The City of Shoreline experienced some cold weather this week, so here’s a hearty meal that you can share with your friends, family and loved ones.
Tip: Since baked spaghetti and lasagna share similar ingredients, this healthy recipe can easily be doubled: Two casseroles can be made at the same time for a whole week’s worth of lunches.

Lasagna With Olives, Mushrooms and Bell Peppers

Start to finish: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Serves 8

Step 1: Prepare meat and veggie mixture

Ingredients

• ½ pound lean hamburger meat
• ⅛ cup olive oil
• ½ pound ground hot Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped yellow bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 can medium black olives, rinsed and cut in half

Instructions

1. Cook hamburger meat in pan on medium-high heat until brown
2. Remove excess oil from pan using paper towel
3. Add olive oil
4. Add ground sausage, continue cooking until browned
5. Add onions, sauté for 5 minutes
6. Add bell peppers, sauté for 5 minutes
7. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and olives
8. Sauté for an additional 5-10 minutes or until all ingredients are softened
9. Set aside and let cool

Step 2: Prepare cheese mixture

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (or 1 bunch) parsley
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces shredded Italian-style 6-cheese blend

Instructions

1. Mix eggs in medium-sized bowl
2. Finely chop parsley
3. Add parsley to bowl, mix
4. Add ricotta and Italian-style cheese to bowl, mix

Step 3: Assemble lasagna

Ingredients

• 9×13 in. baking dish
• 4 cans pre-prepared pasta sauce
• Oven-ready lasagna noodles
• Cheese mixture (from step 2)
• Meat and veggie mixture (from step 1)

Instructions

1. Spread ½ can pasta sauce on to bottom of dish
2. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce
3. Gently spread ⅓ cheese mixture on top of noodles
4. Gently spread ⅓ meat and veggie mixture on top of cheese layer
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 twice to create additional layers
6. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of finished layers
7. Add ½ can pasta sauce to lasagna, ensuring that everything is fully covered
8. Preheat oven to 350°F

Step 4: Bake lasagna

Instructions

1. Cover dish with baking sheet (or aluminum foil)
2. Place baking dish on middle rack of oven
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until pasta sauce begins to bubble
4. increase heat in oven to 425°F

Step 5: Brown the cheese

Ingredients

• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 2 pinches of parsley

Instructions

1. Take dish out of oven, remove covering
2. Sprinkle mozzarella and parsley on top of lasagna
3. Put dish back into oven, then continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and looks slightly browned
4. Turn off oven, open door slightly and let cool for 20 minutes before serving