I have two single woman friends who have taught me by example how to eat well, but simply. Kate and Jeanette tend to do a big cook day one day a week and package it all up in single servings for the rest of the week. I have been making a full size meal, and dividing it into several containers to freezing.
Last week I made individual Chicken Pot Pies. Today I made Lasagna Roll-Ups. It is easy to divide the food up and freeze it. Then for those 'I am not in the mood to cook' evenings all I have to do is thaw and back.
INGREDIENTS
- 12 cooked lasagna noodles (I always do a couple extra in case they rip)
- 1 finely diced shallot
- 2 or 3 finely diced garlic cloves
- 3/4 lbs cooked ground beef or sausage (or combination of both)
- 1 or 2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use 2 jars of 16.25oz Messetta sauce. I get this because it makes a good meal for 2. You can also just use a 24oz. jar of sauce, or better yet, make your own sauce)
- 1 15oz container of ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (I just buy a bag of grated)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 TBL parsley
These ingredient amounts are all relative. You can add spinach or sliced mushrooms. Make it suit your taste and your refrigerator ingredients.
DIRECTIONS
- Cook the noodles (al dente) I do half at a time, lifting the first batch out and leaving the water so I don't have to bring a new pot to boil. When done, rinse the noodles in cold water and lay out on paper towel.
- Saute shallot, then garlic and add beef/sausage, stirring occasionally.
- Add sauce.
- In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, egg, salt, mozzarella, parmesan and parsley.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Spoon a light layer of sauce on the bottom of you pan(s)
- Lay one noodle on a plate or cutting board.
- Spread one scoop of ricotta filling on the noodle and roll it up. Place in pan.
- Top with the remaining sauce and plenty of grated mozzarella and parmesan.
BAKE covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
TO FREEZE cover the pan tightly with foil (I then also put it in a baggie) Thaw when ready to use and follow baking instructions.
Using this idea, I took 3 left over noodles and made an Alfredo Sauce meal. Made some ricotta/cheese/egg spread for each noodle. I sprinkled some crunched up cooked bacon on each and then laid some left over asparagus down the length of the noodle. Rolled.
I put Alfredo Sauce on the bottom of the pan. Laid on the noodles. Spread a bit more Alfredo on top and then sprinkled with cheddar (that's what I had). So go wild. Look at what you have and create a new dinner.