White Lasagna

I adore lasagna.  Could eat it every day if I had to.  What's not to love?  Pasta, sauce, and cheese and cheese, and more cheese!  Growing up, my mom made the best lasagna and I of course carry on that same recipe, but seriously, no one ever makes it as good as mom does.  But I like to think I hold a small flame to her, she did teach me after all.  I don't get red-sauce dishes very much in my house.  Neither my oldest child or my husband likes tomato sauce.  Though, husband has been known to enjoy the family lasagna recipe.  I was so craving this a few weeks back however that I had to adapt the recipe.  I figured, if my daughter doesn't eat red sauce, then I'll make it with white sauce.

I have to say, it turned out pretty darn good!  Only change is that next time I will use MORE sauce, and perhaps if time allows, I will make my own white sauce.  But when you're a full time working mom of two, with a busy household, making your own Alfredo sauce is a luxury you can't always have time to afford.  So, this recipe is truly "semi-homemade" and so simple!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
• 2 jars Alfredo sauce (or homemade)
• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 1 pkg chopped spinach (defrosted and drained)
• Salt/Pepper
• 16oz Ricotta cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 pkgs shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Boil your lasagna noodles according to directions on the box, to al dente
2. In a large skillet, cook up the ground beef and sliced mushrooms.  
3. Drain off any excess fat.
4. Pour in the Alfredo sauce and bring to light simmer.  Set aside.

 

1. In a large 13x9 lasagna pan, spread some of the sauce on the bottom, this prevents the noodles from sticking.
2. Then lay your noodles over the bottom of the pan, in one layer, covering the entire bottom of the pan, one layer of noodles only..
3. On top of the noodles, spread ricotta.  Honestly, just use your fingers to press it in and around, makes it much easier.  Just enough to cover the noodles, as shown.
4. On top of the ricotta, sprinkle on the chopped spinach.  Just a bit, maybe 1/3 of what you have in the package.
5. On top of the spinach, sprinkle on your mozzarella cheese, then on top of that, shake on the Parmesan cheese.
6. At this layer, you will now pour on more sauce/meat, get it wet, but dont' use it all, you need to have enough for at least one more layer.

Repeat steps 2 through 5 until you've reached the top of the pan.

The final layer should end with Mozzarella cheese and just a smattering of spinach for color.

Place dish into a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes until the tops are golden brown and sauce is bubbling.

Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!