Are you constantly trying to sneak more veggies into your family's diet? This super cheesy, veggie-packed lasagna is the perfect way to do that. Be prepared to have the kids constantly requesting this. Holy crap, this stuff is good!
INGREDIENTS:
Meat & Veggie Mixture 1lbground turkey 1lbwhite button mushrooms, sliced 2large zucchinis, thinly sliced 1eggplant, cubed 29oz(2 cans) Italian style stewed tomatoes 24ozjarred marinara sauce ½red onion, diced 1each red, orange & yellow bell peppers (diced or cut into chunks, your preference) 2tbspItalian seasoning (or more to taste) 2tbspminced garlic 2tbsporegano (or more to taste) 3tbspolive oil 1pinchsalt 1pinchpepper
1. Cook the lasagna noodles, in advance, per the package's instructions. Set aside in a colander inside a bowl. Drizzle the noodles with a bit of olive oil so they don't stick together. (TIP: Cooking the noodles in advance makes the process so much easier. You can do it concurrently with making the meat and veggie mixture, but it is a lot to manage.)
2. FAST EASY WAY: Use oven ready (no-cook) lasagna noodles. The sauce cooks them while in the oven!
3. Preheat oven to 350°F and position the rack to the middle of the oven.
4. Cut, chop, dice, slice and mince the veggies and garlic as specified in the ingredient list.
5. Set the veggies aside.
6. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
7. Add the red onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until softened.
8. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.
9. Add the zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers and mushrooms to the pan.
10. Stir in 2 tbsp. of olive oil and continue sautéing.
11. Stir in the marina sauce and stewed tomatoes.
12. Reduce heat, if necessary.
13. Season with the Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper.
14. Stir carefully to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. (TIP: Don't worry about cooking the veggies all the way through; the oven will do that.)
15. In a large bowl, combine the cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses.
16. Place one layer of noodles into the bottom of the lasagna pan.
17. Spoon an even layer of the meat and veggie sauce on top of the noodles.
18. Evenly dollop half of the cream cheese over the sauce.
19. Repeat with half of the ricotta cheese.
20. And half of the sour cream.
21. Cover with a layer of the cheddar-jack-mozzarella mixture. (TIP: Save a handful for the final layer.)
22. Repeat the noodle-sauce-cheeses step.
23. Top the last layer with noodles, a little bit of sauce, and finish with the cheddar-Monterey-mozzarella cheese mixture.
24. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
25. No extra veggies needed; they are already inside!
