Low Carb Meal Plan: Easy Lasagna Recipe Without Ricotta Cheese No Cottage Cheese
Low Carb Meal Planning With Zucchini Lasagna:
* This easy lasagna recipe makes two 9×13 casseroles, perfect for freezing and/or simple low carb meal planning.
For those with little time (or patience), this recipe offers a passport to a plate of pure indulgence without the fuss. Get ready to savor every bite, as you create a low carb lasagna that becomes an instant favorite in your arsenal against chronic pain, fatigue, and gut issues.
This is one of my favorite recipes, as it leaves me feeling good after eating! It’s a light recipe, meaning it can feel you up without making you feel heavy and lethargic. There’s quite a bit of meat to add protein, and the zucchini is a good source of fiber and antioxidants.
Easy Lasagna Recipe Without Ricotta Cheese:
If you’re looking for a substitution for ricotta cheese or cottage cheese in lasagna, feta cheese is a good option. Feta’s strong flavor will offset the sweetness of tomato sauce, and the crumbly texture mimics the texture of ricotta or cottage cheese.
Note that feta is lower in calories and calcium but higher in sodium.
Low Carb, Gluten Free Lasagna Recipe Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- (2) medium zucchini
- (2) 1 oz containers of feta cheese
- (1) 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or 2 15 oz cans)
- (1) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- I use a homemade salt substitute that’s half turmeric and half ground sage
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Steps For Making This Easy Lasagna Recipe:
Slice you zucchini into thin slices. You can slice it manually as I did here or use a food processor (which is better if you like smaller pieces). Place the zucchini slices on paper towels and let sit for 20 minutes – you can stack them for this to save room.
You can do this step up to a week in advance – I sliced my zucchini and stored it in this bowl in the fridge for just shy of a week before making my lasagna.
Preheat oven to 425*F.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Drain beef but leave it in the skillet.
Add sauce and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add paprika and Italian seasoning. Heat on medium and mix thoroughly.
You can either freeze half of your sauce, or make two casseroles at a time. I prefer to make two and freeze the second casserole for an easy few meals later on!
Assembling Your Low Carb, Gluten Free Lasagna:
- Ladle out enough sauce to cover the bottom of each dish.
- Use 1/2 a container of feta per casserole as the next layer.
- Lay a thin layer of zucchini over the feta cheese.
- Spread mozzarella cheese over the layer of zucchini.
Repeat these four steps to finish your two low carb lasagna casseroles.
Place both lasagnas in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and slightly browned.
Clean Eating On A Budget:
Wal-Mart and Aldi brand canned fruit and vegetables are, in general, really good about not adding preservatives, sugars, etc. As usual, check the labels, but canned crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, etc. are usually fairly clean eating from these brands. Aldi has affordable organic meat, including the grass-fed beef I used for this recipe!
Limiting Salt:
Canned vegetables usually do have some salt added, but I’ve not had any issues if I rely on these as my only salt sources and stay away from adding my own. Some recent research has shown that low salt, not a no salt, diet is better for the heart; no salt diets can be just as bad as high salt in some instances! 1
* Notes on freezing: this easy lasagna recipe is just as good reheated after refrigerating or freezing!
Hopefully this recipe can be a healthy stepping stone for all of you reading this. From my kitchen to yours, I hope this helps you live your best life!
Sources:
- Low-Sodium Diet: Benefits, Food Lists, Risks and More: “Restricting sodium too much may lead to elevated cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and hyponatremia. Some studies have shown that low-sodium diets negatively impact people with heart failure.”