Weight Watchers Cheesy Meat Lasagna (8 pts.)
Try this Weight Watchers Cheesy Meat Lasagna 8 pts recipe or contribute your own
Try this Weight Watchers Cheesy Meat Lasagna 8 pts recipe or contribute your own
- 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1 pound of 97% lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 cup of onion chopped - i do not really care for bits o so i just season my ground beef with onion powder.
- 11/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 1 bottle (26 oz) of spaghetti sauce
- 16 oz of low fat cottage cheese drained
- 2 cups of reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- Carbohydrate 12.7708663041258 g
- Cholesterol 17.0340442207416 mg
- Fat 0.536689064489118 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 2.63911013885736 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0765365274575785 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (124g)
- Sodium 6.0669198594422 mg
- Sugar 12.7708663041258 g
- Trans Fat 0.177107391281409 g
- Calories 67 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a large skillet, brown the meat with the onions, garlic and oregano. Drain the meat if necessary.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, spread ½ cup of the sauce mixture to cover the bottom evenly.
- Then layer 3 of the noodles, 1 cup of the cottage cheese and ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- For the next layer, start with 1 cup of the sauce mixture, 3 noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese and ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Top with the last three noodles and the rest of the sauce mixture. Then cover with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated throughout.
- Uncover and top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Let lasagna sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Bubble-fringed tomato sauce meets scorched mozzarella edges across layers of tender pasta. Professional kitchens frequently adapt classic pasta bakes to manage moisture levels without sacrificing structural integrity. Strategic ingredient selection changes everything when modifying rich casseroles for specific nutritional goals. <_h3_>Managing Moisture in Lean Proteins<_h3_>Utilizing ninety-seven percent lean ground beef prevents grease pooling on the surface of the baking dish. Excess fat acts as a barrier, but very lean beef releases minimal liquid during browning. Simmering the meat with garlic, dried oregano, and chopped onions for precisely five minutes allows the aromatics to bloom in the pan before assembly. <_h3_>Adapting Dairy Components<_h3_>Straining low-fat cottage cheese through a fine-mesh sieve for ten minutes eliminates excess whey that would otherwise make the noodle layers watery. Reduced-fat mozzarella melts differently than whole-milk varieties due to lower fat content. Adding the final batch of mozzarella during the last five minutes of baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit prevents the cheese proteins from tightening prematurely and turning rubbery. <_h3_>Resting and Storage Dynamics<_h3_>Allowing the baked pan to rest uncovered for five minutes lets the internal starches set, ensuring clean slices upon serving. Portioning leftovers into airtight containers yields dependable lunches for up to four days in the refrigerator.
