Leaner lasagna recipe?

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Replies

  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
    Lasagna is one of those things that I enjoy letting Stoufers cook. I try to weigh my serving size so I limit myself, and add a nice side salad.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited January 2019
    I see this is a zombie thread, but I'm all for a good lasagna thread, no matter how old. ;)

    I just thought I'd add my 2 cents... except for the rare occasion, I've stopped fussing with lasagna baked in the oven and started making skillet lasagna on the stove with 150 calorie rotini. I know technically it ceases to be lasagna, but it tastes the same, I can use actual pasta without too big of a hit in calories (haven't found 150 cal/serving lasagna noodles), there isn't a lot of fussy prep, and there's no lasagna pan to clean. :)

    Also, does anyone else use ham in their lasagna? Great flavor.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    A big pan of homemade lasagna with ricotta and pasta and ground meat is just one of those things a person with a weight problem needs to let go of. For my part, making it with cottage cheese or cauliflower or turkey just makes it worse. How about a jumbo shrimp cocktail with crisp lettuce and cocktail sauce?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    A big pan of homemade lasagna with ricotta and pasta and ground meat is just one of those things a person with a weight problem needs to let go of. For my part, making it with cottage cheese or cauliflower or turkey just makes it worse. How about a jumbo shrimp cocktail with crisp lettuce and cocktail sauce?

    i make lasagne that's around 500 cals for a serving... whats wrong with that?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    A big pan of homemade lasagna with ricotta and pasta and ground meat is just one of those things a person with a weight problem needs to let go of. For my part, making it with cottage cheese or cauliflower or turkey just makes it worse. How about a jumbo shrimp cocktail with crisp lettuce and cocktail sauce?

    Or just have a serving that fits into calorie goals . . .
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Oh, nothing wrong with any food. Just count the calories. Just that most people would not be satisfied with 250g of lasagna.
  • amfmmama
    amfmmama Posts: 1,420 Member
    To be clear.... I love me some pasta...but this recipe has changed my mind when it comes to a no noodle lasagna being DELICIOUS!

    https://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-lasagna/
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Oh, nothing wrong with any food. Just count the calories. Just that most people would not be satisfied with 250g of lasagna.

    Well, people who aren't satisfied with a reasonable serving size of lasagna may be better off avoiding it, but the rest of us can have some and bulk up the meal with things like salad, vegetables, or soup if we still want to eat more. There's really no reason why lasagna has to be something that everyone concerned with weight management must let go of, as you stated initially.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    Christmas dinner, with guests including 2 vegetarians and 1 lactose intolerant. Subbed mashed tofu for the ricotta. Daiya mozzarella shreds. Spinach instead of meat. It was actually good.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    Ay! Zombie thread!!!

    I just made this lasagna. I did not manage to successfully calculate the nutrition on it, because I used 1 lb of each of the meats, and then ended up having a LOT of both the meat sauce and cheese filling left over (I am not sure what I did wrong), so I said screw it and just weighed and logged it as Stouffers.

    The recipe is quite tasty, and I bulked it up with a bit more carrots and celery, and also snuck in 3 baby yellow squash. Chop the veg very finely to get past the kid-veg-detection systems. I also used a lowfat ricotta, and mozzarella isn't as obnoxious as some of the cheeses and can also be trimmed back a bit. The husband and son happily chowed down on it.

    https://www.marthastewart.com/1532365/lasagna-meat-sauce
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    I understand the reluctance to let these fatty comfort foods go. I really do.

    For me, the curative object of calorie counting is to help me make better food choices, not reduce the intake of the poor choices of the past. But, that may not be everyone's goal.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited January 2019
    try2again wrote: »
    I see this is a zombie thread, but I'm all for a good lasagna thread, no matter how old. ;)

    I just thought I'd add my 2 cents... except for the rare occasion, I've stopped fussing with lasagna baked in the oven and started making skillet lasagna on the stove with 150 calorie rotini. I know technically it ceases to be lasagna, but it tastes the same, I can use actual pasta without too big of a hit in calories (haven't found 150 cal/serving lasagna noodles), there isn't a lot of fussy prep, and there's no lasagna pan to clean. :)

    Also, does anyone else use ham in their lasagna? Great flavor.

    So you're making skillet-baked rotini? :wink:
    I've never seen it with ham, but my Italian grandpa liked it made with 50/50 ground beef and pork sausage, for whatever that's worth.

    I've always preferred baked ziti to lasagna because it was easier to make and tastes the same! Just throw everything in a baking dish, no special noodles to buy. It's not as impressive looking though.

