Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal

I was ever so grateful today to be able to go the freezer (in between the landscapers, the termite inspector and the plumber arriving) and pull out my trusty Lazy Lasagna and a loaf of French bread that we made on Thursday and say - Voila! Supper! Lest you think I did not feed my family veggies, they are hidden inside the lasagna! This is a great recipe to hide veggies in!

So without further ado:

Lazy Lasagna

makes 1 9x13 or 2 9x9 if you follow the increases

3 cups dried pasta (penne, rotini or any other large pasta) Add a fourth cup of pasta if you are making 2 9x9s instead
1 lb ground turkey (I just use a 1 and a third pound package and that way I can easily have enough for the 9x9 size.) You can substitute ground beef if you would like.
1 medium chopped onion
1 sweet pepper, color of your choice, chopped
1 cup finely grated carrot (you could probably add more veggies if you like)
1 jar 24oz prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (or half oregano, half basil)
1 and a half cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook the noodles per directions.

Cook ground turkey, chopped onion and pepper until the turkey is cooked. Add the carrots and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. (If you forget to add the carrots at this point, or are cooking combination things and the carrots do not fit in, that is okay, just add them when you add the sauce).

Combine the turkey mixture, the pasta sauce and the seasoning.

To assemble:
Spread half the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish, top with all the pasta, top with remaining meat mixture, mozzarella cheese, and paremsan cheese.

To Freeze:
Assemble in casserole, cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Label clearly.

(If you cannot be without the casserole that long, line the casserole with plastic wrap first. Once the casserole is frozen, pop it out of the casserole (may have to soak base in hot water first), and wrap it in either a freezer bag, or plastic wrap and then foil. Be sure to include in your labeling which casserole you used - just trust me on this one, you want to use the same one. On cooking day, unwrap the frozen lasagna and put it back into the casserole to thaw).

Cooking Day:

Thaw casserole. Bake uncovered in 350 oven for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown on top. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Original recipe included ricotta cheese, but we found that it did not freeze well, that we did not really like it, and that it was expensive for something we did not care for! If you want to add the 17 oz container of ricotta cheese, mix it with an egg and layer it the top layer of noodles, under the mozzarella cheese and paremsan cheese.

(adapted from The Best Freezer Cookbook by Jan Main)

Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- Tips for converting your favorite recipes to freezer recipes
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals