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Winter is finally upon us and with winter comes the urge to eat delicious comfort food. When I had to start eating gluten free, I was a little worried that I would have to give up some foods that I really enjoy…like lasagna. Not too long ago, a friend of mine told me about oven ready lasagna noodles that were gluten free. I knew I had to make a gluten free lasagna. I just had to!
Normally I am not one to want the cold weather. However, this year we’ve had a really strange start to Fall and Winter. Rather than gradually get cooler until we’re at freezing temperatures, we’ve held on to the 60 and even 70 degree temps…in November! I know…crazy! Since the colder temps seemed to finally be here, I decided to take a ride to my local Walmart store and pick up the different Hunt’s products needed to make a delicious gluten free lasagna!
Before we get started with the recipe, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get oven ready lasagna noodles. No boiling necessary. It’s awesome. I promise!
In your skillet, with your stove on medium-high heat, pour about a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Place 2 1/2 lbs ground beef (or any combination of meat you prefer) and 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic. Cook until the meat is completely brown. I really like using my ground meat chopper
Now add two 14.5 oz cans of Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes, two 6 oz cans of Hunt’s Tomato Paste, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley flakes, 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more if you like it really spicy), and salt to taste.
Mix everything together really well. Even when you think it’s mixed, keep mixing because it’s not. Trust me! Cover and let this simmer for about 55 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While your delicious sauce is simmering, mix 2 beaten eggs with 3 1/2 cups cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt.
I chose to go with cottage cheese over ricotta cheese for a couple reasons. First of all, my kids aren’t all that fond of ricotta cheese. While I try to make things my kids like, the main reason I chose to use cottage cheese is because it gives a much creamier texture to the lasagna. It’s absolutely delicious!
Now you’re ready to start assembling your gluten free lasagna! But…first things first…spray your pan with Pam Cooking Spray. You don’t want to have all your hard work stick to the pan! Also, it’d be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees!
Now it’s time to start layering! Place a little bit of sauce down on the bottom of the pan. This is important if you are using oven ready noodles. I think it helps the noodles cook better. On top of the sauce, place your oven ready gluten free lasagna noodles. Then place a layer of your cottage cheese mixture. On top of that, place a generous amount of sauce. Next you want to place the secret ingredient…PEPPERONI! My husbands mom makes lasagna with pepperoni and it’s delicious so I wanted to make sure I added that to my recipe too!
I’ve made lasagna with shredded cheese and using the mozzarella slices and I prefer to use the slices. If you want to go with slices, just stop by your deli counter and ask for about 1 lb of mozzarella cheese sliced thin. However, shredded is perfectly fine too! Cheese is cheese!
Keep repeating your layers. Make sure to finish with a nice layer of meat sauce on top. Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 10 minutes more.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it freezes well. I would probably cook it, let it cool and then freeze it. If you haven’t added pepperoni to your lasagna before…do it! I’m telling you, it adds to the dish very nicely!
YUM! For the holidays, this would be PERFECT for my family members who are gluten-free. Thanks for sharing – looks scrumptious! #client