The original recipe did not call for any pasta as it is meant to be a low-carb dish but if you know me... you know I LOVE carbs. So I couldn't help but add some pasta to the mix to add a bit more. And I think Joseph would have looked at me funny if I served him just the meat and cheese portion.
I want to play around with the spices a bit more on this dish and maybe add some pancetta. But other than a few changes I was really digging how it turned out. Next time I may add the noodles into the layers and bake it all together as well to let the flavors meld together in the oven.
Source: Kendra Maurer
Deconstructed Lasagna
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 bag noodle of your choice (or go noodle-less for a low carb meal)
Brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic; drain off the fat. Mix in the spaghetti sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste and heat until bubbly.
Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg and pepper with a spoon until well mixed. Blend in the spinach.
Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat.
It may not completely cover the top, but that's ok. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350ยบ about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.
