Healthy Beef Lasagne

Posted by Alan Lugtoncomfort, Health food, Winter

Try this healthy twist on an Italian classic. Just as tasty but way less fat and calories!

Serves: 6                       Prep Time: 20 Mins                  Cook time 45 Mins

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

  • Spray oil
  • 4 oz (about 600g) extra lean beef mince
    (or Quorn as a meat substitute)
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 350g (12oz. or medium-sized tub) mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
  • Small bag (200g) baby spinach
  • 2 8oz (400g) cans plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tsp mixed dried herbs
  • 1 tsp/2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp chilli
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to season

Cheese Sauce Filling

  • A little bit of semi-skimmed milk, optional
  • 250g Philadelphia light cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to season
  • 12 whole-wheat lasagna sheets (12 oz/250g)
  • 200g shredded low fat mozzarella or grated cheddar
Method

Prepare meat sauce:

  1. Lightly spray bottom of a large heavy pot with spray oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  2. Add beef mince (or Quorn) and cook, breaking up clumps, until browned (3-5 minutes).
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrot and cook until softened (2-3 minutes)
  4. Add mushrooms, spinach, garlic and chilli and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid evaporates (4-6 minutes).
  6. Stir in plum tomatoes and dried mixed herbs. Once the sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer and stir occasionally, for approx. 30-45 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken up. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To prepare filling and assemble lasagne:

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Coat a 2ocm x 30cm baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Heat the Philadelphia light over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Use a little bit of semi-skimmed milk to “loosen” the mixture, if desired.
  3. Line a baking tray with tinfoil. Lightly spray with spray oil. Start layering lasagna into the baking tray with a layer of lasagna sheets. Then add a layer of meat (or vegetables), followed by a layer of white sauce. Repeat once more, then finish with a layer of pasta sheets covered in white sauce. Sprinkle over some grated low-fat cheese.
  4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes and Bob’s your uncle!
    (Ok Bob may not be your uncle but hopefully you know what we mean!)

The Nitty Gritty

Per serving this yummy meal contains 491 calories, 16.3g fat, 9.3g saturates, 10.1g sugars, 1.7g salt

Top Three Tips
1

A good size serving of this for a 12 – 15 year olds and adults is about the size of the palm of your hand (100g). A younger child will need a bit less.

2

To make the white sauce go a bit further just add some more semi-skimmed milk and use about a tablespoon of cornflour to thicken it up.

3

To make a veggie version (or just for fun ! ) try using some different vege’s, How about adding some courgettes, aubergines, peppers, broccoli and/or butternut squash?

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