Veggie-Packed Lasagna

You won't believe how many vegetables you can pack into this delicious lasagna! Zucchini, carrots and spinach simmer in the flavorful meat sauce which gets layered between lasagna noodles and a homemade cheese sauce. Top it with cheese and throw it in the oven for a yummy balanced dinner.

Servings: 8

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the meat sauce:

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey

• 1 sweet onion, diced

• 1 tsp salt + more to taste

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp white sugar

• 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes

• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste

• 2 zucchini, grated

• 3-4 large carrots, grated

• 2 cups chopped spinach (optional)

  
  

For the cheese sauce:

• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter

• ½ cup flour

• 2 ½ cups whole milk

• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated (see note)

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• salt, to taste

For assembly:

• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

• Lasagna sheets

  
  

Directions:

For the meat sauce:

1. In a large skillet, cook the ground meat, onion, salt and pepper until the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess fat.

2. Add in all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Add salt to taste (how much salt you need will depend on how many vegetables you end up adding!

3. Bring to a low boil, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes while you make the cheese sauce.

For the cheese sauce:

1. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until well combined.

2. Very slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously, until well combined.

3. Whisk in 1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Remove from heat once the cheese has fully melted. Whisk in the nutmeg and salt to taste.

For assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 9x13 casserole dish.

2. Spread about 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom followed by a layer of lasagna sheets and then about 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat these three layers one more time and then top with the remaining meat sauce and 1 cup of cheese.

   
   

3. Bake for 35-40 min until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting in and enjoy!

   
   
   
   

Notes:

• Grater: I love this Kitchen-Aid grater attachment for the cheese, zucchini and carrots! It makes it so easy! (This is a commissionable link).

• Meat: I usually use a lean ground beef. If you are using a more fatty ground beef, you may want to drain a little bit of the fat before adding step 2.

• Vegetables: Grating vegetables (especially the carrots) is the best way to make sure that your vegetables will cook fully. If you chop them, you will likely need to cook the meat sauce for longer before layering the lasagna

• Cheese sauce: for the best texture, I recommend grating your cheese rather than buying pre-shredded cheese.

Love this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment or messaging me on Instagram! I'd love to hear what you think.

This recipe was adapted from my Meat Sauce recipe and the cheese sauce recipe from Sarah's Day.