Let's Look At... Making Lasagna in a Loaf Pan

I've been playing around with lasagna recipes ever since I joined Weight Watchers.  Lasagna is a family favorite but with all that meat and cheese it's not something that good to eat very often.

However, it is one of my favorite fall comfort foods and I thought this loaf pan lasagna recipe would be great for this month's edition of Let's Look At... Your Yummy Fall Recipes.

We have perfected a wonderful 4 pt Weight Watchers version of lasagna that we do enjoy but my oldest son requested "real" lasagna recently and I agreed... on the condition that we only made enough for one meal so we didn't end up eating lots of unhealthy leftovers again and again and again.






Years ago, long before we had kids I used to make all our lasagnas in a loaf pan for my husband and I as it made 4 perfectly sized portions for us; one each for dinner and one each for lunch the next day.  Knowing Alec would not eat lasagna no matter how I made it, I set to work making a loaf pan lasagna for the 4 of us.

Ingredients:

1- 24 ounce can or jar of spaghetti sauce
4 oven ready lasagna noodles
1 lb 93% lean ground beef
7.5 ounces fat free ricotta cheese
1- 7 ounce package of fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

We made 4-- 9 point servings with this.

I sprayed the loaf pan with just a bit of non-stick cooking spray and then lined the pan with 1/2 cup or so of the spaghetti sauce.


Then I laid down one of the noodles; as you can see they are perfectly sized for a loaf pan!


I browned up the ground beef in the skillet and added the minced garlic. When the beef was done cooking, I did drain all the fat and grease off then added in the spaghetti sauce.


In a small bowl I mixed together the ricotta cheese with the Italian seasoning and then began assembling the lasagna.

I poured 1/3 of the meat mixture over the lasagna noodle.


Topped it with some cheese then added another noodle.


I topped the noodle with the ricotta cheese mixture and then continued assembling the lasagna alternating layers and ending with sauce and shredded cheese on top.




I baked it in a preheated oven at 375 for 20 minutes until it was hot and bubbly and the cheese on top turned a nice golden brown.



I let it cool for 10 minutes and then cut it into 4 equal servings.  I could not get over how cheesy it was!


Paired with a large garden salad the portion size was just right and it felt downright decadent to be eating something so meaty and cheesy!



I also shared a recap of several favorite fall recipes here 2 years ago-- apple pie, apple crisp, pecan crusted chicken, Turkey pie (with all the Thanksgiving leftovers), butterscotch blondies and more.

What's your favorite fall recipe?

Linking Up With:


Comments

  1. Andrea NineOctober 9, 2019 at 7:52 AM

    We love lasagna and this is such a brilliant idea! I think it would make such nice thick pieces!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 9, 2019 at 3:23 PM

      It's perfect for when you don't have a large crowd but still want that comfort of lasagna!

      Delete
  2. Kari WagnerOctober 9, 2019 at 8:19 AM

    I love the idea of making this in a loaf pan. I had never thought to do that before!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 9, 2019 at 3:24 PM

      I love how quickly and easily it comes together too.

      Delete
  3. Queen Mom JenOctober 9, 2019 at 11:24 AM

    Yum! I am so in on this recipe. Thank you for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. XmasDollyOctober 9, 2019 at 7:03 PM

    Now Lasagna is an old day affair to make in this house, but I love your ideas for a quick lunch maybe or when the grandkids come over... shhhhhhhhhh don't tell my NaNa though! hehehehe Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 9, 2019 at 7:37 PM

      Every now and then we need a shortcut recipe for our favorite foods; they might not taste exactly the same but they're perfect for when we don't have a lot of time on our hands.

      Delete
  5. julie @ jewelswandering.comOctober 9, 2019 at 10:36 PM

    Game changer! I never even thought of making it in a loaf pan - brilliant!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 10, 2019 at 6:02 AM

      Thank you!

      Delete
    2. Sandi MagleOctober 10, 2019 at 10:46 AM

      Now that we are only two in our home, I always make baked casseroles in loaf pans....if you have unexpected company you can always take two out of the freezer. A full recipe of lasagna makes 3-4 smaller loaf pans, yours does look nummy!

      Delete
    3. Mother of 3October 10, 2019 at 11:55 AM

      That is a great idea to make most casseroles in loaf pans; we tend to make 13x9 size for most foods with the 5 of us as long as it's a dish everyone enjoys.

      Delete
  6. Dara @ Not In JerseyOctober 10, 2019 at 12:42 PM

    That is a great idea to make just enough for one meal! I have a loaf pan, I might have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 10, 2019 at 2:51 PM

      I want to try subbing zucchini slices for the noodles next time but I'm not sure that would go over very well with the rest of the family.

      Delete
  7. Julie's Creative LifestyleOctober 10, 2019 at 2:02 PM

    This looks so good and thanks for the recipe. I am definitely going to make this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 10, 2019 at 2:50 PM

      You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

      Delete
  8. Lazy GastronomeOctober 13, 2019 at 10:15 AM

    This looks delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Have a fabulous week!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnnOctober 14, 2019 at 4:27 PM

    I can't wait to make this recipe! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ's...you are being featured on my blog tomorrow night!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AniOctober 16, 2019 at 3:11 PM

    I literally never make lasagna because I think of the huge pan and then having to eat those leftovers for weeks on end. This is such a great idea! I'm going to make this after my next shopping trip!

    ReplyDelete
  11. MarilynsTreatsOctober 16, 2019 at 7:34 PM

    Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sum of their StoriesOctober 20, 2019 at 7:04 AM

    What a great idea, I always find making a lasagna a right old faff so I love the idea of a quick easy method.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3October 20, 2019 at 11:46 AM

      Thank you! I am all about quick and easy recipes.

      Delete
  13. Miz HelenOctober 21, 2019 at 8:20 PM

    We featured your awesome post at Full Plate Thursday,454! Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope you will come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

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