25 min or until it is heated throughout and cheese is bubbly. Let it cool for 10 min before serving.

Sauteing vegetables for the vegetable lasagna.

Tips for Making Easy Vegetarian Lasagna

This isn’t a hard recipe but a few tips will make it perfectly perfect every time!

Noodles: This recipe calls for baking your own noodles first. Keep them al dente, and error on the side of under cooking them. This way the noodles can absorb any liquid that comes from the sauce.
Veggies: I used veggies we like in our lasagna but you can substitute for veggies you like. Eggplant, squash, broccoli are all good choices.
Drain: I like to drain any of the extra liquid that comes from sautéing the veggies. You don’t any extra liquid in your sauce or it will become soggy.
Simmer: Simmer without the lid on so that extra liquid can evaporate.
Ricotta: Adding the egg to the ricotta helps it bind to the noodles so it doesn’t ooze from the lasagna. You can substitute small curd cottage cheese for the ricotta for hit of protein and creaminess.

Layering sauce, noodles, cheese for vegetable lasagna.

Why Healthy Vegetarian Lasagna?

We are always being told that we don’t get enough vegetables in our diet. It can be hard, I get it. That’s why I love recipes like this that don’t sacrifice on flavor and give me more veggies too. Recipes like Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Vegetable Skillet, Easy Vegetable Stir Fry or Healthy and Easy Vegetable Detox Soup. Perfect for after the holidays when we need a reset in our diets. It’s no secret vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. All of which can help protect our bodies from diseases, cancer, and maintain overall health. With such a wide variety of textures and flavors it’s easy to create exciting dishes and ways to serve them. Try to incorporate more veggies in your diet for overall good health, as you eat more, you’ll feel better inside and out. Start by having a plate of cut up veggies with some Ranch Dip in the fridge to snack on. Make more recipes with veggies in them like this One Pan Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Vegetables.Every little bit helps. And this Lasagna is another amazing way to get those veggies.

Vegetable Lasagna being scooped out of the dish.

Freezing and Storing Vegetable Lasagna

Freeze: This recipe freezes so well. Freeze before cooking or after. Double the recipe and make one to eat and one to freeze for another day. If you freeze it after baking allow to cool completely before freezing. Cover tightly, or transfer individual portions in freezer safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. If you freeze before baking, again cover tightly or transfer in individual portions to freezer safe containers and freeze up to 3-4 months.
Storing: Lasagna is almost better the next day and this is no exception. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: To cook unbaked lasagna from frozen, bake at 375 degrees and add on an extra 20-30 minutes. To reheat from frozen place in the oven at 375, it’ll take about 30-40 min to heat through. For leftovers they can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

Plated vegetable lasagna with cheese, noodles and sauce.

More Lasagna Loving Recipes

Lasagna is a comfort food. It’s cheesy, it’s got noodles and it has intense, rich, amazing flavors. There are so many different ways to make lasagna too. You could make a different recipe every night of the week and not eat the exact same thing twice. Try them all and decide on your favorite!

Vegetarian Lasagna

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian, Italian American

Keyword vegetarian lasagna

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings Slices of Lasagna

Calories 272kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small zucchini chopped
1 cup mushrooms chopped
2 large carrots chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cups spinach
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 6.5 ounce can tomato sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounce ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan finely grated
1 large egg
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil. Add in the zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and onion and sauté until tender. Add in the spinach and continue to cook until it starts to wilt.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, and basil. Let simmer on low heat.
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
In medium sized bowl add the ricotta cheese, parmesan, and egg. Mix until incorporated.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with non stick spray and set aside.
To make the lasagna start by spreading 1 cup of the vegetable sauce on the bottom. Arrange the noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese, on top of the noodles followed by shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers and top with cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake and additional 20-25 minutes or until it is heated throughout and cheese is bubbly. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

source https://therecipecritic.com/vegetarian-lasagna/

Amazing Rotel Dip

Uzma AhsanDecember 30, 2020Fine Cooking Recipes No comments:

This amazing Rotel Dip is the easiest and most delectable dip for any occasion! Perfectly spiced hamburger, creamy cheese and full flavored Rotel tomatoes combine in this quick appetizer, everyone will love.

Everyone loves a fabulous dip, there’s just something about taking crackers, veggies, or chips and dipping them into something delicious. For more dips try Insanely Delicious Hot Crab Dip, Loaded Creamy Ranch Dip or 5 Minute Million Dollar Dip for your next gathering.

Creamy, spicy Rotel Dip with corn chips.

Incredible Rotel Dip Recipe

This dip couldn’t be any easier or faster. When you need a fast dip, with tons of flavor this is the winner. Chock full of flavor, it isn’t overly spicy. Rotel is simply canned tomatoes with green chilies, which adds just a touch of spice. I use taco seasoning to create more of that Mexican flare, but it doesn’t over power it. This makes it perfect for everyone. For those who don’t like a lot of spice, it’s ideal. But for those who want tons of flavor, they have it. It’s a total winner. And the fact that it’s so easy to make, means you can whip this up whenever you need to.

