Healthy Diabetic 4-Cheese Spinach Lasagna Ala Elswet

Ingredients

• 43 ounces sugar-free spaghetti sauce, Recipe # 241259
• 9 ounces whole wheat lasagna noodles, no-boiling required type, we use Barilla brand
• 1 cup fresh spinach, minced (measurement made after mincing)
• 6 ounces fat free cream cheese, cubed
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced very thin
• 1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 2 ounces black olives, minced
• 1 lb , lean ground
• 3 ounces fat free mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
• 3 ounces fat free sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• 3 ounces fat-free ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces nonfat parmesan cheese, finely grated (we use the lowfat Kraft brand Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano blend)
• 1 cup egg substitute or 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning

Directions

1. 1

   There are a lot of ingredients, but this is a very simple recipe almost anyone can prepare. Many people cannot use the type of lasagna noodles which one does not have to first boil, to use. The trick is to thoroughly cover the pasta sheets with sauce; without proper coverage, these sheets will not rehydrate correctly and you will be left with a mess! Begin with a 9" x 13" baking pan.

2. 2

   Spray interior of pan lightly with olive oil flavored cooking spray and set aside.

3. 3

   Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

4. 4

   Lightly brown sausage/ground beef, stir pasta sauce and heat. Add in cubed fat free cream cheese and slow heat, stirring until melted. Set it aside; this is now your meat sauce.

5. 5

   Beat the 3 eggs until well blended, add in the Parmesan cheese and blend. Add in 1 tablespoon italian seasoning and stir until evenly distributed. Set aside; this is your topping.

6. 6

   In the 9x13 baking pan, begin with a 1/4 inch thick layer of your meat sauce. Working across the pan [as opposed to running it the long way], lay a single layer of lasagna noodles until the entire surface of the meat sauce layer is covered. Each layer should take 3 noodle sheets.

7. 7

   Cover lasagna noodles with another 1/4 inch layer of meat sauce.

8. 8

   Sprinkle cheddar cheese over meat sauce.

9. 9

   Sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded spinach over the cheddar and top with 1/2 of your supply of sliced mushrooms, then the green onions, and half of your 2 ounces of minced black olives.

10. 10

    Add another 1/4 inch layer of meat sauce, then another single layer of lasagna noodles, meat sauce, ricotta cheese this time, 1/3 of your spinach, the last of the mushrooms, and the last half of your minced black olives, reserving one tablespoon of the olives.

11. 11

    Layer meat sauce, final layer of lasagna noodles, last of the meat sauce, your mozzarella cheese, and the last of your spinach.

12. 12

    Take your topping mix [Parmesan, egg, and Italian seasoning] and gently spread over the top of the spinach layer with a spatula until evenly distributed. DO NOT STIR! Sprinkle with the last tablespoon of minced black olives.

13. 13

    Cover pan with foil and slide into preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Lasagna will be bubbly throughout.

14. 14

    Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes to lightly brown Parmesan topping, until cheese is melted.

15. 15

    Serve with Recipe #174740, sliced, lightly buttered, and gently toasted.