Ground Turkey Lasagna |Cooking With Amanda

This time of year (at least in upstate New York) we like to pretend it's Spring, but really we're all ready to wake up to a random snowstorm still. I mean, we've had snow on Easter before. Nothing funnier than a bunch of little girls in Easter dresses and snow boots if you ask me!

Anyway, that is probably why I still have warm comfort food on my mind. Sure other locations are already starting gardens and eating their first fresh green salads. Ummm yeah, LUCKY!! Can I come visit you???

For me and my other cold weather friends, I bring to you warm comforting lasagna. Made with whole grain noodles and lots of veggies and lean turkey, this one will satisfy without adding to your winter waistline. Since it's supposedly spring, that means summer and short and tank tops are right around the corner right!?

Back to comfort food, lasagna is one of the first things I think of. Probably because it's my go to thing to make if someone is sick or is having a rough patch in life. I pull out a trusty casserole dish and bake one up to drop off.

Lasagna is something I feel like you can change up so many ways depending on your audience. This version is filled with meaty mushrooms, lean ground turkey, and spinach! But don't forget the ricotta and freshly shaved parmesan. And I'm not talking about that powder in a can, unacceptable people. You need the real stuff. The long thin shavings of it, preferably shaved by you but if you must buy a container of it from the gourmet cheese section of the store and we'll call it even.

Are you a drop food off kind of person? It's the first thing I think of when I hear someone has suffered a loss or is going through something hard. Bake up some love, stop by for some talk time, or just drop it off and let them enjoy it in peace. I like it think of it as one less thing they need to worry about or do. I know I've appreciated it when others have done it for me.

What is your go to "comfort food" to bake for someone?

Chow!

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Ground Turkey Lasagna Recipe

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Ingredients

1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2-3 cups part skim mozzarella, divided, to personal taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly shaved, plus more to garnish
coarse ground black pepper, to taste
fresh basil and parsley, to taste (you can use dry if you don't have fresh on hand)
1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce, use your favorite
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked, use the no boil kind
3-4 cups sliced mushrooms
1 pound ground turkey, cooked and drained

Directions

In a small bowl mix ricotta, egg, 1-2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, black pepper, basil and parsley.
In your 9x9 ceramic baking pan pour a little sauce and shake the pan around until it coats the bottom. Layer 2 lasagna noodles on top of sauce.
Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms and turkey along with 1/3 of the remaining sauce to cover, sprinkle spinach leaves to cover.
Layer 2 more noodles and repeat with ricotta, mushrooms, meat, spinach and sauce.
For the final layer cover with sliced mushrooms, followed by remainder of ricotta, meat, spinach and sauce. Finish by topping off with mozzarella.
Cover with tin foil and place in the oven. Heat at 350°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil for final 15 minutes to brown cheese.