Make this when you have company coming unexpectedly. Use it when you need a good snack for the game. Whip it up when you need a party dish in a pinch. Make it when you need a midnight snack that’s hearty and savory. This is an instant favorite. Everyone loves this dip. It’s creamy, it’s hearty, it’s cheesy and superbly spiced. Make this dip tonight!

Ingredients for Velveeta Rotel Dip

With only 4 ingredients this couldn’t be more easy! All the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. There are lots of ways to vary it too. Seriously put it into your appetizer rotation.

Hamburger: Lean ground beef.
Taco Seasoning: I love my homemade Taco Seasoning, but you can also use store bought.
Rotel Tomatoes: This is diced canned tomatoes with green chilies. Do not drain.
Velveeta Cheese: Processed cheese cubed.

Making Rotel Dip with Ground Beef

This dip is made all in the same pot, which makes it easy to make and easy to clean up. You have to love that. It’s quick too. Done in no time and served warm, you’ll be the hero of appetizers.

Crumble: In a medium sized skillet gook the ground beef, crumbling as it cooks. Cook till no longer pink. Drain the excess grease.
Add: Add in the taco seasoning, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir till melted. Remember not to drain the tomatoes, you’ll want the juices to help keep it the right consistency.
Serve: Pour dip into desired serving dish and serve warm.

How to Make Crockpot Rotel Dip

This is simple to make in the slow cooker! This dip is best served warm, otherwise as it cools it can thicken and be harder to eat. So even if you make it on the stove top, serving it in a crock pot to keep warm during the party or such is great idea. If it does harden simply reheat on the stove top or microwave. To make cheese dip in the Slow Cooker first brown, crumble and drain the meat in a pan on the stove top. Add it to the slow cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients and turn on low for 2-3 hours, until everything is melted and smooth. Serve immediately or keep warm in the slow cooker. It is simple!

Mixing hamburger, cheese, spices and tomatoes for an amazing dip.

Tips and Variations for Rotel Cheese Dip

I love this dip because it’s so versatile. You can vary it to your liking, and do so without adding tons of other ingredients. Make this dip your favorite by adding and subtracting to your hearts desire.

Meat: Use ground turkey, or chicken instead. Spice it up with chorizo. Make it vegetarian and omit the meat and replace with black or pinto beans.
Add: For a bit more bite, add chopped onions and sauté them. Add minced garlic too.
Tomatoes: You can sometimes find Rotel tomatoes in mild, medium and hot. Use the heat level you and your family want. Do not drain the tomatoes. Add fresh tomatoes to garnish if you desire.
Spice it up: There are so many different ways to spice this dish up. Add dashes of your favorite hot sauce, add some crushed red pepper or jarred jalapeños.
Smokey: Chipotle flavor is such a smokey spicy taste. Add either chipotle chili powder, or a teaspoon of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce.
Salsa: You can also add a jar of salsa instead of the Rotel tomatoes if you so desire.
Cheese: If you’d prefer not to use velveeta, you can use 8 oz cream cheese cut up. If you use cream cheese add some sharp shredded cheese for extra flavor.
Thin it out: If you notice your dip is too thick (no one likes to break their chips in the dip). Thin it out with some milk a tablespoon at a time till it reaches the desired consistency.

What to Serve your Dip with

The possibilities are a bit endless here. Use your imagination and what you have on hand.

Corn chips
Pita Chips
Variety of Crackers
Pretzel sticks
Bread sticks
Veggies: Carrots, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, sugar snap peas, celery or tomatoes.

Store Your Leftovers

If you do have leftovers, don’t blame yourself. It just means you had too many amazing choices to choose from. So don’t stress it. This dip is amazing because it can be stored and it can even be stored in the freezer, if needed.

Fridge: Keep leftovers tightly covered in your fridge for up to a week
Freeze: Yes this does freeze, put in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Use them: There are lots of ways you can use up the leftovers to create festive meals. Serve as a topping over potatoes, tacos, pasta or rice. All of them would be so tasty. Perfect, now you have a meal idea and an appetizer!

Using a corn chip to dip into the Rotel Dip.

More Appetizers to Munch on

It’s been appetizer season lately. With parties, holidays, and games to watch we’re in full swing. And really it’s just getting started. There will always be parties to go to, pool parties, and gatherings where appetizers will be needed. Choose from some of these favorites the next time you need one.

Rotel Dip

Amazing Rotel Dip is the easiest and most delectable dip for any occasion! Perfectly spiced hamburger, creamy cheese and full flavored Rotel tomatoes combine in this quick appetizer, everyone will love.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword rotel dip, rotel dip recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings People

Calories 141kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers