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Lasagna Reimagined

I love comfort foods especially in the fall when the weather gets cooler. I have been craving lasagna lately and been wanting to make it, but I have also been trying to lose weight. Since I have had my first child, I have had difficulties with losing weight. Over the years, I have tried diet after diet only to lose some weight but not all of it. My biggest weakness is sweets. I love to bake and then indulge in sweet mouthfuls of yumminess. I enjoy cooking, and this makes it difficult for me to lose weight.

What I have realized is that I need to reinvent my recipes so that I can continue to indulge. But I didn't want to take away all the yummy flavor just to make it have fewer calories or fat. I needed to find a balance between eating the foods I love and feeding my family at the same time. My husband hates it when I diet, because I cook differently for me and him and our boys. Instead, this time I realized I needed to find a way to cook food for my family that still tasted good but that I wouldn't gain a bunch of weight from eating it.

This lasagna recipe I made for my pressure cooker, which cooks it in about 20 minutes, but you can cook it in the oven. I hope you all enjoy.

Lasagna Reimagined

I box whole wheat lasagna noodles or any other oven-ready noodles (no-bake ones)

I large can of diced tomatoes

I can of tomato sauce 12 oz.

32 oz. container of fat-free cottage cheese

1 pound lean ground beef

One large onion

I clove garlic

One pack of mushrooms

1 egg

I cup parmesan cheese

Garlic powder season to taste

Italian seasoning or dried oregano and parsley and Basil

2 ½ cups low fat cheese. I used weight watchers white and cheddar mix

If cooking in the oven turn on to 350. Cook ground beef and add onion and fresh garlic. Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder and cook meat until done. Add tomatoes and sauce stir and mix well. In a large bowl add cottage cheese and egg and mix well. Add parsley and basil mix well and add almost all parmesan and a handful of mixed cheese. Add a cup of sauce mixture to the bottom of pressure cooker or pan. Spread it around and cover bottom then take two lasagna noodles and break in half to place in the bottom of the pressure cooker or leave whole for baking dish. Add some of the mixture of cottage cheese and spread over noodles and add a spoonful of sauce and spread over it and sprinkle with cheese. Continue to make layers until you get to the top then add sauce and cheese all over the top. Now place the pressure cooker lid on and cook for 20 minutes. If in a baking dish construct it and cover with tinfoil and put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Once done let pressure cooker release steam and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes. If in the pan take out of the oven and take off tinfoil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Then cut and serve.

Here is the breakdown of calories I get this on http://www.fitwatch.com

Calories: 397

Fat 14 g

Carbohydrate: 19 g

Protein: 47 g

Cholesterol: 117 mg

Fiber: 1 g