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Sausage Vegetable Lasagna

Lately I’ve become obsessed with Lasagna. Which is weird for me. Growing up, it was one of the few dishes that my nanny did not make well, so much so that it turned me off of it completely. I think it had something to do with the crunchy noodles where they got overcooked. Blech! Or maybe the fact that we eat it EVERY Christmas Eve, and we’re not even Italian… can’t a girl get a good pot roast?

Then, a few years ago when we were living in England, I found a recipe for a lasagna, that while not vegetarian, used thinly sliced zucchini instead of pasta for the separation of layers. I thought it sounded divine, and spent nearly £50 at the shop (that was close to $75 back then) buying all the ingredients, including many of the spices I didn’t have on hand.

James took one bite, declared it too cheesy, and made himself soup for dinner.

As you can imagine, after all of that, I was kind of off lasagna for good. But then a couple weeks ago, we had zucchini and mushrooms, and Italian-Style Ground Turkey hanging out in the fridge, along with some leftover ricotta from a recipe test for a friend. I don’t know what came over me, but I decided to make lasagna!

The timing was perfect, as a set of Chinet’s new disposable bakeware had arrived at my door for testing as well. Part 2 of something I’m becoming obsessed with.

This new bakeware from Chinet is pretty cool, and that’s my honest opinion. I love taking casseroles, pasta bakes, and cookies to barbecues and potlucks because they’re easy, and they can be made ahead of time and stored. But I don’t love spending money on the aluminum pans that always seem to cook too fast and burn the edges. And I really don’t relish leaving my glassware at someone else’s house, especially if they live an hour or two away. (This happens often, living in the tri-state area.)

When Chinet contacted me to test out this stuff, I thought, “Sure, why not. Let’s give it a whirl!”. They sent me a case, with roughly 3 pans in every shape they offer: 2 different ovals, a square, and a rectangle. So far, I’ve used the rectangle and the square to bake this Italian lasagna with meat, and brownies. I’m saving the ovals for a special occasion where I have to take a dish somewhere.

Here’s what I like: these babies can go in the microwave. Because they’re made of 90% recycled material, and all paper, you don’t have to dirty another dish to reheat. I don’t know if they meant for this to be the case, but it also meant handling the dish straight from the oven wasn’t nearly as crazy dangerous as an aluminum or glass one. But that’s just my experience. They’re also crazy sturdy, despite being made from recycled paper. Score one for Chinet!

I also like that they’re non-stick. I didn’t spray the pan with any cooking spray before I baked the lasagna, and as you can see in the photos, nothing really stuck to the pan. The food slid out easily. And yes, my brownies had that perfect crunchy edge too.

If there’s one thing I could change about the Chinet Disposable Bakeware, it would be to offer a freezer-safe, low profile, sturdy lid. I like the ability to stack things in my freezer, and I don’t love the idea of using only foil to cover and having it tear and let in the freezer bite.

The current lids aren’t recommended for the freezer, and they’re a little tall, taking up valuable space, even if you ignored the recommendation. I’d happily pay extra for a second set of lids, since I consider these guys to be semi-disposable. If you’re only storing already baked cookies, for example, you can wipe them out and use them again. (Washing is not recommended, and could damage the product beyond use.)

Now back to that lasagna! I like to consider it pretty healthy because we’re using ground turkey, and adding some filler in the form of onions, zucchini, and mushrooms. They add a lovely earthiness to the whole dish, and pretty much hide in it, in case your kids are anti-any of that stuff.

I’ve managed to make one 3-layer 9″x13″ dish, or two 2-layer 8″x8″ dishes from this recipe. They were equally delicious, and you have a bonus of freezing the second 8″x8″ for reheating on one of those nights when your cooking mojo has gone missing*.

Wanna see your recipe featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine? Submit your best baking recipe for a shot! Enter here.

Disclaimer: I was provided the Chinet Disposable Bakeware free of charge for review and testing. I was asked that if I did write a post (my choice), I would share my honest opinion with you. I have done that. I was not compensated for this post.

*Cooking Mojo quote blatantly stolen from Casey.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Sausage Vegetable Lasagna & Chinet Disposable Bakeware – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

Mark Beatty

Tuesday 29th of May 2012

Hi, Am.

So I guess this means you don't want lasagna this year for Christmas Eve? Hahahahahaha!

Mark

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction

Thursday 17th of May 2012

Lately I haven't been in much of a mood for Italian food, but this lasagna (or is it lasagne? I never know) is calling my name. I think Darron would be quite pleased if I made it... Since he is "suffering" and all with the lack of Italian cuisine.

Tracy

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

The lasagna sounds delicious! I used to be a crunchy noodle lasagna maker, but I've improved over the years. ;-)

ATasteOfMadness

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

This looks delicious!! I have never tried a ground turkey lasagna before, healthier than the other alternative. I'm glad you did not give up on making lasagna ;)

Amber

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

Thanks so much for stopping by! It is definitely healthier. If only I could get the hubs to switch in zucchini strips for noodles, it'd be pretty much carb free too. But there's only so much you can ask of a man. ;)

Shaina

Monday 14th of May 2012

This looks delicious, and the pans would be perfect for a potluck.

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