Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

I just found out September was National Mushroom Month, so to celebrate the occasion, I made one of our family's favorites: vegetarian mushroom lasagna. I used cremini mushrooms, which have the right size and texture for lasagna. Onions and tomato sauce also play an important role in the dish, as of course does the cheesy white sauce. I included soy chorizo to provide some protein and a little kick to the meal. If you’re not a vegetarian, you could of course substitute ground meat in its place.

The layers of the lasagna can be a little soft, so I topped it with a Parmesan and bread mixture. I find this dish to be comfort food at its best: rich, flavorful and bold while still being familiar. Definitely worth the effort!

Beet Lasagna Recipe

If you've been following the meals I've been cooking for my family recently, you've probably noticed the abundance of beets in the dishes. I try my best to make a wide variety of dishes, even though they all revolve around the same ingredient. So this recipe is made with --you guessed it-- beets and beet greens! I sautéed the greens with onions, fresh thyme, tomato paste and a bit of vegetable broth. The taste is very similar to collard greens. Of course, you could always replace the beet greens with collard greens or kale.

To ensure the beet greens were well appreciated, I utilized them in layers of lasagna. The key is to add generous amounts of béchamel sauce and cheese. Prepared this way, all the beet greens and beets were used up and I bet no one even really noticed I had served such large portions of greens!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods our family enjoys. It's butternut squash season, so I've been cooking with it a lot lately, and I thought it would be fun to use it in a lasagna dish.

To start, I roasted butternut squash pieces in the oven with herbs and honey, then blended it into a smooth purée. I then stacked layers of pasta sheets in between creamy, cheesy white sauce and butternut squash purée. It’s a perfect combination of sweet and savory, and it really enhances the natural sweetness of the ricotta.

The lasagna dish can be prepared in advance (the day before) and kept it in the refrigerator overnight. It might not be the healthiest but it will definitely satisfy your appetite on cold days.