Weight Watchers Lasagna

This is based on the Weight Watcher's recipe for meatless lasagna.  I have adapted it to my taste, and I'll include their recipe for homemade tomato sauce at the end of the recipe.  Super easy!

6 Servings--Use a sprayed 9x9 baking pan for this.  One slice is 9 points+, and 1/4 of the recipe is 13 points+. 

Ingredients:

2/3 C low fat ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese plus 1 TBSP Parmesan
6 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
4 oz. 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. lean hamburger, cooked and seasoned to taste (I use Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
15 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I use Prego Three Cheese, with a little doctoring)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat your 9x9 pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, parsley and 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese.  In a separate bowl, mix your pasta sauce and cooked hamburger.  Add 3-4 TBSP of pasta sauce mix to the cheese mix, enough to turn the sauce pink.

Spoon about half a cup of sauce into the pan, and spread around to coat the bottom.  Cover sauce with two lasagna noodles, breaking if necessary to make them fit and cover the pan.  Cover noodles with half of the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.  Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over mozzarella.

Add another layer of noodles and remaining ricotta cheese mix.  Sprinkle with another 1/3 of mozzarella and then another 1/3 of the sauce.

Add the final layer of noodles and cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese.

Bake until noodles are cooked through, cheese is melted and sauce begins to bubble at the bottom of the pan, about 35-40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let sit another 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Optional ingredients for homemade sauce:
1/2 TBSP olive oil
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 large uncooked onion, Spanish variety, cut in half and thinly sliced
35 oz. plum tomatoes, whole, canned, mashed into pieces
3 oz. can tomato paste
3 leaves basil, fresh
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. table salt
Directions:
To make the sauce, coat a large heavy pot with cooking spray, set over medium heat.  Add oil; when it starts to shimmer, add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to soften and become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and start to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt, and stir to combine.  Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring every 20 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of the pot, until sauce reduces slightly and thickens, about two hours.

Simple Stuffed Peppers

Very easy recipe, adapted from the Betty Crocker cookbook.  30-45 minutes from start to finish!

Ingredients:
6 medium green peppers, tops cut off, seeds removed, washed
1 lb hamburger
1 C Minute rice
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Garlic powder
1-2 C favorite pasta sauce (we use Prego)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.

Brown hamburger with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder (to taste) in a large pan with deep sides, until well mixed and cooked.  Drain.  While the hamburger browns, prepare the rice according to the package directions.  When the hamburger is done cooking and the rice is fluffy, add rice to hamburger, and add about 1 1/2 C of pasta sauce to hamburg/rice mix.  Combine.  Stir in a handful of shredded cheese and mix well.

Spray a deep-side 9 x13 pan with cooking spray.  Place prepared peppers in baking pan and scoop the hamburger mix evenly into the peppers.  Top with remaining pasta sauce, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.  Place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese browns and everything is warmed through, but the pepper is still crisp.