    This is a zombie thread I have no issues with :smiley:
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited January 2019
    kimny72 wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    I see this is a zombie thread, but I'm all for a good lasagna thread, no matter how old. ;)

    I just thought I'd add my 2 cents... except for the rare occasion, I've stopped fussing with lasagna baked in the oven and started making skillet lasagna on the stove with 150 calorie rotini. I know technically it ceases to be lasagna, but it tastes the same, I can use actual pasta without too big of a hit in calories (haven't found 150 cal/serving lasagna noodles), there isn't a lot of fussy prep, and there's no lasagna pan to clean. :)

    Also, does anyone else use ham in their lasagna? Great flavor.

    So you're making skillet-baked rotini? :wink:
    I've never seen it with ham, but my Italian grandpa liked it made with 50/50 ground beef and pork sausage, for whatever that's worth.

    I've always preferred baked ziti to lasagna because it was easier to make and tastes the same! Just throw everything in a baking dish, no special noodles to buy. It's not as impressive looking though.

    This is a zombie thread I have no issues with :smiley:

    Yep. For example:

    Beefy Kale Skillet Lasagna

    1 lb 85% or greater lean ground beef

    1 large onion, chopped

    3 tsp minced garlic

    1 TB oregano

    1 tsp basil

    1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

    2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

    2 tsp honey

    4 cups chopped kale

    1/4 cup grated parmesan

    1 1/2 cups 1-2% cottage cheese

    8 oz mafalda or rotini (there's a 150 calorie high-fiber rotini available in our area that I use)

    Optional: shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend

    Cook pasta. Brown ground beef & onion. Drain. Add garlic and spices 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and honey and bring to a simmer. Add kale and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Stir in parmesan and cottage cheese- heat through. Toss w/pasta. Serve with 1-2 TB shredded cheese, if desired. 8 servings of about 330 calories/serving when prepared with the 85% beef and 2% cottage cheese.

    This recipe is how I introduced my kids to kale, BTW. The other day I was making sausage & kale soup and my 10 year old said, "Oh good- I love kale!" :)

    Edited to add: I've also done a version of this where I layer the cottage cheese (maybe with an egg mixed in?) on top of the pasta and then cover and "bake" it on the stove for a few minutes. But as with regular lasanga, the kids don't like the texture of the cheese kept separated like that.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    I understand the reluctance to let these fatty comfort foods go. I really do.

    For me, the curative object of calorie counting is to help me make better food choices, not reduce the intake of the poor choices of the past. But, that may not be everyone's goal.

    Well, I haven't had lasagna for years so this isn't really about my "reluctance" to let it go. I appreciate the thoughts though.

    For you, calorie counting is a desire to make "better" food choices. For me, it's simply a weight management method. As I am at a healthy body weight and have been maintaining that for several years, I have no judgment or emotion around my past choices. They simply are, as my choices today simply are. "Poor" isn't a category that's relevant for me, as it is for you.

    So consider that for some people like yourself, giving up lasagna may be necessary. For others, it's not. What worked for you isn't what everyone else has to do. You insisting that others must give up what you feel compelled to give up may be a sign that there is still some conflict within you about this. What would it matter if there were people who regularly ate calorie-dense foods you've eliminated yet still managed their weight successfully?
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Well, that is what makes for diversity. For you, lasagna is a well rounded food choice. For me, not so much. I am trying to move toward fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and other lean proteins. And, logging the high calorie consequences of food choices train me to do just that.
  • jlemoore
    jlemoore Posts: 702 Member
    Why not try a vegan, oil free recipe?

    https://www.thespruceeats.com/engine-2-diet-vegan-lasagna-recipe-3378509


  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,595 Member
    I use Mary Berry's lasagna recipe but I normally make Marcella Hazan's ragu.
    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/mary_berrys_lasagne_al_16923
    https://leitesculinaria.com/84057/recipes-marcella-hazan-bolognese-sauce.html

    I only do classic lasagna if I have already cooked a big batch of Marcella Hazan ragu for the freezer as making ragu especially for lasagna is too much work. To make this leaner replace the ground pork with ground poultry in the ragu recipe. In the lasagna recipe replace the white sauce with cottage cheese blitzed with the parmesan in the food processor to get approximately the same volume of white sauce. Thin the alternative white sauce with a little 2% milk if you like.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Well, that is what makes for diversity. For you, lasagna is a well rounded food choice. For me, not so much. I am trying to move toward fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and other lean proteins. And, logging the high calorie consequences of food choices train me to do just that.

    So just curious... would you consider the recipe I posted above to be a bad food choice?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jlemoore wrote: »
    Why not try a vegan, oil free recipe?

    https://www.thespruceeats.com/engine-2-diet-vegan-lasagna-recipe-3378509


    Corn in lasagna? :(

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