Cheater Lasagne

The big guy and yours truly spent yesterday doing yard work. Now for those of you who don't live in the sunny south, you must be wondering just how much work can be involved in maintaining a yard made of sand, gravel, brick and river rock but believe me there's more than you think. The record breaking cold weather we endured this winter has taken a huge toll on our plants and trees, and while the meyer lemon, tangelo and ruby red grapefruit are in blossom in the side yard along with flowering plum, the Mexican lime tree bit the dust (I think) although we're going to try and coax it back to life.

As well, the bougainvillea we so carefully tended outside the walls of our house were brutally cut back in error by the HOA's landscapers and look like they haven't made it either, never mind the huge one we had at the front door. 

Our ornamental pistachio whose umbrella of green provided a sea of dappled light in our back yard is now a mere shadow of its former self and almost leafless. 

The good news is a lot did survive! The pomegranate is green like crazy, the Lady Banks (side yard) is a mass of buds and blossoms, the pyracantha lining the back wall is in full berry, and even the palms are OK, though one is a might sickly.

The long and short of it, there was a lot of cuttin', shapin', swearin' and vaccuming going on yesterday at our "casa" and we're both feeling our bones today.

By necessity last night's dinner needed to be quick and carb filled - for energy and comfort of course, so I whipped up a cheater lasagne made from pillows of store bought ravioli along with cottage cheese, pesto from the freezer, and mozzarella. I even managed to sneak in some spinach -gotcha big guy, resulting in one of his famous "looks". Spiced up with cooked crumbled Italian sausage and jarred marinara along with the requisite red pepper flakes, dinner was on the table in 45 minutes flat - just enough time to throw together a salad and enjoy a pre-dinner libation.

Cheater Lasagna (Adapted from Cuisine at Home)

This casserole is extremely versatile and depending on what you’ve hiding in your pantry can be made with just about any kind of cooked meat including pepperoni, ground beef or Italian sausage or even leftover roast chicken. If you’d rather, you could make it vegetarian by eliminating the meat altogether and adding more sautéed veggies, like zucchini, mushrooms or even grilled eggplant..

1 - 18 ounce jar good quality marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

16 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (use only 1 cup)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

2 tablespoons prepared pesto (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

Pepper to taste

1 egg

Dash fresh nutmeg

1 large package fresh cheese giant ravioli (uncooked)

8 ounces cooked Italian sausage, crumbled

1/2 cup grated parmesan, mozzarella or provolone

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray and set aside. Mix together spinach, mozzarella, cottage cheese, oregano, Italian seasoning, red chile flakes, pesto, pepper, egg and nutmeg. Place 2 tablespoons marinara sauce on bottom of ramekins, and arrange a layer of ravioli. Top with another 2 tablespoons of marinara. Distribute the cooked Italian sausage among the ramekins, and add a quarter of cheese mixture to each ramekin. Top with more ravioli and press down slightly. Add another 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce on each casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Spray foil sheets with cooking spray, and securely wrap ramekins with foil (spray side down). Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4. Download Cheater Lasagne

Comments

[Mary]

I really like this recipe. It sounds delicious and that paired with ease of preparation is an unbeatable combination. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

[June]

Thanks Mary. It's pretty darn tasty busy day food. Love your curried noodles today and hope to try them later in the week.

[Nanan]

Your yard looks lovely - I like the pattern made by the different sized rocks! Camille Ana would have a fabulous time there - she LOVES rocks!!!! - to be 5 again and so easily amused - no? Now that supper was truly comfort food at the very finest - bravo!

[June]

Thank you Lea. It is small but we take advantage of every inch. We could sure use CA's help with the rocks as they need a little sprucing up. Yes, dinner was just what the Doctor ordered. LOL